Sherrine had a post this morning which inspired me to post this. She said that for holidays, she makes certain foods ahead, and does some cleaning over several days. I thought these were great ideas. We surely need coping skills when any holiday rolls around. Too easy to get burnt out!
I like to start early, too. I actually wrote out my Christmas cards in late October, then stamped them in late November. I sent them all off this week.
For Thanksgiving, it helps me to start working (light cleaning, etc.) on Monday, and I'll do things like wash up the china plates and "better" serving bowls, etc.. As the week progresses, I do things like get the veggies ready for the relish tray, cut up onions and celery for the dressing, etc.. Every day there's a few more things to do. The pies are made on Wednesday. Much less stress and work on Thursday, and I can enjoy the day and guests.
How about
Christmas? We don't have lots of sweets around, but I do put a few aside when I make candy or
cookies for our church fundraiser in early December. I don't bake any
cookies or make any candy beyond that. I guess it boils down to doing whatever you can ahead of time.
I'd love to hear how the rest of you handle the holidays, so they're not too tiring or overwhelming. Thanks in advance for any ideas.
