The Time-Saving Life Hacks You Need This Holiday Season

The holiday season is a busy time for everyone, especially moms! The to-do lists can feel endless and 24 December days can fly by before you’ve even had time to sit down! Being a mom, (and a business owner and a wife!) I’ve developed several tools and systems for saving time that will help you navigate the holidays like never before! These tips and tricks save me so much stress during the holiday season, and I know they’ll help you too!

Make A To-Do List And Check It Twice!

I am all about the to-do list for the holidays, and really anytime! I’m a list maker and a list checker and I get a huge sense of accomplishment from crossing items off my list!

If that’s not your personality, totally fine, but for a stress-free holiday, I would highly recommend making a to-do list, just once! It can save you from so much headache and frenzy as you rush around trying to remember everything you need to get done.

It can be as simple as:

• Decorate the tree
• Mail Christmas cards
• Wrap gifts

Or it can be a more detailed list with everything you need to get done that day. I promise you’ll feel so accomplished once you get to cross something off your to-do list!

I keep my to-do list on a note card with a pen right by my computer so I can jot down things I need to get done as soon as I think of them. If you’re not into paper, you could easily make the list on your phone! Keep it somewhere you can see it and be sure to check it twice so you don’t forget anything!

Get Christmas Decorations Up Early

We were so lucky this year to get an extra week in November when Thanksgiving was over, but December hadn’t started yet. I took full advantage and had all of my decorations up by December 1st! That’s one less thing I have to worry about during the season and I get to enjoy my decorations all month long. I only see them once a year, so it’s a real treat to have them up a few extra weeks!

We’re well into December now, so if you don’t have your decorations up, don’t panic! There’s still time! Just get them up in the next few days and it will be one less thing to worry about.

And I try to do everything I can as early as possible: My holiday shopping, ordering Christmas cards, mailing Christmas cards, etc. It will save you so much time so that you can enjoy the rest of the month celebrating with your family.

Get Your Baking Done All At Once

The holiday season is the one time of the year I really like to bake! I have lots of delicious family recipes I love to make and give to friends as gifts.

To save time, I set aside one day during the month to bake all of my treats. I start with the recipes that take the most time or need to refrigerate and work my way through the goodies until I have them all done. It usually takes me a few hours, but then I am completely done with another big to-do that I can cross off my list!

Multitask

I am the queen of multitasking! Reading emails while I eat lunch, watching a show while I scroll Instagram…the list goes on! It’s not always the most efficient way to get things done, but during the holiday season, I give you full permission to multitask! Or else you might not get everything done that you want!

If you don’t have time to sit down and give your full attention to a movie, have it playing in the background while you wrap presents, address Christmas cards, or work on your computer.

I’ll also turn on my favorite Christmas music while I clean the house or while I’m driving so I’m sure to hear all of my favorite holiday songs!

Shop Online

Another HUGE time-saving tool is to shop online. If there’s one thing you take away from this post it’s to take advantage of the technology we have and do your holiday shopping online!

Almost all of my Christmas shopping is done and that’s because I do it online! Almost anything you could need is available at your fingertips, (that includes groceries and most household items!) so don’t waste time going into the store unless absolutely necessary.

And to save time with returns, I always check the sizing charts and reviews before I buy anything!

Accelerate Your Car Buying Online

Speaking of shopping online, did you know that you can simply the car shopping experience online before you go to the dealership??

Autotrader has this amazing new tool to accelerate car buying online allowing you to customize your deal, value your trade-in, apply for financing, and schedule your test drive all from the comfort of home!

Once you get to the dealership, all you have to do is confirm the information you entered online, test drive the vehicle, and finalize the paperwork!

The last time my husband and I bought a car, we were in the dealership for several hours going over paperwork and financing. It was not a fun experience having a wiggly toddler in tow! I wish I would have used Autotrader’s new online process because it would have saved tons of valuable time, time I can’t get back now.

We’re planning on buying a car within the next few months and you can bet we’ll be using Autotrader to accelerate the process! I buy almost everything else online because it’s fast and easy. Car shopping can be the same now thanks to the tools available on Autotrader.

Ask For Help

I am the absolute worst at asking for help because I like to do everything myself. But during the holidays, I’ve decided to save myself time and stress, it’s OK to ask my husband to help me wrap presents (not his own of course!) and it’s OK to have my kids help me with the baking!

If you’re like me, I’m giving you permission this holiday to ask for help so you’re a little less stressed 😉

Conclusion

The holidays can be hectic, but they don’t have to be if you use my time-saving tips! And if you’re shopping for a new car this holiday season, be sure to check out how you can speed through car buying and accelerate with Autotrader to save you a ton of time at the dealership!

Have a very Merry Christmas and a stress-free New Year! And if you liked this post, please Pin it below!