Outsourcing- Holiday Edition

financialdiva

What do you typical outsource to get through the holiday hustle and bustle?

I host Thanksgiving every year. This year, I ordered a Turkey that will already be brined and smoked. I also ordered all my pies (that are huge and awesome and all proceeds go to charity). We will also get the ham from the Honey baked ham company. Luckily, my parents are buying that this year. None of these items are that hard to cook or deal with, but I kind of like the idea of not having to clean the roast pan this year! I feel like outsourcing these few items gives me more time to just hang out with my family, which is what it's all about right?

I also plan on purchase a majority of presents online this year- I don't care if I have to pay shipping! I guess you can say I'm outsourcing shopping??

LoCarb

I also online shop.

I'm hosting a holiday party and everything will be catered. I do not need any additional stress besides decorating the house!  If I could outsource that too, I would!

thedash

Great ideas! I'm definitely doing a lot of online shopping and plan to pay extra for gift wrap when possible. In the past I have wrapped all my own presents while watching movies a few days before Christmas, but with two little ones I'd rather let someone else do it!

emberlee3

Thanksgiving is just the 4 of us and I am going to order most of the food from the grocery store. Most of my shopping will be online. Bulk when possible. I am going to try for a low-stress holiday season.

jf198400

I also do most of our shopping on amazon. We don't host any of the holidays yet so there's really not much to do. Just the decorating and Christmas cards. My new job is really close to home, so I'll probably do stuff on my lunchbreak.

financialdiva

I thought of another one!

We will also have snapfish or whoever we order Christmas cards from address, stamp and mail all of our Christmas cards out for us this year. No more stuffing, adhering labels to, sealing, etc!

I did this for DS2's birth announcements- it was fabulous!

jnnfrrose6

financialdiva said:

I thought of another one! We will also have snapfish or whoever we order Christmas cards from address, stamp and mail all of our Christmas cards out for us this year. No more stuffing, adhering labels to, sealing, etc! I did this for DS2's birth announcements- it was fabulous!

Really?  This is one I'd definitely never do.  I'd rather send a few less cards, but make it personal for each, than this.  I get it for a birth announcement, but holiday cards seem like they just need to be more personal and have a handwritten note or something.

My mother is doing Thanksgiving this year and is ordering all the food.  They are in the midst of packing for a renovation so she doesn't want to deal with any of it.  I will do Christmas and will just ask people to bring dishes so I don't have to prepare the whole meal.  I found a new service in town called the Tree Elves that will deliver a live, potted Christmas tree to your home and pick it up after the holidays.  Sounds perfect to me.  I will also do most of my shopping online.

KayteeGee

I also order a lot of xmas gifts on amazon (or other online retailers).
I picked up a TON of toys for DS at the Target toy clearance this summer and they've been sitting in our sauna since then. (I live in Vegas - who needs a sauna in Vegas???)
For T'giving, my parents are coming to town and we do what we always do - order the whole feast from one of the resorts.  You drive into valet, give them your name, sign your cc receipt, open the hatch and they load the whole thing into the car.  It's delicious and I can't cook... plus it means no clean up!  We will make our "family favorites" - sides that we have to have - as additions but seriously that's it.  It's the best ever.  takes SO MUCH stress out of Thanksgiving.
We will do  the same for Xmas dinner.

diamondduck13

I want to look into Tree Elves! I'm returning to work after my 12 weeks of leave next week. I love Christmas and want to put my tree up thanksgiving weekend like I always do, but I fear I'll be too exhausted from figuring out how to be a working mom for the first time.

I'm already working on my Christmas cards, I figured I'd have more time to do them while on leave than once I start work. Ill of course wait to send them mid Dec. Christmas cards are one of my favorite parts of the holidays, but Im with PP, I would not send them before I outsourced them. Defeats the purpose to remove the personal touch IMO.

I outsourced Thanksgiving by making a reservation at a nice restaurant which will be open. I couldn't even handle the thought of cleaning and decluttering our small dining room which has become our desk and basically junk area

ETA and shopping online for sure. I'll miss the stores and their decor, etc, but I have to be realistic about just getting started learning the ropes of being a working mom

82Sonia

I'm going to outsource everything I can.  Christmas cards with return addresses already printed (I'd do the "to" address too if I thought I could find them all easily and at one time).  All Christmas shopping done online and paying for gift wrap.  I will not be making side dishes for Thanksgiving or Christmas, I'll be paying the good folks at PCC Natural Markets to make them.  

I will put up my own tree and lights (well DH will be doing that part) because I find those activities enjoyable.  

financialdiva

I send out picture cards of the kids and/or family. I no longer write anything on the card, so I guess I don't see the big deal in letting the website I order them from send them out for me.

It's not like a thank you card. I guess I don't see the big deal.

LoCarb

I hire a company to install x-mas lights on our house

SoMoNY

We always host xmas eve dinner and do all the cooking and cleaning but with baby due 12/14 I'll be hiring cleaners and getting most of the food catered.

Shopping will all be done on Amazon - if they don't sell it you ain't getting it  ;-)