immune system and causes water retention and mood swings. Much holiday depression is caused by eating too much junk!

• Keep a few healthy meals & snacks on hand. Fruit, cut vegetables, nuts, popcorn and cheese are excellent alternatives to sweets!

• If you are having a party, let your guests bring something. You don’t have to do it all yourself! Remember, people love to contribute. Don’t you?

Finally, give up the myth of the perfect holiday. It doesn’t exist! What stories are you telling yourself about what people expect of you? Chances are they don’t expect nearly as much as you think they do. The truth is most people don’t care how many decorations you put up or whether or not you send them a card. 90% of our stress is self-inflicted by the stories we tell ourselves about events in our lives. By rethinking the stories you tell yourself about your holiday t

The holidays are supposed to be a time of giving and celebration of new beginnings. But our traditions of decorating, gift giving, card sending, eating and entertaining have become so complicated and stressful that it’s almost impossible to recognize the true meaning of the holidays anymore. Here are a few tips to help you simplify, reduce stress and get back to experiencing the joys of holiday traditions!

Decorating Tips • Decorate less! This year, try using only half of your decorations. Spending less time displaying decorations will give you more time to enjoy them! You’ll also have less to put away after the holidays!

• Don’t add to your decorations, REPLACE them! If you buy a new decoration, let go of an old one.

• Create a decorating routine. Use pictures of last year's decorations as a guide to help you figure out where to put everything more quickly.

• When you put a decoration out on display, put something away. Put your non-holiday decorations in the storage box until the holidays are over!

• If you have decorations that are worn, or that you don’t really like any more, donate them. Don’t just keep them out of habit. If they are sentimental, take a photo and let them go.

Gift Giving Tips

• Set limits. It’s so tempting to give your kids lots of gifts. But when you do, you are actually teaching them to expect that every year. The best gift you can give your kids is to teach them that the true meaning of the holidays is to give of yourself to others, be with people you love, and not about how many gifts you get.

• One of the biggest sources of holiday stress is overspending on gifts. Make a list of everyone you want to give a gift to and set a budget that allows you to celebrate the holidays without creating a financial hardship.

• Limit the number of shopping trips you make. 3-4 should be plenty!

• Create your gift list based on what you know people really need and use. If you aren’t sure, find out their favorite stores, restaurants, activities or service providers and give them a gift certificate. (Do a search on Google using the terms "clutter-free holiday gift ideas" for lots more resources.)

• Don’t go shopping just to look for gift ideas! When people shop looking for ideas, they often end up finding too many great gift ideas, can't decide, and then they buy too many gifts!

• Don’t bring home “possible” gifts thinking you'll return the ones you decide not to give. That almost never happens! And it just causes more stress. The best time to make decisions about what gifts you want to give is BEFORE you go shopping.

• Shop online! Especially for people you have to ship gifts to. Having your gifts wrapped & shipped directly to them can save you a lot of aggravation waiting in line at the post office!

• Instead of spending a lot on gift wrap, make creative gift wraps out of items in your home. For example, use fabric. You can even cut strips of fabric to make bows.

Card Sending Tips • Rethink your card traditions. How many cards do you really need to send out this year?

• Consider making phone calls or sending personal emails with photos this year instead of cards.

• Imagine how nicer it would be to actually talk to the college roommate you exchange cards with every year but haven’t seen or spoken to in 20 years.

Eating and Entertaining Tips

• Limit how much sugar you eat. Sugar impairs your immune system and causes water retention and mood swings. Much holiday depression is caused by eating too much junk!

• Keep a few healthy meals & snacks on hand. Fruit, cut vegetables, nuts, popcorn and cheese are excellent alternatives to sweets!

• If you are having a party, let your guests bring something. You don’t have to do it all yourself! Remember, people love to contribute. Don’t you?

Finally, give up the myth of the perfect holiday. It doesn’t exist! What stories are you telling yourself about what people expect of you? Chances are they don’t expect nearly as much as you think they do. The truth is most people don’t care how many decorations you put up or whether or not you send them a card. 90% of our stress is self-inflicted by the stories we tell ourselves about events in our lives. By rethinking the stories you tell yourself about your holiday tr

rything more quickly.

• When you put a decoration out on display, put something away. Put your non-holiday decorations in the storage box until the holidays are over!

• If you have decorations that are worn, or that you don’t really like any more, donate them. Don’t just keep them out of habit. If they are sentimental, take a photo and let them go.

Gift Giving Tips

• Set limits. It’s so tempting to give your kids lots of gifts. But when you do, you are actually teaching them to expect that every year. The best gift you can give your kids is to teach them that the true meaning of the holidays is to give of yourself to others, be with people you love, and not about how many gifts you get.

• One of the biggest sources of holiday stress is overspending on gifts. Make a list of everyone you want to give a gift to and set a budget that allows you to celebrate the holidays without creating a financial hardship.

• Limit the number of shopping trips you make. 3-4 should be plenty!

• Create your gift list based on what you know people really need and use. If you aren’t sure, find out their favorite stores, restaurants, activities or service providers and give them a gift certificate. (Do a search on Google using the terms "clutter-free holiday gift ideas" for lots more resources.)

• Don’t go shopping just to look for gift ideas! When people shop looking for ideas, they often end up finding too many great gift ideas, can't decide, and then they buy too many gifts!

• Don’t bring home “possible” gifts thinking you'll return the ones you decide not to give. That almost never happens! And it just causes more stress. The best time to make decisions about what gifts you want to give is BEFORE you go shopping.

• Shop online! Especially for people you have to ship gifts to. Having your gifts wrapped & shipped directly to them can save you a lot of aggravation waiting in line at the post office!

