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How starting an 'Organized Christmas' now can help you from becoming a holiday stress monster

For those tired of not getting to actually enjoy the holiday each year.

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Gemma Bray, best-selling author and creator of The Organised Mum Method, recently wicked off a free 13-week program to help moms and parents in charge of Christmas magic everywhere get effortlessly organized long before the big holiday arrives.

We know what you're thinking…Christmas planning? In tank top weather? But you know how it goes. The minute pumpkin spiced delights hit the menus (and they have) that means you've got about three blinks in before Yuletide sneaks up—leaving you far too overwhelmed with last minute to-dos to actually enjoy the holiday. Ba humbug.

But Bay’s “Organised Christmas” promised to circumnavigate all that, by having “a very slow, very gentle, very calm way” prep plan that’s so simple, you “won’t even notice you’re doing it.”

“That's the whole magic of it. Every single week, I just give you a few jobs, bite-sized jobs just to tick off. It's not too much, it's not gonna overwhelm you, it's not gonna take up too much time in your week, cause I know that we're all busy. Tick them off, move on, get on with the rest of your week, forget about it,” Bay says in a TikTok.

@the_organised_mum Ok team THIS IS BLOOMING WELL IT!!! Week one starts Monday 💥💥 Who’s doing TOM Organised Christmas with me this year? #organisedmum #britishcolumbia #organisedchristmas #christmasprep ♬ original sound - Gem | Founder of TOM

“At the end of Organized Christmas, which finishes at the end of November, the whole idea is, it leaves December pretty much stress-free, so you can actually enjoy it.”

Okay…we’re listening!

Technically, Organized Christmas began September 1st, but worry not. These tasks are really so simple that catching up is easy. And again. It’s about doing little steps “slowly but surely” before things get stressful, not about being perfect.

Okay, week one’s tasks: finding (and possibly booking) upcoming holidays events.

“Now this could be anything...could be Christmas lights. It could be an event that you've been wanting to go to for ages, but you never quite get it booked in time. Have a look this week. Do some research. This is your year,” she explains, adding, “I’ll be talking budgets very, very soon, but if there's that one thing that every year you think, God missed out again, have a look this week.”

planning, gif, the office, plans, prep, Christmas The Office gif media1.giphy.com

Also: holiday events on the school calendar will be checked out during this week.

“Have a little look on your school website...to see if there's anything on there about Christmas events, Christmas fairs, Christmas plays, that sort of thing. Especially if you work shifts or need to take time off work. If there isn't anything on there yet, then make a little note in your diary today to check in with them in a few weeks time. Otherwise, you'll just forget in all of the chaos, because this time gets really really busy. You want to give yourself as much time and chance as possible if you need to book that time off work.”

Last but certainly not least: food deliveries.

“If you do online grocery shopping, then have a look into it this week because most of them will give you priority slots for Christmas shopping deliveries, and it just makes it so much easier,” says Bay.

“It's well worth it in my opinion, especially if you are going to make use of it regularly, because it just saves you on delivery costs as well.”

@the_organised_mum Offfff weee gooo!!!! 1- popular events 2- school diary 3- food #organisedmum #christmasprep #organisedchristmas #xmasprep ♬ original sound - Gem | Founder of TOM


Down in the comments, others made a few other suggestion for things to book early:

“I love booking a full house deep clean before the holidays to make them less stressful and those slots bookup really fast, so it could be worth looking in that if (like me) some of the items like grocery delivery and school events aren’t relevant to you.”

“Advent calendars will start coming out soon too or available for preorder.”

“I’ve already got my family Christmas pajamas. They sell out every year.”

Mostly people just flocked to the comments to thank Bay for offering some helpful ways to stay on top of things without feeling inundated with to-dos, or without succumbing to procrastination.

“I’ve just found you. I always get overwhelmed at Christmas but adding this year I’m currently 32 weeks pregnant so hoping this will help me massively!”

“I’m a chronic leave it til last minute person. Not this year! I’m sick of December being stressful and being too busy to do things with the kids. I’ve almost finished my Christmas present shopping, advent calendars bought, snacks for Christmas bought but this is really helpful as a first-time prepper to make sure I’ve not missed anything!”

Whether you’re an A-type Christmas magic bringer or more "go-with-the-flow," it’s easy to see how incorporating at least some of what Bay is suggesting can make the holidays less mentally taxing, and therefore a whole lot more fun for everyone.

To join in on Organised Christmas, give The Organised Mum a follow here.

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Grandma has the perfect solution for grandparents who buy too many gifts for their grandkids

This is an all too common issue, especially around the holidays.

