As a mom to two young kids (a toddler and a newborn), the holiday season can be one of the
most memorable times and the most chaotic times of our lives. In between decorating, cooking
and shopping, it’s important to step back and cherish the precious memories and moments, but
remembering to do so can be a task. So this year, I wanted to share how I plan to navigate the
holidays – both to serve as a reminder for myself and to help any other parents who need tips
on how to juggle it all while avoiding burnout.
1. Make cooking a group project
Let’s imagine you’ve checked out the family group chat and, surprise! — you’re hosting the holiday dinner. Before you begin fretting about all the things you have to do by yourself, let’s (literally) take some things off your plate.
Shifting the dinner into a potluck turns cooking into a group project. Now, it is important to connect with everyone to make sure the food and drinks don’t cause allergic reactions, no one is cooking the same dish, or, quite frankly, someone isn’t cooking something that isn’t their specialty (Look, we know Aunt Judith wants to make the mac and cheese this year, but maybe we gently suggest she bake some cookies).
2. Make memories that will last a lifetime
As a mom of young children, there’s one thing I know that grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, and everyone in between will want this holiday season — pictures. Lots and lots of pictures to preserve those magical moments they can look back on. I know I’m planning to pull out my phone to take pictures of my kids near their presents, sitting with my dad, eating dinner, and much more.
If you use the right tools, you can turn those memories into gifts for the rest of your family. There are apps like Amazon Photos where you can easily organize your pictures with unlimited free photo storage and 5GB of video storage for Prime members. Plus, you can access your photos through Shutterfly making it easy to create memorable photo keepsakes. Bonus? There’s also a Prime discount! So consider making postcards, framed pictures, or even large canvas-sized prints that allow you to share your family’s holiday joy with others.
3. Let the kids get in on the gift-wrapping process…
No, I do not mean we give kids scissors to cut rolls of paper or have them wrap presents. Buy a roll of blank wrapping paper and some crayons or markers. Then, give your kids a theme and have them draw or color on the paper in line with that theme. Try making it something fun, like dinosaurs or cars. Or, if they’re old enough, have them pick the theme.
If you have a lot of gifts, try making it a playdate for your children and their friends or cousins to get them even more excited about the holidays. Also, I think that opening gifts with adorable handmade drawings adds sentimental value for the recipients.
4. …Or have someone else do it all together!
If you don’t want to wrap gifts at all, have someone else do it. There is no shortage of gift-wrapping services, many that support charitable causes, that allow you to drop your gifts off, leave, and come back to perfectly wrapped presents.
If you love the gift-wrapping process or don’t want to include this in your holiday budget, this won’t be for you, and that’s totally OK. However, I’ve found these services give me one less thing to worry about.
5. Relieve some of the gift-giving pressure
Being surprised with the perfect gift is a wonderful feeling. At the same time, finding the perfect gift for your loved ones can put undue pressure on you. If there’s one thing us new moms don’t need — it’s more pressure.
To relieve some of the stress that comes with buying holiday gifts, start a spreadsheet or list for your family and loved ones in which they outline what they want for the holidays. If you still want to add a little excitement, have them put three options, and you can choose from those gifts. This way, you can still give them a bit of a surprise while giving them something they really want.
To learn more about how I’m creating and sharing holiday memories this season, visit my Instagram page @luciebfink. Happy Holidays everyone!
