Does this look like you during the Christmas season?

I love Christmas. I love the twinkling lights, the smell of cookies baking, knowing when I found THE PERFECT gift for someone. I believe in the magic of Christmas.

I also believe that “THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR” is also one of the most STRESSFUL times of the year. Ah remember just a few years ago, back before you were married or had kids. You got away with buying a few gifts, show up at the Christmas festivities and eat the food that was provided for you. No one really expected anything out of you. And then you had the nerve to get married and have babies! Now you must become some version of Martha Stuart, Paula Dean and Donna Reed but you are feeing more like Lucy Ricardo or Deb from Everybody Loves Raymond!

Suddenly when you have more to do, more is expected of you! You now have a husband to keep happy, children to keep alive, a job you don’t want to lose. a dog to walk, church obligations, school plays, parties, friends you are expected to form actual connections with. You are supposed to do all these things while passing out reindeer cookies and wishing everyone a Merry Christmas. But you may be starting to feel a little Grinchy. You can suddenly symathize with Scrooge.

Let’s be honest no matter what, you are going to dig in your heels and get it done because that’s what YOU do! And you do it willingly because at the root of it all, you believe in the MAGIC of Christmas. We believe that it’s bigger than us. How blessed are we to be able to celebrate the birth of Jesus every single year.

We do this to see our children’s eyes light up when they see the presents under the tree on Christmas morning. We love surprising our mom with “THE GIFT” that is sure to make her cry. We love the pat on our backs when we found that present for dad, who happens to be the hardest person in the world to shop for. We want our children to take presents to their teachers and we ant to give cookies to the mail man. We want to bake a turkey so perfect and juicy that it doesn’t even need gravy….WOAH girl, ok maybe that is hoping for too much!

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How do you get it all done without losing your MARBLES!?!?!

• Wear your favorite Christmas shirt or sweater. We only get to do this once a year. If you love Christmas gear, break it out! It’s the only time during the year you can wear a giant candy cane on your chest and no one thinks twice about it. If it makes you smile, wear it! Want to add matching earrings, a headband. Those are great too! And don’t forget Christmas socks or slippers. Be cozy and festive all while brining a smile to your face. Guaranteed, others will be smiling too.
• Say NO! Believe it or not, “NO” is a complete sentence. You are going to be asked to do a million extra tasks during the holiday season, on top of the important things you already have on your To-Do List. It’s absolutely ok to say “No” to baking the cookies for the office Christmas party or not attending a friends Cookie Exchange. If you don’t find yourself jumping for JOY at the invitation, just say “NO.” It doesn’t mean you are saying “Bah-Hum-Bug.” It just means that you have other priorities that need to come first. And it’s ok if one of those is watching Christmas Vacation for the 3rd time this year and sipping Eggnog.
• Ask for help! Other than saying “No” this one is probably the most difficult. We think we have to do everything by ourselves so that it gets done right and in a timely manner. Guess what, that is absolutely not the case. Others are totally capable of stepping up and lending a hand. Do you have no idea what to get your father-in-law and it’s stressing you out, delegate that task to your husband. I mean other than you, who does he really shop for? Are you running out of time to decorate, wrap presents or bake? Pull in your kiddos or best friend to lead the charge!
• Drink PLENTY of water. The holiday season is one where we are all known to over indulge just a bit. We drink more alcohol becuase there are more parties and it’s festive to have a cranberry mimosa at the Ornament Exchange with your Book Club. We are eating more sweets and treats because our offices and kitchens are both overflowing with these tasty sugary morsels. Be kind to your body and drink all the water you can. This will help flush out some of the sugars and alcohol. Plus if you are full of water, you might be less tempted to snack during the day. Bonus if you are drinking so much water and running back and forth to the bathroom, you might not find yourself in the office breakroom where all the goodies are.
• Pamper yourself! Your version of pampering might look different than mine. Here are some ideas:
  • Do an at home facial or mud mask
  • Read a book for 10 minutes a day
  • Go for a walk during lunch
  • Allow yourself to sit quietly when you get home before jumping into tasks.
  • When the kiddos go to bed, enjoy the glow of your Christmas lights
  • Go get a massage
  • Get your hair, nails or toes done (or all of the above!)
  • Hire some one to clean your house
  • Watch your favorite movie
  • Listen to your music too loud and dance in the kitchen
  • Pray
  • Listen to your favorite podcast
  • Sit by the fire and roast marshmallows

Asking for help is hard. But it can be really fun! I’d love to share with you one of the most beautiful trees I’ve ever ever had the pleasure to help decorate!

My best friend called and said between her many jobs and her full time baking she did not have the time or the energy to put up her beloved “Sweet Treats” Christmas Tree. So I volunteered to help her. I got to spend 90 minutes with my best friend, just the 2 of us, totally uninterrupted. How often does that happen? I was able to love her by serving her and our friendship.

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