Crazy December Days

Ho ho ho! Here's an early Christmas treat! Chantele is helping us get through the holidays at the House this week with some tips on relieving the overwhelming stress many of us feel in December!

Hey Really Real Housewives! Thanks so much for letting me take over your blog this week! You ladies are AWESOME and I’m so excited to be here!

So, the holidays are upon us, as all of you know by now. You know, the wonderful time of year where you’re trying to find the perfect gift for your husband who’s SO hard to buy for, (not to mention finding stuff for your children, siblings, parents, friends, neighbors…) wrapping gifts all day long, sending children out the door to school and bundling them up every morning so they don’t freeze and trying not to freak out when they refuse to wear a coat, and you contemplate duct taping it on them, but they finally give in when they step outside… Just me? Also, cleaning house for parties, picking up after everything and everyone after said parties, making sure children are fed, attending dreaded work Christmas parties and being forced to play games with people you don’t know while wearing ugly sweaters…etc.

The list seriously never ends.

Despite the craziness of December, I actually love the holidays. I love the general feeling of good everywhere. I love how people think more about others than themselves. I love seeing Christmas lights, Christmas trees and snow. I love spending time with my family and most importantly, celebrating the Savior’s birth. But through the holiday season, I really do get stressed at times. And when I’m feeling more like the Grinch or Scrooge than Buddy the Elf or Cindy Lou Who, I have a few tricks that help me enjoy the season a bit more.

1. I start shopping early. When I say early, I mean, like in July/August. I finish Christmas shopping before December each year and it’s GLORIOUS. Seriously. Best. Feeling. Ever. I wrap all my presents super early too. Like the first week. Yes, I’m slightly insane, but honestly, it helps me enjoy the holidays SO much more.
2. When I get a bit overwhelmed with cleaning house for Christmas visits, I listen to Podcasts. (This goes for all year actually.) I’m kind of a history nerd, so my favorites are Stuff You Missed in History Class and History Chicks. Podcasts make cleaning less of a chore and I learn something new while listening! And sometimes ignore my family on accident. But hey, sometimes we need a break, right? ;)
3. One word. Puzzles. I can knock out a 1000 piece bad boy in a few days and I love it. It challenges my brain and helps me unwind. Our family does several big puzzles every year during the holiday season and we love it! It’s really nice to sit and chat.
4. Coloring books. You guys, coloring is the BEST. It’s also proven to relieve stress. Also used all year long. They have some awesome coloring books for adults out there.
5. Read a good Christmas book or watch a fun Christmas movie. This one is a given.

So, there are a few tips for enjoying the holiday season (and life in general) just a bit more. Hopefully I won’t be the only crazy who’s done with Christmas shopping in October next year.

Chantele Sedgwick is a YA author, harpist, wife to one and mom to four. She loves fairy tales, happy endings, Kit Kats and (judging by her bookshelves), buying way too many books. She lives in Utah with her family and can usually be found reading, or talking her husband’s ear off with her endless supply of book ideas. She’s the author of Not Your Average Fairy Tale, Not Your Average Happy Ending, Love, Lucas, Switching Gears (Feb 2017) and Interlude (2018).