Make the Most of Your Visiting Loved Ones this Holiday Season
Although the holidays are the best time of year to reconnect with loved ones that live far away, playing host can be quite a stressful undertaking. Not only will you need to worry about cooking for the extra guests at the table, but you will also have to consider where to put them up for the night as well as their belongings. If you’ve already got a full house to begin with, figuring these things out can put a lot of added stress on what’s supposed to be a nice holiday get together.
If you’ve been chosen as the central hub for family activities this holiday season, we’ve put some tips together to help you get through it as stress-free as possible.
Set a Schedule
Since you’re bringing outsiders into your home, it may be difficult to stick to your usual schedule. Write out your daily schedule and place it where your guests can see it. This will help keep them up to date with where you are and what you’ll be doing at any given time. Let them know that they need to respect your schedule and that you will do your best to accommodate their needs as best you can.
Stay on Budget
When you’re playing host for out of town family members, it can be tempting to pull out all the stops for meals and gifts. This isn’t necessary as most people are just happy to get a chance at some quality family time. If you’re expecting visitors this holiday season, make a budget in advance and stick to it. There is absolutely no reason to go broke and stress yourself out unnecessarily. Use DIY projects and decorations from holidays past to save money and plan meals in advance so you don’t break the bank on an elaborate holiday dinner.
Tips for Gifts
There are a few ways to reduce the stress of gift giving this holiday. It’s virtually impossible to purchase expensive gifts for every single member of your family. Rather, you may want to get together with the adults and agree that everyone purchase gifts for only the kids. You can set a price limit that won’t put strain on the less fortunate members of your family or make them feel inadequate with their offerings. Wrapping these presents can be another stressful aspect of the holidays. It’s not too terribly expensive to pay for gift wrapping and some stores will even offer free wrapping. Don’t spend your precious family time fighting with paper and bows, let a professional do it for you!
One of the most meaningful gifts you could give is one that you’ve made yourself. This is especially true when you receive a handmade gift from a child. It’s an excellent way to spend time with your young ones while marking a few items off of your gift list for family members.
Consider Catering
Several restaurants offer catered meals at a reasonable rate during the holiday season. Instead of slaving over a hot stove while the rest of the family connects in the other room, call up one of these places and have them take care of the cooking for you. In most cases, you can get an entire spread for your large family for about the same price as buying and preparing the food yourself.
Holiday Car Services
When playing host to out of town guests, you may find yourself trying to figure out how to get them around while they’re in town. If they fly in, they’re not going to have any way to leave the house. Playing chauffeur when you already have enough on your plate can be a serious source of stress and strain on family relations. Make a call to Savannah Nite and let us take care of your holiday transportation needs. We can pick them up from the airport and drive them around while they’re in town, leaving you to do everything you need to do without compromising your schedule or set agenda.
The holidays aren’t supposed to be stressful. Hopefully with these tips you can enjoy the limited time you get with those loved ones that don’t get to come around very often. Enjoy this holiday season and make the most of your family visits!
Image Credit: freedigitalphotos.net/digidreamgrafix