We all know that there is alot of pressure and stress that comes with the holidays including buying presents, preparing food, and being around family which may not always be the best for our mental or emotional wellness. There are ways to have a stress-free holiday and this blog post will help give you some support and suggestions. Most importantly, keep an open mind and allow yourself to break out of old beliefs and conditions associated with preparing for the holiday season.

Who is hosting Thanksgiving and who is hosting Christmas? Oh and let’s not forget about New Year’s! Planning to be the host or to show up to places can be stressful, but shopping to ensure you have the right food, presents and decorations can be exhausting and downright stressful!

Let us start with Thanksgiving since it’s right around the corner! Are you on a budget?

Struggling to keep up with your expenses? Look around your local community for Food pantries or see if a family member or friend is doing a “Friendsgiving.” This can help by taking away some of the financial burden and stress of preparing to celebrate this holiday. You could also do the non-traditional thing and skip the turkey altogether and start a new tradition! Some people choose ham or if you are a vegan there are some other great alternatives I found while reading a Good Housekeeping article. Whatever you decide here are some fun suggestive ideas I found while researching I will link them below and also in the resource section of this blog post. Don’t forget to make this holiday season fun with craft ideas for the kids! I found a great article from Better Homes and Garden!

Check it out below!

Good Housekeeping Non-Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner Ideas

35 Easy Thanksgiving Crafts For Kids

Got kids? Try to get creative and put together a fun craft session or get them involved with helping. Also, we all know that there are tons of dishes usually involved with preparing all that food for Thanksgiving so why not skip the dishes and hit up your local Dollar Tree or bargain store for Paper or Plastic? This will allow you to spend more time with your family and friends.

Ok, some of these tips you can apply to Christmas and also New Year’s but let’s talk about Christmas and how to have a less stressful experience.

Here are some tips to help save some money during your Christmas shopping according to Rasmey Solutions:

• Budget

• Shop Early (black Friday sales)

• Make presents

• Go all out with stocking stuffers

Try to think of other creative ways you can keep your holiday spending to a minimum. I am a big fan of thrift stores or second-hand stores and you can score some unique vintage gifts. No matter how you plan to celebrate remember the most important part of the holidays is spending time with family and expressing love and gratitude.

Happy holidays and a Happy New Year!

Elise

Resources and Citations

29 Non-Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner Ideas If You Don't Like Turkey

Turkey alternatives you'll really be thankful for.

By Susan Choung Published: Sep 24, 2024 Good House Keeping

35 Easy Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids

Try our favorite kid-friendly Thanksgiving crafts while prepping for this year's feast.

By Sarah Martens and Claire Hoppe Norgaard

November 15, 2024 Better Homes and Gardens

25 Tips to Save Money This Christmas

By Ramsey Solutions

Nov 13, 2024