Save Our Xmas Sanity

The countdown to Christmas 2008 has officially begun!

Can you believe that in less than 100 days it will be Christmas?

Apparently we crossed the 100-day line earlier this week...

How does that make you feel? We're no longer talking months to go, we're talking in days. Scary stuff for those who stress about Christmas.

Of course, that's not us. We're not stressed or scared by the approach of the silly season. Nah.

We're in total. denial.

Chris and I were talking earlier today, and as we made plans for SOS and counted up the days left in 2008,  we both recognised those physical changes that indicate a rise in stress levels - a faster heartbeat being the main indicator (without any strenuous housekeeping or dog walking as an excuse).

Of course, recognising that the mere mention of the approaching imminence of that day in December causes us stress is the very first step in healing and changing the outcome this year.

We want to be calm, in control and organised.

And it IS do-able.

Our Challenge to You

Set your intentions now.

How do you want to be for the next ninety-something days?

We're sure that you aren't putting your hand up and saying you want to be stressed... so what is it you DO want?

Peace, love and goodwill to all?

Calm and organised and feeling like you're in control, like us?

Joyful?

Relaxed?

Determined to have a simple, stress-free, laughter filled Christmas - and that means the whole lead up to it, as well as the day?

Please leave us a comment and let us know what your intention is. Write it down. Post it prominently. Say it aloud to yourself every day.

And don't forget to subscribe to our 'feed' to get all our hints and tips for a calm Christmas direct to your inbox or feedreader (that's it - up there in the top left hand corner of this page).

Save Our Sanity: The Christmas Calm Manual - designed specifically to help you sail into Christmas, stressless and chaos-free - buy now and get a head start on a Calm Christmas 2008!

Make Your Melbourne Christmas Easy

We're rather excited to announce that we've been able to entice our friend and favourite Professional Organiser, Angela Esnouf of Creating Order From Chaos, to work with Chris and deliver a ...

... Make Your Christmas Easy Workshop in Melbourne.

So IF YOU:

• find Christmas spells S-T-R-E-S-S?
• are desperately seeking Christmas Calm?
• yearn to enjoy Christmas for the first time in a long time?
• want some simple no-stress powerful tips on organising your Christmas?
• know some of your Christmas traditions have passed their use-by date?
• feel ready for a laugh about Christmas?

THEN

Chris and Angela will give you an Intensive on Christmas Calm and Organisation

In just 90 minutes, you'll have some Christmas Cheer and start feeling easier and ready to face Christmas this year!

Where?            Vermont South
When?             Thursday December 6th
Time?             7.30-9.15
Cost?               $50
Bookings?         Angela or phone 0403 164 468
                       Chris or phone 03 9877 1469

All who attend will receive take-away tips sheets and to-do lists.

will be available for sale.

There'll also be some SECRET giveaways!

Book now as numbers are strictly limited

Romance that will please you both!

With a Relationship Advisor and a Calm Coach as your co-authors of Save Our Sanity (The Christmas Calm Manual) you could be sure we'd sniff out ideas to make people feel great.

This simple and incredibly romantic gesture will please any partner whose prepared to see what's in it for him!

I have a small artificial Christmas tree that fits perfectly on the nightstand in my bedroom.  I decorate it with tiny white lights (great mood lighting at night!) and hang 12 small pieces of paper that are rolled up and tied with a piece of gold ribbon. On each piece of paper I write a special message such as ... [more]

This is one of the more delightful ways you can look after YOU in the chaotic period that is so often Christmas!

I'll definitely be taking up this idea!

 

Decorating a Tree for Novices or the Decoratively Challenged!

While browsing through a Target catalogue called Christmas Wish List 2007, I discovered an excellent two-page spread of 6 steps to decorating Your Christmas Tree.

Now some of you may sneer at me even mentioning this! "Surely everyone knows how to decorate a Christmas Tree." you might think.

But others of you will know that not every person is given decorative genes and for some people getting a Christmas tree to look good seems totally BEYOND them! 

Here at Save Our Christmas Sanity we are always on the look out for ways for our readers to get all the help they need to make their Christmas Calm, so I decided to research whether Target had this info anywhere online.

Target are no marketing dummies, so of course these two pages were very easy to find. 

So for those of you who have secret fears of looking like idiots because you can't decorate a tree then here's your answer!

Page 1 - Steps 1&2
Page 2 - Steps 3-6

Of course, it's promoting some Target products which you may/may not wish to buy but it has some good solid ideas in there all the same!