• Instead of spending a lot on gift wrap, make creative gift wraps out of items in your home. For example, use fabric. You can even cut strips of fabric to make bows.

Card Sending Tips • Rethink your card traditions. How many cards do you really need to send out this year?

• Consider making phone calls or sending personal emails with photos this year instead of cards.

• Imagine how nicer it would be to actually talk to the college roommate you exchange cards with every year but haven’t seen or spoken to in 20 years.

Eating and Entertaining Tips

• Limit how much sugar you eat. Sugar impairs your immune system and causes water retention and mood swings. Much holiday depression is caused by eating too much junk!

• Keep a few healthy meals & snacks on hand. Fruit, cut vegetables, nuts, popcorn and cheese are excellent alternatives to sweets!

• If you are having a party, let your guests bring something. You don’t have to do it all yourself! Remember, people love to contribute. Don’t you?

Finally, give up the myth of the perfect holiday. It doesn’t exist! What stories are you telling yourself about what people expect of you? Chances are they don’t expect nearly as much as you think they do. The truth is most people don’t care how many decorations you put up or whether or not you send them a card. 90% of our stress is self-inflicted by the stories we tell ourselves about events in our lives. By rethinking the stories you tell yourself about your holiday t

that allows you to celebrate the holidays without creating a financial hardship.

• Limit the number of shopping trips you make. 3-4 should be plenty!

• Create your gift list based on what you know people really need and use. If you aren’t sure, find out their favorite stores, restaurants, activities or service providers and give them a gift certificate. (Do a search on Google using the terms "clutter-free holiday gift ideas" for lots more resources.)

• Don’t go shopping just to look for gift ideas! When people shop looking for ideas, they often end up finding too many great gift ideas, can't decide, and then they buy too many gifts!

• Don’t bring home “possible” gifts thinking you'll return the ones you decide not to give. That almost never happens! And it just causes more stress. The best time to make decisions about what gifts you want to give is BEFORE you go shopping.

• Shop online! Especially for people you have to ship gifts to. Having your gifts wrapped & shipped directly to them can save you a lot of aggravation waiting in line at the post office!

• Instead of spending a lot on gift wrap, make creative gift wraps out of items in your home. For example, use fabric. You can even cut strips of fabric to make bows.

Card Sending Tips • Rethink your card traditions. How many cards do you really need to send out this year?

• Consider making phone calls or sending personal emails with photos this year instead of cards.

• Imagine how nicer it would be to actually talk to the college roommate you exchange cards with every year but haven’t seen or spoken to in 20 years.

Eating and Entertaining Tips

• Limit how much sugar you eat. Sugar impairs your immune system and causes water retention and mood swings. Much holiday depression is caused by eating too much junk!

• Keep a few healthy meals & snacks on hand. Fruit, cut vegetables, nuts, popcorn and cheese are excellent alternatives to sweets!

• If you are having a party, let your guests bring something. You don’t have to do it all yourself! Remember, people love to contribute. Don’t you?

Finally, give up the myth of the perfect holiday. It doesn’t exist! What stories are you telling yourself about what people expect of you? Chances are they don’t expect nearly as much as you think they do. The truth is most people don’t care how many decorations you put up or whether or not you send them a card. 90% of our stress is self-inflicted by the stories we tell ourselves about events in our lives. By rethinking the stories you tell yourself about your holiday t

ve is BEFORE you go shopping.

• Shop online! Especially for people you have to ship gifts to. Having your gifts wrapped & shipped directly to them can save you a lot of aggravation waiting in line at the post office!

• Instead of spending a lot on gift wrap, make creative gift wraps out of items in your home. For example, use fabric. You can even cut strips of fabric to make bows.

Card Sending Tips • Rethink your card traditions. How many cards do you really need to send out this year?

• Consider making phone calls or sending personal emails with photos this year instead of cards.

• Imagine how nicer it would be to actually talk to the college roommate you exchange cards with every year but haven’t seen or spoken to in 20 years.

Eating and Entertaining Tips

• Limit how much sugar you eat. Sugar impairs your immune system and causes water retention and mood swings. Much holiday depression is caused by eating too much junk!

• Keep a few healthy meals & snacks on hand. Fruit, cut vegetables, nuts, popcorn and cheese are excellent alternatives to sweets!

• If you are having a party, let your guests bring something. You don’t have to do it all yourself! Remember, people love to contribute. Don’t you?

Finally, give up the myth of the perfect holiday. It doesn’t exist! What stories are you telling yourself about what people expect of you? Chances are they don’t expect nearly as much as you think they do. The truth is most people don’t care how many decorations you put up or whether or not you send them a card. 90% of our stress is self-inflicted by the stories we tell ourselves about events in our lives. By rethinking the stories you tell yourself about your holiday t

immune system and causes water retention and mood swings. Much holiday depression is caused by eating too much junk!

• Keep a few healthy meals & snacks on hand. Fruit, cut vegetables, nuts, popcorn and cheese are excellent alternatives to sweets!

• If you are having a party, let your guests bring something. You don’t have to do it all yourself! Remember, people love to contribute. Don’t you?

Finally, give up the myth of the perfect holiday. It doesn’t exist! What stories are you telling yourself about what people expect of you? Chances are they don’t expect nearly as much as you think they do. The truth is most people don’t care how many decorations you put up or whether or not you send them a card. 90% of our stress is self-inflicted by the stories we tell ourselves about events in our lives. By rethinking the stories you tell yourself about your holiday traditions, you can start getting back to a simpler, happier holiday season!

© 2006 Ariane Benefit, Neat Living