Hi Readers, I am super excited to have Sarah Cavanaugh as my Guest Blogger today! She is a friend of mine who is super talented (be sure to see her in action at the links in her bio below) She has some advice to share for us mamas as we enter December (aka holiday craziness!)
Sleigh bells ring¦are you listenin’? Gifts, decorations and cards have me sweatin!
Oh wait¦you haven’t heard that version of the classic holiday song? Let’s all just take a big collective breath and decide it’s all going to be o.k. I think someone needs to stand up and say. Hey! Moms totally get screwed out of this whole holiday thing!
I know¦it’s not what we are supposed to say. We are supposed to sit wide-eyed with the children, hot cocoa in hand with mini marshmallows on top, looking at the beautifully decorated Christmas tree. We’re supposed to know the perfect gift for our niece and nephew, have Christmas cards mailed by December 1st, and don’t forget the dinner you have to make for the in-laws on Christmas Eve with Great Aunt Eleanor’s special cranberry sauce (it’s a tradition, of course!).
Except wait¦I don’t have matching holiday jammies. (Note to self: Get to Gymboree after preschool drop-off). Oh “ and a hearth¦gotta get a glowing hearth. (Note to husband: we need more fire wood). And I sort of lost Great Aunt Eleanor’s recipe so I’m frantically scanning Pinterest for something that looks similar (Note to self: Find out what the heck Anise Seed is).
Exhausting, isn’t it?
Who’s the person behind the scenes making all this loveliness happen? Mom, that’s who. Now that I am a mom, I have to give my OWN mom a big THANK YOU, as I completely took all her hard work for granted. The house was instantly cleaned, meals were made and gifts were wrapped without any thought on my part. I took for granted that I magically received exactly what I wanted every year “ like the pink Izod shirt and Jordache jeans I had to put on at 7:04 a.m. on Christmas morning, 1986, and proceed to wear every day for the entire week thereafter.
After some non-relaxing holiday seasons, I’ve given myself some breaks in recent years. Order cards in October. Online ordering 80% of the time (secret: deals are the same as the stores and usually free shipping!). Draw names for gifts and stick to a budget. Use the heck out of the crock pot, Trader Joe and Costco ready-made items.
This is sort of how my family rolls¦ 
I wouldn’t change it for anything. It’s not perfect but it’s all ours and I’m full of fantastic memories we will cherish forever.
I encourage you to take the pressure off yourself as much as possible. It’s the spills, laughs and goofs that you remember, anyway. I challenge you to the idea that a Single Ladies dance party in mismatched pajamas with store-bought cookies for Santa is all you need to enjoy the holidays this year!
Collective exhale, my mamas, and Happy Holidays.
Sarah Cavanaugh is a comedian, public speaker, and contributor on WZZM 13’s Take Five & Company. For daily rants, sillies and observations on motherhood, you can follow her on her website at Funny Sarah or on Facebook. To see Sarah in action, check out the follow skits PTA Moms or Stay At Home Moms