How to Relieve the Stress of the Perfect Christmas

Want to relieve the stress of preparing the PERFECT Christmas celebration this year?

Leave the word "perfect" behind.

Settle for "less-than-perfect." 
Consider settling for "downright flawed!"
Contrary to popular belief, these are the Christmas memories that outlive all others.

I'll never forget the year my brother was given the task of hanging Christmas lights around our front door. For the next month, those lights blinked, first on one side of the door, then the other side. Talk about a Charlie Brown Christmas! I have never forgotten that memory...it makes me smile every time I think of it.

No one ever says, "Remember the year Mom set the table so beautifully, cooked that gorgeous turkey and 20 perfect side dishes...all by herself! Boy, we sure did appreciate her effort then! I remember it like it was yesterday." Riiiight.....

So, I propose that we all stop killing ourselves and sacrificing our sanity on the altar of "The Perfect Family Christmas".

How do we stop the madness? 

One word: D - E - L - E - G - A - T - E

I hear you. But who is there to delegate to?
No one can do the things that I do...the way I do them. Yeah, I know.

Remember, we're not dreaming of a White Christmas. We're reaching for a "downright flawed" Christmas.

Do you want your children to remember that all the ornaments ended up on one side of the tree or that you ran from the house screaming-naked in the snow...leaving the "Perfect Christmas Dinner" on the table.

Delegate the day!

• Instead of preparing ALL the food, have guests bring an assigned dish.
• You can even give them each your recipe so they'll bring exactly what you want (sorta).
• Give an older child and younger child the task of decorating the dinner table. I guarantee you will have the most memorable, unique table around.

• Assign cleanup duty to several folks. Write very specific tasks on little slips of paper to be handed out before dinner begins.

• At cleanup time, escape to the family room with your hot wassail (that someone else has prepared).

You can delegate in so many areas besides Christmas dinner.

• Send folks to the grocery store.

• Put someone on "Christmas-card-addressing-duty".

• Another person gets to run cards  and packages to the post office.

• EVERYTHING that you normally do can be delegated! Just don't expect perfection. 

• Oh, and don't forget, no guilt allowed.

• Think about how relaxed and happy you'll be by not being the Christmas Martyr. Think how relaxed and happy everyone in your home will be without that maniacal look on your face.

   

  So, what are you going to delegate this year so you, too, can enjoy Christmas?
   

A little about me & Christmas!
Christmas was always my favorite time of year! Until I started to feel I had meet my own unrealistic expectations. Letting go of the perfect Christmas has been like letting go of a ball and chain...I've been set free!!

I do like to set up a small lighted tabletop tree in my home office to remind why I blog, live and let go. I stays up well into January. : )

I blog about living beautifully with less from my home office with my Labrador Retreiver, Sir Raleigh, who just happens to be bilingual and makes frequent appearances on Facebook.

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