5 Holiday Mantras to Create More ☮️

The holidays are fun buuuuuuuut.......they are also kinda crazy-making....all the planning, cooking, socializing, and shopping not to mention that you are doing all that on top of your daily load of working, taking care of children, walking the dog, watering the plants, taking care of finances, and attending to relationships....phew, it's a lot!

It gets me so stressed out so this year I decided I didn't want to "do it all" this holiday season.  I wanted simple and easy.  

At the beginning of December we sat down as a family and talked about the things we wanted to do during this season that really mattered to us.  From there we wrote out a list of Holiday Intentions that included things like:

• Make gingerbread houses
• Bake cookies
• Get a Christmas tree 
• Make ornaments
• Watch a Christmas movie 
• Drive around to look at Christmas lights

We also decided to go minimal with gifts - just stocking stuffers for my husband and I, and a few gifts for our daughter.  

So far, I am feeling so much better than I usually do this time of year.  In previous years, I have put the majority of my focus on gifts, which included a combination of homemade and purchased...then I had to ship everything - across the country to my family!

It was a lot.  It was stressful.

So this year's focus on simple and easy feels AMAZING.  I am way less stressed and way MORE present and engaged with my family.

Are you craving a simpler holiday season as well?  

I got you covered!  Here are five holiday mantras you can quietly repeat to yourself to get closer to simple this Holiday season.

1 | Good Enough is Good Enough

Yes, do a bit of Christmas baking, but you don’t have to bake for everyone you know. And gifts, whether they are homemade or purchased, are wonderful but don't get hung up on everything needing to be a certain way.

Remember:  It doesn't need to be perfect

2 | Presence Over Presents

You could spend hours and hours searching for, making and wrapping presents. Or you could take a simpler approach to giving to loved ones, and make Christmas shopping more of a non-event (and less stressful). Experiences and plants are my go-to gift! Easy for me and usually more meaningful for the receiver.

Remember:  Be present for people over finding the perfect things

3 | Slower and Softer

You don’t need to rush everywhere. Yes, it’s a chaotic season, but if you pare back to the basics; there shouldn’t be any need for the phrases ‘hurry up’, or ‘I don’t have enough time.’ Give your kids a sense of slow, wandering, and adventure. They just won’t get that if we’re rushing them to the next thing all the time.

Remember:  Nurturing never happens in a rush

4 | Simple is Ok

It’s tempting to go all out at this time of the year, literally decking the halls with holly. Who’s going to notice or care if you just have a tree? Or, if you just string up some festive lights? And with the baking, do we really need gingerbread people and three different kinds of iced cookies?! Does the table need to be set with the most on-trend decor?!

Remember:  Keep It Simple Sweetie

5 | Create Memories

We want our kids to grow up with wonderful memories from their childhood. Be intentional with this by creating a few simple holiday rituals. It’s super tempting to do everything at this time of the year.  FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) and social media are very good at keeping us busy. Here’s the thing — If we try and do all things, we only end up exhausted.

Instead, choose a couple of things to become part of your family’s story. One of our simple family traditions is making gingerbread houses.  We sit at the table together, talk, laugh, sing and eat lots of yummy treats as we build a gingerbread house together.

Remember:  The holidays are about being together.

Whatever you do this Holiday season, know that simplicity will come when the holidays are celebrated in a way that fills you up (read: does not deplete you) and allows you to be present for the ones you love most...including yourself.

Now, time for action:

Take a moment and think about what you would like to simplify this holiday season.  Then, consider the impact simplifying that thing would have on your life.  Next, make the changes you need to make so that this holiday season feels simpler and easier.  Your sanity, energy, health and wellness are worth this effort. 

Lots of love to you and your family.

xoAmanda