Don't be a Scrooge!

I know as well as anyone that holidays can be a stressful time of year.
No money, no time....just crazy, keep-you-awake-at-night stress.

This article that I read in the New York Daily News today makes some great points:
(I hope my sister reads this, she has the holiday-crazy bug worse than ANYone!)

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/479767p-403596c.html

Ho, No Holiday Stress
Coping with the demands of the Season

by Jean Chatzky

Time is money, the middle of the holiday season, it can seem as though you don't have enough of either. Not only do you have to scrape together money to buy presents, you also have to find windows in your busy days to hit the stores, go to holiday parties, entertain out-of-town guests and, if you're really ambitious, decorate your house.

To make things worse, this season just naturally seems to lend itself to clutter. Gifts need to be stored or even hidden, wrapping paper is ev erywhere and visitors leave things behind. As if that's not enough of a mess, you have to find a place in your home for all of the new stuff coming in.

"Everybody's eyes are bigger than their schedules," said Julie Morgenstern, time management expert, author of "Never Check E-mail in the Morning" and creator of her own line of organizers. "There are just so many things that you need to do during this time of year."

So, how do you take care of it all and clear the decks before New Year's Day with a peaceful mind? You don't. Morgen stern said the key is trimming the fat and finding a balance that you're happy with.

Jean Chatzky is the author of the bestselling book "Pay It Down!"
Additional reporting by Arielle McGowen

Anti-stress to do list

Map it out. Forming your plan of attack in advance is always the best thing to do when approaching a high-stress situation. Get out a piece of paper and a pen (leave the computer out of this — it's way more satisfying to cross things off a list) and write down everything you need to get done between now and the holiday.

Don't worry about prioritizing just yet; instead, throw it all down there, no matter how small the task. Then, said time management expert Julie Morgenstern, put a realistic time estimate on the paper to reflect how long each item will take. After you've done that, it's time to add it all up. Literally. Get out a calculator, and start punching in the numbers until you have the total number of hours remaining until you can crumple up that list and recycle it.

Decide what is most important. Clearly, you're not going to be able to accomplish your entire list if it adds up to 200 hours. (Mine did. Bah, humbug.) So, Morgenstern suggested ironing out your priorities. What are three things that make the holiday season really special for you? Maybe you like to bake, decorate your house and spend time with your family, but you aren't so keen on shopping for gifts. Make those three things a priority, and cut down on shopping time by going online.

Delegate or delay. If your list includes things that aren't urgent, then by all means focus on them another time — like next year.

Even things that seem of-the-moment can occasionally be put off. Example: Holiday cards. Send New Year's cards, or Valentine's Day cards, or even random I-didn't-have-time-during-Christmas-but-still-wanted-to-send-my-love cards. If this doesn't appeal to you, or you cannot fathom the idea of no holiday cards, you might want to consider delegating the duty. There are companies that will send out hand-written cards for you to your specifications, or you could try swapping with a friend or neighbor: You'll bake an extra batch of cookies that she can give to her friends, if she'll write up holiday cards that you can give to yours.

Treat your house to a big cleanup. It may seem like just another thing to add to your already overflowing list, but giving your house a fresh polish can actually make you feel less stressed.
Morgenstern suggested cleaning room by room, starting with those that are going to be the most used — the living room, dining room, foyer, kitchen and bathroom — if you have family and friends coming to visit. That way, when someone calls from their car and asks if it's okay to pop by, you won't spiral into a panic at the mere thought.

Make a donation. "I think the holidays are a great excuse to do a big purge through your house," Morgenstern advised.
Neglected stuff in your closet and your children's closets are a great way to help others during a season that is supposed to be based on giving. Go through each closet, and get together a couple of boxes to give to a clothing drive or local shelter. Explain to your children that they have to get rid of a few toys they don't play with anymore to make room for the new ones they are going to get.

Know that it's okay to turn down an invitation. You can't go to every party, dinner and work event. So don't. Pick and choose the ones that mean the most to you and attend those. Don't feel bad about saying you aren't going to be able to make it to the others — go ahead and pull a reason off your list.