The holiday season

 I've experienced holiday seasons that have been too stressful, and that experience makes me not want to repeat it. So how do I plan a holiday season that is cheerful and warm, but not stressful and tiring? That's the goal. 

I know that many of my loved ones will have stressful seasons as the combination of work, family, home chores, and our political climate simply adds up to stress. I hope I can provide a less stressful atmosphere for holiday fun and enjoyment. 

What actions does this translate to?

Gifts

We don't give a lot of gifts--we keep it simple, but for the gifts we do give, I want to keep it simple and meaningful. I also want to purchase or make those gifts earlier rather than later. I want the gifts wrapped and ready to go prior to Thanksgiving for the most part. 

Decorations

We have a box of decorations that we'll take down from the attic after Thanksgiving. We've started decorating the Saturday after Thanksgiving. We may even tag a tree someday soon so we're ready for our tree decorations right after Thanksgiving. 

Celebrations

We have a number of celebrations planned. I'm cooking for most of those celebrations. Since we've hosted these celebrations before, we have most of the items we need, but as I prep the house and shop, I want to be aware of what I need to buy/prepare for these celebrations. 

• Neighborhood Pot Luck: I'll make a lot of cookies, a veggie chili, a turkey chili, salad, and corn bread. The neighbors will likely bring more too. 
• Thanksgiving: We'll have the usual Turkey, root veggies, breads, and desserts. I'll order some good sour dough bread for the holidays from a local baker. I'll make a couple of pies too. 
• Women's Party: This is a brunch, so I'll make quiches, sweet breads, salads. People bring foods too. We have a Yankee swap so I'll have to purchase a gift for that event as well. 
• Christmas Day: I'll have a main meat dish and a main veggie dish. We'll have salads and the usual ice cream sundaes and cookie dessert. This year I'm thinking of making Julia Child's beef bourguignon and a crock pot veggie stew for main dishes since they taste good in winter and are easy to serve. 

Outings and Parties

We have a number of outings and parties we'll attend too. There's prep to do for those parties too. 

• Friend gatherings: I'll meet up with friends for lunch and for arts and music events. I'll bring a dish to at least one of those events. 
• Traditional Santa Party: We bring gifts for Santa to distribute and my mom's meatballs and bulkies for the party. 
• Christmas Eve Party: We enjoy an intimate Christmas Eve party with relatives and friends. I'll likely make a couple of cakes for the party and perhaps other foods. There's gifts to prepare for the events too. 
• New Year's: Sometimes we join friends for a New Year's Pot Luck--we may do that again.

I can prepare for these events by preparing cookie dough and pie crusts to have on hand. I can also buy root veggies and apples at nearby orchards before they close for the season. There's gifts to buy, make and wrap as well. 

Cards

My husband loves writing holiday cards so we'll put together that card soon. 

Budgeting

There's nothing worse than overspending at the holidays as that puts you in a bad place when the new year's arrives. Keeping a good budget, shopping early, and making as much as you can on your own helps you to stay on track for a happy, healthy holiday and not a stressful, worrisome holiday season. 

I love the way the holidays brighten up the dark days at the end of fall and the start of winter. Despite the political climate we're in, I want the holidays to be special and warm for those I love.