Start Your Holiday Planning Early

On the first day of Christmas, Dr. Archer said to me:
Start your holiday planning early.  This is not too early to start.  Halloween costumes and decorations take time, as does Thanksgiving cooking and cleaning, and before you know it, the winter holidays are upon us.

On the second day of Christmas, Dr. Archer said to me:
Do what you love.  Eliminate things from your holiday schedule that you simply hate doing.  If you cannot tolerate taking your children out trick-or-treating, don’t do it.  Find a more likable way to celebrate the holiday.  Find or hold a Halloween party for them to attend instead.

Do what you love and Start your holiday planning early.

On the third day of Christmas, Dr. Archer said to me:
Value Friendships.  We often plan so many things for so many people during the holidays that we really forget to focus on the people that really matter to us.  Don’t let your most special loved ones get lost in the shuffle.

Value Friendships, Do what you love, and Start your holiday planning early.

On the fourth day of Christmas, Dr. Archer said to me:
Watch Credit Cards.  To take the attitude that “it’s the holidays,” and you’ll charge it now and pay it off later makes for a miserable rest of the year.  Are a few days worth of fun really worth all those months of discomfort?

Watch Credit Cards, Value Friendships, Do what you love, and Start your holiday planning early.

On the fifth day of Christmas, Dr. Archer said to me:
Drive Carefully.  Of course alcohol impairs driving, but so does drowsiness, frustration, having several hungry children in the car, and driving during rush hours.  Stay off the roads if you don’t really have to be out.

Drive Carefully, Watch Credit Cards, Value Friendships, Do what you love, and Start your holiday planning early.

On the sixth day of Christmas, Dr. Archer said to me:
Save Time for Playing.  If you book up your whole holiday season with open house after party after dinner after gift exchange, you will be a frazzled mess.  Allow yourself quiet relaxing time with loved ones and time to enjoy the things you really love.

Save Time for Playing, Drive Carefully, Watch Credit Cards, Value Friendships, Do what you love, and Start your holiday planning early.

On the seventh day of Christmas, Dr. Archer said to me:
Joy Comes from Giving.  Here it is especially important to really give, of yourself, not just running out to Target and buying the latest Ja Rule CD for your nephew, but really taking the time to give of yourself to your nephew, perhaps sitting and listening to his music with him so you would get closer to really understanding him.

Joy Comes from Giving, Save Time for Playing, Drive Carefully, Watch Credit Cards, Value Friendships, Do what you love, and Start your holiday planning early.

On the eighth day of Christmas, Dr. Archer said to me:
Do Only What You’re Willing.  Holidays aren’t fun for anyone who has to party with a martyr.  That’s someone who does a lot but never lets you forget it.  Don’t let yourself be that person.  Do only what you really are willing to do and don’t get into lots of things that you really don’t have any interest in.

Do Only What You’re Willing, Joy Comes from Giving, Save Time for Playing, Drive Carefully, Watch Credit Cards, Value Friendships, Do what you love, and Start your holiday planning early.

On the ninth day of Christmas, Dr. Archer said to me:
Kids Need Nothing Fancy.  Parents often go overboard in giving extravagant gifts to children who honestly could care less about toys but would care more about spending quality time with adults.  Teaching a child to play a simple dice or card game is much more meaningful to them than you giving them a toy they play with alone.

Kids Need Nothing Fancy, Do Only What You’re Willing, Joy Comes from Giving, Save Time for Playing, Drive Carefully, Watch Credit Cards, Value Friendships, Do what you love, and Start your holiday planning early.

On the tenth day of Christmas, Dr. Archer said to me:
Do Enough Sleeping.  ‘Tis the season to stay up too late.  That’s fine every once in a while, but you need to take care to catch up on your sleep rather than let yourself get all strung out during the holiday season.  Tired people are irritable, crabby, and are not much fun to be around.

Do Enough Sleeping, Kids Need Nothing Fancy, Do Only What You’re Willing, Joy Comes from Giving, Save Time for Playing, Drive Carefully, Watch Credit Cards, Value Friendships, Do what you love, and Start your holiday planning early.

On the eleventh day of Christmas, Dr. Archer said to me:
No Grinches Griping.  Complaining during the holidays is a sure-fire way to ruin everyone’s time.  If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything.  The hostess or the giver of the gift will not benefit from your public criticism and neither will you.

No Grinches Griping, Do Enough Sleeping, Kids Need Nothing Fancy, Do Only What You’re Willing, Joy Comes from Giving, Save Time for Playing, Drive Carefully, Watch Credit Cards, Value Friendships, Do what you love, and Start your holiday planning early.

On the twelfth day of Christmas, Dr. Archer said to me:
Remember What Is Coming.  Keep one eye on the future.  Don’t eat so much at Thanksgiving that you can’t enjoy Christmas delights.  Don’t blow so much money on Christmas gifts that you have no money to take the kids to the movies in 9 days when they’ve bored of all the toys they received, and keep in mind that there are other holidays throughout the year.

Remember What Is Coming, No Grinches Griping, Do Enough Sleeping, Kids Need Nothing Fancy, Do Only What You’re Willing, Joy Comes from Giving, Save Time for Playing, Drive Carefully, Watch Credit Cards, Value Friendships, Do what you love, and Start your holiday planning early.

Marlo J. Archer, Ph.D
Licensed Psychologist
1250 E. Baseline Rd.
Suite 102
Tempe, AZ 85283
480-705-5007
www.DrMarlo.com