For so many people, the weeks leading up to Christmas are a whirl of craziness, but they don?t have to wear you out. Here are a few tips for a more relaxing holiday season.

• Think about the aspects of the holiday season that you enjoy. Reevaluate the others. If something brings you stress, is it important? Or could it be left out?
• Have some easy meals planned.
• Pick up small gifts for the special people in your life throughout the year. Do the same with hostess gifts, teacher gifts, etc.
• Unless you really get pleasure from gift wrapping, gift bags are a huge time saver. Dollar stores have good prices on them.
• Take care of yourself: Get enough sleep. Eat your veggies. Drink enough water.
• Take a cue from the Church’s calendar and from history: The weeks leading up to Christmas are Advent, a season of preparation. In times past, the real party started on Christmas and continued for twelve days. (You know the song.) If you?re planning a celebration, try a 12th night party. Or maybe celebrate Boxing Day on December 26. Spreading out the activity can make things calmer.
• Budget for some help with the things that you don’t enjoy. Have your house cleaned. Hire a babysitter so you can shop in peace. Have a meal catered. Or hire me to juggle some details, do some shopping, bake some cookies, or set up for your party!