A Calmer Holiday Season Starts Here

Our favorite holiday tradition: volunteering and helping Mr. and Mrs. Claus spread joy.

The holiday season is meant to be joyful… yet it often turns into a whirlwind of stress, overspending, family dynamics, travel, and pressure to make everything “perfect.”
No wonder we feel overwhelmed by mid-December.

But here’s what we forget:

The holidays were never meant to be about the things that fade — only the moments that last.

Each year I see people chasing perfection instead of presence. The right gifts, perfect decorations, spotless home, full calendar. We get so busy performing the holidays that we forget to actually feel them.

This year, let’s choose differently.
Let’s come back to what matters.

The Memories We Keep Aren’t the Ones We Buy

Think back to your favorite holiday memory.
Chances are, it wasn’t wrapped in shiny paper.

In my family, the most loved “gift” wasn’t a gift at all — it was the giant cardboard box the kids played in for hours. It wasn’t the toy that mattered. It was the laughter echoing inside that box.

And every year, my family sings “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” at the top of our lungs — totally off-key, full of joy. That moment? That’s the holiday. Not the presents. Not the pressure.

We remember the walk after dinner.
We remember sharing food, not cooking it perfectly.
We remember the warmth of being together, not what we unwrapped.

That’s what lasts.

If You Don’t Want to Go Crazy This Holiday Season… Slow Down

Here are grounding ways to reconnect — and avoid the holiday overload spiral:

1. Choose Presence Over Perfection

Your home doesn’t need to look like a catalog.
Your gifts don’t need to sparkle.
Let “good enough” be enough.

2. Schedule Connection, Not Chaos

Create small, meaningful moments:

• A slow walk after dinner

• Board games or a puzzle night

• Hot cocoa and a movie

• Baking something simple together

• Singing or playing music as a family

These are the moments families remember.

3. Create Traditions That Cost Nothing

Some of the most powerful holiday memories come from simple traditions like:

• Make volunteering a family tradition

• Sharing one gratitude before a meal

• Telling a favorite story from the year

• Looking through old photos together

• Building a blanket fort with the kids

• Lighting a candle for someone you miss

• Reading a favorite childhood book aloud

These rituals become anchors — things everyone looks forward to year after year.

4. Set Boundaries With Your Time & Energy

You don’t need to attend everything or host everyone.
Honor your limits. Protect your peace.

5. Go Outside

A 10-minute walk resets your nervous system and brings you back to yourself. Fresh air is medicine during the holidays.

6. Focus on Experiences, Not Things

Ask yourself: “Will anyone remember this in five years?”

If the answer is no, let it go.

A Final Reminder

The holiday season isn’t a performance.
It’s an invitation — to reconnect, slow down, soften, and remember why we gather in the first place.

The gifts will be forgotten.
The wrapping will be recycled.
The toys will lose their shine.

But the laughter in the cardboard box, the off-key singing, the candlelit stories, the winter walk…
those moments last a lifetime.

This year, come back to what matters.
Let the rest go.

Until next time,

Wendy Wheeler