This week, I’m talking about cutting back on Christmas. Today, I’m talking about your holiday stop doing list. What are the things that you do that you really shouldn’t be doing this time of year? The things that if you stopped doing, you could reclaim some of your time and sanity during this stressful time of year. 

Here are 6 things I don’t waste time on during the holidays:

• Hanging outdoor lights - I remember begrudgingly helping my parents with this chore growing up, and I swore I would never hang outdoor lights on and around my house. Decorating for the holidays is confined to the inside and it saves me and my husband the time of putting up and taking down, or the expense of paying someone else to do it. Plus all the extra electricity use just isn’t worth it. I take my kids out about once a week and we enjoy looking at everyone else’s hard work instead. 
• Elf on the shelf - I don’t know how or why this became a thing?! Not only is elf on the shelf just downright creepy, it sounds like the most stressful stupid tradition with the pressure of having to cleverly come up with new activities and new locations for your elf.
• Sending Christmas cards - ooo, this one is hard, and this is the first Christmas we are forgoing this one. As much as I enjoy receiving Christmas cards from others, I think we’re officially done with this one in the Micciche household. Too much time and work getting out cards.
• Shopping after Thanksgiving - I shop for Christmas, but I try to avoid going to the store or the mall unless it’s necessary. With the ability to buy pretty much everything online these days, there’s no reason to battle for a parking spot at the mall...I get stressed just thinking about it. 
• Presents for non-family (neighbors, teachers, white elephant) - I talked about this at length yesterday. Even though I feel pressure every year to make cookies for my neighbors, buy a gift for my kids’ teachers, or participate in the white elephant exchange party with my mom’s group, I’ve had to learn to just say no to these superfluous gift giving events. I console myself by rationalizing that my neighbors don’t need any more sweets, I can give my kid’s teachers something at the end of the year or for their birthday instead, and I’ll see my mom friends again in January. 
• Non-essential parties - we all have the book club party or the ladies golf party in my case or some other holiday party to go to. With most if not all of these regular parties not happening this year because of Covid, it’s the perfect reason to just say no from now on. My rule is that as long as I’m not obligated to go or I love going every year and it’s something I really look forward to, the RSVP is no. 

What about you? What’s on your holiday stop doing list this year? I encourage you to pick at least one thing that you dread doing every year, and just stop. 

That’s it for today. Thanks for listening. My name is Ashley Micciche and this is the One Minute Retirement Tip.

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