Last Minute Tips to Keep your Holiday Stress Free

With just a few days left before Christmas, the stress of having the right gifts, cooking delicious dishes and being the best hostess or guest is definitely is at its breaking point.

But there are some simple ways to streamline that holiday crunch time and reduce your stress level. Just remember to stay calm and use your limited time in the most efficient way possible!

If most of your stress is coming from having a cluttered and disorganized house, think about some easy ways to alleviate that anxiety by adding additional storage to your property. A Cook Portable Warehouse can be delivered, set-up and paid off on your schedule.

Learn more about our flexible buying programs like Rent to Own or buying a pre-owned building by watching these videos. And use these tips and tricks to keep the last days before your holiday celebration as fun and tension free as possible!

Get creative with gift giving

If you’re in a time crunch and don’t have time to hit the mall or order gifts online, gift cards/certificates can make great presents because they allow the fun of the holidays to continue into the new year. It’s also a great way for friends and family to go out without worrying about putting additional strain on those tight post-holiday budgets.

Remember to think about places the recipient likes to shop, eat or relax, so you can personalize the gift to his or her likes and interests. Give them a gift card to a favorite restaurant, coffee shop or boutique!

Another idea is gifting tickets to a favorite sporting event, concert or class. This gives that person something to look forward to after the holidays come to a close. Again, remember to consider his or her interests and hobbies.

Homemade coupons are also a fun (and money saving) idea. Make kids a voucher to avoid doing their least favorite chore or for a shopping trip of their choice! Or give food or beverage items like wine, olive oil or specialty coffee or hot chocolate. Personalize these presents by adding a message or tip to the gift tag!

Keep things simple

Try to simplify as much as possible during the holidays, so if you have too many guests and not enough fine dishware than just use your regular place settings and dress them up for the occasion. Use fun holiday napkins or make place card holders out of pinecones from your yard for a special twist!

If wrapping presents brings added stress with all that clutter and mess, than have everything professionally wrapped at a department store or mall. And keep a small stockpile of simple gifts like boxes of chocolates, wine or candles wrapped and ready to go in case an unexpected guest gives you a gift.

Get ready for next year

The last thing you probably want to think about is preparing for next year but streamlining a couple things now will save you time and frustration next holiday season!

Keep those holiday cards up on your mantel or fireplace until New Year’s Day and then either discard or put them in a scrapbook or album. Use the same rule of thumb for holiday decorations and don’t leave them up until spring!

Take note of all the gifts you received so you will be prepared and not miss out on anyone next year! Include all those people outside your immediate family and friends like your hairdresser, secretary, housekeeper, kids’ teachers, etc. Also, check which dishes were popular and which had tons of leftovers, so you can better tailor the holiday meal next year!

Get prepared for the future by learning more about a Cook building and how it can benefit your family! Hear from some satisfied Cook customers or download our brochure by clicking below!