Another Christmas has come and gone. I never understood why my mom always said she was happy when Christmas was over. How could you want it to be over?! The lights, the presents, the magic in the air; what’s not to love?

Then I became a mom and realized. It’s pure CHAOS.

I don’t even know where to start. Having the mental load of buying presents, decorating, wrapping, cooking, cleaning…all while you’re trying to squeeze in every fun-filled holiday event for your children possible? It’s enough to make your head spin.

I found that, even as a professional organizer, the pressure was getting to me. I tried my best to stay calm and “enjoy the moment”, but found it harder and harder to do as the big day got closer. In hindsight, I wish I had worried less about the little things that were getting under my skin (honestly, was anyone going to notice if I didn’t use Christmas stamps to mail out the cards this year? Come on.)

As a reminder to myself for next year, I want to share with you some reflections I had on this holiday season.

1. Give yourself some grace. Being organized is a wonderful tool to have, but don’t kill yourself trying to make things perfect. Especially if you have a home with small kids. It’s never going to happen. Most people don’t even realize when the slightest thing goes wrong anyway.
2.  Take a breather when it is needed. If you find yourself getting worked up and overwhelmed, remove yourself from the situation. Walk outside into the cold air for five minutes and regroup.
3. If all else fails, buy a gift card. Giving someone a gift they truly love is wonderful if you can pull it off. If you can’t, guess what? Everyone loves Amazon. Gift cards for the win!

There will be more fun organizing tips in this blog to come. Especially as we move into January, which is GO (Get Organized) Month! For today, put your feet up and relax. You made it through another year. I hope 2023 treats you particularly well.