Christmas ‘Presence’…What’s On Your List?

Is your Christmas ‘to do’ list well underway...or is it still ‘to do’?! Have you had ‘that’ conversation with family and friends yet so you know who is spending Christmas where and with whom this year? Or are you putting it off just a little bit longer?! Yes, we’ve been there too - here’s our tips for staying sane this Christmas…

Cheryl and I have both chilled out A LOT over time as we have become more grounded in why this time of year is so important and joyful to us - and we know that it doesn’t come from burning ourselves out trying to create the ‘perfect’ Christmas – whatever that is?! So take a look at what’s on our Christmas list this year - we promise we won’t keep you long!

It’s beginning to look a lot like…

Anyone who knows Cheryl and I knows how much we LOVE Christmas; the decorations, twinkling lights, Christmas music, cosying up to watch a Christmas movie – favourite tipple in hand! So mooching around the Christmas markets in Manchester a couple of weeks ago, got us talking about what else makes this time of year special for us and what we’ve learned to let go of. 

“One of the basic rules of the universe is that nothing is perfect” (Stephen Hawking)

Over the years Cheryl and I have realised that the things that make Christmas special for us are not at the end of a long to-do list of … buying the perfect present, buying everyone’s favourite food and drinks and being the perfect hostess at all times, whilst also accepting every party invitation that comes our way… and the resulting late nights! Yes, it’s a gorgeous time of year but let’s face it - it is really, really busy and can be pretty bloody overwhelming. Don’t you agree?!

Try hard

In my case, I realised, that the harder I tried to make Christmas ‘fun’ and ‘perfect’...the less fun I had and the more I started dreading some of the main parts of it! What would make me happy at Christmas? I did not want to continue dreading Christmas! So I had to really stop and ask, “What would make me happy?”. When I talked to my family and told them I realised I was stressed out and would they mind if we did less gifts and kept stuff simpler – they were hugely relieved! My need to outdo myself each year was actually stressing them out too, as they felt they had to do the same! Like me they actually just wanted to have a few lovely things and spend time together.

Quality over quantity

Once we realised that all we really wanted was quality time together, over lots of presents and perfection, we could begin to truly enjoy and be present in our Christmas celebrations. We’ve all heard and used the phrase a thousand times, but we often only think about it in monetary terms, especially at this time of year… but what if we think about it in terms of our time, connecting with friends and family, our self-care, pausing for a few minutes longer to actually listen to the Christmas choir in the high street.

Just thinking about it gives you a nice warm feeling doesn’t it?!

Be true to yourself

Funny how we often do a lot of this stuff to ourselves…we create the story, write the script, then believe it’s real and that we have no other choice than to play our parts. But it doesn’t have to be this way! If you crave a change from the norm, don’t be afraid to share it with your loved ones and make it happen, you’ll most likely find they feel exactly the same way!

So what do you need to enjoy your holiday season this year? What changes do you need to have happen to make this the best Christmas yet? Whatever this is for you – Cheryl and I would love for you to stop, take a deep breath and take it all in.

This is the last Christmas of the decade

Be present, ditch ‘perfect’ and decide how you want your Christmas to look.

You’re here - the rest as they say, is gravy.

However you are spending Christmas this year and whoever you are with, we wish you an abundance of love, joy and blessings.

Love and hugs,

Donna & Cheryl xx