7 Tips For Surviving The Silly Season

I love Christmas”¦most of the time. What’s not to love about eating, drinking, being merry and spending time with loved ones?

Well there’s lots to not love too, and we suck it up year-in, year-out”¦ but it can do your head if you let it. With the festive season fast approaching, here are some ways you can get through it without it taking too much of a toll!

1. Avoid the Shops in December

As much as is humanly possible, I avoid going to shoppingcenterss in the month of December. I make the most of mid-year toy sales (and get my husband to go pick the lay-bys up ha ha ha!), online shopping and just getting things throughout the year and hiding it whenever something catches my eye.

I pre-order our Christmas meat from a local butcher in Octoberish and pick it up Christmas Eve when we also go to the greengrocer early and get the veg to go with it. In the months before, I add Christmas related items I might need to my weekly grocery shop so I have a bit of a stock-pile when the time comes. And I completely avoid the craziness of the supermarket that week by doing an online grocery shop and getting it delivered. My sanity has been saved since I adopted this strategy. I hate crowds of people THIS much!

2. Avoid Family Drama

Whether its meddling in-laws or your own parents are a pain in the butt, Christmas for many people is a massive headache because of family drama. The best thing my family ever did was to stop going along to other family members’ houses for Christmas Day, and just do our own thing. I know some people who go away every year just to avoid it.

3. Plan Ahead

Don’t leave it until December each year to work out what you are going to do. Have a game plan in advance. Whether you deal with Christmas all year round, 6 months, 3 months or 2 months out, you’ll feel much better about it when you can break it up into small chunks.

This works for the things you have to do eg: buying stuff as well as the budgeting, which is always a killer.

4. Try Not To Take On Everything Yourself

We hear a lot about the emotional and mental load that mums carry, and Christmas is one of those things that can completely overwhelm us. Delegate jobs to family members get them to help with shopping, wrapping, cooking, getting the house ready and all of those things that go in to making Christmas perfect. And don’t forget to take time for yourself!

5. Don’t Put Up With Sore Feet

Whether you’re out all day at the shops Christmas shopping, or on your feet for hours baking, prepping and cooking your Christmas feast, the festive season can be a pain in the”¦feet. When your feet hurt, everything else that’s bugging you about this time of year can seem worse!

Life’s too short for sore feet.  Sore feet make Mums cranky.

Invest in good quality shoes that feel like a cuddle when you put your feet into them. Personally, I adore Bared Footwear (I’m totally biased, I love them) – and when I’m busy and running around, I know I don’t have to worry about sore feet!

6. Everything in Moderation

As if Christmas Day isn’t bad enough with all the food and drink, the lead up to Christmas can be a downright doozy as well. Christmas parties, Christmas drinks, assorted end-of-year catch-ups all start piling up at the end of the year. What we usually think of as “just one day” of eating and drinking too much can actually be weeks and weeks of it if we are honest. Be mindful of this throughout the festive season and moderate what you’re consuming.

7. Keep Cool and Hydrated

Christmas in Australia can be hot, hot, hot depending on where you live. A 40 degree day isn’t always the best day for turning the oven on for hours and cooking a turkey, but I’m the first to admit I do it anyway because I love me some Christmas turkey. Combined with alcohol consumption, the heat can lead you to become dehydrated pretty quickly. Drink plenty of water on Christmas Day, and fire up the aircon and the fans early. Ain’t nobody got time for a visit to the Emergency Department on Christmas Day!

Keep a bottle of water or two in the car, one in your handbag (if it will fit) – one where you work and another in the kitchen.  This gives you no excuse for not drinking enough!

Thank you very much to Hush Puppies for their support in making this post.

So, are we ready?