Don’t Stress the Holidays

 "Life is a road. You'll get over the potholes, even if you have to pull yourself out. 
Yes, those hills go up and down, but you'll always level out." 
(Author Unknown)

 

Hello, my lovely friends!  

 

 Well, it's official: The calendar says we can stop pretending and dive headfirst into full-throttle holiday mayhem! (Though let's be real, I’ve been humming carols since Labor Day.) But as the tinsel goes up, the stress levels often shoot up, too! Why the annual grumpiness? Because we're all trying to out-Pinterest each other. News flash: A "perfect" Christmas exists only in made-for-TV movies! Let's lower the bar and raise a mug of cocoa instead.

 

 1. Decorate a few places in your home ~ not everyone has the time to decorate every room in their home, but pick a couple of places and make those special. 

2. Not everyone needs a gift ~ on my dad’s side of the family we draw names or do the pink elephant. One we drew names and then we had to make the gift and there were some creative things. There is no obligation to give people a gift, you do it because you want to. 

3. Check out free places to enjoy the holidays ~ Around Denver there are many places that do holiday things that are free. We have a Christmas parade, our city and county building has lights, the Governor's mansion is decked out with decorations. 

4. Start traditions that will stay around forever ~ since my Mom had a love for Christmas she also found things for us to do as kids. My parents didn't have much money when we were little and they would get creative with things to do that didn't cost much, but those are the memories that both me and my sister still talk about. We made homemade ornaments that my Mom still has. I love driving around looking at the decorations on the houses. Also, watching Christmas cartoons with hot chocolate. I honestly still do some of these things. These are also great things to do with your grandchildren. 

5. It's okay to say no ~ some people love going to all the Christmas parties and some dread them, but it's okay to say no. This year we've decided to not do Christmas with either side of the family. This year we're just going to stay home. For Christmas Eve we're going to see my Dad and then watch "The Nutcracker" because that's my Christmas Eve tradition. On Christmas morning we're going to open presents, make a nice dinner and stay on some comfy pj's all day.

The holidays are meant to bring joy and not to be stressed. Once people start stressing you lose what the holidays are all about. Sometimes you have to step back and change things to make the holidays joyful for you and your family.

 

 So glad you stopped by! Wishing you the coziest morning/afternoon/evening ahead. Can't wait for our paths to cross again!