I love Christmas.

It really is the most wonderful time of the year. (Can I get an amen?)

And it really, really is the most stressful.

In my angst over “How can I find time to accomplish all those extra To Do’s on my list and still relax enough to truly savor the season?”, I’ve discovered a simple solution which has worked wonders for me.

I call it 20 Minute Missions.

Throughout the entire month of November, I like to take 20 minutes each day to accomplish one small task that will make my December that much simpler. My goal is to do as much prep as possible before the Advent season begins so I can partake in the wonder of it all just like my children.

If you’d like to join me in those missions, I’ll be sharing them in our Christmas-loving community on Facebook known as The Merry Little Christmas Project.  Head over and click ‘Like’ if you’d like some extra inspiration and accountability this holiday season.

Want some ideas to get started on your own 20 Minutes Missions? Here are 20 things you can do in about 20 minutes each to prep for the holidays.

1. Bake a batch of cookies for the freezer. (It can be done in 20 minutes. I’ve done it!)

2. Determine your Christmas Budget.

3. Buy a gift online.

4. Buy stamps.

5. Design your Christmas Card.

6. Start your Christmas gift list (Amazon Wish List makes this easy.)

7. Check your pantry. Make a list of baking supplies you’ll need.

8. Decide where you’d like to do your charitable giving this year.

9. Wrap a gift.

10. Put un-used toys in a donation bin (or throw away if need be!)

11. Search for simple homemade gifts on Pinterest and pin them.

12. Make a list of supplies needed for any DIY gifts or gift wrap. (You can see some of my simple DIY projects here.)

13. Organize pictures for photo gifts.  Put them all in one file on your computer.

14. Make a list of gift ideas for family, neighbors, or teachers.

16. Make a list of cookies or you’d like to make this year.

17. Check your wrapping supplies. Make a list of what you will need.

18. Organize your wrapping supplies. (You can see my Christmas wrapping station here.)

19. Make a Christmas Bucket List.

20. Make a list of thing you are NOT going to do this year. (See my post for inspiration.)

21. Ok – I lied. I thought of another one. Sign up for my Christmas Deals Newsletter. (This one only takes a few seconds, so that gives you 19 1/2 more minutes to accomplish something else!)

I’d love to hear your ideas as well! Leave them in the comments if you think of anything more.

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Ready or not, friends, Christmas is right around the corner. Soon, we will all be making our To Do lists and checking them twice – and then (spoiler alert!) realizing that this Santa guy is no help at all. It’s completely up to us to get it all done.

I’m doing myself a favor and adding a few things to my Christmas To DON’T list right now.   Here are five ways I’m more than happy to let myself off the hook this Christmas season (and you too!):

1) The Matching Outfit Christmas Card Photos. 

I’m not gonna lie. It’s a struggle for me to find matching socks for my kids – matching outfits are but a distant dream, people. I’m going to give myself a pass on this one. I’m pretty sure the rest of the world does not hold me to this standard as much as Pinterest may tell me otherwise. In fact, I’m guessing if I skipped Christmas cards altogether, my people would understand.

Simple solution: I still enjoy this classic tradition that pre-dates the internets and honors that historic establishment known as the Postal Service, so here’s how I got away with not offending anyone last year with my lack of family fashion sense:

Via: Cardstore

No matchy-matchy involved. (Ok – that one picture does involve several shades of blue, but I can’t promise that will ever happen again!)

2) Exquisitely Wrapped Gifts

Don’t get me wrong. I love a creatively wrapped gift as much as the next girl. But my creative wrapping juices usually dry up after about gift #3. Plus I get all twitchy when my boys take two seconds to tear into that package that I so painstakingly handcrafted. It’s like they care more about what’s inside or something.

Simple Solution: I’m going to lovingly wrap all my gifts in pillowcases or gift bags this year and save my time for other things.

And yes – I’ll be the crazy Aunt/Daughter/Sister asking for all of her gift wrap back. Let’s just call that being Earth Friendly, shall we?

3) Keeping up with the Jones’s. 

Ahh, Christmas. The most wonderful and guilt-inducing time of the year. From worrying that our kids’ feelings will be hurt that their gifts aren’t as awesome as the kid’s next door to comparing our Christmas lights display to the Dad’s next door, we sure do know how to pile on the envy during this season of Good Will.

Simple solution: I’m making my new mantra at Christmastime “Less is more.” While this may not be as simple as I’d like it to be since there are so. so. many. expectations. at Christmas, it sure helps eliminate the envy of anyone else’s “stuff”. Besides, the less time I spend worrying about “stuff”, the more time I have to actually enjoy the season.

4) Anything that distracts me from savoring the season.

I’ve learned a lot of things in life the hard way. Like the first Christmas that I was married. I was determined to get this homemaking thing down, so I attempted to make my own Christmas tree ornaments. It involved a lot more fabric and pins than I was comfortable with.

12 years later and I still haven’t finished them.

I have a whole new take on Christmas since then. Simple is good. Whether it be Christmas tree ornaments or Cake Pops in the shape of Santa for a class party – anything that makes Christmastime more stressful than it needs to be gets stored  in the “NOT to do” file.

Simple Solutions: We are going to fill our season with those activities that force us to slow down – reading by candlelight in the evening, driving around to look at Christmas lights, spending time with those who might be lonely. We are still going to bless others and celebrate well, but we’ll find simpler ways to do so.

These gift bags I made last year took minutes to make (find that lovely graphic here). Fill with a few pieces of fruit or some chocolate covered pretzels and set them on a neighbors’s front porch. Done.

Or even better – ring the door bell and stay a while. You have the time!

5) Waiting until the last minute to prepare for Christmas.

Yes – people like to act shocked and awed when you claim that you have already started Christmas shopping in October. I used to be one of them. But then I was the one crying over my to do list come December.

No longer.

I love to savor the Advent season. So, I work really really hard to cross a bunch of things off my to do list in November. My goal is to complete all of my shopping and wrapping by December 1st. (Usually that translates to MOST of my shopping. Husbands sometimes have a hard time making their Christmas lists. Ahem.)

Simple solution: I love the community that our Merry Little Christmas Project Facebook page provides. We help inspire each other to Do Christmas Well by simplifying, planning and making the season more meaningful. Won’t you join us

What is going on your Christmas To-Don’t list this year? 

Want to transform your Christmas with us? My book The Merry Little Christmas Project – Five Words that will Transform your Christmas has helped thousands of women do just that. If you have ever wished that Christmas didn’t have to be so stressful, I wrote this book for you. Click here to learn more and begin simplifying and organizing your Christmas with me! 

Want to simplify saving money this Christmas?  Sign up for my Christmas deals newsletter.  You’ll receive one mail each day in your inbox with only my top Christmas deals.