We’ve been there, and we want to help. These items can take your holidays from stressed to blessed. In the spirit of giving, we’re sharing secrets only the most experienced parents know about holiday survival. We’ve rounded up the best items online to help you through the holiday season. Not only will they make things easier, but they will also help ensure your spouse does an equal share of the work. Now, we aren’t promising Christmas miracles, but this list will give you at least a little bit of Christmas cheer to ensure you don’t turn into a Grinch (but just in case, we have a shirt for that, see below). Here at Parade.com, we’re all about sharing products we love with our audience. When you make a purchase on an item seen on this page, we may earn a commission, however, all picks are independently chosen unless otherwise mentioned.
1. CRUST Cinnamon Rolls, $34.95 at Williams Sonoma
Let’s be honest, after a late night of wrapping, we don’t always want to make breakfast on Christmas morning, it’s ok, I’m ok, you’re ok, and were all going to be ok. So, with help from our friends at Williams Sonoma, we can serve breakfast without doing all of the work. For those who are a little on the crafty side, present it on your favorite dish, toss some flour in your hair and on the counters, and your mother-in-law will think you spent all that time making these amazing rolls from scratch. Win-win. CRUST Cinnamon Rolls, $34.95 at Williams Sonoma
2. Yummly Smart Bluetooth Thermometer, $99.95 at Williams Sonoma
If you have spouse, who doesn’t like to cook but loves gadgets, this little device will trick (I mean convince) them to take on the task of making the Christmas meal centerpiece. Before you can say, “sync this cool Bluetooth thermometer to a smartphone,” your Christmas goose will be cooked, and you just saved yourself a ton of work. Yummly Smart Bluetooth Thermometer, $99.95 at Williams Sonoma
12. Holiday Traditions Hand Sanitizers, $8 at Bath & Body Works
After COVID, we are all always thinking about germs. We just can’t help it. Since it’s the holidays, swap your industrial-hospital-smelling sanitizer for something that’s just what Santa ordered. This set from Bath & Body Works comes with enough to share, which is great, because if your friends are germ free…you can also remain germ free. Talk about a gift that keeps on not giving…germs. Holiday Traditions Hand Sanitizers, $8 at Bath & Body Works
13. Acorn Slipper Socks, $29.99 at Zappos
Your house is full. Everyone is in bed. It’s been a great Christmas…but you want to do the walk of shame to the kitchen to devour leftovers. Why not make it a silent walk of shame? Leftovers are best enjoyed alone, when you can stick your fork directly into the pie pan without cutting a single piece (because you don’t want to leave any evidence). You know what I’m talking about, so don’t try to deny it. With these slipper socks, you can cozily sneak your way into the kitchen without waking up anyone else in the house. Then, you can dine like a king or queen without any interruptions. Acorn Slipper Socks, $29.99 at Zappos
18. Martha Stewart Lighted Artificial Pine Christmas Tree, $351.99 at Wayfair
Back in the day, my mom proudly told my aunt we were getting our first artificial tree. My aunt said she was going to report our family to Martha Stewart for even thinking about it. Stewart, at the time, was known for her authentic, albeit natural, holiday décor. Nowadays, we’ve come a long way as a society. Martha Stewart now has her own line of artificial trees. I own a tree just like this one, and it is the best. This gorgeous tree is so pretty that you don’t even have to decorate it. Now, you can check tree trimming off of your list. Martha Stewart Lighted Artificial Pine Christmas Tree, $351.99 at Wayfair I debated adding the elf to this list because the whole thing requires a lot of work for an entire month. Plus, there are plenty of horror stories, including my sister, who accidentally cooked hers in its oven hiding place, much to the sheer horror of my nieces. Yes, you will spend hours each evening trying to come up with clever ways to place the elf. Also, it’s become a holiday tradition to experience the sheer unbridled horror of leaving for work in the morning and realizing you forgot to move the elf. Please, let me save you from some real torture. Don’t buy more. More is not less. It doesn’t make things easier to have additional elves. We have a small elf army, thanks to my husband. Every single year, we misplaced part of the army, and my daughter always noticed when certain ones were missing. We always had to buy more. I don’t even know how many we actually have, but I do have nightmares of waking up in the middle of the night with a thousand elves staring at me.
