Do you always have good intentions about enjoying Christmas Day, but end up stressed and exhausted? Here are tips to help you have a relaxing day this year:

• Keep in mind to be relaxed ABOUT Christmas – the real reason for the season is not spending as much as you can to impress everybody. Neither is it to take on all the responsibility to feed the masses while you drop down in an exhausted heap.
• Bin the Christmas cards – switch to sending a Christmas message electronically to family and friends – include a wacky photo of your kids; everyone loves that! (Except the kids!!) If you feel guilty about the ones who do not have email, these will be minimal and then you only need to write a select few. This saves time, money and your sanity…
• Save on wrapping paper – get the kids to create their own with a few colours of paint and some potato stamps made with cookie cutters. A real budget saver!
• Plan ahead – if the family get-together is at someone else’s place, offer to bring a dish or something else of their choice. Remember to be flexible though, since they may have a theme or menu planned and you have to make it easier on them.
• If everyone is coming to your place, it is advisable to plan well – see our Blog with tips on how to plan your Christmas party ( https://easystorage.com.au/blog/helpful-tips-help-organise-christmas-party/ )
• Shop online – this goes for Christmas presents and food. This will ease time restraints, since you can do it anytime and have it delivered too.
• Don’t overspend – this will lift the stress levels of everyone in the household and make not only Christmas non-relaxing, but the start of the New Year as well! There is no reason to buy presents for every family member – concentrate on the kids, or each family only buys their own. Whatever the decision, make it together and everyone will benefit and be content.
• Know when to stop – do not go overboard with the planning and overwhelm yourself. Recognise your limits and ask help to get everything organised. Keeping it simple will help a lot too.
• Keep calm – if the day doesn’t go exactly as planned, it will still be OK. You will be surrounded by your family and friends – have a good laugh about little things which may not go according to the original plan, and don’t stress about it.
• Seating arrangements – If you are worried about certain guests not getting along, make seating arrangements part of your planning and decorating. This will keep unwanted family friction at bay and let you breathe easier on the day.
• Have decaffeinated coffee and limit your alcohol intake– this way you won’t go on an unexpected high or develop the sudden bravery to voice a long silent opinion on a specific topic.
• Have a ‘great escape’ plan – It’s a good idea to have a pre-planned excuse to escape from proceedings if they get too stressful. Make sure your spouse is on board with whatever escape plan you have in place.
• Concentrate on what the season is for, do not go overboard and HAVE FUN!!