Holiday Hacks: a guide to simplify your Christmas season

So there are 7 weeks until Christmas.

Every family has traditions, commitments, and a different schedule but we all have to prioritize to find time for the most important things. We thought we'd share 7 things our family does to keep the peace in case they resonate with anyone else out there. We do these throughout the year but think they may be particularly helpful during this season! 

1. Amazon Gift Card Greeting Cards Delivered by US Mail Same or Next Day
Amazon to the rescue. They offer greeting cards with gift cards inside that ship the same day (if you order early enough) or next business day. It needs to be a day when mail is delivered (so not Christmas). But for all those close-to-Christmas special occasions that require gift giving, you're just one click away from a card in your hand. If you're really running behind you can even ship direct to the recipient. 

2. Amazon Prime Unlimited Music and Shows
An Amazon Prime membership includes unlimited access to streaming shows and (as we learned this year) music! Build those Christmas playlists and stream your favorite Christmas shows and movies. There are music and video apps for your phone. Don't have a Prime Membership? It's worth it all year round. Free 2-day shipping on a kajillion items, streaming (we use it for all our children's shows), and things like diapers and vitamins delivered to your door with automatic scheduling. Two Amazon plugs in a row! We don't get kickbacks from Amazon. We are just sharing out of the goodness of our hearts.

3. Wal-Mart Online Grocery Shopping and Free Curbside Pick Up
100% FREE. Schedule a grocery pick up time, shop and pay online, and then drive to the store. They bring your groceries to your car. If you have the app, you don't even have to call when you get there. The GPS notifies the store. We have been using this for a few months now. We tried grocery delivery but those services sometimes don't honor store sales, the actual food prices are higher, and there are annual memberships (plus tips for drivers!) We didn't grocery shop at Wal-Mart before. Now that I don't have to go into the store, I am there at least once per week.

4. An Easy Recipe List - Links Below
Not the highlight reel type. There is a lot of peripheral eating besides the Christmas dinner around the holidays! Maximizing time visiting with family means getting creative with meals that are fast and easy.  At the end of this post are a couple of ours! We'd love to hear some of your go-tos.

5. Paper Products
There is no shame in this game. Again, maybe it's just our life stage but paper products are always on our Wal-Mart grocery pick up list. And not just at Christmas. 

6. Poinsettias for 99¢ at Home Depot on Black Friday
Buy 10, throw them on your mantle, table, entryway, really anywhere that needs a little decorating. After the holidays you can keep them (or in our case try to keep them alive as long as possible), reuse the soil, compost them, or just throw them away. They biodegrade so this makes up for all the paper products. For those who dread venturing out on Black Friday, Home Depot is about the only store we brave in person!

7. Mangers - A Completely Unbiased Perspective
Last year our family used a manger to hold our gifts which is actually very practical. It takes 5 minutes to set up and tear down. And above all, it's a great reminder that Jesus is the reason for the season.

We'd love to hear from you? How do you simplify your holiday to spend more time with those you love and reflect on the real reason for the season?

Recipes:
Awesome Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Crock Pot Taco Soup (Can also be made on stove top)
Tater Tot Casserole