As I was putting out the trash this evening, I noticed that my neighbors have not only put up their Christmas tree, but they have started to put their outside Christmas lights up. Seriously? Are the holidays that close that I’m seeing Christmas lights already?! I love the holidays. But Christmas trees before Thanksgiving? That’s too much pressure! The holidays always stress me out. Call me a perfectionist, but after the idyllic holidays of my childhood, I desperately try every year to produce the best possible holiday season for my family. For Thanksgiving, I start baking and freezing weeks in advance and then cook for 3 solid days before the big day. For Christmas, I stage family photos for cards, I take the kids to Toys R Us to make their wish lists for Santa, and I wrap and hide and/or ship presents all in time for Santa’s arrival. But the stress of preparation all seems to fade away as I watch my family enjoy the fruits of my labor. It’s all worth it knowing I have reproduced my own idyllic holiday season. But this year is more stressful than ever. I’m working now. In years past as a stay-at-home mom, I had my days free to cook and shop and prepare to my heart’s content. Now I have no idea how I’m going to get it all done, and I’m panicking! I don’t have 3 days to cook for Thanksgiving! I haven’t taken a family photo for Christmas cards yet! My kids haven’t written their letters to Santa yet! I haven’t even considered what to buy everyone for Christmas! I haven’t bought wrapping paper! And now I have to find presents for my students, my assistant, my co-workers, my boss! When will I get it all done?! How will I ever make this the perfect holiday season?! I have no idea. And that puts me in a bah humbug funk. To my neighbors who have already decorated their Christmas tree and strategically placed it in their front window for all to see, I say bah humbug. To my friend who told me the other day she has already purchased and wrapped all of her Christmas presents, I say bah humbug. To the holiday stress that hits me whenever I walk into a store and hear Christmas music, I say bah humbug. And to this downer blog post and my bah humbug funk, I say a big fat bah humbug!!!! So my fellow bloggers, I’m asking for your help and encouragement. Please tell me it will all get done! Please tell me I’m not the only one who stresses over the holidays! Please give me some advice to get out of this funk! Please tell me I’m being a self-pitying Scrooge who needs to snap out of it and enjoy this holiday season instead of stressing! Thanks…I’m done venting now.
Everyone stresses during the holidays! It sounds like you are a fantastic mum & wife who really cares about her family, and in the end, that's what they'll remember. Once the Christmas season does finally roll around (which is AFTER Thanksgiving) you'll be fine! If it helps, find ways to organize yourself or re-shape some of the activities you did before (e.g. instead of going to Toys R' Us, just have the kids circle their own things in some big catalog like Sears).
You'll be great!
Wish I could help you with that one, but I am there myself. I guess the fact that Soldier boy is deployed doesn't help.
I had to drive 180 miles to see a doctor on Monday (gotta love tricare…) and Christmas music came on the radio. I was good for all of 30 seconds when I realized that I have to do it by myself this year. Then I lost it. Good thing there was no one else in the car to see it. It wasn't pretty. I would be happy to wake up tomorrow and have the holidays over.
haha, you're not the only one running behind! I haven't started either. Heck, I haven't even gone to the commissary to purchase the ingredients for the Thanksgiving meal!!! We can be in the same boat together!
I have to disagree with "C" not everyone stresses over Christmas, there are many who like me focus on the real reason for this day and simply enjoy it. It's not about cooking for days on end, buying gifts which mostly will be discarded and not cared about only days later. It's all about Jesus. When it's focused on him, it all comes out beautifully.
Quite a few of my neighbors have their lights up, many of their husband just left for their deployment and wanted to celebrate with their soldier before he left.
I'm not a perfectionist, because I know nothing will ever be perfect and although I like some things done a certain way, if it doesn't happen, it doesn't freak me out, because I know I actually control nothing in this life as it is.
Pick what's actually important to you this year, is it buying a ton of gifts or finding a few cherished ones? Is it cooking for 3 days, or cooking the favorites and not worrying about the rest, or asking others to join you in cooking the meal so it's not all on your plate (even if you do enjoy it, it's even more enjoyable to do it with friends and loved ones). Life's far too short to stress over the things that in the end don't matter, and how enjoyable is it to be stressed out? Most have memories of Thanksgiving and Christmas being perfect, not because of all the food or the gifts, but because of who we were with, the laughter, etc.
It will all work out in the end and be wonderful! Enjoy the time you do have to take care of what needs to be done..don't worry over not having the time (and energy) to throw out the 'perfect' holiday…do a few of the things you do 'perfectly' and focus on your family!
Sorry to hear your so stressed, just take it one step at a time and it will all come together. And if it doesn't, just remember that you'll probably be the only one who knows.
For student gifts, my favorite, which I still do, is ordering books from the Scholastic book order. They have books for a dollar each month, so I pick up a couple per kid. They love it! And for coworkers, Sams has cute 3 packs of hot cocoa and mugs, or you could do your own hot cocoa packs. For your kids Santa list, grab a Toys R Us toy book and let them go through and pick what they want that way instead of going to the store.
Well….I say just drink your bah humbug funk away! It will all get done…maybe not like it was last year, but your probably the only one that will notice it. Your kids will get what they want from Santa whether they write their lists or not. Remember, Santa knows everything afterall. Your husband will have a full belly of food on Thanksgiving, even if that means you have to buy a prebaked turkey from the store.
I say bah humbug to my neighbor at the end of the street who took down her Halloween decor Nov 1st and immediately put up her garland to display outside her window and Christmas tree centered in her front window so when its dark out, she can proudly keep her blinds open so her white Christmas lights can be seen as you drive by her house.
It will all get done my dear! Try not to stress. And if you do stress….get your bottle of bah humbug out and drink all your worries away!
You define what "perfect" is, so if it's spending quality time with the family, you will almost certainly be successful. If it's keeping up with or trying to beat the Jones, there will always be some nut who takes it to the extreme and makes all the hard work in the world seem paltry by comparison.
Just relax and enjoy the holidays.
I am such an OCD perfectionist too and it easily triples the stress factor. You can do it!
It WILL all get done!
New Follower!
You will get it all done. That's what amazing people do! And to help, Shutterfly is doing the 50 free Christmas Card thing Here.
Once you do the blog submission, You can just add your picture to the card of your choice and click order! (If you give them your addresses, they'll stamp and send your cards too)
Either way, your family will love any and all effort you can put in to the Holidays because they love you. š
Just try to remember that the holidays aren't about perfection, but about the memories you make. My husband is huge on decorating and we both love Christmas, but we're waiting until Black Friday to do the start of our decorating.
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