@morethangrand/TikTok

Gift giving should feel good for the giver and the receiver. But around the holidays, it can be a major cause of stress.

DeeDee Moore, a grandma behind the website More Than Grand, recently shared on the organization's TikTok account that “too much stuff” given from grandparents to their grandkids is one of the main sources of holiday frustration for parents.

“75% of the parents that we surveyed wished grandparents would respect their wishes about gifts,” she explained, noting that while there are myriad reasons why this would be the case, the most common one (and incidentally the one most "waved off” by the grandparents) is the lack of physical space to accommodate.

However, when Moore breaks down the math, it’s a bit hard to deny.

“Say your grandson has four other grandparents and four aunts and uncles. Each of these people get him one gift for a second birthday. That’s already nine gifts plus something for mom and dad. We’re up to 10,” she said.

“If all of those grandparents buy him three things, and two of the aunts get him a little extra something, that’s 22 presents for a 2 year old who would be just as happy with a box.”

Yikes, gotta admit that’s a lot. And that’s not counting the additional problems too much gift-giving can incite listed on the More Than Grand website, which included:

Undermining the parent’s values that they are trying to instill to their children

Damaging a child’s ability to use their imagination

Normalizing overconsumption

Teaching children to associate seeing grandma or grandpa with getting a gift, rather than focusing on the actual relationship

These are all good points, and yet, what to do with all those good intentions and a desire to spoil some precious little nugget? Luckily, Moore has the perfect fix.

“While your grandchildren are faced with getting too many gifts, many children are in the opposite situation. Take some of the things you bought to Toys for Tots or another organization that provides gifts for less fortunate families.”

This allows folks to step into the “true spirit of giving,” Moore concluded.

Viewers by and large seemed to agree, though many also noted how powerful experiential or future-building gifts could be, even if they're not as cute as toys.

“My in-laws opened up a college fund for both my kids. Instead of stuff they put more money in the account. I’m so grateful!” one person wrote.

Another added, “I am giving experiences and putting money in an account for future needs (college, 1st house, starting business, etc).”

In the vein, here are two other tips grandparents can use for intentional gift-giving…

First and foremost: open up a discussion with the parents. See if they need help with a big ticket item, find out which hobby or sport the child is interested in, ask what’s a definite “no.” this can save a lot of headaches for everyone.

Second: prioritize memories over stuff. A trip to the zoo, an education membership, a ticket for two to the movies…these are often the gifts that truly keep on giving.

And grandparents, don’t forget: just because you’re honoring boundaries, it doesn't mean you have to pass up that sweet little something you see in the aisles. It can easily go to a little one who could really use it.

For even more tip on all things grandparenting, give More Than Grand a follow here.

This article originally appeared last year.

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Joy

7th graders are asked what 30-year-olds want for Christmas and their answers are hysterical

Who doesn't love soup?

@7thgradechronicles/TikTok

According to 7th graders, 30-year-olds want soup for Christmas.

Seventh grade teacher Mr. Frakes routinely asks his students to give their observations on various aspects of adulthood to post on his TikTok.—everything from “things parents love to say” to reactions to old school songs to guessing the “worst parts about adulting." The answers are always hilarious…if not a little brutal to us olds. His Christmas edition is no different. Mr. Frakes asked his students “what do you buy someone in their 30s for the holidays?” And the adults who saw the video can’t help but commend the accuracy.

The list is as follows, verbatim.

“Measuring cups…bwahaha.”“

"Signs that say ‘Bless The Home.’”

“A Dyson vacuum.”

“A bottle of wine and hip implants.”

“Panera bread gift card. People in their 30s love soup!”

“Bingo cards.”

“You give them Bath & Body Works stuff. That’s what my mom wants!”

“Expensive meats.”

“Hard Candies.”

“Candy Crush Premium.”

“You get them old people candles that smell like ‘home’ or ‘back then.’”

“T.J. Maxx gift card.”

“The wrinkle creams.”

“Heated blanket cause their muscles be hurtin.”

“A coffee mug that says ‘don’t talk to me til I’ve had my coffee’ because they’re all coffee obsessed millennials.”

“A lawyer for the divorce attorney. (fight for the kids).”

@7thgradechronicles Its me. I’m 30s. 😂🫣😬#teachersoftiktok #teacher #teacherlife #teachertok #middleschool #middleschoolteacher #middleschoolteacher #middleschoollife #dyson #panerabread #tjmaxx ♬ Holly Jolly Christmas - Michael Bublé

Obviously, adults who saw this joked about feeling personally attacked. But also seen.

