It’s mid-November and the official beginning of the 2023 holiday season. While it certainly can be the most wonderful time of the year, for moms like us, it’s also the most stressful time of the year.
Anyone?
For those of us who struggle with overwhelm on an ordinary day (that’s me), the holiday season, with all of its special events, yummy food, and expensive gifts can cause us to white-knuckle the next six weeks until we collapse into 2024 exhausted, broke, and five pounds overweight.
Let’s choose a better way.
It’s time to create your holiday To-Don’t List.
Today on The Balanced MomCast I’m sharing with you
The definition of The To-Don’t List
The reason you need one
Some examples of things on my to-don’t list from holidays past
Some practical ways to sort items to discover viable candidates for your to-don’t list
If you need help creating your Holiday To-Don’t List, I’ve created a FREE workbook for you. I offer this every November to help you organize your thoughts and help determine what traditions you will guard with your life and what activities you can set aside this year…or forever. Let’s get something OFF your plate.
Q4U: What’s one thing on your Holiday To-Don’t List this year?
Love,
Sandy
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I’m thankful that Canadian 🇨🇦 thanksgiving is in October. It makes this season less stressful as it spreads the holidays out. I did host Thanksgiving this year BUT I put a turkey dinner on my to-don’t list and hosted a pasta potluck instead. It was a relaxing and delicious day with family.
This year for Christmas I will be putting hosting events on my to-don’t list. Between hockey tournaments and sick pets and a busy 17 year old who is trying to squeeze so much into his senior year, I just don’t have it in me. So I’ll be asking family members “who’s hosting this year” rather than offering my home. And I won’t be planning get togethers in my home. I think connecting with friends in a nice restaurant where I don’t have to cook and clean sounds wonderful.
When I was considering my To-Don't List this year, I thought maybe I could pare down my dinner menu. So, I asked Elijah and Elliana, "What are your MUST HAVES for Thanksgiving dinner."
One of them said, "Turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, and dressing. Oh and the soup you make the next day."
The other one said, "Sweet potato casserole, cranberries, caramelized onion green beans, and pumpkin pie."
The only thing that no one said was "dinner rolls." Which is literally the only thing that I don't make from scratch or seriously doctor up myself.
And then Elijah said, "Oh yeah...I don't really like pumpkin pie...can you also make me a cheesecake?"
I'll need to find something else to add to my To-Don't List besides "cooking." haha