The Holidays are right around the corner… as I type this, we are exactly 18 days away from Christmas! 18 days!! That means that my normal, everyday anxiety is gearing up to morph into my fancy Holiday anxiety! I swore I would be farther along on my Holiday To-Do list by now! (I mean, I created the list… insert face palm here!) But life happened, and here we are! So, here are my 10 Holiday stress busting tips for my fellow busy mom!
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Holiday Stress Busting Tip #1- Set a Budget
The Holidays can be super expensive! I didn’t realize until I was an adult just how expensive. And I’m not even talking about just the Christmas gifts. There are so many other extra expenses around the Holidays… Holiday decorations; higher electric bills to run all of your Christmas lights; extravagant Holiday meals and hosting supplies; a few dollars here for your child’s holiday classroom party; Christmas cards; travel expenses to visit friends and family; extra wine to get you through the stress of the holidays and the planning. You’re getting the picture!
This is why it’s so important to set your Holiday budget early and stick to it! Because, well, there are all of your normal bills too! So set your budget, make a list of all of your Holiday expenses and gift lists, stick to your budget, and don’t feel guilty about any of it!
The Holidays are special because of time spent with friends and family, not because of the number of gifts under the tree or because there’s prime rib on the table. So keep that in mind, and set your budget first off! Trust me, you don’t want to unveil a whole new stress point when that credit card bill comes in January!
PRO TIPS:
-Use the same Holiday Planner that I use! It has sheets specifically for both budgeting and for gift lists! You can get yours HERE!
-Not sure what to get for the toddler and Moms in your life? Check out these awesome gift guides!
The Perfect Toddler Gifts this Christmas
The Ultimate Gift Guide for the Busy Mom
Pin Me For Later!
Holiday Stress busting tip #2- Make a To-Do List
There are a TON of things that need to get done around the Holidays! If you don’t make a list and write them all down, you’re very likely to forget a thing or two, and then stress constantly about what you’re forgetting! Because, let’s face it, if you’re anything like me, you know you’re probably forgetting at least one thing at any given moment. So make your list, and remember to make sure that you are including all of the fun, memory-making activities on your to-do list too!
PRO TIPS:
-Not sure what should go on your to-do list? Check out The Ultimate Holiday To-Do List!
-Use the Planner! Get yours HERE!
-Want to add some new fun, family traditions this Holiday Season? Check out this list of Family Christmas Traditions!
Holiday Stress Busting Tip #3- Plan!
Now that you’ve created your To-Do List, you need to make a plan to ensure you actually get everything accomplished on that list! Time Blocking is my go-to for planning out my days! With working, raising twin toddlers, running my blog and my coaching business, while also squeezing in time for Thomas and my friends, time-blocking has been a life saver! I know when I’m going to do all the things, which decreases my stress level for sure!
Time blocking is when you organize your day by scheduling yourself hour by hour. You first need to create a list of what you need to do daily, weekly, and monthly. And you want to include EVERYTHING from laundry to coffee dates with friends to date night with the hubs to snuggle time with your kids! Then write t down! This will help you to see what you can actually accomplish every day, and to cut out things if necessary!
Remember to time-block your Holiday activities too… gift wrapping, an evening to look at Christmas lights, watching your favorite Christmas movie, Holiday baking and meal prepping!
PRO TIP:
-Use my Time Blocking planning sheets! It’s a free download, just for you! Just sign up below, and I’ll deliver them to your Inbox right away.
Holiday stress busting tip #4- Declutter
This one is a must, especially if you are a mama to smaller children! When Christmas rolls around, your kids are likely going to be bringing home a slew of new toys. If you’re like me, there really isn’t anywhere to put new toys because they have 7 million toys they don’t play with now!
So if you want to avoid your living room looking like a bomb filled with toy dinosaurs, baby dolls and play cell phones went off in it, then decluttering BEFORE they bring their new favorite toys home is imperative!
This is also a great time to give back and to teach your children about giving back to others too!
Decluttering toys is important, but don’t forget the rest of the house too, especially if you are hosting Christmas this year! As you are decorating for the Holidays, ditch clutter that isn’t serving a purpose or bringing you joy!
As you are preparing for Holiday cooking and baking, declutter your pantry and cupboards! If it’s old, toss it! If you don’t really like the new granola bars you tried, toss them! Make inventory of what you already have so you aren’t accidentally buying duplicates of baking or cooking supplies.
PRO TIP:
– Have your kids pick out toys they would like to give away to other kids who might otherwise not get toys for Christmas. Drop the toys off at a local not-for-profit.
– If your kids are younger and you’re doing Elf on the Shelf for them, this is a great opportunity to put the toys you will be donating in a box. Write a note to Santa and ask your Elf to deliver the box to Santa one evening. When the kids get up in the morning, the toys will be gone, and a thank-you from Santa will be left behind!
holiday stress busting tip #5- Make a menu & Meal Plan
Meal planning is, in my opinion, essential all year long, but definitely around the Holidays! We are so busy this time of year! No one has extra time for stressing over what to make for dinner each night! Or worse, falling into a bad habit of grabbing take out or hitting up a drive through for dinner more often than not!
There are also dishes to make for family get-togethers and office parties and your child’s classroom parties. There are cookies to be baked and Christmas candy to be made! So you want to plan for all of these things!
PRO TIPS:
– Weekly meal plans don’t have to be complicated or fancy! I plan 1-2 breakfasts for the week, 1-2 lunches for the week (which usually consist of leftovers from the night before!) and 5 dinners each week. I try to include as many different protein options as possible for dinner, so my family doesn’t get bored with the meals!
– After you meal plan, make a grocery list! When shopping, stick to your list, shop the perimeter of the store (your healthier, less processed options are most likely placed along the perimeter), and don’t go to the store hungry! ** Better yet, Click-List that grocery list!
