The holidays can be fun and stressful. Time with family and friends can throw you for a loop with everything else you’ve got going on. I’m sharing some of my own tricks, insights, and research for making the holidays easier for working moms.  

Are there easier options?

If you’ve got young kids, it’s okay to sign up for the simpler items. When you get that list for Thanksgiving lunch at your child’s school potluck, sign up for napkins or bring the drinks. You don’t always have to be the one to make the entree. For years, I often made homemade desserts for kids’ school parties and it felt so good to sign up to bring napkins and plates one year. Especially if you’re busy at work, simplify where you can. And besides, one of the moms needs to take paper goods or drinks, right?

It might not be about a school party in your case, but figure out where you can simplify. Take a bottle of wine, grab bread and cheese, take a yummy treat from a local small business, or consider ordering the same gift for everyone. OK, it might be more reasonable to choose a gift for all the ladies on your list and one for all the men. Or, with high prices, agree to do one Secret Santa gift exchange instead of buying something for everyone. Save the special gifts for your kids and significant other.

Holidays can be fun AND stressful

We work hard in our professional endeavors. All year long you’re balancing work and life. And then add the holiday list of things to do on top of that – whew! It’s a bit overwhelming thinking about it.

The holidays are often a time with family and friends. It can be a fun time with our loved ones. It can also be a stressful time because there are a lot of moving parts. And, let’s be honest, we’re often aiming for the season to be amazing for our kids. There might be travel or getting our homes ready for guests, preparing the meal, extra time with kids when we’re trying to get stuff done, and all the usual coordination it takes when we interact with family and friends for holiday gatherings.

We don’t have to give 100 percent on everything all the time, even during the holidays. Pick and choose what really needs the most energy. Be intentional with how you spend your time. What if you gave yourself a bit of grace during the holidays (and in life in general)? How could that help you better manage stress during the holidays?

Mental space during the holidays

Holidays are a busy time in our house. And I intentionally put energy into giving myself mental space during the holidays, especially during the pandemic. Maybe it’s something that could help you. That way you make sure you actually enjoy the moments. And a little hint on something that helps me, especially during the holiday season. Put self-care on your calendar because it won’t happen otherwise.

And self-care and mental space can look different for you. Have that glass of wine as you clean or prep something. Take the bubble bath after the kids are down for the night. Hike with or without your family. Maybe even grab lunch with a friend (friends come in town for the holidays too, right?) while kids are being entertained by grandparents. Do what you need to take a moment for yourself. You’ll be thankful you did.

Feel comfortable with saying “no” to an event if it’s more than you can do on that day or in a week. You can find other moments throughout the year to spend time with people you care about. And they will understand.

Tips to make the holiday meal easier

• Order part or all of your holiday meal. Most major grocery stores have Thanksgiving or Christmas menus so you can purchase your feast online and simply pick up at the store. Some can even deliver to you for a small fee. Consider your budget and your preferences to find what you need.
• Choose a simpler menu. Could you do a slow cooker pot roast? Grab a honey-baked ham or maybe get a smoked turkey breast. Unlike a raw turkey that needs to be full-on cooked, those are both pre-cooked and need to be heated. It doesn’t take as long and they’re less work. Growing up, our family often ate turkey at Thanksgiving and then something fun like classic Mexican for Christmas. Thanksgiving ended up being more work and Christmas was an easier meal. Everyone always enjoyed both approaches.
• Make it a potluck.
  • Let someone else bring the turkey or main dish. Some people love to cook turkey. Let that someone shine (and be OK with it not being you). And you can make some yummy sides and desserts. Or focus only on the entree and let others bring the sides and desserts.
  • It’s at your house, but all the guests can bring something. And be OK with what they bring. Give suggestions to complete the meal so that not everyone brings dessert.
  • Ask someone who doesn’t cook to bring bread and wine or fun non-alcoholic beverages or even a veggie tray and cheese so that people snack while the final preparation is happening.
• Prepared from scratch versus pre-pared options. Your whole meal doesn’t have to be made from scratch. If you choose to make the whole meal, some things can come pre-prepared or from a box. And some things can be partially prepared from a box and then you add the additional touches.
• Easy dessert options.
  • There are great pies or cakes from a bakery or just thaw one from the freezer section.
  • Dump cake, anyone? Get fresh fruit or frozen fruit that’s been thawed (I don’t recommend fruit in a can). Cut the fruit into bite-sized pieces. Put in the bottom of a baking dish. Completely cover with raw cake mix. Yes, straight from the box. Don’t add anything to it. You read that right. Nothing. Get a whole stick of butter. And thinly slice it. Cover as much of the raw cake mix as possible. The more that you cover, the better. Bake as per the instructions on the box. Trust me. Your guests will love it. And it takes you minutes to put it together. Add ice cream or whipped cream to make it even yummier if you like.
  • Do an ice cream sundae bar with super simple toppings for dessert (think whipped cream, chocolate chips, chopped fruit, and chocolate syrup). Who is going to complain about that fun, tasty option? No one. Does it matter that it’s not pumpkin something? Nope! We LOVE this option.
• Can you do a holiday brunch instead of lunch or dinner?  And, don’t forget that brunch can run from morning until mid-afternoon. Breakfast and brunch foods are often much easier to prepare and cook, often taking less time and costing less. Maybe you can start a new tradition if you’re hosting.

Do you have tips on making the holidays easier for working moms? Or maybe you have a great stress management trick. I’d love for you to share how you will give yourself a break and create some mental space this holiday season in the comments.

Looking for practical tips to make the rest of the year easier? Grab your copy of the award-winning Mompowerment Guide to Work-life Balance. Available on Amazon. (This is an affiliate link. I’ll earn a few cents if you purchase through the link at no additional cost to you.)