Tis the season to be jolly. 😂 Right?

Tis the season to be jolly. 😂 Right?

If you’re like me and you don’t like lines and hate shopping, don’t have a clue what to give the people you love, and don’t enjoy sending out the typical one-upping your neighbor Christmas card, I hope you enjoy this blog to help us let go of all this craziness?

Use this guide to help you feel less stress and more peaceful during the happiest and most wonderful time of the year.

Tiny tweaks to take back control.

1. Make a list you don’t have to ✅twice. – Put things down that you REALLY enjoy doing. The stuff that really matters to you. Focus on the handful of rituals you really care about. For example, I am NOT sending out a Christmas card this year, not because I don’t love my family or think my children are gorgeous or that my husband is a stud, but trying to get all four of us together in our Sunday best with the correct lighting in the dead of an Iowa winter is something I’m not willing to take on any more! Please enjoy our last year’s Christmas card, which was professionally done). Instead I anxiously can’t wait to make my holiday tradition Italian Christmas Eve dinner. While the homemade meat sauce is simmering, I’ll be firing up the antique pizzelle iron, grinning from ear to ear that I get to spend time with my college daughter making pizzelles.
2. Gladly RSVP Thanks, but No Thanks! – I couldn’t wait to hit send on the email where I declined to attend the 13th annual Mother’s Christmas Cookie Exchange. I declined because; I always felt that I only get invited to this party because I’m on TV, I don’t enjoy the company any longer our kids don’t play with each other’s kids anymore, (40 plus women drinking mimosas all day while gossiping about other women). I try to patiently wait for the ok that’s it’s time to box up my four dozen cookies that I get to bring home. I’m not looking for the temptation to eat the sugar filled goodies or looking for the extra calories. However, I won’t be missing the annual Wine Club Christmas party where I love the company, food, and the wine tasting competition we have at the end of the night. (I’m not a wine drinker), but I’ve won 7 out of the 9 years.
3. Get your well deserved rest and sleep – it’s tempting to want to go to all of your friends parties, potlucks & cocktail hours, but that will soon catch up on you. Think of staying in as preventative medicine for staying healthy. Getting 8 hours of sleep a night keeps you from getting sick. I’ll always choose my pajamas and comfy socks over a cocktail dress any day, unless it’s the annual White House Christmas party.
4. Take a moment to reflect on things – what really matters to you? Who really matters? What traditions do you love, my favorite traditions are going to candlelight service on Christmas Eve and when the kids, Myles 23, 6”3 & Tori 20, 5”2 crawl in our king size bed and Kurtis reads The Night before Christmas. A few traditions we let go of are, cutting down the fresh Christmas tree at the local tree farm, and opening up one gift on Christmas Eve, Tori still gets to do it because it’s her 1/2 birthday. In the end the holidays mean something different to everyone, but for me it’s never been about the gifts it’s been about the blessing of love. The love I share with my family & friends and the eternal love of our savior Jesus Christ. We are all so blessed.