Do these iconic words from a jolly old elf produce a shiver down your spine instead of a twinkle in your eye?
Yep, many folks agree: Christmas is not only the most wonderful time of the year, it's also the most stressful.
Crazy-busyness can make it feel like just another harried holiday, not a holy-day. Instead of joyfully celebrating the birth of our Savior, we find ourselves screaming at the kids for being kids, resentful that Spouse isn't doing his/her share, angry that we've overspent again this year, and completely ragged out from that intensive last-minute cooking frenzy.
Not exactly the ''silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright" we'd hoped for, is it?
But take heart, my frazzled friend, there's hope. Hope that you can actually enjoy the holy-days; that you can live in the moment, feel the love, and embrace the wonder of the tiny messiah in a manger.
For the next few weeks, I'll be posting some tried and true tips for Decom-stressing your Holy-days ( be sure to hit "subscribe" on the right side of the screen so you won't miss anything). Here's the first Holy-day Stress Buster - please feel free to share the link to this post with your stressed-out friends and fam:
Stress Buster #1: KISS - Keep it Sweet & Simple
Examine your constipated calendar and perform an activities enema. Take ten minutes to sit down with your calendar to prioritize. First, pray: Ask Papa God to give you insight, clarity, and ruthlessness. Then identify the top 3 ministries He has assigned you in this season of your life (priorities will change as your life seasons change, so it's a good idea to re-assess periodically). Take a red marker and slash all activities not conducive to those three priorities. Be bold. Be ruthless. Cancel or postpone everything possible until January. This is your chance to free up yourself to truly experience the joy of the season. Carpe diem (Seize the day)!
Tidy now, deep clean later. No use duplicating your efforts. Your house will succumb to the ravages of Spontaneous Degeneration anyway. Spontaneous Degeneration? That's my Coty Near-Fact of Science that states that an hour after you triumphantly finish slaving over a clean house, mold begins sprouting on shiny faucets, green slime oozes from the vegetable crisper, tiny hairs creep up from the drain and embed themselves in the sink. Clothing magically appears on every piece of sitable furniture and dirty panties peek from behind hampers just in time for the dog to proudly present them to dinner guests. You can't fight Spontaneous Degeneration, but you can choose NOT to stress about it.
Strap on the Wrap. Wrap a few gifts every day instead of piling them like shrines to the clutter god, threatening to avalanche and bury you alive. Wrap, bow, and tag those puppies, then remove them from your too-do pile and line of sight. Ahhh. Stress relief already.
Spotlight center stage. Focus your decorating prowess on the three locations most festivities accentuate - the front door, Christmas tree, and dinner table. A welcoming entrance, festive tree, and creative centerpiece are really all that's necessary to provide your family and guests a very cool Yule.
Okay, BBFF (Blessed Blog Friend Forever), that's all we have room for today; stay tuned for more great tips coming soon.
Oh, and be sure to register NOW for a chance to win a fantastic Too Blessed to be Stressed Cookbook gift package in my Too Blessed to be Stressed Cookbook Christmas Drawing.
The grand prize includes my favorite kitchen stress-reducing doodads, an autographed copy of the award-winning Too Blessed to be Stressed Cookbook, and gift cards for FREE groceries to try out some of my quick, easy, and delicious recipes.
You can find details on how to enter on the Contest page at my website: http://deboracoty.com/contests-2/too-blessed-to-be-stressed-cookbook-christmas-drawing/
