Trying to Relax During the Holidays

So every year I plan to throw this gingerbread party for my closest family and friends. It is a ton of fun and I enjoy every minute of the party. However, the planning has got me so tired I am yawning in the middle of my sentences. I have only finished about half of the stuff I need to do but given the fact that I have about 27 hours until the party starts, I am doing pretty good!

I host the party on Christmas Eve Eve (as we call it.) It is on the 23rd because (fingers crossed) everyone is open that night. It leaves them free to visit other family on the actual day of Christmas and it gives us the opportunity to sleep in with our kids Christmas morning.

So this year I have done a few things to make sure that the process is slightly more manageable. First, I am not letting anything wait. If I have time to do it, I am getting it done immediately. The kids watch TV each day after lunch for about 30 mins. I would normally think there was no project small enough to complete in that amount of time but today I cleaned the bathroom and both of the kids rooms!

The other thing I have done differently this year is to allow myself time (ten minutes or so) in my schedule once or twice a day to sit down with a cup of tea (apple cinnamon to be exact) and RELAX. This is important because I usually feel like I have no time to relax because even when I get a minute I fill it with other stuff to do. The problem with not taking any time to relax is that I get burnt out and I am so tired by the time our party gets here that I can't enjoy it. So extra "breaks" are on the agenda this year :)

I also have employed the help of my darling nieces and nephews! This is one area I had not gone to until yesterday. If you have nieces and nephews that are old enough to help out, I suggest you give them a call! I had so much fun yesterday with my niece and nephews working on the yard and getting the house ready for Christmas. It was a good way to spend time together and be productive.

The other really important thing is that I let myself not be perfect. I know it sounds stupid, of course everyone knows that nobody is perfect, but I like to strive for that level. You know the whole saying about shooting for the moon and landing among the stars? Well at this time of year there are just so many things going on that when I realize I did something wrong or forgot something, I just let it be. Everyone knows you loose a part of your memory with each kid anyways! So, I say, "Its ok, I forgot it, so what" and I move on. Luckily forgiving myself is the fastest way to move on to a positive rest of my day. When I dwell on the mistakes I tend to guide my day for a sure disaster.

I hope that you take some time to relax this Christmas and that you find humor in your mistakes/forgetfulness too. It can be freeing to let yourself relax :)