I took a lick
Of a peppermint stick,
And oh, it tasted yummy.
It used to be
On the Christmas tree
But now it’s in my tummy
(Anonymous)
As we hurtle towards the end of 2024, it’s only natural to reflect on what we have been doing through the months and wonder with awe at how fast the year has passed and how we haven’t gotten round to…..making our first million/losing 2 stone/dying our hair purple/changing job…..and on and on.
The festive season is fraught with danger. “What? Really?! Oh no it isn’t!” I hear you shout at your screen! Well, oh yes it is!
Put these chores in order of importance:
Shopping for gifts
Shopping for food
Booking a venue
Buying an outfit for the Festive Party(parties)
Booking a taxi
Organising the children’s activities
Organising elderly relatives
Making sure pets are in the right place when fireworks go off
Making sure the freezer is full
Make amazing meals
Checking food preferences for guests
Checking if anyone has allergies
Shopping for more gifts
Cleaning the house from top to bottom (because I always do that at Christmas)
Having an emergency plumber on speed dial
Having an assortment of emergency gifts (just in case a stray guest turns up)
Enough nappies
All of this and so, so much more! Because the mental load of daily existence is ten fold at the tail end of the year. The gift of Kindness can go a long way when you apply it to yourself.
Take that list. ALL of it needs to be done. But please, can you insert “Take some time for self-care” because if you don’t, it’s possible you’ll burn out and things will crash and you’ll feel too exhausted to have a good time.
I can’t be the only one who has turned down invitations for evenings out because when my kids were younger, I was simply too exhausted to even think about showering, putting some slap on, and going outside the house after 7pm.
Be mindful that you are not the sole person responsible for all on that list, and delegation is part of the joy of being a Team!
This festive season means festive for EVERYONE.
Rie x