As Easter approaches, you are likely starting to panic and stress out about everything that it takes to plan the big day. From the Easter egg hunt to the succulent ham in the oven, there is a lot that goes into the day, especially behind the scenes.
Stress is something that can quickly consume you and put you into a bad mood. Before you start to stress out, take a moment to sit down and look over this list of ways that you can effectively manage your stress this Easter.
Plan Ahead
You do not want to wait until the weekend before Easter to start planning for the holiday. About a month before the date, you want to determine who all is coming to your house. Once you have a number in mind through confirmations, start to plan out the meal. After the meal is planned, start to pick up the ingredients that will last a long time. Of course, you will need to probably wait to grab the ham until closer to time but you should be able to knock out a large part of your list with canned and staple items.
Start the Easter Baskets and Eggs
Don’t wait to start on your child’s Easter basket and eggs. Putting together those eggs the night before Easter can be extremely stressful, especially when the candy does not fit, or the eggs do not close. Set aside some time to shop for the basket essentials and stuff the eggs. This way, you do not have to stay up until 2:00 am making it happen.
Stick to a Budget
It can be easy, and we mean EASY to overspend at the holidays. You grab an item here and there and then before you know it, you have hundreds of dollars in items. The best thing that you can do is sit down and make a budget. Budget for how much you plan to spend on dinner and how much you plan to spend on the activities. As you shop, stick to that budget. You have to be strict with yourself and put back anything that is not on the list.
Don’t Go Overboard on the Decorations
Just as it can be easy to overspend, it can be easy to go overboard on the decorations. Yes, decorations are nice, and they bring out the holiday spirit, but you do not have to have a ton of them to show you are festive. Keep the decorations to a minimum and you will find yourself a lot less stressed before the holiday and as you clean up after the holiday.
RELAX!
Remember, relax. You do not need to be perfect because, after all, everyone is there to have a good time and they are not there to judge you based on your decorations or cooking. Take a deep breath and do not let the holiday cause you too much stress. Remember, relax and enjoy the holiday with your family – it will be alright.