if you haven’t been following the countdown, you may be facing a lot to do. You may feel stressed and overwhelmed. Elf to the rescue. Here are your steps back to sanity and celebration:

• Pledge that next year you will follow the Elf Christmas Countdown faithfully and with great care!
• Make a list of everything you need to do.
• Now, cross out everything that isn’t essential. What is essential will vary from person to person. You may not be seeing some folks until after New Year’s. No need to buy presents today. Maybe you don’t care about decorations as long as you have cookies, or vice versa. Do what is meaningful to you.
• Only do the tried and true. Last minute is not a good time to learn a new skill.
• Share the load. Invite family and friends to help with tasks. One person can mix cookie dough while another wraps packages.
• Don’t skip meals and lose sleep to make Christmas “happen.” Christmas will happen whether or not you’ve sent cards or you have a hand-beaded star on your tree. Bringing your best self to the celebration is what is most important.