3 Tips to Enjoy Stress-Free Holidays
This post was sponsored by Mondelez as part of a Social Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
There were years that I was unable to do much for the holidays for my children so I focused on creating experiences and memories. One of those years, our very own “Santa’s helper” Starfire decided to pay us a visit and ever since we’ve anxiously awaited her arrival after Thanksgiving.
Many parents seem to have a love-hate relationship with their family’s mischievous elf. I’ll be honest there are mornings I wake up right before my kiddos with a moment of panic trying to remember if I completed my elf-duties for the night. In those moments, I usually go “oh-wells” and turn back over. My children have learned not to expect Starfire to show up and show out every day. It’s a long journey from the North Pole and some days (yes days, plural LOL) she just needs to rest and rejuvenate. A lesson I’ve learned to implement within our holiday planning as a family.
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3 Tips to Enjoy Stress-Free Holidays
Tip Number 1: Go with the flow.
It’s the holidays. Plans will get cancelled or rescheduled. Lines will be long. People will be cranky. Traffic will be ridiculous. Accept it, expect it and just go with what happens. Use the extra time in the car to listen to holiday music and have a sing-along with your family. Or you can catch up on your favorite podcasts or an audio book. Call a friend (using your hands-free device, of course) to catch up and just say “Hi! Happy Holidays!”. Smile a little more. Give a compliment and well-wishes to the service workers you encounter. All those small acts matter and make a difference in the day-to-day experiences of others.
Tip Number 2: Make the most out of the moments and time that you have.
Driving my oldest son to the airport earlier this week, I realized that it was the LAST TIME I’d be driving him to the airport before Christmas to spend it with his Dad. This will be LAST NEW YEAR’S I spend with him before he graduates high school. Y’all. I was not ready at all. It was a huge reminder to make the most out of the moments and time that we have together. Those traditions we have (like Starfire making her annual appearance or baking cookies on Christmas Eve) seem to be more significant and special. Let them be that way because those experiences and memories mean so much more than those presents that may (or may not) be under the tree.
Tip Number 3: Don’t let those elf shenanigans stress you out.
If your family has an elf, you know how it can be. If you’re like me, you may have a Pinterest board dedicated to ideas, saved Instagram posts and articles bookmarked with new ideas for your mischievous (or not-so-mischievous) elf. It’s okay if you don’t get to them all. Divas, it’s okay if you don’t get to ANY of them. During a recent Walmart trip, I by-passed the crowded holiday candy and decoration aisles and picked up a few of our family favorites for treats. Over the past few days Starfire has been having a blast (most of the time) with her new friends. From fishing expeditions to silly antics to keep her on her toes.
You cannot go wrong with candies like Sour Patch Kids and Swedish Fish. I promise you. There are so many fun ideas to incorporate with these non-traditional holiday candies into your elf activities (and Mommy treats!).
Speaking of treats – you can enter to win either a $200 Walmart Gift Card Grand Prize or one of six $50 Walmart gift card prizes between December 4 – 23, 2017!
Happy Holidays!