The catalogue also has a very simple description on wrapping pressies as well if you need it.

Of course the thing to remember about Decorating a Christmas Tree or Wrapping a Present is that you just need to do the best you can!  No more, no less!

My personal piece of advice? 

LESS is MORE!

Shopping for, and Giving, the Perfect Present

Are you a perfectionist, even just a wee bit?

I am a confessed, reformist perfectionist (sounds a bit like one of those weird religions, doesn't it?)

In my last article, Getting the Gift Shopping Sorted, the subject of buying the perfect gift came up - and I promised to talk more about it.

Perfectionism is a blessing and a curse. In the case of Christmas shopping - it's a curse to us buyers-of-gifts who endlessly walk the malls seeking the perfect gift for each friend and loved one. It's a blessing for those on the receiving ends of those gifts. No inappropriate, cheap, insensitive or unwanted presents from us!

Shopping for the 'perfect present' comes in three distinct parts. There is the idea of what to get. There is the actually purchase of the gift. In between those two steps is what I like to call 'perfectionists-shopping-nightmare'.

The nightmare can consist of any, or all, of these:

• finding the ideal gift in the right colour, shape, design and brand
• comparison shopping the best price
• thinking that this would be OK, but we might find better in that other shop down the street
• fearing that we will be thought of as 'cheap' if we don't buy an expensive brand
• wondering whether it may come up on sale next week
• second guessing the appropriateness of the gift as we stand in the queue to buy it
• getting heart palpitations as we hand over our credit card - what if it isn't perfect?
• wrapping the gift and then running out an getting something else to go with it/instead of it just in case we change our minds at the last minute
• delaying the purchase until they have all sold out, and having to find an alternative

It can be a very expensive and VERY time consuming process. And the shopping doesn't get done.

(and I won't go into our state of mind as Christmas creeps closer - you perfectionists will know exactly what that is like, and no-one else needs to know)

I'm here to tell you, as a reformed you-know-what, that once you have a vague idea of the gift and you see something that is 'good enough' in a shop - (even when you still have plenty of shopping days to Christmas) - Buy. It. Immediately.

If at all possible, have it gift wrapped on the spot. Don't forget to label it as soon as you get home so you remember who it is for. And most importantly of all - don't forget to cross that person off your list. They are DONE!!!

I'm willing to guarantee the gift recipient will appreciate the thoughtful gift just as much. After all, they don't KNOW whether you spent 10 minutes or 10 hours shopping for their gift.  And it is highly likely that if they care about you at all, they would prefer the 10 minutes to the 10 hours!!!

After all, which would you prefer?

In the coming weeks, we'll be talking more about sorting the shopping before Christmas. Please subscribe (pop your email address up there in the top left corner) and you'll receive the articles as they are written.

If you really need help in this area - don't forget to snag your copy of Save Our Sanity: The Christmas Calm Manual today (free postage until midnight October 31st - so hurry!)

Getting the Gift Shopping Sorted

We are still in October (yes, I heard your reaction to that title) and there are still two months left to Christmas.

That's right - two whole months. My countdown calendar now says 58 days...

And so, there is plenty of time to write our list and shop for it all, isn't there?

Is there?

Remember what happens as we get closer to December. Go on, think about it.

1.    It gets real hot (or real cold, for our northern friends)
2.    The shops get BUSY!
3.    The kids finish school and all seem to think shopping centres are the best place to hang out (see #1)
4.    Prices go up
5.    Tempers wear thin
6.    Goods sell out, with no more supplies before 2008
7.    You get more and more stressed at the thought of buying the perfect gift for all on your list

HOLD IT!

Did you say 'perfect gift'???

PERFECT? Hmmm... that's fodder for a whole other article.

So, what's stopping YOU from getting a head start on your Christmas shopping? 

Save Our Sanity: The Christmas Calm Manual has many hints and tips for easing the shopping burden - order YOUR copy today!

Frazzled Mom finds Sleep and Bargains

Ahh the Web is a wonderful thing.

As you know we, the Christmas Calm Angels, are ever on the alert for opportunities to help you all avoid insanity and achieve calm in the pre-Christmas chaos.

Those of us in Australia don't often appreciate how difficult it is for US mums (moms) who's Holiday Season is complicated by a massive celebration day in November called Thanksgiving! 

Thanksgiving means family, travelling, and feasts.  It means you really can't get to thinking about Christmas till you've got passed Thanksgiving.

