As the Holidays get closer, we begin to prep for all the family visits. Some of us have the whole family at our homes. Maybe we go to a relative’s home. There are some of us just stay home and chill. All are great, but prep should be done no matter which way you spend the Holidays so you have time to relax and actually enjoy them.
The only consistent thing is change
This year will be different for us. My daughter is in California. Her husband is deployed. She will not be coming home to Pa for the Holidays. I am in San Diego now visiting her, but it just won’t be the same. Christmas morning will be different. She is waiting for him to come home to do Christmas so he can see the baby open his gifts since it will be his first Christmas.
No matter what our idea of tradition and what Christmas or even Thanksgiving should be, sometimes it doesn’t all play out the way we want to.
Once our kids get married, then the question of who’s house do they spend each Holiday with, comes into play. We all want stress free, but it rarely is. Why is that?
I think most of the time we set our expectations too high for these family visits and we don’t properly prepare.
Tips to make it go smoother
If you are hosting the family visits this year, there are some things you can do to make it easier on yourself once the family starts rolling in;
- Lets start thinking of some of our favorite crockpot meals. Start gathering and chopping the ingredients now. Stick them in the freezer. When it’s time to cook, just dump them in the crockpot and walk away. There’s no reason you should be chained to the kitchen. You should be enjoying your family!
- Let’s set realistic expectations. If you know that cousin Joe and Aunt Lisa are both heavy into politics, but on opposite sides, make a rule, no political discussions. It can make for some very awkward moments at the dinner table. If you know that Judy is late ALL THE TIME, leave a place and start without her. You should not have to stress about whether the food is cold because she couldn’t be bothered to be there on time.
- Prep for breakfast. If you want to make a huge family breakfast, that’s great! Do it up! If you want to sit around drinking coffee, watching the family open gifts, then do that. My family isn’t really a breakfast family. We usually open gifts then have a light brunch. I buy ham steaks during the year when they go on sale. I make fresh whipped cream Christmas morning. We do a fruit tray with whipped cream and slices of ham. You can easily do egg muffins. Have all the ingredients chopped up the night before, pop them in the oven for 20 minutes and you’re good to go! The pumpkin roll bar on my website is also a great addition to a brunch and can be made ahead!
- Dealing with different dietary restrictions can be tough. There’s always that one guy who has to be different (yes, I’m totally pointing at my keto self here!) I’m sure by now you know in advance who they are and what their restrictions are, whether it’s vegan, diabetic, keto or whatever, have one or two good choices for them. Most cases, they do come prepared for “just in case” situations. I do anyway. Again, prepare ahead. If they are local, ask them to bring a dish that they can eat. If they are not local, ask them to send you their favorite recipe for a side dish. Or ask them to help you prepare it once they get to your home. Preparation is key!
- Have quick lunch ideas. Again, you don’t want to be tied to the kitchen all day, so stock up on plenty of choices for some quick lunches. Have a salad ready. Hard boiled eggs, Tuna. Cheese already cubed up. Pepperoni. Sliced meats. Dip and veggies. Many of these can be eaten no matter what the dietary restrictions are.
Prep and then enjoy!
The key to all of it is to be prepared. Prep and plan as much as you can. After that, just sit back and enjoy your family. Don’t get upset when something doesn’t go according to plan. Just roll with it.
If you need some accountability during the Holiday season, check out my 31 Days of Accountability! This starts December 1 and is perfect for those that do better when they have to report back to someoen daily.
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