I wrote this post as part of my participation in a blog tour for The Motherhood on behalf of the makers of Children’s MOTRIN® and received compensation to thank me for taking the time to participate. However, all opinions expressed are my own.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. The months of November and December are my absolute favorite time of year! I LOVE the holiday season! Family, friends, food, and festive music. All of my favorite things!
But the holiday also bring a lot of stress. Our already busy schedules are compounded with parties, baking, cooking, decorating, Christmas programs, travel prep, travel…I could probably go on indefinitely. Adding to all the hustle and bustle is the fact that November is one of the busiest months of the years for bloggers like me. Whew!
And yet, the months of November and December are still my favorite months of the year!
So, how do I do it all and stay sane?
How do you stay Unstoppable during the holidays?
You’re asking the right gal! I’m a laid back, low stress, low maintenance kind of person. I’d prefer to enjoy myself and enjoy my family than to have everything look and taste absolutely perfect.
By the way, this is my family. There are a LOT of us. When we are all together there are 10 siblings (6 of whom are currently, or soon to be, married and with children) plus dad, stepmom, aunts, and uncles…
Take it from me. I know the meaning of chaotic holidays. LOL With this many people, how could you know be well acquainted with chaos?
With that I give you the Low-Maintenance, Savvy Mom’s 5 tips to help you be an Unstoppable Mom this holiday season:
1. Get off Pinterest! Hehehe, just kidding…sort of. Like many great things in life, Pinterest is great in moderation. If you’re a beginner crafter or baker you’re going to need to reign in the “Pinterest pretty” expectations a bit…or at least have a practice go. Otherwise you’ll be frantically baking those cute little Melted Snowman cookies you pinned last year for your son’s school Christmas party that starts in just an hour, and instead of your cookies looking like this…
they might look a little more like this…
(I’m still going to try to make these cookies (the ones at the top, y’all) this year. They’re so cute!)
2. Don’t compare yourself to others: This is a good rule to follow always. During the holiday season talents shine! There are some moms out there who are amazing hostesses. Some are amazing bakers. Some have gorgeously decorated houses. Some have gorgeously decorated houses where practically everything is handmade or a DIY. Comparing ourselves to one another just stresses us out and creates bad feelings. Relax, appreciate yourself, and you’ll not only be less stressed, but you’ll be able to be in full-fun mode! I happen to be a pretty good cook, not great, but I don’t bake, and I don’t throw smashing parties. Those aren’t my strengths, and I know it. I don’t lose any sleep over it because hey, there is more than one way to be an Unstoppable Mom!
3. If you’re hosting family and feel overwhelmed order some of your dishes premade. There are a lot of restaurants out there that offer heat-and-serve main and side dishes for the holidays. You can also ask family members to bring, or be in charge of preparing, certain dishes.
4. Give your immune system a boost. Holiday parties are one big Petri dish for germs. Viruses galore! When’s the last time you can remember that everyone showed up to Thanksgiving or Christmas perfectly healthy….maybe, never? I personally like to load my kids up on elderberry syrup (or sambucus)–it is clinically proven to boost the immune system and is all-natural–starting a week before the get-together.
5. Sleep! Poor sleep during the holidays can drag you down. It can be so tempting sometimes to stay up all night gabbing or playing a fun, but slightly weird game of Apples to Apples (my siblings have interesting senses of humor), just don’t do it every single night. Plan ahead and when you know you’re going to be pulling one or two late nights make sure you get plenty of rest leading up to them. Getting a good night’s rest will make you an Unstoppable Mom this holiday season!
Head on over to the Motrin® Facebook page and share the tips that help you be an Unstoppable Mom. Check out the most recent tips and share yours! For each tip you share, Motrin will donate $1 to Safe Kids! You can also enter the Unstoppable Moms Sweepstakes with weekly drawings for $100 gift cards!
*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY, OPEN TO LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE 50 UNITED STATES & D.C., 18 AND OLDER. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Promotion ends 11:59p.m. ET 12/28/14. Sponsor will donate $1 for each approved Submission made as part of the promotion, with a minimum donation of $30,000 and a maximum donation of $50,000. For Official Rules, and complete details, visit www.unstoppablemoms.com. Sponsor: McNeil Consumer Healthcare Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc. To learn more about Safe Kids Worldwide visit safekids.org.
What is your #1 tip for staying unstoppable during the holidays?
About Amy @ Oh So Savvy Mom
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