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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.

Photo credit: Canva

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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A girl was looking for a specific toy truck for her brother. Reddit came through big time.

Cassie Gretschel and her little brother, Max, have a wonderful Christmas tradition.

All photos by Cassie Gretschel used with permission

Gretschel says Max, who is 25, has severe mental and physical disabilities, including Cerebral Palsy and scoliosis. She writes that his brain development is on par with a 5-year-old, and that he has impaired vision and spends most of his time in a wheelchair.

And there's only one thing Max wants for Christmas — the same thing he asks for every year: A police Hummer Tonka truck. In blue.

"Max thinks that the Tonka Police Hummer is the holy grail of all toys," Gretschel says in an email. "It's not too loud, it lights up, it's big without being too big and it goes forwards and backwards slowly with the flip of a lever. It also has a winch and hook that wind and unwind with a lever. For someone visually and mobily [sic] impaired, it's fun and very simple to operate."

Gretschel and her family have given Max a new version of the same truck every year since it first came out in 2000. There's just one problem — the toy has since been discontinued, and Max's family had already gathered up all the models they could find on eBay and other internet auction sites.

That meant Max was at risk of facing his first Christmas in 17 years without a new truck for collection.

The red ones just aren't the same, according to Max.

Desperate, Gretschel posted her story to Reddit, along with a request.

"I figured that maybe a couple redditors might have had the truck as a kid and would be willing to sell them to me for some extra Christmas cash," she says.

In her post, she describes Max's love for the truck and ends with a reasonable call-to-action: "If anyone has one of these in their attics, please throw it on eBay!"

The internet community, however, was about to do her one better.

Gretschel woke up the next day to discover that her post had gone massively viral. She says her inbox was flooded with notes from people who wanted to help.

The generous offers poured in from around the globe offered, as redditors offered not just to give Max the Hummer toy he wanted, but to take him on a ride in a real Hummer. Others wanted to donate Amazon gift cards so Cassie could buy him something else.

Still more felt the urge to share their support and love for Gretschel on her quest to bring her little brother some joy.

As her story continued to spread, Cassie finally got an answer to her obscure and unlikely request: As of this writing, she says she has received six of the trucks from redditors — including one still in its box.

Tonka themselves even got involved after being overwhelmed with messages, and while they haven't tracked down any blue hummers just yet, they have offered to repaint a red one for Max and send it along.

They're even looking into getting new blue ones manufactured so the tradition never has to end. (But the Grestchel's better stock up — Cassie tells Buzzfeed that Max likes to get a new truck on his birthday, too.)

The way thousands of strangers on the internet came through for Max is a true holiday miracle.

Even though it's great to hear about how all the Tonka trucks for Max to enjoy, the mere fact that so many strangers came together to give someone they've never met a great holiday surprise might be the most inspiring part of the whole story.

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Forget the mannequin challenge. Try the empathy challenge this holiday season.

31 small ways to make a positive difference in the world.

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In many ways, we are the center of our own worlds.

We see things through the lens of our own experiences, our own communities, the things we read, and the people we interact with. But the world is so much bigger than what we've seen. It's so much more diverse than our own experiences.

It's impossible to know and understand everything, but we can do our best to empathize. Even the tiniest effort on our parts can make someone else feel heard and appreciated, brightening their day.  

Image via iStock.

With this in mind, we challenge you to 31 days of empathy.

And don’t worry, we’ve put together a list to get you started. Here are 31 small actions you can take over the course of December to make this chaotic world a slightly better place.

Dec. 1: Compliment a stranger.

Dec. 2: When you disagree with someone, ask them to explain what they mean. Peek into their thought process.

Dec. 3: Don’t shy away from tough conversations. Have a relative or friend who is saying something offensive? Gently let them know. Discuss it.

Dec. 4: Make an effort to carry a few dollars on you to give to someone who is homeless this week.

Image via iStock.

Dec. 5: Never carry cash? Grab an extra sandwich in the store and offer it to a homeless person when they ask for help.

Dec. 6: Make an effort to consume news that isn't tailored to your leanings. Facebook is great, but it can keep us in our bubbles. Go to a news site. Read a few articles there. Chances are, you'll learn a new perspective.

Dec. 7: Go holiday shopping with a friend. See how much thought they're putting into gift selection, and remember that it's not about the things we get, it's about the people in our lives.  

