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7.) Cheat.  Unless you really enjoy preparing mass quantities of food from scratch, there’s no reason not to take advantage of a short-cut or two.  Particularly when it comes to the dessert menu, there are plenty of quick and easy mixes that can help you shave some serious time off of your meal preparation schedule.  Just go to the grocery store and find a few easy-to-make offerings or buy something from the deli.  For a special touch you can dress your desserts with extra holiday sprinkles or a squiggle of chocolate sauce across the plate for a very restaurant-looking presentation.

8.) Give yourself the gift of time.  How about purchasing a few months of housekeeping instead of clothes?  Purchase a gift certificate to a restaurant so you don’t have to cook.  Have the veterinarian groom your dog instead of doing it yourself.  Buy a book on tape to listen to in the car on the way to work.  Purchase a cell phone and eliminate phone tag by forwarding your calls when you leave the office.  Have your groceries delivered once a week for a month (less than the cost of a blouse).  Hire a teenager to do the major cleaning required before houseguests arrive.

9.) Remember your priorities.  Take shortcuts where it really doesn’t matter: Buy cookies instead of baking them or barter a task you don’t like for one you do.  I know two women who trade chores at holiday time.  One hates to bake; the other hates to do crafts.  So one woman decorates the other’s home and wraps her presents beautifully; the other does the meal preparation and holiday baking for the other!  Cut out as many social engagements as possible if you want more family time -- you can’t go to a school musical when it’s more convenient.  Kids appreciate happy and relaxed parents more than perfect decorations.

10.) Get moving!  However you choose to get a head start on the holiday season, you won’t regret putting in the extra effort early on.  Keep yourself motivated by thinking about how nice it will be to cruise through the end of December stress-free and full of holiday spirit.  You might make a date with yourself to visit the mall on the last weekend before Christmas -- just so you can observe the mayhem you successfully avoided by being so productive!