Surviving the Holiday Hustle
Is your family visiting for the holidays? Are you ready to dive into the festive chaos? This season can be thrilling, but we could all benefit from some fresh strategies to navigate this busy time.
By Suzan Dees / Contributor
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Attach one of those hefty fruitcakes your neighbor gifted you to each ankle with duct tape and get a workout while tidying the kitchen! Those are at least 4 pounds each!
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When you’re wrapping gifts, ensure you have all the essentials ready: paper, tape, scissors, extra wrapping paper (you know you’ll end up cutting it too short), and at least three bottles of wine.
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Oh no! Last-minute visitors and no treats in sight? Unwrap all that leftover Halloween candy—the stuff no one wants to eat. Spread it on a baking sheet and bake it in the oven. Once it’s out and cooled, tell everyone you found this brilliant idea on Pinterest. No one ever questions Pinterest!
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Remember how you tossed all the lights into a box last year without untangling them? Time to deal with that mess. If you can’t untwist them in five minutes, just make a giant ball of them in the yard, plug them in, and claim it represents the chaos of our society. Then pour yourself a glass of wine.
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Trying to get your kids to put down their phones? While you can’t pry the devices from their hands, you can “misplace” every charger in the house. Sit back and watch those batteries drain. Soon enough, the phones will be forgotten, and you’ll enjoy some quality face time with your teens. Just make sure to hide in the bathroom to charge your own phone so you can share your brilliant strategy on Facebook. #MomWin
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Did you accidentally munch on all the holiday cookies? Blame it on the Elf on the Shelf. In fact, feel free to name your elf “Scapegoat.” That’s what I did!
- Amidst the hustle of errands, list-making, travel plans, and obligations, take a moment to pause, relax, and appreciate your surroundings. Because, whether good or bad, life can change in an instant. The silly moments—your family squabbling over the last turkey leg, the look on your child’s face when they receive that unexpected gift, or the dog relieving himself on grandpa’s favorite hat—are what you’ll cherish the most.
