I start planning for the Holiday season earlier and earlier every year. Last year I began in July, making lists of all the loved ones I need to shop for and jotting down ideas for their perfect gifts. I bookmarked festive treat recipes just before Halloween. Family pictures needed to be scheduled in early November to ensure the perfect snapshot for my Christmas cards to be sent in time.
With the best of intentions for a picture-perfect Christmas, I burned out long before the real fun began.
I’ve attempted to avoid this in the past by avoiding the holidays altogether, spending a couple of Thanksgivings and Christmases at Ford Field watching the Detroit Lions. I’ve taken a few holiday vacations too.
But I realized I don’t want to omit the holidays, I just want to enjoy them.
This year, I vow to scrap my Pinterest-worthy Christmas aspirations and simply enjoy my crew.
I came up with a few alternatives to lighten my load and free up some headspace for more important festivities:
Draw names. If your extended family is growing larger by the minute, consider this for your gift exchange. What I love most is I can choose one gift very thoughtfully. Our family puts a price limit on it and over the years we’ve added other ways to make it less stressful and more fun. For instance, there is a separate name draw for a white elephant gift and you can choose to be excluded altogether and just enjoy the party.
Break N Bake cookies are delicious. So are the sugar cookies that come in a loaf. Cut them up, let the kids destroy your countertop with frosting and sprinkles, and enjoy. This is a lot more fun than fighting with them to get out of my kitchen while I stressfully try to create something pretty that inevitably lacks in flavor.
Any pic will do. Holiday cards don’t have to be professionally taken. Once in a while, it’s nice to dress up in coordinating outfits and get beautiful family portraits taken. But we can all agree the planning and photoshoot are stressful and anything but festive. So to avoid this nightmare annually, some years I put the kids in Christmas jammies and take a snap in front of the tree. Sometimes I choose a cute shot from a summer vacation or trip to the park.
Don’t over plan. Nothing wrecks my holiday mood faster than rushing. Whether I’m sitting at a tree lighting wishing it was over so I can get on to the next festive task or rushing through one family party to make an appearance at the next. This year, I’m setting aside more nights at home with nothing to do. We will pick and choose the festivities that will bring my family joy. And I will say no to anything that makes me feel stretched too thin.
This year, my family won’t be partaking in EVERY holiday festivity {I’m looking at you Elf on the Shelf} but that doesn’t mean we won’t be enjoying it either. There are a few areas where my family will not be cutting corners.
Decorating. Clark Griswold has nothing on my husband as far as exterior illumination goes. He’s been collecting fun decorations for as long as he can remember and now our kids love helping every year. There were a couple of years where we couldn’t put a tree up inside the house, but the outside has always been festive enough for the whole neighborhood.
Spending time with family and making memories is always at the top of our list. When it comes down to it, all the stress of planning melts away the second we’re with the ones we love.
