by April Welch, The Mental Clutter Coach
House guests and holiday food are a perfect match this time of year!
Feeling the stress of all your tasks looming can really be a bummer though. So how do you balance everything out?
House guests ... holiday food ... and preparation
Before your house guests arrive, ask them about holiday food allergies. Some traditional dishes are only served once {or twice} a year, be sure the unique ingredients won't be a problem for anyone.
Last year I shared my friend's Brown Bag Turkey Organizing System, a twist on all that prep work could be: ask house guests to arrive with the ingredients for the holiday food they've been assigned. This saves you in preparation time and alleviates some of the cost for the meal.
House guests ... holiday food ... and delegation
Don't be afraid to ask for help. Or, better yet, assign tasks to available bodies.
- Children & tweens can help with keeping things picked up, laundry, stocking bathroom supplies
- Teen drivers & young adults can assist with errands :: running to the store, shuttling kiddos or guests from point A to point B
- House guests can help with holiday food grocery lists, meal prep and K.P. duties
House guests ... holiday food ... and being perfect
A philosophy I eat, breathe & live myself is :: the permission to be imperfect.
Luckily, I learned a long time ago that trying to pull off the perfect holiday food menu or being the best house guests hostess is just too high of an expectation.
When you're constantly putting yourself under pressure to be perfect not only do you loose out on the fun but you tend to drag the mood of the day down with you. {yes, speaking from experience}.
After ruining a turkey, feeling like the worst cook {& Mom} in the world and slumping my way to the semi decorated dining room table surrounded by house guests {I was mortified to face} ~ I was reminded by each one of them that I was loved, appreciated and admired for so many things that added up all year long.
That was when I realized, the efforts that go into accommodating house guests and making a day long holiday food menu were only the accessories of the day. Spending time with everyone, laughing, making new memories {like a vegetarian Thanksgiving & the guys now making the bird each year} was what I was suppose to be focused on.
Life is too short for many things, especially the unreachable goal of being perfect.
I would love to pick up the conversation over on the VolunteerSpot Facebook Page ...
Are you looking forward to the holiday food menu and your house guests arrival?
Keepin it Tidy,
april
April is a Mental Clutter Expert | Mom of 2 boys | Wife to 1 Fireman | Horrible Cook | Loyal Friend | National Public Speaker who gives you permission to be imperfect.
