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Holidays. A wonderful time filled with laughter, family and friends. It can also be the most stressful time of year for many people. The rush and hustle of shopping, the stress of preparing deserts and dinners, the schedule filled with holiday parties and functions can turn the normally happy occasion into a strained, nerve wracking affair. So, why do we bother? Just because.
You can make it easier for yourself and your loved ones. By pre-planning, delegating and negotiating your can once again enjoy the upcoming holidays. Following are several suggestions. Modify them to fit your needs. The next few suggestions can be done months in advance of the special event or holiday.
Pre-plan your meals. If you are the one who is preparing the holiday meal then pre-planning will save you a lot of anxiety, stress and head ache. First take attendance. Who will be there? How many are you cooking for? Make everyone attending RSVP so that you will plan accurately. Are there any special dietary considerations you need to plan for? For instance, if Uncle Joe is coming and he is diabetic will you need to modify some of the foods you will be serving?
Plan a menu. Decide what you will be serving and stick to it. How many deserts will you be preparing?
Prepare a grocery/shopping list. Go through your cupboards and decide what you’ll need to purchase and what you have on hand. It is much easier and less time consuming to go into a grocery store with list in hand. Don’t stray from what’s on your list. Always eat before you go shopping for groceries. A hungry person will stray more toward what looks good rather than what is needed.
Delegate the chores. If you are the one cooking the holiday dinner then perhaps another family member can be the one to do the grocery shopping. If there are extra chairs that need to be brought from the attic or the garage perhaps your husband or son, brother or sister can be the one assigned to make sure that this is done.
If you're having a large gathering maybe a pot luck is the way to go. Have friends and family each bring their favorite dish. This not only relieves you from so much cooking it also gives them a chance to help as well as makes them feel as though they are doing their part in the holiday preparations.
Prepare deserts a day or two in advance and place them in the freezer. Take them out to thaw the night before the event. Pies, cookies; cakes; and breads all freeze well. Prepare all vegetables the night before and refrigerate them. The next day all you have to do is take them out, place them in a pan and cook them.
Set the table the night before. Get all cooking utensils, pots and pans ready by setting them on the stove top. This saves you from having to look for them the next day. If Murphy’s Law applies, you’ll need a pan and not be able to find it. By gathering them the night before you’ll avoid the rush in the morning.
Stay organized. Chaos only creates more chaos. If you know there will be many children attending your event then plan for it. Provide a room where the children can play. If you have games then dig them out and dust them off. Bored children tend to become rambunctious very quickly. They will look for things to amuse them which then may lead them into the kitchen and underfoot. Assign an older child, perhaps one of the teens to be the childcare leader. Offer to pay them a few dollars to help keep the children in the group occupied while the meal is being prepared and the table set.
Lastly, relax and enjoy. If the bread is a little overbaked, if the turkey is a little dry who cares? As long as your company enjoys themselves and are happy, fed and comfortable then you’ve done your job. Let the rest go. After all, it is your holiday too.
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