The holidays are approaching.  Along with sleigh bells and holly comes stress and folly.  Here are some simple steps to help organize and streamline your holidays.

1.  Cut the to-do list.  You can have a great Christmas without running yourself ragged.  Ask yourself, "What is the worst thing that will happen if this is not done?"
2.  Shorten the gift list.  Many families are going to just gifts for the children, drawing names or just parents.
3.Wrap along the way.  Wrap the gifts as you buy so you don't find yourself stressing over how many gifts you still need to wrap.  You can put the gift tags on right away or sticky note them so you know who they belong to.
4. Try the bakery instead of the kitchen.  If you find yourself time crunched, go to the local bakery and buy some items instead of the pressure of baking.
5.  Keep your calendar current.  You will not find yourself in the unpleasant situation where you have a dinner with your boss and your mother in law on the very same night.  Check your calendar before you commit.
6.  Call or email instead of mailing traditional cards.  You can reach out and touch someone with a phone call or send them an adorable e-card.  Saves time and money.
7.  Don't focus on being a maid.  You do not need to have every room perfect.  Keep it simple and focus on community rooms like bathrooms, kitchen and living room areas.  You can give your home a thorough cleaning after the holidays. 
8.  Scale back your decorating.  You can decorate simply and beautifully. 
9.  Finger food instead of big spread.  You can make some easy and cost effective finger foods that look and taste great.
10.   Keep the china in the cabinet.  FInger foods go well with paper.  You can bring out the paper plates, plastic forks and make it festive.  Spend wisely and coordinate with paper.  No more massive clean up with your good china and more time to spend with family and friends.
11.  Stay home.  Unless you have planned a travel holiday and you have the money already saved, stay home.  You can spend time with loved ones without the cost and stress of travel
Have a safe, stress free holiday.  Happy Holidays from the Dream Homes Team.