Can you really have a relaxing Christmas?
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Christmas may only come round once a year but for many folk (especially us moms), it can be more than a little stressful. There are those unbreakable social obligations, buying countless gifts, preparing meals and the arrival of a deluge of relatives can make this time of year seem more like a chore and less like a holiday. If you’re dreading the upcoming festive season, we have put together some top tips to try and help ensure you have a happier holiday.
Take a break
If you’ve never considered a festive season away from home then why not make this the first year to book a break? It is not too late, there are some great deals on holidays during December and it’s easy to find cheap hotels and flights using internet travel websites. You may get some disapproving comments if you are the type who usually has friends and family over for Christmas but everyone deserves a trip away now and again. There are some great deals to be had, we particularly like the offers at:
We have some friends living in Aylesbury and they are always asking us to go and stay. Christmas is a great time to visit a family member or friend living in another city and combine the holiday with catching up with friends or relatives.
Shopping made easy
Christmas shopping may be fun but it’s a lot more interesting and a lot less stressful when you don’t have to battle the crowds. Most people now shop online in order to obtain bargain prices on gifts but that’s not the only thing that can be purchased online. Stocking up on your entire Christmas food order online and having it delivered will definitely help eliminate the stress of Christmas supermarket shopping. I was thrilled this week to secure a last minute home delivery slot, so they are still out there and it means no battling people in the aisles for the last turkey or queuing for hours in order to pay once you finish. The benefits of shopping online include no crowds, cheaper prices, home delivery and retail therapy at your leisure. (this is my perfect kind of shopping)
Know your limitations
If you are a perfectionist (like me) then you probably won’t be happy unless you are doing everything yourself. However, knowing how to delegate is one of the best ways to combat the stress of doing it on your own. Basically it means letting others help whether that’s with decorating the Christmas tree, cooking the Christmas dinner, wrapping up that mountain sized pile of presents or clearing up after the celebrations are complete. There are only so many hours in the day and you only have two hands, and Christmas is a time for sharing, including the festive chores.
Let someone else cook dinner
It’s not uncommon for people to now go out to a restaurant, pub or hotel for their Christmas meal. Letting someone else do all the cooking is one of the best ways to avoid Christmas day disasters. Your dining location of choice will be full of people who have had exactly the same idea and the atmosphere will be relaxed and festive. Another major plus point towards eating out on Christmas day is that other people will be doing the washing up afterwards – definitely worth the cost.
It’s your Christmas too
If you’re the sort who is running around organising everything at Christmas then set yourself a deadline. This deadline doesn’t mark when everything has to be complete, this is the point when you simply stop and relax. This is your Christmas as well and setting that deadline means you get a chance to put your feet up, unwind and de-stress. Hopefully, if everything goes to plan you can easily beat that deadline by more than a few hours. It’s also important to remember that the world won’t end if you forget to buy the sprouts or you don’t post Aunty Ethel’s gift on time.
This weekend my plan is to find some time to sit on the sofa and watch some Christmas films with my little family in order to remember what Christmas is all about! How about you?
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