The holiday season is filled with fun things to do, places to go and people to see. We want to decorate inside and out. There’s cookies to bake, treats to sample and dinners to enjoy. But sometimes, we can put so much pressure on ourselves to do all the things to make this the best holiday ever. Ever wish there were some holiday hacks to help make it easier?
Feeling overwhelmed by all of the holiday hassle? Many people tend to have higher expectations around the holiday season, which can mean extra work to make everything perfect. But, you don’t have to work hard (or break the bank) in order to spread Christmas cheer.
Use these holiday hacks to make your festive season a little easier.
- Christmas trees are a must-have for many of us. But if your tree is looking a little bare, try wrapping some green garlands around the inside of the branches to make it seem fuller.
- Is your tree just a little on the small side for all those presents? Stand it up on top of an old plastic milk crate or some paint cans. Then hide the extra height with a decorative tree skirt.
- Wrapping your tree with lights can be a painful process. So put your tree in a corner, and then criss-cross the light string across only what’s visible. You’ll save time and effort!
- Speaking of lights, untangling the strings every year can be a real hassle. So this year, put those empty wrapping paper tubes to good use. Wrap your lights around the tube for easy, tangle-free storage!
- Tired of broken ornaments every year? Store them in egg cartons. Or if you have larger ones, use an old coffee or hot chocolate can.
- Don’t have a wood-burning fireplace? Create your own using some cardboard boxes and spray paint. Complete the effect by wrapping pool noodles in brown paper to look like firewood. Now you can hang those stockings on the “mantle”.
- It’s always nice to see the lights outside. But if your yard is lacking in greenery to decorate, you can make some easy substitutes. Wrap green outdoor-garlands around tomato cages for instant mini-Christmas trees. Then light them up!
- Make gift wrapping easier by using double-sided tape! Not only will it be easier to stick down your paper, but you’ll get a professional look too.
- Make cookie and cake-decorating a breeze by using squeezable ketchup and mustard bottles filled with icing. Now the kids can decorate easily too.
- Use your slow cooker to make hot drinks for the seasonal celebrations. Hot cocoa, hot cider, or wassail all keep well in your slow cooker. Bonus: you’ll get festive scents too!
Bonus tip: For a truly stress free holiday, plan ahead!
Don’t let your Christmas season be ruined by a hassle and hustle. Things don’t have to be perfect, and you don’t have to do everything at once, or even at all. You can pick and choose, and you can decide what’s best for your family.
How will you make your holidays easier this year?
Love your ideas! I haven’t thought about putting extra garland around my bare tree. I probably needed to do this with a tree I got rid of last year. I also don’t think about using my slow cooker for drinks. What an easy way to keep them warm and also keep the house smelling festive.
Slow cooker drinks are an awesome way to wake up Christmas morning. Hot cocoa in the slow cooker.. mmmmm. Or keep cider ready for Christmas dinner? So yummy.