Ten Tips for a Stress-Free Holiday Season

• Prune the to-do list. Ask, “If I don’t do this, what will happen?” Aim to knock down the list of chores to the rock-bottom necessity.• Cut the gift list. Rein in gift exchanges that have been outgrown or lost their meaning. Limit gifts to children only, draw names, or organize a gift exchange.

• Wrap as you go.Who needs to spend Christmas Eve catching up on wrapping chores? Sticky notes will help you keep track of gift contents.

• Buy, don’t bake. Turn your back on the oven this year. Supermarkets, bakeries and the freezer department of the discount warehouse are a great source for delicious, pre-baked holiday treats.

• Email your cards. Reach out and touch someone—the easy way. Online greeting cards are easy, inexpensive and fun to send. No more lines at the post office!

• Scale back décor. Substitute a simple door wreath for outdoor lighting and a tabletop tree for the over-the-top tannenbaum. You can bring a festive feel to the house without day-long decorating sessions.

• Cut the clean-a-thon. Focus cleaning attention on kitchen and public rooms; private areas can slide til season’s end. Better to schedule deep-cleaning chores like carpet cleaning until after the wear-and-tear of the holiday season.

• Downsize dishwashing. Hand-washing fine china is nobody’s idea of a good time, so move to everyday stoneware. Simpler still: paper plates!