– As soon as you get home from the store, prep your ingredients for the next 3-4 days. Chop your veggies, cook your protein, assemble any casseroles that can be pre-assembled and stored in the fridge until ready to cook.
Holiday stress busting tip #6- set realistic expectations
Be gracious to yourself this Holiday season! There are only so many hours in the day and so many things that you can realistically accomplish.
If you’re a full time working mama, it might not be realistic for you to volunteer to bake 10 dozen cookies for the Christmas bake sale at church.
If you’re a mama with toddlers, it may not be realistic to host a formal dinner party in your home. There are too many toddler toys laying around for that! And it’s not realistic to expect your three-year-old to sit elegantly at the dinner table in her pressed Christmas dress and eat her prime rib and shrimp with the proper fork. Heck, your toddler may not even make it through Christmas at Mimi’s without an epic meltdown!
PRO TIPS:
– Sometimes you just have to go with the flow! Use the time blocking sheets that I’m giving you for FREE to realistically plan out your commitments and activities. Sign up below and I’ll send them to your Inbox right away!
– Don’t hold little ones to higher expectations on Christmas than you would hold them to on any other given day.
Holiday stress busting tip #7- Say No!
The Holidays are a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus and to enjoy spending time with friends and family. What happens, though, is we often get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season, and we end up being pulled in multiple directions.
We already talked about establishing a budget, planning, and setting realistic expectations. Well, the truth is, that if we are going to successfully do these things, we are going to have to get comfortable with saying “No.”
At times, we are going to have to say no when we’ve exhausted our budget, when another obligation pops up but our plate is already full, or when a get-together is scheduled right at our child’s nap time.
In all honesty, if it doesn’t spark joy in your soul, it’s okay to say “no.”
PRO TIPS:
-When saying “no,” politely decline and then move on.
-Don’t allow yourself to feel guilty when saying “no” is necessary.
– Your kids will remember all of the awesome memories that you make with them. They won’t remember the things you said “no” to.
holiday stress busting tip #8- Pay it forward
The Christmas season is a time of giving. It’s a season of joy and cheer and peace. These are the values that I want my children to grow up associating with Christmas. And if that’s my hope and prayer, then it is important that I model those behaviors for them.
So, you may be thinking, “Okay, sure, but what does paying it forward have to do with decreasing stress levels over the Holidays?” Well, have you ever tried to stress over something while serving others? It’s dang near impossible!
PRO TIPS:
– Have your kids give away unused toys as part of your decluttering effort.
– Make a commitment to do at least one small act of service each day in December. Involve your kids to foster a heart of service in them too!
Holiday stress busting tip #9- create a christmas atmosphere
Sometimes when life gets crazy, the easiest way to de-stress is to change your environment. You can easily do that at Christmas time by lighting a Christmas candle and turning on some Christmas music.
Christmas and Fall scents are some of my favorite scents! I love burning candles 24-7 during this time of year! My favorite candles are Cozy Candles. I found this company randomly online and fell in love with the first candle I bought from them! Vanilla Sugar Cookie was the first candle I bought, and it’s still my fave! They smell amazing, burn clean, and are 100% soy. Right now they have a Winter Classic Bundle where you can get 4 different Holiday scents! Get yours HERE!
So light a candle, turn on some Pandora Christmas and allow yourself to just enjoy the moment that you’re in!
PRO TIPS:
– Some of the best memories your kids will have when they are older are the everyday moments that you create with them! All it takes is one song to bring back 1000 memories! So crank up the Christmas music and decorate the tree, bake cookies or have an impromptu dance party!
– Memories triggered by scent have some of the strongest emotional connections compared to other memory triggers. Create the perfect environment for joyful memories years down the road!
Holiday stress busting tip #10- Don’t abandon your healthy habits!
This is probably one of the most important tips, if not the most important tip to beat Holiday stress! One of my favorite quotes is “You can’t pour from an empty cup,” I don’t even know who said this, or where it came from, but it consistently serves as a reminder to myself that self-care is so important in caring for my family.
Here are some of my top tips for self care this Holiday Season:
1. Drink your water!
2. Balance is key! It’s okay to indulge in holiday treats here and there if you’re eating healthy the rest of the time. I live by the 80/20 rule. I eat healthy 80% of the time, and the other 20%, well….
3. Get up earlier. I know, I know, no one actually wants to get up earlier BUT if you get up just 30 minutes earlier, you will be able to take that time for YOU! That might mean sipping your coffee in peace before the rest of the house wakes up, getting your workout checked off your list first thing, or having a little quite time to spend reading or completing your daily devotion.
4. Exercise! Even if it’s just 30 minutes a day, you will feel better for it!
PRO TIP:
-Get an accountability partner or group! There’s no way I would be able to stay motivated in my workouts and nutrition without the support and encouragement of my amazing tribe!
– If you don’t have a tribe, and want to join mine, or just want more info, you can connect with me on Instagram @partying_with_twins or fill out this form and I’ll reach out to you!
So there you have it! I hope these 10 Holiday stress busting tips help you to enjoy your Holiday Season with less stress and more fulfillment!
May you have a Christmas filled with joy and family! Merry Christmas, from my family to yours!
With love, Amanda
Love this! I need to time block…but I never do. This will inspire me for the holidays
These are all sooo good! I have been stressing this morning, so this was much needed!
Love the recommendation for time blocking that only for daily life and routines but also specifically for the holidays. I hadnโt thought of that. Also I love the concept of setting realistic expectations. Too many of us have way too much on our plates and believe we should be able to accomplish it all. That is so not the truth and only causes more stress. Thank you so much for the reminder and these awesome tips to take into the season! Appreciate you.
These are great!! Not just during the holidays. I know I definitely need to learn to say no more often