So apparently US retailers encourage their shoppers to get on with it, by having big sales on the day after Thanksgiving!  It's commonly called Black Friday!

Frazzled Mom (now that's a name we could relate to) over at On the Go Mom has recently told the WWW about a new discovery she's made so that this year she doesn't go bargain-hunting at 3am on Black Friday and instead keeps her sanity!

Frazzled Mom is following in the Save Our Sanity philosophy without ever having read our book (I don't think!)  She's acknowledging the insanity of some of her previous activities and how counter-productive they have been for her.  Instead she's sharing a new resource with us all.  Even those of us who are here in Oz may find her discovery useful!

... However (as I know from experience) you will also find huge crowds, long lines and (if you don’t get there early enough) empty shelves.

Last year I was standing outside Target at 3:00 AM waiting for the doors to open. It was cold and dark and after a big Thanksgiving dinner the night before I wasn’t feeling the joy of saving a few dollars. Instead I stood their with my sister-in-law questioning our sanity. I mean we could have been in our warm beds sleeping.  [more]

Hey Frazzled Mom/any reader, why not get our free Tips for (further) Christmas Calm by taking our Christmas Stress Test.  And thanks for sharing your resources and illustrating our philosophy that Christmas is meant to be enjoyed and can be done while Saving Our Sanity!

Saving MY Sanity At Christmas - Karen's Post Christmas Review

It's all over for another year. December 25th came upon us, and, just as fast, left! 

How did YOUR Christmas go?

I catered for 14 people for Christmas Lunch, and it all went smoothly - there was plenty of food, praise abounded (yes, I loooove praise for a job well done...:), gifts were all opened and well received, Santa was good to us all, and there is still turkey and ham left overs for the post-Christmas meals...

On Boxing Day, we slept in (an unheard of luxury), and then G and I spent the early part of the day in discussions about my new project looming large to replace Sanctuary - a lot of clarity came out of that.  Then the afternoon was spent watching Ice Age 2 and playing Cluedo with the kids, assembling a telescope, and enjoying the rain (yay!!!  Rain! the BEST Christmas present of all in our drought stricken area!!)... a nice relaxing day.

So today, I have taken a little time to do a review of my own on Christmas, on what worked, what I'd do differently next year, and what I wouldn't do at all. For there is no time like the days following Christmas to plan the next one.

If we leave it until October to start planning Christmas 2007, that amnesia of time will have set in.  You're likely to forget the things you really wanted to remember.  And to blow out of proportion some other memories...

There is nothing like doing a review of this Christmas, and planning next Christmas RIGHT NOW! Grab a pen and your copy of SOXS, and start writing a letter to yourself NOW.  TODAY.  Don't put it off...  When you're done, file it in your SOXS Sanity Saver so that you have a great reference tool for next year. You'll be so glad you did when October rolls around...

In my review, the main thing I want to remember for next year is that there were things on my list that I didn't do. For each thing I didn't do - I chose consciously NOT to do it... not to spend my valuable time and energy on that rather than on something else.  I determined my priorities and decided that these things weren't worth the time and certainly weren't worth me getting all hot and bothered over.

In years past, I was very perfectionistic about Christmas. I have always loved Christmas, but this has led to an unhealthy tendency to get it right at any cost.  And usually that cost has been my cool.  It goes out the window somewhere in the lead up... and isn't found again until it's all over.   Not good.

This year, I remained cool, calm and in control the whole time. Lunch at my house for 14 people went off without a hitch. No-one lost their cool, including (most importantly) me. And no-one missed the things I didn't do.  No-one but me even realised they weren't done.

So, in my letter to myself for Christmas 2007, first on my list is - Don't be a perfectionist.  Remember what you didn't do last year, and how good it felt to be calm, and not lose your cool. By not aiming for the 'perfect' Christmas experience, it was somehow more relaxed, and a happier time for everyone.

What do you want to remind yourself of, in about 10 months time?  Write it down today!

Oh, and while you're thinking about it, please pop over and read what Rosa Say had to say over a Joyful, Jubilant Learning about her post-Christmas Review - Dear Me, from Me... she's leaving a reminder for herself in Outlook with a link to her review, so she remembers to read it.  Great tip - Rosa, I'm going to do that too!

It's Monday, and that means less than two weeks to Christmas!

In a fortnight, it will almost be all over... tummies will be full, presents will be given, wrapping paper will be all over the place...

 

You probably had a reaction to that statement!

