December is a time of holiday cheer, celebrating with family and showing gratitude for all of life’s beauty.  It’s also time for Black Friday, the never-ending to-do lists, and HOLIDAY STRESS.  There is no better time to show your commitment to “Carefree Apartment Living” than during the chaos of the holidays.  Here are 18 ways to help ease resident’s stress during the holiday season and have them ringing in the New Year right.

1. Gift Wrapping Station: Set up a gift-wrapping station for your residents so they have a space to stretch out and hide from the kids.  You provide the scissors, tape, gift tags, holiday music and hot apple cider.  Residents come with the gifts and wrapping paper.  For a charitable twist, include the wrapping paper and bows and have residents give a donation for each gift that they wrap using your supplies.
2. Skype Station:  This is the time of year to be with your family but unfortunately it isn’t possible for everyone.  Set up a computer, web cam and a Skype account and allow residents to come down and call family.  (Especially great for property with older population or senior housing.)
3. Holiday Bizarre: Reach out to local small businesses and have them set up a bizarre so your residents can do a bit of shopping on their way home without fighting the lines and the parking lot.
4. Tackle Poor Eating:  Work with a local chef or nutritionist to create healthy recipes for holiday favorites.
5. The Gift of Time: During the holidays people are always in need of more time.  Organize concierge type services to take off some of the pressure.  Try on-site dry cleaning, restaurant reservations, house cleaning, pet walking, etc.
6. Going Out of Town Checklist:  Prepare an Out of Town Checklist for your resident who will be traveling. 
7. Meal Sharing: Help residents partner with their neighbors for meal sharing.  By making larger meals that you share with other families, they will have some night off from cooking. 
8. Gift Wrap for Charity: Many charities sell holiday gift-wrap as a fundraiser.  Invite them to sell gift-wrap in your clubhouse so your residents don’t need to run out. 
9. Bringing Santa to Property:  Let your residents skip the long line at the mall and bring Santa to your property.  
10. Family Photos: The Holiday is a great time for a family photo.  Set up a backdrop and hire a photographer and allow residents to make a family memory right at the property.
11. Kids Movie Night: Host a kid’s movie night so residents can have a kid free shopping night. 
12. Recipe Swap Leftover Style: Encourage residents to share recipes for creative ways to use leftovers and post them on community boards and social media. 
13. Hosting a Charity Gift Tree: Celebrate the season of giving by hosting a giving tree at your community.  Google “Adopt a Family” and the name of your city and state (or county) to find local charities that will allow you to adopt a family for the holiday.  Make paper ornaments each with the name, age and likes and a member of that family.  Residents can take an ornament, purchase a gift, attach the ornament as a gift tag and place it back under the tree.  
14. Package Delivery: Have residents who are taking advantage of online shopping this holiday season?  Offer for a team member to deliver them to their door in return for a charitable donation to a local charity.
15. Extra Dumpster: All those gifts, decorations and food mean for more trash.  Have an extra dumpster dropped off or schedule for an extra pick up.  Consider offering a one-time valet trash pick-up that day after the holiday in return for a charitable donation.
16. Stress Relieving Saturday:  Create a way for your residents to burn off a bit of steam.  Organize a running club, have a yoga or meditation instructor come in, offer chair massages, etc. 
17. Cookie Swap:  Each resident brings two dozen cookies and circles the table collecting a variety of cookies and leaves with two dozen unique cookies. 
18. Ease Family Get Together:  Entertaining family and friends in your home can be stressful and your residents will want it to go perfectly.  Remind resident well in advance to notify you of any work orders so you can make sure they  have the perfect holiday gathering in their home. 

Most importantly, make sure to take care of yourself too!  Happy Holidays!