Calling all fellow moms! Grab a cup of coffee, get comfy, and take a few minutes for yourself. This is the Christmas Survival Guide you need to not just get through the holidays, but to ROCK ’em! Sponsored by Walmart.
Remember as a kid how “Christmas” was actually a month-long span of pure awesomeness that you wished would never end?
Somehow that changes when we become moms. (Boo!)
As a mom, Christmas season is a month of planning, decorating, cleaning, budgeting, shopping, worrying, mailing, wrapping…and it never seems to end. Until all the sudden it’s a week before Christmas and you realize that you’re woefully unprepared!
Help!!
Mom’s Christmas Survival Guide to ROCK the Holidays
Last week the oh-so-hilarious Kristin and Jen at IMomSoHard.com hosted a Facebook live in Walmart sharing how they rock Christmas. I find that I relate to these gals so much because I am definitely not a perfect mom either!
They inspired me to put together my strategy for not only surviving the holidays, but loving every moment! (Well, almost!)
This is the Mom’s Christmas Survival Guide to ROCK the holidays…let’s do it mamas!
Christmas Survival Tip #1 – Dress-Up Every Day
Kids love dressing up. And admit it, you kind of do too!
There’s something about putting on over-the-top festive holiday gear that really gets you in the Christmas spirit. So embrace it with a family dress up day! (Or days…plural…)
Walmart has TONS of Christmas wear for the whole family, from Rudolf onesies for grown-ups to Parent’s Choice Santa diapers for the littlest members of the family. And with the low prices you’d expect from Walmart, you won’t feel guilty about buying an outfit that you’ll only wear during December.
Oh who am I kidding…we wear our Christmas PJs all winter!
Christmas Survival Tip #2 – Take a BUNCH of Photos
Trying to snap the perfect photo for the family Christmas card?
Take LOTS of photos!!
Seriously, take hundreds. Even if your husband grumbles and the kids start wandering…keep taking photos!
Because out of those 367 photos, only ONE will be semi-in-focus AND show everyone smiling AND have all eyes open (or at least most of the way open).
You’ll be glad you went snap-happy!
Christmas Survival Tip #3 – Be a Party-Pooper
If you let it, Christmas “party season” can monopolize all your free time! I don’t know about you, but some weekends during the month of December we get an invitation for each day…and sometimes two on Saturdays!
It can be tough to say no, but the quickest way to holiday burnout is to find yourself on the go ALL the time.
My husband and I try to limit ourselves to one outside event each weekend, spending the rest of the time together as a family at home.
We stock up on classic Christmas movies and fun family party games to stay busy — we’re especially loving “Hearing Things,” a hilarious lip-reading game.
And if you really want a laugh-out-loud experience, try “Speak Out,” a game that uses mouthpieces. You’ve got to see Jen and Kristen at IMomSoHard demo this one!! (Fast-forward to minute 35:00).
Find both of these side-splittingly funny family party games (and more) at Walmart!
Christmas Survival Tip #4 – Accept Imperfection
We’re constantly bombarded with images of the “perfect” Christmas — on television, magazines, commercials, and social media.
It. Doesn’t. Exist.
That’s not to say that you can’t have a totally memorable Christmas, but it probably won’t look like the stuff of magazines.
And that’s ok!
Some of my favorite childhood holiday memories are the imperfect moments. Those are the experiences that stand out and those are the ones that your kids will remember.
Trust me, kids don’t care if your tree looks Pinterest-perfect. Honestly, they just want to play with the ornaments anyway.
Every day I find baubles and bells (that I originally hung on the tree) stashed in unexpected places by my three-year-old. I don’t even bother putting them back. I’m pretty sure my daughter’s intention was to spread Christmas all over the house, and I have to agree it’s pretty cheery. (Plus it’s a losing battle because she’ll just move them again!)
Kids want to live in the Christmas moment, not plan for it. This is one time you should take a cue from your kids, because they’ve NAILED IT!
Christmas Survival Tip #5 – Remember, You’ve Got this Mama!
The most important thing to keep in mind is to enjoy Christmas and the holiday season.
Try not to get caught up in the rush and let it stress you out. The holidays are truly about spending time together with family and friends.
Spend less time running from store to store (I mean, Walmart pretty much has it all anyway…am I right??) and spend more time soaking it all in. From Hatchimals to makeup kits to Star Wars collectibles, I know that I can find it at Walmart.
There’s truly no reason why Christmas can’t still be a month of pure awesomeness…for moms too!
Share your holiday survival tips in the comments below!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Walmart. The opinions and text are all mine.
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