Can I Prepare for the Holidays as a Work at Home Mom?

It’s time to “desk” the halls – but can I prepare for the holidays as a work at home mom? While we can always bring it back to the basics and remember the reason for the season. Sometimes just knowing that other work-at-home moms having the same problems and looking for solutions can help.

As a fellow work-at-home mom, here are a few things that I do to help get a headstart on the holidays!

Prepare for the Holidays by Getting Ahead on Christmas

Laugh all you want, but if you start buying Christmas presents in July, I promise you won’t regret it! Try to start thinking about Christmas gifts as early as July. But I keep it on my brain for all of the months between summer and Christmas.

I like to think about the person I’m shopping for. What they like and dislike, what would solve a problem, or even just think about their color schemes and interests. I have a dedicated hidden Christmas box and everything goes in there so that I won’t lose anything.

One of my favorite quotes by Rachel Jankovic is “when you feel behind on life, get ahead on Christmas!” and it’s so true! If you are feeling behind on your workload, homemaking, parenting, marriage, etc – get ahead on Christmas! You’ll get an adrenaline rush and maybe it will jumpstart you into your next project!

Work at Home Mom’s Need Christmas Priorities

What is the most important thing to you this Christmas season? Do you want to prioritize reading an advent book with your children? Maybe reading an advent book yourself? Making sugar cookies for the neighbors … decorating the house … planning the Christmas feast menu, etc.

It’s not that you can’t do it all, but many times as a work-at-home mom you only do the most important tasks. And then you end up feeling frustrated because you didn’t do it all 🤦🏼‍♀️.

If you really need help setting priorities, do the layering method!

Pick 1-2 things that you HAVE to do this Christmas.

Then pick 3-4 things that you would really enjoy doing this Christmas.

Finally pick 3-4 things that you would have fun trying, but if you don’t make it happen this year, you won’t cry about it.

Schedule the first list on your calendar so that it will happen. Pencil in the things from the second list because you would like to try them, but you know it may not occur. And finally, don’t even add the third list to your calendar. If you happen to be needing to fill in a blank spot during the holidays, you can always pull the list back out and make a new choice!

Don’t Become the Grinch

I’ve been joking around this year that I’m slowly feeling like the Grinch … ha. I don’t really want more toys for my kids. I don’t feel like I’m in the holiday spirit yet, and I certainly don’t want to decorate. Considering it’s still November I think I can still get a pass on my Grinchi-ness. For now 🤪.

That being said, I also want to make sure that I don’t slip into that grouchy way of thinking. Even if I feel a tad overworked in this season, the only thing that would make it WORSE is to get to December and be SUPER behind! Find a few ways that you can ease up on your grinch-y heart and make the holidays a little easier. Maybe it’s buying some holiday-themed teas (like these Tazo Teas that I have arriving soon!! *affiliate link) or maybe it’s getting a few Christmas candles to get you in the spirit (I love these oils and fragrances from Plant Therapy!).

Prepare for the Holidays by Decluttering Now!

I only say this because this is the season I’m in. And I’m hoping that it will prove helpful in a few weeks!

If you want to prepare for the holidays as a work at home mom, find a strategy for decluttering and organizing your home now. The fewer things you have in your home by the time Christmas comes, the fewer things you’ll have to manage. As a work-at-home mom, the hardest thing for me is managing the home – mostly because it feels unmanageable. But I think it would feel SO much more under control if I had less stuff. There are several amazing bloggers you can follow to learn how to declutter your home … Allie Casazza has amazing courses that can teach you how to clear the clutter. Kendra Hennessey also has some fantastic materials as well. I actually just followed along on her cleaning Just Clean It challenge and it was easy to participate in!

Planning and Preparing is Hard – But Worth it!

It can be overwhelming to be preparing for the holidays while also managing a home, and a family, all while working at home – but these celebratory moments are valuable. So is there an answer to the question “Can I prepare for the holidays as a work at home mom?” the answer is yes! You most certainly can, and it’s VALUABLE!

Holidays can anchor your family together in celebration, they are traditions that give your children amazing memories, and the work that goes into these celebrations is valuable. So when you are preparing for the holidays, take heart, you are doing good work! But also, don’t be afraid to remove certain things if they don’t work towards your end goals as a family.

If you are looking for more inspiration as a work at home mom, please make sure you follow along here on the blog and join us on Facebook or Instagram! We believe in the value of mothers, we know the effort of working at home full time, and this is the perfect place to share and learn from each other! Belly up to the Mom Desk and join the club!

I hope you have a wonderful holiday season, mama!🎄