Some of you may think like me and some of you may want to slap me for this post right now, but it is necessary and I'll tell you why.
Three of my four kids have fall birthdays so it feels like once school starts we start a non-stop snowball roll of birthday, birthday, Halloween, Thanksgiving, birthday, and then ….. CHRISTMAS. This year we've added in the fun of college tours and planning. Yippee
The holidaze will be here before you know it. Yay. Or- I'm sorry. Whichever you need to hear.
I'm not a person who starts Christmas shopping in July. I don't like stuff that much and I really hate clutter so you won't be surprised to hear that I don't really get into the whole Christmas shopping thing at all.
(I'm going to write a whole post soon about gifts. Buckle up.)
The reason I'm bringing up the holidays right now is I would love for you to consider changes and a mindset shift right now if it is a season that typically brings you more stress than joy. Let some of this marinate in your brain and start having important planning conversations NOW if you'd like to do things differently.
If the gift budget is less, let your kids know now. Talk to other adults about skipping some of the gift exchanges you've always done. You don't have to participate in every secret Santa, dirty Santa,and white elephant.
If the schedule of trying to go to every event is what tears you down- start thinking about the ones you'll really make the priority. You don't have to attend everything.
If you are dreading spending ten days decorating every corner of your house and putting up 10,000 lights- maybe only put up a tree and stockings for this year and see how it goes.
I might sound like a Grinch, but I promise I'm not! I LOVE Christmas. I can barely wait to put my tree up the week of Thanksgiving. My kids love talking about each ornament as they decorate. They love watching me squirm when the ornaments aren't placed in a satisfactory arrangement. We look forward to making sweet treats and driving around looking at lights. There are gifts under the tree, but that is only a portion of what it's about.
If you love any or all aspects of doing big, big holidays then GO.FOR.IT.
BUT- if you end up looking around on December 26th exhausted and pissed off about a big mess of junk no one needed, your pants not fitting, and all the decorations you can't wait to take down- might I suggest you think about scaling back some of the stuff that doesn't bring you joy?
(I'm claiming intellectual property for the term for December 26th ClutterHangoverDay.) 🤣
PS- consider calling me now so I can help you get your house in order BEFORE the chaos is in full swing.
