Moving During the Holiday

The holiday season, while joyous, is known for being a busy and hectic time of year. We’d like to think that we will always have perfect control over our decisions about when and where to move. However, the reality is that there are times when life might dictate otherwise, like with the demands of employers and military reassignments. For those who will be moving during the holiday season, you probably are already aware that you should prepare yourself to be in the midst of two busy situations that can bring a lot of stress. Here are tips for moving during the holidays that we hope will help you enjoy your holiday season:

Start Packing and Preparing Early
Knowing how much work is required to pack and prepare for a household move, whether local or long distance, and knowing how much effort your holiday celebrations typically require, starting your packing early will help you avoid a lot of stress. As early as you can during the weeks leading up to your move date, get to work on organizing and packing to get ahead of the game. Once the holidays approach, you’ll be able to focus some guilt-free energy and effort solely on celebrating knowing that you’ve already taken the necessary time to prepare for your move.

Keep it Simple This Year
If it helps you maintain your sanity, this might be the year to scale down your holiday celebration. Perhaps you can still keep some of your key traditions alive while keeping decorations and presents to a minimum. Playing holiday music is a great way to keep the mood in your home festive while you’re packing and baking cookies. You probably never imagined celebrating the holidays being surrounded by moving boxes, but decorating a few of them to look like holiday presents, or wrapping some with garland, big ribbons and bows will certainly add to the holiday cheer!

Don’t Feel Pressured to Host Your Own Holiday Feasts
If you were looking forward to a traditional Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner this year with family and friends, but most of your cookware is still in boxes, don’t despair. Consider taking your party on the road to a restaurant to keep from having to create the perfect holiday atmosphere while your home is in boxes. Just because your traditional celebration is not being spent in your traditional setting doesn’t mean that your warm spirit is lost. This year, enjoy your dinner out and be sure to take advantage of the variety of food and drinks that restaurants can offer that you would not normally have at home.

Enjoy Your Holidays!
Don’t let yourself become overwhelmed by packing, unpacking and the disarray and disorganization in your home before and after your move. Relax, allow yourself enjoy your holidays this year despite the nontraditional setting in your home. There will be plenty of time after the holiday season to unpack!