Simplify

The Holiday Season is coming upon us - and in a hurry. There are only 9 days until Thanksgiving and there are only 38 days until Christmas!!!! I apologize if those numbers just made you want to run for the hills! Believe me, it almost sends me into a panic attack, too.

What is something that goes right along with the holidays? Stress. Hectic schedules. Trying to please 100 people while making yourself miserable. Heck yes!

What can we do to minimize the stress? What can we do to make our schedules less hectic and more enjoyable? What can we do to make sure we keep in mind what Christmas is really all about?

I have the answer...get out of dodge and fly to Hawaii. Can I get an Amen?

I have learned that it is necessary to simplify your holidays. Spend your precious holiday time doing the things that are important to you. If you do not enjoy doing something or if you dread going to a certain party or function, cut it out.

It is also really important to me to make sure that I take my husband into consideration. If I have had tons of family parties and he has attended most of them, I don't force him to go to everything. We try to compromise and take turns in regards to family gatherings. It is important to us to have some down time at home on Christmas so we just make sure that happens. We always look forward to breakfast at home and just spending time together as a small family. He has certain events that are really important to him and I do my best to attend them with him. He is also very active with our Knights of Columbus' Live Nativity Scene and I try to be as supportive as I can in regards to that as well.

I urge you to look at your holiday schedules and attempt to simplify it in order to enjoy the holiday season even more...and to keep you from loosing your mind! Also, don't forget about your spouse and his or her needs. It is so easy to become overwhelmed with the many things that have to get done. Take a step back and sip some eggnog!

“The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.” Hans Hoffman