Holidays = Stress!! Block it out this year!

Hey all! 

Holidays are upon us and the stress of finding the perfect present is real! Who else wakes up in the middle of the night and thinks… oh I should get so & so that cool thing on amazon. Then take 30 minutes or more to finally decide that you don’t want to spend that much money or maybe you can find it cheaper somewhere else. Me too!! I think I’ve done this dozens of times over the years. Yes, stress likes to creep in during the holidays. 

This year I want to do things differently. 

I want to not overthink the gifts, the food, my outfits, everything! 

I want to relax and really enjoy the journey. 

Here’s what I’m going to change this year to try to enjoy more and worry less!! 

1. I am NOT going to put a dollar amount on each person. Meaning I will not spend the same amount of money on each child or person that I buy for. I have done this in the past and have bought a lot of really unwanted things so that I could say I spent x amount of dollars on each. 
2. I am going thrift store or secondhand shopping multiple times. I love to do this, and it really does save me a lot of money. I can find lots of gifts that are like new. I have found under armour, Nike, adidas, and other brand clothing that looks like new for a fraction of the cost. I find amazing books (which is my favorite gift to give), picture frames, toys, and so many other gifts that people have loved. 
3. One & done!!! I found in past years we have gotten our nieces and nephews multiple gifts, and this has been a source of stress in my life. If I can find one great gift for each, the year will be made!
4. Homemade is best! I will make homemade treats and gifts this year. A few years back I made all my family some spice mixes for cooking. They were so popular, and I still get asked to do this. Pinterest is a great place to get lots of ideas. My mom just sent me an idea for flavored butter. How delicious and doesn’t everything you get that’s homemade taste so much better!! 
5. Acceptance is key! No present is going to be perfect! There will always be someone who can afford more than you. There is always someone who will go above and beyond. You will always be out gifted. I accept that my kids will get spoiled, and still think they need more. I accept that someone will get me something that I think they should not have. Going in thinking this, I hope that I will not feel bad if I miss getting someone a gift or feeling I did not get someone enough. I will accept that although I want to get the kids all the stuff they want, I will not be able too.

No matter what you do to prepare or to limit the amount of stress holidays place upon you, there are going to be some things you cannot control. So why not try to control what you can and let the things you cannot control just be. Plan out who you need to buy for. Jot down ideas on what you would like to look for. Take your time to find something that will make them smile. Better yet just spend time with the person or mail a card to your relatives with a note that says I miss you or write a special memory that makes you think of them. Make someone feel loved.

Stress is real. There are some things you can try during this time of the year or really at any time to help with the overwhelm. I love to recommend yoga to everyone!! There are so many on youtube (my favorite that I’ve used for years is – Yoga with Adriene), or other platforms that are free. The biggest benefit of yoga is that it makes you come to the present moment. It gets your body moving and breath under control. There are even some you can do with the kids. Try it out. 

Another outlet for stress is meditation. Which, like yoga, can bring you back to the present, instead of focusing on the future. 

Make lots of lists. This has always made me feel better.  

Go for a walk. Talk to your best friend. Listen to the music that makes you feel happy. Go ride your horse. Do whatever you need to do to let out some of that crazy stressful energy. Remember too that your kids feel this stress. They might not have the stress of gifts, but they feel all of your stress and anxiety. If you do not control yours, it could spill over to those little ones. 

Picture my family going out to a rustic tree farm, snow on the ground, and snow falling, to pick out the Christmas tree. Magical yes, kids are playing hide and seek in the trees. We find the tree, cut it down, start walking toward the truck, then the kids both start to say they are so tired they can’t walk and need to be carried. Both flop on the ground and refuse to get up. The rest of the way to the truck is met with, “No I’m not carrying you; I have a saw in my hand” and cue the fussing. This is where we take a breath, smile and just let it be what it is. Remember to not strive for perfection, that just sets everyone up for failure. Let the fussing go, and just remember how incredibly lucky you are to have these littles!

Let’s keep this season magical, without pulling out our hair, spending more than we make, or making each other miserable.

-Kristy