Case and point: one person wrote, “Okay the ‘they’re all coffee obsessed millennials’ was personal” as another admitted, “I watched this while drinking coffee out of my ‘dont’ talk to me til I’ve had my coffee’ mug.”

Meanwhile, another added, “ But are they wrong? Because I honestly love soup and candles. I’m 36.”

Echoing that sentiment, someone commented, “not me thinking all those gifts sound amazing.”

And of course, everyone was eyeing that Dyson vacuum.

Growing older might mean muscles that “be hurtin’” and some judgement from the younger generation, but it clearly also comes with a deep felt appreciation for the simple, practical things in life, as indicated by this list. Nothing wrong with that.

(After all, the young ones might balk now, but it won’t be long til they become coffee obsessed as well.)

May we all get a bit of holiday joy this year, in whatever form we can.


This article originally appeared two years ago.

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Dad uses slick video editing to create indisputable Santa proof for his 8-year-old

"He insisted on setting up a camera... BUT HE DIDN’T COUNT ON DADDY’S FILM DEGREE."

Kris Tapley/X & Tim Mossholder/Unsplash

There is no exact age where kids stop believing in Santa Claus. But some research suggests that it's most common for skepticism to creep in somewhere around age 8. That's just 8 very short years of putting out milk and cookies, leaving carrots for the reindeer, and writing letters to the Big Man. Santa is such a big part of what makes Christmas magical for kids.

Once that illusion is gone, you're only a stone's throw away from everyone just giving each other sweaters and gift cards. So all the parents I know are fighting tooth and nail to keep that magic alive as their children grow older, even if it's just for one more year.

Dad Kris Tapley found he had a skeptic on his hands: His 8-year-old son. This year, he went to extraordinary lengths to keep Christmas alive.

Tapley's son is 8, but has been a Santa skeptic for at least a few years. Though he hasn't quite put all the pieces together yet, he's been spotting inconsistencies and plot holes for a while now. “Reindeer can’t fly! Someone can’t go all over the world in one night! Stop lying, Daddy," Tapley says, quoting his son.

Tapley posted on X and said this about the challenge facing him this year: "My kid has been denying Santa Claus for a few years now but I just haven’t had the heart to give in. He probably thinks I’m insane by this point. Anyway, to shut me up, he insisted on setting up a camera last night."

In the embedded video, we see a crystal clear feed of the Tapleys' Christmas Eve milk and cookies set up. You can even see the Christmas tree, some stockings, and a door into the room. They've got the whole area covered. Nowhere for Santa to hide. If he exists, they're guaranteed to bust him! And if he doesn't show, Tapley's son will have his answer.

But, Tapley added, "HE DIDN'T COUNT ON DADDY'S FILM DEGREE."

As the footage rolls, the door to the room cracks open slowly. A figure begins walking through. But then, the screen goes haywire — static! When the video feed returns, the door to the room is closing, a hand pulling it shut just visible. And now the room is filled with presents. The milk is gone. The cookies have been snacked on.

There was proof alright. Proof that Santa was real, and that his magic would prevent him from ever truly being caught.

"I think he bought it," Tapley says.

He showed his son the footage on Christmas morning and it seemed to have the intended effect. But for how long is another question.

"He’s already poking some holes in my story. 'Why doesn’t it cause a glitch when he’s on camera in other things?' That kind of thing."

Tapley's video went viral on X, racking up over a million views. Commenters loved the commitment to the bit, and the excellent display of dadding.

"As a kid, this would have me convinced until I'm 36," wrote one user.

"Well done! Keep the magic going," said another.

"He'll love you for doing [this] when he gets older," said another.

"A+ parenting!" said another, sharing their own story: "When I started having doubts about Santa, my mom typed a letter from Santa to me, printed it on fancy paper, stamped a signature and some decorations on it and left it in my stocking. I believed in Santa for a few more years, and still have the letter somewhere."

Of course, as the video spread even farther and wider than before, some Grinchy people chimed in with critiques: Of the deception and, weirdly enough, of the quality of the video edit. See what happens to people who lose sight of the fun and magic of make-believe at Christmas?

santa claus sitting with white lights Photo by Srikanta H. U on Unsplash

It's really a tremendously sad day for parents when their kids no longer believe. Playing Santa and keeping the illusion going is fun for us and helps keep us young. Christmas will always be about spending time with the people you love, but let's face it, it loses a little something when the element of magical make-believe goes away.

Tapley knows he doesn't have much time left with his son, when it comes to Elves and the North Pole and Naughty or Nice lists. The trick video might have worked, or his son might just be playing along, but either way, he'll take it.

"I figure I bought myself another year of maintaining some of the magic."

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