By Skimum Paula

The kids are home for the holidays two weeks.  By Day 2, I’m ready to send them back!

As most women know, the holidays are seldom restful.  Presents, trees, foods, parties, sing-a-longs, trips, and in-laws can lead to a wee bit of stress around the yuletide log or menorah, and when our finely-decorated home becomes a mountain of wrapping paper filled with Cheetos-laden lava, then just watch out, because mama is gonna blow!

If that isn’t your house, then YOU should be writing a blog! 

The holidays are stressful, and our hubbies, boyfriends and kids will often tell us to, “Chill,” and that we don’t need to do so much.  However, if we don’t make the marshmallow sweet potato soufflé that is on the Thanksgiving table every year, then the first words after grace will be, “But we always have it.”  And when my teen son sweetly asked me at the last minute to make the Red Velvet White Chocolate Cheesecake Layer Cake on the cover of Southern Living magazine, of course, I said, “Yes, darling.” (Reminder – hide or cancel that magazine)

Most gals I know are great multi-taskers.  Most are also terrible delegators – myself included.  I’m making a promise to myself this holiday season to do more and delegate more.  Sound oxymoronic?  It might be, but this is the plan.

I will carve out a half-hour each day (doesn’t matter when) to be alone.  Like my beloved iPad, I need to recharge my battery, too.  So, when I wake up, I will either hide under the covers for 30 minutes or pick a time during that day to lock the door, drive off and stare at the mountains, ski a few runs on my own, read a book, whatever, but I will put it on my iPhone calendar with an alarm and do it.  The idea is the same one Skimums talk about all the time – when we give a little to ourselves, we can give more to others.

Second, I’m going to delegate more.  My kids like to cook.  So, they will be assigned (in a way that makes them think they volunteered, of course) to make a meal.  I don’t care if we have popcorn for dinner, because, as we all know, they won’t complain if they cook it.  Actually, in the past, I’ve ALWAYS been surprised at the seriousness they’ve displayed when doing this.  I must be a better cook than they tell me I am.

These are not silver bullets because, in the end, we’ll still do more and stress more than usual, but maybe we’ll be a little more self-aware and self-assuring.  We are our own worst critics.  Know that these are “problems” brought out of our desire to give to others, a good thing.  Chocolate is a good thing, too.  We just don’t want it to weigh us down.  Happy Holidays!  Cheers!