Home For The Holidays: Breathe and Enjoy December
December is just around the corner. Deep breath.
The holidays are meant to be a time of closeness, rest, and relaxation, but for many it’s just a race to get through the final two months of the year. Traveling, cooking, buying gifts, financial strain—these things can pile up to snuff out any excitement you had for Thanksgiving and Christmas. The Best of this Life is a blog focused on enjoying what the world has to offer, and I feel that the holidays can be amazing for you and your family. Below are 3 tips on how to make that happen:
Keep the traveling to a minimum, and plan beforehand.
Buy plane, train and bus tickets long before the holidays, and pick days that aren’t known as popular ones for travel. If you have the family in tow, make sure everyone has small, easy-to-handle luggage, and that the kiddos have items to keep them entertained. Plan for one big trip (if you must) during the season, because several can be costly and stressful.
Cooking Holiday Meals
Some people “live” in the kitchen, while others avoid it like the plague. If you’re in the latter category, then Christmas and New Year’s afternoons may feel like the most daunting part of it all. I would encourage you to remember this important rule: don’t overextend yourself. Choose one or two main dishes to focus on, and breeze through the rest with ready-made options (pumpkin pies are great from the grocery store!). If you’re having guests, ask them to bring something so that it’s potluck-style. And if all else fails…there’s always wine. ☺
Gifts and Budgets
Holidays are a great time to buy gifts (for yourself as much as others), but it’s important to remember to budget if you want to save yourself from stress and scary credit card bills. Keep big purchases to a minimum, and remember that heartfelt gifts can hold just as much meaning (or maybe more!), even if they’re small or handmade.
When things get too busy and your to do list is overwhelming, take a deep breath and remember that at the end of the day what really matters is your health (mind, body, spirit) and being present with the ones you love.
What are some of the ways you deal with holiday stress?
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I am done with my shopping, so that helps. I try to get it done by 11/01 so I can avoid the crowds!
Thanks for the reminder! It is so important not to over do it! Many moms do! Great message!
I prep by making lots of lists and being able to plan for every scenario. As for ME… I get a massage in December and January- because I need that!
I feel like I still need to recover from the bad weather that we had last December. We do have a milder December in the forecast for this year and I am happy about that.
LIke you said, I cut the travel down next to nothing as much as I can. I also don’t try to do it all anymore. Some is good enough.
I try to get my shopping don as early as possible. These are great reminders.
I do a lot of planning before hand. I’m a big time list maker so I make cooking, gift and event list to stay organized and stress free.
Great tips for enjoying the holidays. It can get stressful with so many people in town!
Hehehe I just love this time of year! I’m a foodie so all the coking and treats non-stop… Total heaven for me!