Holiday Stress

Hey guys! I want to apologize for being so slack on my blog lately! With Christmas quickly approaching, work and life in general - I’ve been flooded with to-do’s. With that being said (and a little help from my husband) I thought that this would be a great opportunity to talk about it since we tend to get a little stressed this time of year. This one is a little lengthy, I warned you fair and square!

To Do: send Christmas cards, wrap gifts, finish buying for Secret Santa, cookie swap with the neighbors, buy more stamps, Christmas play Thursday night, buy stocking stuffers - don’t forget the dog, lights and pictures with Santa. Why do we do this to ourselves???

I absolutely love Christmas! I love buying people gifts, I love wrapping gifts, decorating my house, spending time with loved ones, you name it. BUT, I still stress about everything that has to be done. I stress about spending absurd amounts of money just to get someone that perfect gift they asked for. I stress about giving equal amounts of time and gifts to my loved ones. And why? Is it to impress others? Is it because it’s what we’ve always done? Is a loved one going to be mad if we don’t put forth that extra effort to attend every dinner and participate in all gift swapping? When did spreading love and joy turn into some sort of mega marathon?

I for one am sooo guilty of spending too much money at Christmas. I actually have money drafted into a fund through my work so that I’ll have money set aside just for buying gifts. Guess what? Sometimes (most of the time) that still doesn’t cover it. I’m too busy adding a little here and adding a little there, that when it all adds up, I’m digging into savings by the end of the week. Not to mention Cameron is on my ass about how much I spend (side note - I’m not good at money management). Although some of us would rather have that “hot item”, sometimes a handmade gift is something that a loved one can really appreciate and cherish. Are you good at drawing? Maybe draw a nice portrait or something that they can display in their home. Are you a carpenter, welder, or crafter? Piece something together that they can admire forever. Maybe something as simple as giving your time - a date night, a girl’s day, mother/daughter antique hunting. Money isn’t everything and although it seems to make the world go round, joy comes through loving one another, through quality time spent, laughter, and memories made.

Another thing that stresses me out during the holiday season is keeping so many traditions. I love a good family tradition and totally understand the importance of them. They bring us comfort and fill our hearts and minds with happy memories. However, sometimes it’s a little too much. As if not doing the exact same thing that your family has been done for the last 40 years is going to make it any less special. The point is to be with your loved ones. Times have changed. Things change. People change. This is just a way of life. That doesn’t mean your time together can’t be special. I know of many people that have a hard time dealing with changes in their holiday schedule. What do you mean we can’t meet on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day? We always do that. What do you mean you can’t spend the entire day with us? That’s the way it’s always been. It’s okay to loosen the reigns a little, guys. Make the time with your family and friends count, even if it is on different terms than usual.

Lastly, one of my biggest stressors during the Christmas season is too many places and not enough time. Being made to feel like you have to drop in 12 different places on Christmas isn’t fair. It’s not fair to you, and if you have children, it’s definitely not fair to them. When I was young, we had to wake up super early on Christmas day to go to breakfast with one set of grandparents, then drive another hour to see the second set of grandparents, meet back later for supper with friends, all while my toys were waiting for me back at home. Now, this is not to say I didn’t enjoy my time visiting. It’s simply saying that we spent so much time making sure everyone got to see us that we barely had time of our own. If you don’t have kids, or maybe are grown, instead of requesting people to come over to see you, why don’t you pay them a visit if they’re up for company. It’s hard getting kids ready in the first place, don’t even think about trying to peel them away from Santa’s goodies. It doesn’t end well!

My greatest hope for Christmas 2020 is that you spend your time with loved ones, doing what YOU want to do. Not what your obligated to do. Don’t break the bank and don’t break your back trying to please everyone either. Enjoy your time. Cherish all of your moments. Soak it all up and savor it!

If I don’t talk to you before then - Merry Christmas my dear family and friends! I love you all!

Alexis