American Baby Offers Tips to Make Holiday Less Hectic

December 4, 2009 by Cathy Ribble
Filed under: Celebrity Baby News, News, Tips, Videos

Kate Kelly, Managing Editor of American Baby Magazine, offers up some tips to CBS News listeners for making the holidays less hectic with babies and small children.

Kate Kelly, Managing Editor of American Baby Magazine

Having a new baby in the house can make this an especially difficult time of stress and anxiety.

Prioritize, prioritize! Don’t try to do everything. Decide on one or two things instead of all the usual holiday tasks.
Evaluate what’s important to you and family members in your household! The holiday season is a great time to reflect on what is really most important to you and your family. What holiday habits are you teaching your children by placing emphasis on every detail?
Online shopping! You know this is much easier than dragging the children out to the mall in the cold weather. Many internet sites offer free shipping, but you must order early to avoid last minute rush charges. During our economic-trying times, it is important for every family to save wherever possible. It is much easier to compare prices and find the best deal when you do your homework online.
Limit holiday decorations. If you have a new baby, or even several toddlers underfoot, it’s probably not the time to win the prize for the most decorated yard in the neighborhood.
Ask for help! Don’t be afraid to ask for help from family and friends for the tasks which are most important to you.
Consider Christmas card alternatives. Face it, you probably don’t have time to spend hours hand addressing Christmas cards like the old days. Consider creating a baby photo website, or even emailing baby photos. If you insist on sending cards by mail, save that list of family and friends on your computer with updated addresses and create cute mailing labels. That will be much quicker, and next year, you’ll be even faster with just a few updates.

Some great holiday ideas to get you started! Share your holiday time-saving tips by commenting to this post!

Check out other holiday tips at Holiday Planner.

To watch Kate Kelly’s interview, CBS News