Much gratitude to Xfinity for providing us a hands-on demo of products and services and sponsoring this post. As always, the opinions and thoughts expressed herein are strictly our own. This post may contain affiliate links. #XfinityMoms #Ad

Well the holidays are here and maybe you’re done your shopping and left with the entertaining, wrapping, and cooking.  And maybe you’re done your decorating but still have Christmas pageants, crafts, and cleaning. Boy, these holidays are stressful… packed with never-ending task lists. But for all the work, they do provide some of the best memories.

Many thanks to Comcast for sponsoring this article with just a few simple holiday suggestions to keep things in perspective and rolling smoothly.

1. Tackle the wrapping early. First first trick of the holidays is to decorate early and as part of the decorations, I wrap all the non-family gifts for under the tree. Wrapping paper is coordinated with the tree and decorations and then… it’s done. Tulle goes a long way for making packages look professionally wrapped. My second wrapping trick is to pre-cut paper. If I know I have 10 gifts that are roughly the same size and shape… I measure for one and then cut 9 identical pieces. I think of it in terms of an assembly line. 10 gifts wrapped, 10 gifts tagged, 10 gifts embellished. Done.
2. Take a moment for resting. At some point, you have to come up for air, right? Why not take a deliberate break and catch a holiday movie with the family. Xfinity X1 has plenty of holiday cheer to catch On-Demand or though Netflix, Amazon or Hulu. If I may make the ultimate suggestion of a double feature… one for the fam and then a second for couple cuddle time. Actually enjoy the beautifully lit Christmas tree you slaved to unpack and decorate. Sneak a few Christmas cookies for self pleasure. Sure it’s the time of giving… but there is something to be said to giving back to yourself too.
3. Manage those packages. Murphy’s law ensures that when things are at it’s craziest… something else go cray-cray. With #XfinityHome home security you can keep a close eye on those delivery packages, perhaps call a neighbor for a favor or run home at lunch to secure your deliveries. MIA packages is definitely no fun.
4. Make a holiday calendar. Don’t try to do it all. Longwood Gardens will be there next year… heck they are still open and decorated for Christmas in January. Allow for a little “spill-over” into the new year or better yet… pass on a few things. Last year we had the pleasure of Disney On Ice, which was awesome but this year, we’ve opted for the Brandywine River Museum’s Breakfast with Santa. Whether it’s festivals, parades, or Christmas gatherings… set your limit. Be mindful in the activities you select and the memories will be all the richer for it.

A quick shout out to the Xfinity team for their continued support of Homeroom At Home. Their demos of Xfinity Apps, Xfinity Home and Xfinity X1, with all its features surrounding ease of use, convenience AND security is definitely something we want to share with our parental audience… we can use all the tips and tricks that come our way when it comes to managing children. Safety measures, include the Kids Zone online & search security and home security technology that allows parents to keep an eye on their children arriving home after school.

In the spirit of the holidays and a season of giving… we’re including this fabulous GIVEAWAY sponsored by Xfinity. *** PLEASE NOTE: Winner does NOT need to be an Xfinity customer to use this Nest Learning Thermostat – however it IS compatible with Xfinity Home app. Enter the giveaway below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wow, Xfinity has a lot more to offer families than I knew! A big thanks to them for sponsoring this post. Follow #XfinityMoms on all social media for more information and tips. Swing by the blogs of my #XfinityMoms fellow bloggers for their personal experiences and insight utilizing Xfinity services & products. Be sure to enter the giveaway which closes midnight on December 20th, 2016. Good Luck!!