Dec. 8: Someone make you angry? Pause. Walk away from the situation. Then ask yourself how they might be feeling. Assume good intentions, even if the execution was upsetting.

Dec. 9: There are lots of kids who aren't able to celebrate the holiday season with their families. Stop by a local orphanage or foster care center and drop off little holiday treats like cookies or toys. Let them know you care.

Dec. 10: Watch a documentary on another culture to understand a lifestyle that is completely different from yours.

Image via iStock.

Dec. 11: Put the emphasis on traditions and being together — and less on gifts. You never know what someone’s financial situation is. Removing the obligation will make the holidays that much more enjoyable.

Dec. 12: Did someone's smile or kind words brighten your day? Tell them that.

Dec. 13: Ask someone how their day is going, and prod them to actually answer. And then listen.

Dec. 14: Read through "Aesop's Fables" again for small reminders about the ways our interactions affect other people.

Dec. 15: Send someone you've lost touch with a note saying, "Happy holidays." It’s a small gesture, but it lets them know you're thinking of them, and it may rekindle that friendship.

Dec. 16: Volunteer at a food bank and talk to the families it serves.

Image via iStock.

Dec. 17: Leave a thank-you note at your favorite cafe or restaurant to spread a little holiday cheer.

Dec. 18: Ask an elderly person if they’d like help carrying their groceries.

Dec. 19: Go to a cafe, put your phone away, and people-watch. You'll be surprised to notice the assumptions you make and how wrong those assumptions can be.

Dec. 20: Call your parents. Ask them how their day went. Tell them that you love them. Show them that you care.

Dec. 21: Lucky enough to still have your grandparents in your life? Give them a call too. Or better yet, if you’re able, stop by unexpectedly and just hang out.

Image via iStock.

Dec. 22: Borrowing a friend’s car to run some holiday errands? Don’t forget to top off the gas. Giving gas money is helpful, but filling the tank is even more appreciated.

Dec. 23: You work with your coworkers every day and face a number of challenges together. Tell them you appreciate them.

Dec. 24: Live in an area where parking is tough? Ask your neighbor if they need your parking spot if they’re unloading gifts or groceries.  

Dec. 25: Does one person in your family usually do all the cooking? Help them out. Stay in the kitchen, tell them stories, and dive in to help make a dish or clean up.  

Dec. 26: Treat a loved one to a day of their “favorites”: favorite breakfast, favorite movie, favorite restaurant. Make it their day.

Dec. 27: Write New Year's cards for the people in your life. Some you may be in touch with every day, others you may have lost contact with. Tell them you appreciate them and wish them the best in the new year.

Dec. 28: Talk to someone from a different culture. Ask them about their holiday traditions. Learn about their experiences.

Dec. 29: See a kid throwing a tantrum in the middle of a store? Don’t stare. The parents are having a hard enough time as it is.

Dec. 30: Take a deep breath when you’re driving. Traffic is going to suck. But everyone has somewhere to go. You’re all in it together.

Dec. 31: Talk to a stranger. Ask them about their day and where they're from. You'd be surprised what a simple "hello" can lead to.

Image via Cliff/Flickr.

The holidays are about more than gifts and days off work.

So take a moment to celebrate your family and the people you love. And then step outside of your world and try to be a bright spot in someone else’s day. It doesn’t take a lot of effort, we just have to try our hardest to be mindful of spreading goodwill. These gestures might be small, but they are important now more than ever.

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These 21 empowering phrases will help you survive anything.

We all have brushes with self-doubt. Hey, we're human.

And this time of year can be especially challenging in the confidence department. 'Tis the season for rich foods, fancy parties, and family members you haven't seen in months. It's easy to get bogged down in worry, judgment, comparison, and doubt.

One way to stay positive during the holidays is to incorporate mantras and affirmations into your routine.

Research from Carnegie Mellon University shows self-affirmations can improve problem-solving abilities and protect against stress.

So this holiday season, before anxiety and self-doubt creep in, give yourself a break. Take a moment to breathe deeply and repeat one or more of these phrases. Taking a moment to pause and center yourself might just be what you need to get the most out of the festivities.


