The holiday season is known for being full of joy and cheer for you and your partner, but when it sneaks up on you expectedly, it can come with a lot of stress too. You’ve just finished Thanksgiving festivities, and immediately your to-do list is longer than you can manage.
Remember — you’re not alone in this. Relying on your partner to help check off your growing list of holiday tasks and approaching the seasonal stresses as a team will turn your impossible into unstoppable this year. Sit down together and create a plan of attack on how best to divide and conquer your to-do list.
To help ease the burden of holiday stress points at home, we’ve compiled a checklist of familiar and time-consuming tasks many couples face during the holiday season and added some helpful tips for completing them with confidence.
Has your growing holiday greeting card list become overwhelming?
From purchasing the cards, writing individual notes to each recipient, compiling and addressing each envelope and mailing them in time, holiday greeting cards are certainly a burdensome task. Why not try the following with your partner?
1. Divvy up the work and assign each other duties to speed up the process. Maybe you write the messages while they take care of addressing each envelope.
2. The design of the card might be difficult to agree upon, so why not try creating a Pinterest board that resolves your dilemma? Not only will you resolve the issue faster, but you’ll have fun learning more about your partner in the process.
Are you hosting for the first time this year?
Bringing the family and friends together during the holidays is great for making long-lasting memories and celebrating the love we have around us, but it can make the season a bit unpredictable. Since each family is unique in their holiday traditions, plan ahead and consider these ideas:
1. Maybe one family does Secret Santa each year while the other opts for homemade presents. Either way, it helps to be prepared. Since you’re the one hosting, why not establish a new tradition unique to your home? In place of Secret Santa or homemade gifts, you might decide to have everyone bring gifts for children less fortunate instead. Alternatively, you could suggest a white elephant gift exchange to ease guests’ stress of shopping for people they might not be too familiar with yet.
2. Talk through the menu, and keep food allergies and dietary preferences in mind to make sure there are options for everyone at the table. If others are planning to bring dishes, they’ll appreciate hearing about any restrictions in advance as well.
3. If you have out-of-town guests staying the night, plan out where everyone will sleep. This ensures you have enough room for everyone and allows you to make any last-minute rearrangements to accommodate the group comfortably.
Traveling out of town for the holidays?
Whether driving upstate or flying across the country, traveling during the holidays brings added planning pressure to any pair. To lighten your travel tribulations, plan ahead and plan together.
1. If you’re flying this holiday season, start researching flights and airfare far in advance to guarantee that you get the best deals and seats available. More travel savings means more money in your holiday fund, and premium seat selection means you and your partner are rested and ready for the next few days.
2. Make a checklist of everything you’ll need to have taken care of while you’re away. For example, if you have a pet that needs to be cared for, start asking your loved ones in advance, or prepare your furry friend for boarding while you’re away. And confirm that a neighbor or friend can keep an eye on your home while you’re gone and take in the mail or any packages left outside.
3. Pack as a team and keep in mind the gifts you’ll have to bring with you. Packing as a single unit makes it easier to see which bags fit better with certain items and also gives the not-so-light packer some wiggle room to claim unused real estate in the other’s luggage.
Keep in mind: Any holiday hurdles you and your partner encounter this season will be easier to manage when you face them together. You both deserve peace of mind, so be sure to make the most of every moment along the way together — whether planning or celebrating.
Happy holidays from the team at Cinch!