#puntthelist

It's that time of the year again where tensions are high and the never-ending to do lists seem to snowball into an unconquerable mountain. It doesn't help that your social media feeds will be filled with images of the perfect meals, pristine decor, and smiling children's faces taking part in the "top 5 holiday crafts to do this year".

Now, don't get me wrong, I LOVE a good list, and I love doing all the fun craft & decor ideas for the holidays, but not at the expense of my sanity. I once joked with a young mother that I felt like the secret to happiness in motherhood was low to no expectations, but honestly, I kind of think it is. Hopes and dreams are absolutely necessary, but when I talk about expectations, I'm talking about expecting the house to stay a certain level of clean, expecting the 8 hour car ride to only take 8 hours, expecting all of the food to turn out like the cover of a magazine, etc. To aspire to such things is great, but I think us mothers and women are especially hard on ourselves trying to live up to impossible standards.

All of this stress over perfection and crossing off ALL the things on the list takes away from the beauty and magic of the holiday season. What I'm not saying is to get rid of all of the things on your list, do nothing and have zero hopes and dreams for this holiday season, but rather take a pause. Take some time to evaluate the things on your lists. Are they worth your sanity? Are they worth time away from your family? How will these decisions and tasks effect the quality time I have with my family?

You don't get do-overs or repeats, and you never know for sure if the people around your holiday table this year will be there for the next. So, this holiday season pause, soak in every moment, and #puntthelist.