I love the holidays, I go a little crazy with décorating, planning, and spending every year. That's part of it though, and I love it all. There are times that holidays get me down though, and I have to perk myself back up to get in the spirit. Between worrying about money and whose going where and whose going there, I get a little crazy! Here are 14 ways that I get back in the holiday spirit!
1. Listen to Christmas music! I love Christmas music! Every year I try to find a new song or new artist with an amazing voice to get me in the Christmas mood. We start listening to Christmas music before the stores even start playing it - you know that's early!
2. Visit Santa! Every year there are multiple Santas at our local malls. Taking the kiddos to visit him gets them in the mood, and seeing their eyes light up - cheers me up too. It's okay to go more than once, and besides getting that picture with him is priceless later on :)
3. Bake Christmas treats! I love making cookies with my kids, and trying to perfect the art of my grandmother's Million Dollar Fudge recipe every year. Same with the Christmas music, I try to find a new recipe every year! This one is my daughter's favorite traditions, she loves to cook/bake/create!
4. Decorate! If your going to decorate, please do it carefully! Seems like every year around here my husband gets hurt putting up our Christmas lights! Decorating your home brings that welcoming feeling to everyone that walks in, it brightens up your room and your mood!
5. Bust out the photo albums! Every year my kids and I like to look at the Christmas's from years past to see how much we have all changed and what all we got to enjoy that day. It gets me so excited every year. It's so much fun to see how much you change in only one year!
6. Get family pictures taken. Personalized Christmas cards are so awesome to receive, every year we get family pictures and use them as Christmas cards. It's great for out of town family members. They get to see how you've changed!
7. Start a new tradition. Our Christmas tradition has always been opening one package on Christmas Eve. It's always pj's to wear for Santa. This year I decided to start another one. We packed a shoebox full of goodies to mail overseas to a little girl that won't get anything this year. This made my daughter feel so good, and she loved picking out her gifts! We will do this every year from here on out!
8. Make it fun! Take a friend with you if your going shopping, and have a lunch date while your out! You deserve some fun too. Buying for others can be daunting, so go get your nails done while your out, to make it special for you too!
9. Get rid of old toys! About 2 weeks before the big day, I go through my kids rooms and donate the toys that they no longer play with or the ones that have been laying on their floor for a month getting stepped on. It helps out others, and makes more room for new stuff. If your family is anything like mine, you'll need the room! My father in law goes over the top with gifts every year!
10. Take advantage of parties! If you or your spouse has a Christmas party go to it and have fun! You don't have to spend a ton of money on a new outfit, you can use the dress you wore last year - trust me if anyone remembers at all - they have way too much time on their hands!
11. If your going out of town, throw a fabric softener in your luggage! I recommend Snuggle :) It keeps every thing smelling fresh, static free, and keeps you from getting homesick!
12. Get outside! Have fun playing in the snow, the kiddo's will love it! You can bundle them up tight and not worry about anything. Have fun making snow angels, making snowmen, and having snowball fights! These are the things your kids will remember in the long run, not whether or not the got the "hot" toy on the list that year!
13. Skip the visit! If visiting a certain family member will cause stress this year, just skip it! Life is too short to worry about it. You can send them a nice card, or gift in the mail and leave it at that - while keeping your sanity!
14. Finally, just have fun! Remember the reason for the season, and enjoy spending time with your family. The holidays are only once a year. Take a ton of pictures and eat too much fruitcake because later on having a good time is all that will matter!
I hope you enjoyed my top 14 list, and I hope they help this holiday season! Holidays can be stressful, and these tips help me every year to get over the stress factor and keep my holidays fresh and festive!!
I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Snuggle blogging program, making me eligible to get a $50 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.” (make sure you link to http://snuggle.twittermoms.com/about)
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