Baking cookies! Shopping for the perfect presents! Decorating the house! Wrapping presents! So much holiday magic to make! Can we be real? Sometimes it is just plain exhausting to be a mom at Christmastime! There can be so much pressure to make every moment special and magical that it can be hard to remember that this is a time that should also be enjoyable for moms.
This Christmas is likely to be different in many ways for most families. Holiday parties aren't really a safe option, and many families are skipping the cross-country travel to big family gatherings. Although skipping family traditions to be safe during the current health situation might be hard, this may also be the perfect year to focus on the parts of the holiday season that are actually enjoyable. We talked to 16 moms who shared the little and big things they are actually looking forward to this Christmas season and found some real holiday inspiration. Bring on the real holiday joy!
Christmas Eve Fondue
"There's a lot less pressure this holiday season. I've done most of my shopping and about half of the wrapping. The tree and decorations are up. So anything else I do will be because I just feel like it, not because I have to do it. We're doing our usual Christmas Eve fondue (which is super fun, BTW), but no other family gatherings to worry about. And I'm really excited about not having to watch the exact same first grade winter music concert for the third time." — Ann H., St. Paul, Minnesota
Teaching Break
"I've spent every waking minute since mid-August on work for the teaching I get paid to do or teaching my kids who are learning at home. I am really looking forward to a night or two of not working and not helping other people work. I'm going to watch TV and not feel guilty for spending more than 30 minutes on a task not related to work or house management." — Kristy E., St. Paul, Minnesota
Memories at Home
"Not feeling guilt. Every year I felt guilty for resenting having to travel and on the years we were home, I would feel guilty about not being with my husband's family. My emotional burden is lightened this year so I can focus on making good memories at home." — Jenny C., Lincoln, Nebraska
Puzzle Time
"We have a stack of holiday themed puzzles that we do every year, so I’m looking forward to pulling those out and having some cozy time having snacks and doing puzzles with the kids while we listen to Christmas music." — Janelle G., Toledo, Ohio
Holiday Lights
"There is a lot of holiday stuff we won’t be doing this year because of COVID, but we always have one night where we load into the car with snacks and cups of hot chocolate and go look at Christmas lights. My husband drives, so I sneak a little booze in my hot chocolate and it is a jolly time indeed!" — Sara K., Fort Collins, Colorado
Advent Calendars
"It is a small thing, but I really look forward to doing Advent calendars every year. My kids love getting a little treat every day and I have a grown-up version with little bottles of booze, so I get a nightly cocktail too!" — Andrea J., Glendale, California
Cross Country Skiing
"Our whole family loves winter sports, especially cross country skiing. If we have a white Christmas, I'm excited to start our day with a nice long ski before spending the rest of the day snacking and opening presents. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!" — Renee G., Ely, Minnesota
No More Elf Duty
"I'm excited this year that I'm no longer in charge of that d— Elf on the Shelf! My oldest child has taken over and she is delighted to be in charge of surprising her little brothers with it. She's happy, they are happy, and I don't have to worry about it anymore. Winning!" — Jessa F., Santa Fe, New Mexico
Big Kid Baking
"One of the pleasant surprises of having teenagers is that they are actually useful when it comes to baking! We've been doing holiday baking together since they were little, but now they are actually the ones suggesting recipes and even cleaning up afterwards. I'm looking forward to our big cookie day." — Stacey V., Romeoville, Illinois
Holiday Movie
"Starting December 1st, we watch a holiday themed movie every night. I really look forward to that tradition. This year is a mixture of cheesy Hallmark movies and classics like Elf. Always makes me feel happy to end each day curled up on the couch with a guarantee of happy endings." — Melissa K., Holland, Michigan
Snacks
"Is it sad if the thing I most look forward to is a month of special snacks? There are things we only make at Christmas and I look forward to them all year long. We are stuck at home this year, but at least I have my Chex mix and my dipped pretzels and my peppermint brownies to look forward to!" — Laurie O., Denton, Texas
Searching for Snow
"We live in the desert and my kids have never had a white Christmas. This year we are planning to go to a rental cabin in the mountains to have a snowy Christmas with just the five of us. I'm looking forward to the cold and seeing my kids sled for the first time!" — Mandy B., Palm Springs, California
Being Home
"We always travel on Christmas and it is great to see family but so exhausting to haul gifts back and forth. This year we are staying home and I'm honestly looking forward to waking up in my own bed and letting the kids chill in pajamas the whole day." — Ellie O., Boise, Idaho
Friend Gifts
"A few years ago, some of my girlfriends and I were all comparing notes about the fact that our husbands are TERRIBLE gift givers. So we decided to start exchanging gifts with each other. I really look forward to picking out gifts for them and they always nail it for me too. It's one of my favorite traditions." — Cara D., San Diego, California
Book Night
"One of our traditions is that we all get a new book the day before Christmas and we spend Christmas Eve eating snacks and reading our new books. My wife and I are both big readers and I love getting a new book she picks out because she always finds something that I'd never pick out for myself." — Mallory W., Eagan, Minnesota
Holiday Music
"I just love Christmas and holiday/winter music. We listen to it all month and my husband knows all my favorites on guitar. The music just brings me so much joy, especially when we all sing together." — Mina W., Hershey, Pennsylvania