1. "I don't like myself, I'm crazy about myself." — Mae West


2. It's OK to cut loose.

This is your time to relax, unwind, and celebrate the season with friends and family. If that means dancing with your cousins in the kitchen to "Hotline Bling," or eating the last piece of pie all by yourself, so be it. Dance. Laugh. Go nuts! It's your holiday season, celebrate as you see fit.

Photo via iStock.

3. "I see the perfection in all my flaws and all my genius."


4. Steer your own ship.

It's easy to be swayed by everyone else. Coming home to discover what friends and family are up to and seeing how everyone's changed can be tough. It's hard not to get bogged down in comparisons. That's why it's so important to remember that you have a say when it comes to your mood or actions.

And whether you have a great time or a miserable one depends a lot on where you steer your ship.

Photo via iStock.

5. "I will let go of what is no longer serving me and make room for what inspires me."


6. "I belong here."

You belong wherever you want to be. Even if your Aunt Kathy made an offhand comment that makes you feel small or out of place, you belong exactly where you are right now. You're not in the way, you're not a bother or a pest. You're a part of the group, and the group is better because of it.

7. You are strong.

Get back, blue. Move over, orange. Whether you're more suited to warm tones, cool shades, or neutrals, everyone looks good when they're feeling strong. If the holidays are especially draining for you, physically or mentally, don't hesitate to remind yourself just how capable you really are.

Photo via iStock.

8. "To love yourself right now, just as you are, is to give yourself heaven." — Allen Cohen


9. Everything will be OK.

Photo via iStock.

10. "This is it, this is the only body I've got." — Whitney Thompson


11. "I define my worth, and I am worthy."

Around the holidays, it's easy to let family, old friends, or even the bathroom scale define you. But you get decide who you are and what makes you unique, no one else. So let Grandma Mabel go on and on about why you should settle down already. You're the only one you need to listen to.

12. You know yourself better than anyone else.

When stressful situations arise this season, you may not always be the picture of calm and poise you always envisioned. It's important to grant yourself a little grace. You need to be kind and patient with yourself so that you can extend that same courtesy to everyone else.

Photo via iStock.

13. "Yeah, I'm fat — but I'm also all the good things that I am." — Tess Holliday

None of us are defined by any one particular attribute. Plus-size model and all-around-badass Tess Holliday did not say this to imply that being fat is bad (because, just to be clear, FAT IS NOT BAD). Fat is just one more adjective without moral value, good or bad (see: tall, short, left-handed, blue-eyed). No matter how you describe yourself, what's important is appreciating and respecting yourself for the multitude of wonderful things that you are and expecting and appreciating the same in others.

14. "What other people think of me is none of my business."


15. *nail polish emoji*

Admit it: You're really, really good. Good looking. Good natured. Kind and generous. A whiz in the kitchen and quick with a joke with a keen sense of direction. OK, OK, maybe you're not all of these things, but you're definitely filled to the brim with talent and kindness. And that's all you need to stand-up and declare your awesomeness.

Photo via iStock.

16. "I am beneath no one." — Jim Kellner

Is your older sister back from her trip around the world making knit sweaters for senior dogs in need? Did your younger brother finally invent that cure for athlete's foot? Good for them! But don't let someone else's success cloud the way you feel about yourself. There's enough love, praise, and talent to go around. Don't dim your light just so others can shine.

17. Your brain is the most powerful muscle you've got.

Photo via iStock.

18. "I choose to think thoughts that serve me well."

As Mark Twain once said, "Worrying is like paying a debt you don't owe." There's plenty to worry and stress about during the holidays, but instead of giving in to negative thinking, try to stay present and think constructive, positive thoughts.

19. Be your own BFF.

Photo via iStock.

20. "My life is unfolding beautifully."

Your life, with all of its twists, turns, and surprises, is one helluva story. And it's a really good one. So when you bump into old friends who seem to have it all figured out, remember: (a) They don't, and (b) don't let comparison and self-doubt get in the way of celebrating your successes, big or small.

21. You got this.

Photo via iStock.

This holiday season, and throughout the year, remember to take good care of yourself.

Do what feels right for you, and do your best not to worry about everyone else. As my good-friend-if-we-only-met Emma Stone once said, "You're a human being, you live once and life is wonderful, so eat the damn red velvet cupcake."

Droolworthy photo via iStock.

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