Good morning friends and happy Monday! John and I had the best time in Arizona just getting to spend some extra time together. We were in Scottsdale, Arizona and it was definitely not what I had been expecting. They have so much to offer there and the food was delicious. I was still not feeling 100% while there, but I was able to go on a hike with the group on our last day which I am so thankful for because it was definitely breathtaking.
With that, I wanted to hop right in to our Holiday Week with some tips for my fellow moms or friends that are feeling a bit overwhelmed this season.
Here at The Chic Delight, my goal is to always help you find more joy and peace in the everyday and with the holidays rolling around, I think we need some extra help when it comes to that department.
I know for me, I don’t want this holiday season to pass me by and it come to a close with me finally looking up and wondering where it went. No, no. I want to enjoy it. I don’t want to be stressed and want to think back on this holiday season and say how wonderful it was.
With that, I have developed a few tips to help me do so that I thought I would share with all of you so that we can all enjoy this holiday season a bit more.
Tip number one is the importance of wanting and “should-ing.” As women, we feel like we “should” do a lot of things. Whether that is societal pressures, social media, family, etc. We get pulled in a lot of directions, but this year I want you to stop thinking about what you “should” do for the holiday season or for your kids or for your family, etc. and think about what you WANT to do. What is it that you want to do and do just those things. Do you want Christmas cards? If so, great. But if you feel like you “should” have Christmas cards because everyone else does, then forget it.
Tip number two is to plan and tackle slowly. A lot of the holiday season is getting 6,000 things ready, so I want you to make a master list. Look it over, and tackle 1-2 things a day or maybe it’s even 3-4 things a week. It all depends on your list, but I think a lot of overwhelm or stress comes when we try to pack way to0 much stuff in or we get behind and instead of getting to enjoy those things, they become a chore.
Tip number three is don’t forget to incorporate the magic. Don’t forget to do a few things this year (that you want to do of course), that help remind you of the fun and beauty that the holiday season has to offer. Maybe go ice skating, or bake cookies with a friend, but just add a few things that you can really enjoy into this holiday season.
Tip number four is do not spend outside your means. The holidays become stressful when not only do you have to buy for a ton of people, but also when you get into January and see how much all you spent. It can really take all of the joy out of it and while we all would love to get our parents that amazing gift or buy twenty new things for our home for the holidays, that is not going to make us happy in the long run, so stay conservative. Most of the time, the people we love can get everything they want or need so don’t worry if you can’t spend as much as you normally would this year. Create a budget that works for you and stick with that. I think truthfully people want time together anyways and most heart felt gifts, are the cheapest ones anyways. If you need ideas on that, let me know!
Tip number five is to let go. Let go of perfection, let go of people pleasing. Let go of a dirty house, let go of not having matching pjs this year. Whatever it is, let it go. It will all be just fine and none of that stuff is life or death, it’s just simply our perfectionism needing to show through. This is a season and a short one at that, it is okay for it to not be perfect or have loose odds and ends. Spend time with those you love, connect, laugh at the imperfection, and take so many mental photos.
I hope these tips were helpful to you and I hope you all can find and enjoy and create the most magical season you have ever had this year. And remember…Joy and happiness is not sought, it is found right where you are, so slow down, and soak it all up.
xoxo,
Melissa
