Christmas is my very favorite holiday! My husband and I are going to have a house full of guests and I’m actually excited about it. There was a time when the perfectionist inside of me would have been stressed, especially because we have a major renovation going on in our bathrooms. I hope they are done by Christmas, but if not, we’ll make the best of it with one working bathroom.
When I was younger, I had this fairytale picture in my head of what the holidays should look like. It took a while to realize that I’m not perfect nor do I live in a perfect world. But I finally got it and I hope you get it, too. Holidays should be fun and stress-free!
5 Ways to Have A Stress-Free Holiday
1. Bigger Isn’t Always Better
I actually scaled back on my holiday decor this year. There was a time when I had at least three Christmas trees, but after realizing that what goes up must come down, I scaled back to our main tree in the great room and a smaller tree in the dining room.
One year I sent a text to all my kids to ask them what dessert they wanted for Christmas dinner. They each said something different and I made every one of their favorites. It was overkill to the max.
Bigger isn’t always better. I like the new scaled-down Christmas look. It suits this phase in my life.
2. Make Lists and Check them Twice
Everyone knows I’m a list maker. These days my lists are often kept on my phone and synced to my laptop. I have menus, grocery store lists, and party decor lists. I also have Christmas gift lists that my grandkids wrote out and gave me that I’ll keep forever (ahh). These lists help me keep track of everything I need to do.
3. Be Realistic
Remember that fairy tale picture? I removed it from my head and replaced it with a reality photo. It took a while, but it happened. Stuff happens during the holidays just like during the rest of the year.
Laundry has to be done. Dishes have to be washed. Food has to be cooked. And stains. Stains happen. That’s why I have my laundry room stocked with laundry detergent and Clorox 2®.
Did you know that Clorox 2® Stain Remover & Color Booster Liquid can be used with both standard and High-Efficiency washing machines? I don’t have to stress-out over stains because removing tough stains and brightening colors is easier with Clorox 2®. You can even use it to pre-treat set-in stains you thought would be there forever – even ones that have been through the dryer! That means you’ll get more life out of your clothes, more looking good out of your closet, and more fun out of every day.
4. Delegate
Trying to do all and be all is a sure sign that stress is on its way. Because I’m a type-A perfectionist, this one was hard for me. I’m not one to easily let go. And because I’m going to have a bunch of 20-somethings home for the holidays, they’re going to help out with the cleaning and the dishes.
5. Relax & Have Fun
One of our family traditions is having mocha punch and cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning. We’ve been doing it for years. And, no, I don’t make the cinnamon rolls from scratch. I want to enjoy Christmas morning with my family, so I make the base of my punch the night before and I use canned cinnamon rolls. We love them and it’s tradition.
This year, my future daughter-in-law will be spending Christmas with us for the first time and she can hardly wait to try my punch. That’s all she’s been talking about. I hope it lives up to her expectations. And if it doesn’t, oh well, we’ll laugh about it. There’s no room for stress at my house.
What are some ways that you avoid stress during the holidays? Leave a comment to be eligible to win a great gift basket that includes the following items:
· Clorox 2® Stain Remover & Color Booster Liquid
· Clorox 2® Pre-Treat Stain Remover Pen
· $50 Williams Sonoma gift card
· Wine cork cheese spreaders (Supreme Houseware)
· Merlot candle (Rewined)
· Hot chocolate mix (Williams Sonoma)
· Chalkboard beverage dispenser tags (Williams Sonoma)
This giveaway is open to US Residents Only and you must be 18 years old to enter. A winner will be randomly chosen on December 21st.
“I am participating in a VIN campaign for Clorox®. I am receiving a fee for posting; however, the opinions expressed in this post are my own. I am in no way affiliated with Clorox® and do not earn a commission or percent of sales.”
