Tag Archive for: adhd holiday organizing

25 Ways to Get Ready for the Holiday Season

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The beginning of October ushers in the holiday season.  The joy of the season is amplified by preparation.  Many extra tasks and projects can be a mix of joy and stress. With intention, planning, and organization, you can create a holiday season that’s meaningful, enjoyable, and even relaxing. Here are 25 ways to get ready for the holidays so you can spend less time worrying and more time celebrating.

Home & Décor

  • Declutter before decorating .  It is time to refresh you space before you start to decorate. Clear out old or unused items so your home feels fresh and ready for seasonal décor. Let go of decor you have not used in several years.
  • Check your holiday decorations. Inventory what you have so you know what you need. Test lights, organize ornaments, and repair or replace anything broken.
  • Think through your decorating plan.  Each year brings a new approach to your decorating. Update your plan and decide which areas of your home you’ll decorate. Remember to keep it simple if you have less time and energy.
  • Set up a wrapping station. Make it easy and fun to do the required tasks. A wrapping station consolidates all your tools and materials. Keep tape, scissors, tags, and wrapping paper in one place.
  • Gather a team for cleaning and decorating. Remember that a team effort will help you enjoy the time together and be efficient.

Food & Entertaining

  • Plan your holiday treats and meals with simplicity.  It’s easiest to focus on your family recipes if you have help with semi-homemade extras. Write menus and grocery lists now to avoid last-minute stress. Use curb side delivery for easy shopping.
  • Stock your pantry with essentials. Know your stock and keep it fresh. Pull out recipes early to stock what is needed.
  • Prep freezer-friendly dishes. Your menu can include easy-to-prepare recipes that can be duplicated to save time. Soups, casseroles, and cookie dough freeze well and save time later.
  • Plan ahead for homemade gifts. Write out your holiday treat giving on your calendar to plan for time to purchase, bake, and deliver your treat.
  • Check serving dishes and cookware. Make sure you have enough platters, roasting pans, and storage containers.

Gifts & Shopping Lists

  • Create a gift list that follows your budget.  Write down recipients and brainstorm gift ideas in advance. Think about family games and puzzles as gifts that bring people together.
  • Set a holiday budget. Especially this year, finances are tight. Decide what you’ll spend on gifts, food, travel, and events to avoid overspending. Track your expenses on an app or spreadsheet to keep up with a tally.
  • Shop your gift closet. It is time to use all those gifts you picked up all year.
  • Order online early and track your items. Many times deliveries happen without boxes being opened. Shop, inventory, and then wrap throughout the season.
  • The joy of the season is in wrapping and delivering. Wrap gifts as you buy them instead of waiting until the night before and set a date on your calendar to deliver.

Family & Traditions

  • Host a family meeting to set dates. Block off dates for school concerts, family gatherings, and community events.
  • At your family meeting, prioritize traditions. Have everyone share what is their favorite holiday event. Decide which rituals matter most to your family and let go of extras that cause stress.
  • Schedule time to reflect and reset. Protect family evenings for rest, games, or movies together.
  • Prepare for holiday traditions with shopping lists. Use curbside delivery for help.
  • Don’t forget family fun that brings everyone togther.  Holiday outdoor light scavenger hunts, baking breads and cookies, and volunteering together are ways to spend time together.

 

Self-Care & Peace of Mind

  • Plan your attire for the holidays. Make this easy by assembling your holiday attire together in your closet.
  • Keep gift cards ready. Having extra cards available and low amount gift cards makes gift giving easier.
  • Get to the airport early and have your playlist ready. Arriving early makes parking and getting through the check in process less stressful.
  • Bring your holiday intentions to life by setting happy boundaries. Reflect on what is meaningful to you and follow your intentions with a polite no. Overcommitment leads to frustration and aggitation.
  • Focus on gratitude. Writing in a holiday journal, you can share what you’re thankful for.  Many families have a gratitude jar for the holiday season.

The holiday season doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. With a little preparation and lots of intention, you can enjoy more of what truly matters most. By prioritizing time with family and friends, meaningful traditions, and the season’s spirit, you have the most joyful of holidays. Pick a few of these 25 strategies to start today, and you’ll be ready to celebrate with less stress and more joy.

Hassle free Holidays for Families with ADHD

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Hassle free holidays for families with adhd

 

Holidays are merry times for families.  For moms, dads, and family members with ADHD, there can be glitches with planning, timing, and finishing up in time for family time together. When it comes to family events, executive function limitations interfere with holidays in the ways we celebrate, the gifts we share and the time we spend with family.  Here are solutions to create hassle free holidays for families with ADHD.