Either:

• you will sigh, and think... won't that be nice, I'll be able to sit back with a glass of champagne and relax, knowing it all went well, and everyone was happy (including ME!), or
• you broke out in a cold sweat just thinking about all you have to accomplish in that time... your blood pressure climbed a few notches, and your heart started to race...

Which is it for you?

Are you somewhere in between?  You know you've got stuff to get done, but you're pretty sure you're up for it, and what really needs to get done, will. 

I am here to remind you - you will get to December 25 in one piece, because you do. Every Year.

Every year, December 25 rolls around right on clockwork.  Santa visits without fail.  Presents are wrapped, turkeys are stuffed and bon bons are popped... right. on. cue.

Regardless.

And even if every year, around this time, you go into panic mode... it STILL happens.  Right?

You've probably sworn after last Christmas (and the one before that, and the one before that....) that next year was going to be different!  Next year - you'd be organised!  Next year, you wouldn't be trying to please absolutely everyone except yourself and end up in a total mess.  Do you remember swearing that?

Well, sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it's next year already.

It's time, right now, to make sure this year IS different!

How are you doing?

If you're one of those who have already purchased SOXS, we're betting (not that we're betting women, mind) that you're much more relaxed and feeling in control than you were this time last year.  Are you?  (Would you leave us a comment and let us know, please?)

And if you haven't already got your copy of SOXS, it ain't too late until the fat guy hops on his sleigh... SOXS isn't just for early birds and getting organised by December 1 (yes, I did, but Chris will be joining us later to tell you about her preparations... and she DIDN'T!).

SOXS can help you to avoid the Christmas anxiety even as you put out the milk and cookies for Santa.  It's not all about shopping and lists... it's also about how you feel about Christmas, and how this affects everything about the day.

What are you waiting for?  Pop on over and get your copy today, and have Christmas in the stocking before you know it!

Raindrops on Roses and Whiskers on Kittens... A few...

of our Favourite Things...

... shopping sites on-line, actually :)

While Chris is busy planning her Christmas sitting on the couch with her SOXS Sanity Saver folder and pen in hand...(and trying to pin her hubby down for long enough to make some executive purchasing decisions), I've been busy finishing my shopping on-line.

And most of it arrived on my doorstep in the last couple of days!  Yahoo!!

I was talking with a friend this afternoon who was bemoaning the state of shopping centres - how people are grumpy and rude, how the hassle for parking really brings out the worst in people, and how negative she finds the whole Christmas shopping experience.  She said wouldn't it be wonderful if people were happy, and even went around singing Christmas carols as they shopped (can you IMAGINE it?)...

We agreed that shopping centres really are places to avoid from now until sometime in January.

I'm going to let you in on my secrets for finishing my Christmas shopping without setting foot in a shopping mall:

www.petersofkensington.com.au - oh boy, do I LOVE this site!  Not only is it easy to navigate, with a huge range of products for every taste, some at amazingly low prices, they also individually gift wrap each item you order over the value of $15 for free!  My first batch arrived yesterday, very well packaged, delivered to my door by the postman, beautifully gift wrapped, ready to pop under the tree.  What could be better?  I'm pretty sure you could also get them to deliver your gifts for you to most destinations in Australia.

www.sanity.com.au - for a great range of music and movies - at competitive prices delivered to your mail box fuss-free.  I love to give music as gifts, and my family this year had a few requests for unusual DVDs - I found them all on Sanity (not that I bought them all!), and I hadn't found any in the shopping centres.

www.experiencethis.com.au - for 'experience' gifts - including new Greater Union/Birch Carroll and Coyle gift cards - these cards come in various denominations from $30 to $150 and would be a brilliant gift for the movie lover in your life.  They can spend the value of the card at the cinemas in any way they want (movies, lollies, choc-top icecreams, champagne and Gold Class tickets...whatever!)  HINT: also great for staff gifts ;-)

www.lastminute.com.au - Chris told me about this site (no, I haven't actually purchased anything from here), but a quick review of the goodies here tells me this would be a good place to get some of your Christmas shopping sorted.

If you have any other favourite on-line shopping stores - especially our international readers who care to share - please leave a comment below, or send us an email to SaveXmas at gmail dot com and tell us why you are recommending them please.

There is still time to get your shopping sorted online - but don't leave it too late - some sites are citing delivery cannot be guaranteed if you order too close to Christmas, so check the individual sites for current delivery times and cut off dates.