By Antonia Day Entertainment 24.11.2023

6 Easy Hacks for a Stress-Free Holidays Season

Make your holiday season a stress-free one.

Before you hand over the gift of a lifetime to a loved one, or make the first slice in your picture perfect pavlova, a great deal of preparation goes into making sure your holiday festivities run smoothly.

While it can be stressful wrapping your head (and gifts) around everything before the festivities kick off, putting in the time to prepare will make all the difference when the celebrations start.

Below are a list of preparation tips to make sure your holiday season runs as smoothly as possible.

Explore our Gift Guide.

1. Create a budget (and stick to it)

It can be easy to overspend during the holiday season. With last minute changes leading to last minute purchases, the list of expenses always seem to creep up. In preparation, create a budget – and try your best to stick to it. If you’re hosting a holiday lunch or dinner, write down how many guests you’ll be having, and if they’ll all be receiving gifts. Once you’ve figured out who will be receiving a gift and getting a plate at the table, work backwards to allocate a certain amount you will spend for each thing.

2. Buy gifts ahead of time

Few people like the chaos of shopping for last-minute gifts. Save yourself time (and money) by taking advantage of Black Friday sales while you can. Once you’ve sourced your gifts, allocate an afternoon to wrap them beautifully. If you can, get creative with your gift wrapping by using newspaper or fabric to wrap them. One of our favourite ways to package gifts is with the Brigitte Grant x Bed Threads 'Holiday' Gift Sack.

3. Plan your menu

If you’re hosting a holiday lunch or dinner this year, first of all, good luck, and second of all, ask your guests about dietary requirements as early as possible. Knowing what your guests can and can’t eat ahead of time will help you figure out your menu, while also giving you time to source ingredients ahead of time.

4. Reset your home

If you're having guests stay at your home during the holidays, give yourself at least half a day to deep clean your house. Doing a deep clean early on means you'll only need to do minor resets before and after guests arrive.

5. Write it down!

It can be hard to stay organised amongst the chaos that ensues at the end of each year. Aside from staying cool, calm, and collected, writing lists of what you need to do, pack and purchase, will make all the difference when you find yourself in a panic. For those travelling over the holiday season, writing a list of what you’ve packed and taking it with you will help reduce the chance of losing anything!

6. Practice self care!

It's easy to get caught up in all the holiday prep, wanting every occasion to be 'perfect' for your friends and family, but it's also important to set some time aside for yourself. Don't skip your yoga class or hot girl walk, remember to eat well, and try to make sleep a priority – it will make all the difference when planning starts to feel stressful and overwhelming. If all else fails, take a few deep breaths... you've got this!