 

Problem: Everything is important during the holidays. What do I do first and when do I do what? It all seems overwhelming.

Holidays can be magical and meaningful with planning. That planning starts with a calendar.  Ask your family about their special family traditions.  It’s tempting to say yes to everything, but the key take away is to limit your plans, decorating and parties. Once your family weights in, be sure all the family has access to the calendar to know the final plans and be a part of the fun.

 

Holiday plans require more time to complete. Start early on all holiday activities. It seems too early to start your holiday planning in October but it is not. For cards, take the photo in October, choose cards and have these printed in early November, and address the cards the week of Thanksgiving.    For gifts, go through your gift closet in October, finalize shopping in November, then mail presents the first week of December.  As you can see, October organizing and planning is key to holiday success. Set a deadlines for each task. A deadline will help you focus your time and energy.

 

Problem: There’s so much to do! How do I do it all?

There is no way to do it all during the holidays.  It’s also not possible to be the only family member decorating, gift giving and baking.  It’s time to look for help. Ask your family to partner with you, working in pairs to accomplish tasks. There’s many ways to get help around you.  There’s on demand delegation. You can find help with online tools to hire extra help at this time of year.  Take the semi-homemade approach and take help where you can get it from pre-cut groceries and delivery services. Ask teens who want to earn money for help with small tasks.  Be open to asking for help and accepting the “not completely perfect” solutions. When you spend extra time on a task, be sure it is valuable enough and worthy of that extra effort.

 

Problem: I can’t find the perfect gift for everyone on my list.

Find creative solutions to gift giving. Rather than many homemade gifts, choose one gift that includes an experience. Keep your gift giving for those who are especially close. Choose a small gift card for those who are service providers. Choose an organizing gift that can help you stay organized all year long. Order online in order to save time and money.  There are many ways to share the joy of gift giving.

 

Problem:  I am worn out before the fun begins.  I want to enjoy the holidays too.

Holidaze sets in early with too much to eat and too little sleep. Holiday fun is diminished with too little self care.  Be sure to keep true to your routines during this busy time of year. It’s easy to pass on the routines when you might miss out on fun.  Routines and self care make sure that you truly enjoy your holidays.

Give yourself the gift of extra self care. Extra self care looks like an afternoon to read your favorite magazine, a soak in the tub with lavender, or an early bed time.  Extra self care pays off in being ready to have fun.

 

Hassle free holidays start with knowing where the hassles begin and how to address these ahead of time.  Knowing your options and resources make a difference for holiday times.

 

ADHD Guide to Happier Holidays

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adhdholidayguide adhd

 

Time is not your friend during the holidays. There’s so much more to do. If you have ADHD, time challenges are part of what you face during the year.  Here’s a simple guide to a happier holiday for you and your family.

 

Keep self care at the top of your list

Holidays are the season of lists, with lists having lists.  Top off your list with holiday self care. This is the time to keep your exercise, medication, meditation and sleep schedules without disruption.  Keeping these routines on track will help you stay energized and positive.

 

Set your budget early and keep on track

Finances are a major part of all holidays. There’s gifts to buy, food to purchase and always last minute unplanned expenses.  Set up your budget early, with specific names and dollar amounts. Leave a little wiggle room for last minute purchases.  There’s apps for that too! Spendee, Mint and EveryDollar help you track your funds. Even before you set out to shop, open up all the Amazon boxes and make a list of all the gifts you purchased throughout the year. The power of a small, thoughtful, handmade gift can make a big impact if your funds are small. A donation to a meaningful charity in the family’s name shows thoughtfulness.  Simple gifts are profound and from the heart.

 

Meet to know what’s most meaningful

By far the most important and valued time of the holiday season is time spent together.  Get your family calendar together in early November.  Invitations, school plays, church gatherings and other celebrations will start soon! With your family, decide what’s most important and meaningful to each family member. Be ready to prioritize and then capture on your calendar these dates early.  When double bookings arise, take a few minutes to send a gracious thank you and proceed as planned.

 

Team work makes holidays easier

Make a list of what you have to do this holiday season. Now write a name next to the responsibilities where another person, team or tech can do this work.  Delegating is the way to have extra time to get the most complete. Create partnerships for work that can be done by more than one person. A partnership means that there will be laughing and fun, not just work to get done.  Look for community members to be a part of your team too, like teens who babysit, wrap or add extra hands when needed.  There’s lots of ways to add help in the holiday season.

 

Holiday are not all perfection all the time.  Take time this holiday season to find ways to make your holiday happier, and not perfect. The most imperfect holiday is often the most memorable.