Tips for a Very Booked Holiday Season

This blog may contain affiliate links to my Amazon Shop.

The hustle of the holidays is here. Christmas is everywhere! I love all the ribbons and sparkle, the shopping, decorating, surprises, and gift giving that goes along with the holidays but, sometimes all of that can pile up and make me feel rather heavy. One thing that comes with the Christmas holidays that I don't love is stress. Which got me thinking, what if there are a few things I can do through the holidays to lessen stress that would make for a much more enjoyable holiday? It doesn't have to be anything extravagant but rather just the opposite. I gathered my favorites ways to lessen stress to share with you. I think these things might come in handy during the holiday season.

1. Make time for yourself

What are a few of your favorite ways to relax, unwind and rejuvenate? A few of my favorites, and feel free to borrow them, are:

• Play (Christmas) music or my favorite playlist
• Turn on the Christmas lights and enjoy their twinkle.
• Write in my journal
• Read a book 
• Take a hot bath
• Watch a (Christmas) movie
• Light a candle of your favorite scent
• Take a nap
• Exercise

Schedule time in each day for doing just one thing you enjoy. It doesn't have to be several hours, even 15-20 minutes can reset your mind and help you get back to feeling like you. 

Have you heard of hygge? 

Hygge is a Danish tradition dating back to the 1800's all about embracing the cozy. By doing so you can create a feeling of contentment and well being. Grab your favorite soft blanket and curl up on the couch or add a scarf and warm hat to your wardrobe. There's plenty of resources out there about this tradition, including a few Hygge Books I've linked for you.

Make a list

You know I love lists! During the holidays they are a crucial! Whether you or shopping for gifts, cookie baking, Christmas brunch, etc. take a few moments to make a list. When you make a list it keeps you on track while shopping and saves time. All the brand new toys, clothes and things on shelves can be a distraction. You might end up over spending and purchasing without intention. Those sparkly things can get the best of you and your wallet so make a list ahead of your shopping trip.

If you don't have a set shopping list check out my Shopping & Gift List digital download in my Etsy shop!

Don't skimp on your health

I find prioritizing my health during the holidays makes for a more enjoyable day, weekend and month. Keep a stock of fruits and veggies, protein snacks for on the go. My family takes a multi-vitamin, but I add zinc during the cold season. The Vitamin-C packets you can add to water are also handy.

My other two health tips that can become a positive routine are drinking plenty of water and moving your body. 

A tip for next year

Gather gift ideas throughout the year. All of our handy dandy smart phones are very useful for jotting down notes when our loved ones, co-worker or friends mention something they want or wish they had. Then, you won't be rushing last minute to think of a perfect gift idea, you'll already have it!

I hope you find a few of these ideas helpful. Enjoy the rest of your cozy holiday season!

Cheers, Karlee

Ready to Start Again

To start off, I want to tell you a bit about my journey. I want you to know a bit about how I landed on, and eventually, found my way back to blogging. If you don’t know me already I think this blog is a good place to start. In a sense, the first chapter.

I started blogging when Ryan and I were a newly engaged couple as a way to share my journey with the world. That was 11 years ago and here we are now: married and (mostly) happily in love. ;P

When I started blogging, I loved it! Writing online was a positive outlet and I got to share my perspective with the world. If my words reached just one person and made them smile, I knew I was making a small ripple in this big world. That was my ultimate goal. It was also a way to express stressful or difficult situations by reflecting on them. Most of the time I found a way to add humor and positivity to the experiences, giving myself strength and new energy. 

When I became a mom I found less time to write consistently. Motherhood changed me in so many ways. If you're a parent you understand the list is very long. Motherhood wasn’t the reason I quit writing. Actually, I continued to write about motherhood and my family for many years after Edee was born. My focus changed slightly with this new role as a Mom. I wanted to reach other moms who might be going through similar things, share how I cope, and to also show other Moms they aren't alone. At this stage in life I just wasn’t writing as often.

When I started my career, 10 years ago in October, my blog took a back seat. I blogged here and there but focusing on my family, my job, plus a hobby-turned-business was more than a full plate for me. My creative outlet, self care, therapy at this time became crocheting and graphic design. If there's one thing you should know about me it's that having a creative outlet is fuel for my soul. 

But, confession time…

I stopped blogging. I realized at some point I lost track of why I started blogging. All of a sudden I was logging on just to see how many views my blog post received. When my views were high I was excited and inspired to write more. When they were low, I was sad and analyzed why a blog didn't get seen. I questioned if I was good enough to be writing a blog.

Right around this time my blog started generating money. Just pennies here and there but it quickly became my focal point. I was more interested in trying to make money off views. A little extra cash is nice but far from my why. When I realized this, I knew I had to take a step back. Stepping back from doing something I enjoyed left a gap. I wasn't writing for my own benefit anymore.

All along I should’ve been logging on to share my story because that’s what was most important to me. I just got lost along the way.  

Fast forward to today.

One of the most rewarding things I find now is that I have all my writing to look back on and eventually share with my daughters. Future generations can read my stories, new Moms can find a good laugh and maybe even find optimism from my humor. My journey will always be there. This is one of the many reasons I couldn't fully let go of writing.

Do I regret not continuing to write my blog consistently? Not at all! I made space for other things like camping, paddle boarding, seeing lighthouses in Michigan, selling handmade items in 5 stores, reading, raising an energetic and loving daughter, growing my relationship with my husband, growing my career and investing in myself. Plus so much more… 

Now that I’ve determined how to combine all of my interests into one space and have refocused on my why, I am reinvigorated and excited. I am ready to continue writing not just for myself, but for others, too. I have the same goal in mind, but bigger! I hope you stick around to see what Booked In Michigan is all about.

Karlee