Ask:
I just read "Simplify Your Holidays" by Elaine St. John (Simplify Your Life author)
One things she suggested really struck me: avoid holiday issues of magazines.
She suggests passing them on right away or putting them right into the recycling bin.
Why?
She mentions that articles like "Stencil a fabulous holiday poinsettia tablecoth today" only add to our stress during the holidays, making us think that we have to bake a zillion cookies and put up an excess of decorations and buy tons of presents to have a meaningful holiday.
And I think she is right- have you ever had a "perfect" Thanksgiving? Has anyone? And did it revolve around having the napkins folded into pilgrim hats or perfect turkey name cards at each plate? Could we just have a nice meal with our friends and family without cleaning the house for two days first?
I agree that it's great to have the holidays be special, but I am re-examining what is meaningful to me...
Answer:
Those articles add to our high expectations of ourselves and family. It seems like my good intentions backfire anyway! We bought a gingerbread train kit at Target filled with grand intentions to create a beautiful holiday centerpiece... and we couldn't get the sides to stick together! I ended up turning into grumpy mom over the entire project. Within a day or two my three year old ate all the candy off it anyway...what a flop.