Everyone has a picture-perfect image of what the holidays should be like, but we all learn every year that the chaos of this season requires a few compromises between this ideal and what can realistically be accomplished given the hectic circumstances. Although this compromise may be an annoyance for all of the type A personalities out there, they can also create fun memories of the holidays that remind us of what’s really most important during this season. To soften the blow of your plans falling apart, consider the following fun and creative Plan B’s for when things go wrong during the holidays.
1. Order Out
Tired of cooking or so sick of turkey you can’t bear to even look at the leftovers? Take the easy way out by ordering pizza or another takeout option during the holidays so you can enjoy a hot, indulgent meal with zero cooking and limited cleanup. Although you probably want to cook fancy dinners and have the family sit around a lavish dinner table while you’re all together for the holidays, sometimes things happen like late flights and endless holiday traffic that can set you back more than you might have intended. Taking the easy route can also help you save money with coupons and other deals offered during the holidays. Plus, no one ever complains over a large pizza.
2. Exchange White Elephant Gifts
With all of the traffic at the mall and various retail stores during the holiday season, you probably want to avoid shopping as much as possible. Not to mention, shopping for all of the many family members and loved ones you have can quickly drain your bank account. Help everyone reduce stress over money, traffic and all those other shopping woes by arranging white elephant gift exchanges instead. These fun holiday traditions allow you to wrap up items you have just lying around the house and gift them to a loved one for a more personalized and budget-friendly exchange.
3. Try Pre-Made Meals
The idea of putting on an apron and making an entire elaborate holiday meal from scratch is a nice idea, but how realistic is it that you can accomplish this picture-perfect meal on top of buying gifts and picking your parents up at the airport? Although you may not have compiled every single ingredient in your meals, they’ll still taste just like real homemade dishes when you purchase pre-made meals from essentially any local grocery store. Especially during the holiday season, you can find quality pre-made meals that allow you to simply stick them in the oven and come back to hot, delicious dining masterpieces.
Trying to make everything absolutely perfect for the holidays adds a lot of unnecessary stress to a time that is supposed to be focused on fun and relaxation with those you love most. Even if the pictures don’t exactly turn out as polished as you want them to or the meal doesn’t look like the cover of a “Martha Stewart Living” magazine, your holiday can still turn out to be a memorable event that’s entirely unique from typical celebrations.
