My daughter Anna (age 5) on Christmas Eve 2002, getting ready to participate in a Nativity re-enactment.
I am going to admit a little something to you today.
Sometimes I get a big fat pit in the bottom of my stomach when I can see another Christmas season rolling into view. It’s not that I don’t love holiday cheer. I do! I really do! But sometimes I assign myself a few too many holiday projects of wonder, and by the time the jolly day arrives I am down right exhausted, frazzled and full of grinch-itus.
One year, when my oldest three kids were just tiny I decided to tackle several DIY projects as gifts. On my to do list where…1) Re-finish and paint a wooded doll house as a gift for my then 4-year-old daughter Anna, complete with homemade curtains, linens, bed spreads, and some doll clothes. 2) Sew matching robes and pillow cases for all my kids. 3) Make homemade caramel, fudge and toffee for all of my neighbors. 4) Make heaping plates of Cinnamon Rolls for all of my siblings and their families (I have 12, including both sides!). 5) Cross stitch a beautiful Christmas Stocking for my then 8 month old daughter Emily.
Needless to say, it was too much! What was I thinking! To top it all off, several days before Christmas MyHandsomeHusband got super sick with the flu, and wasn’t able to help me finish up the doll house, deliver goodies to neighbors, or any of the many other tasks of Christmas. With three small children to care for, the doll house half done, none of my presents wrapped, and zero plates of Cinnamon Rolls complete… I showed up at our extended families Christmas Eve party pretty worn out, and frustrated. Fortunately for me, my sweet brother and sister came home with me that night and helped me finish up the doll house and wrap all of the presents. (What would a girl like me do without brothers and sisters!)
I’ve learned a few things since then. The most important being…keep it simple. Sometimes we women try to complicate life by making things Super Spectacular and Grand, and then feel “less than” when we can’t make it all happen. Did you know my 8 months old daughter had no idea her cross stitched stocking didn’t get hung that year! Crazy, right. 🙂 The doll house we worked hard on ended up being used by Anna to hang her frilly dress ups on. Now that I have driven this motherhood train for 16 years, when I see Christmas on the horizon and I feel that familiar pit in my stomach…I remind myself to simmer down, girl. I don’t want to get so caught up in all of the rush, that I forget to enjoy the simple, fabulous things the holidays can capture. I love snuggling with my kids next to the Christmas tree while we read a story. I love the beautiful lights shining through the snow. I love hearing MyHandsomeHusband play Christmas songs on the piano. I love the generosity that appears in so many. Keeping my Holiday plans simple, really allows me to enjoy it all so much more.
That is my advice to you.
Plain and simple.
Those of you have read my blog for a while, know that cooking spray is pretty much my best friend. I don’t know that I have ever written a recipe post with out typing the words “cooking spray” at least once within it. Truly, I couldn’t function in the kitchen without it. Not only do I use it to coat the bottom of baking dishes and pans, but I often spray it all over my hands when I am working with bread/roll dough. I also spray it on my rolling-pin, and on my counter top to help when I’m rolling out cookies.
PAM Cooking Spray is especially fabulous and works so much better than the generic brands. Did you know that it leaves up to 99% less residue than bargain brands, and has zero calories? Isn’t that great! PAM Cooking Spray is a simple, fabulous way to add ease to your holiday cooking and baking. I highly recommend it.
Below, there are links to 4 fabulous recipes from my archives that are SIMPLE to put together, but taste fabulous and will make any Holiday Breakfast or Brunch a breeze to put together. Pam Cooking Spray plays a big part in all of them. Enjoy!
This Cinnamon Roll Cake has all the flavors of Cinnamon Rolls…without all of the work. 🙂
These babies can be put together the night before you need them.
Breakfast Casserole with Potatoes, Ham, Eggs and Cheese
This savory casserole can also be made the night before you need it.
Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast with Strawberries
I am going to sound like a broken record here…but this fabulous recipe is made the night before as well.
Here’s to a super, fabulously simple holiday season, guys. 🙂 My best wishes to all of you and yours.
My daughters Anna (age 6) and Emily (18 months) and many cousins, on Christmas Eve 2003
PS…PAM Cooking Spray and BlogHer would like to give one of you wonderful readers $100 Visa Gift Card! Super nice of them, right?! To enter all you need to do is leave a comment below telling me how you keep your Christmas season simple.
Sweepstakes Rules:
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This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winner will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 11/20/13 – 12/29/13.
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559 comments
I split the cooking with the in laws which makes our holiday season a TON easier!
tweeted https://twitter.com/pittsy82/status/417354724648570880
I keep my Christmas season simple by shopping early to avoid the crowd and only inviting several people.
Tweet – https://twitter.com/amyorvin/status/417361029228531712
Do you have more great aretilcs like this one?
I do all my shopping online so I don’t have to go to the stores.
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https://twitter.com/thomasmurphy40/status/417367507360436224
I start cooking big casseroles a day early and desserts also
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
tweet
https://twitter.com/ChelleB36/status/417370030699868160
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
Nice read, I just passed this onto a frneid who was doing a little research on that. And he just bought me lunch since I found it for him smile Thus let me rephrase that: Thank you for lunch!
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I try to finish all holiday tasks a week before Christmas so I can enjoy the holiday week [email protected]
prepare as much as possible ahead of time.
I like to get all I can prepared ahead of time. The desserts I make and freeze some of them several days ahead. Thanks for having this contest.
Prepare and plan ahead of time. I like to keep a list of what I need and who and what to shop for. I also like to look online for sales.
https://twitter.com/disneyfan40/status/417389381993758720
I plan a menu and stick to it. I have a simple menu but it has all of the holiday favorites on it.
I do as much as possible ahead of time and don’t overdo things
https://twitter.com/tlcfromtn/status/417395698628173824
I make a list of what I want to do and plan what days to do them, I also make sure to not over plan
i keep the holiday season simple by remembering that it is about spending time with family, and the rest is not as important
we try not to go overboard with gifts and decorations, and try to do everything together so things aren’t so hard & we don’t want to be too stressed out over the holidays!
tweeted – https://twitter.com/steffers516/status/417415761053753344
We try to plan ahead by getting most of our shopping done before the crowds!
i keep the Christmas season simple by not taking on too many responsibilities and saying no when my schedule is full.
I have found that cookie baking isn’t a chore if you get together with a few others and do it as a “party”.
The Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast with Strawberries looks amazing. That would be a great Christmas breakfast to make with my grandchildren.
I start my Christmas shopping the year before and that way I hope is all done long before Christmas. Thanks for this awesome sweep and have a Happy New Year 🙂
Planning ahead!!
https://twitter.com/electricstar/status/417435220518764544
I keep it simple by shopping online.
Do as much as you can beforehand to make it easy on yourself.
Thanks for the contest.
I try not to stick to easy things to make
do things ahead of time
https://twitter.com/slehan/status/417445612947128320
F*ckin’ awesome isseus here. I am very happy to look your article. Thank you so much and i am looking ahead to touch you. Will you please drop me a mail?
I keep my Christmas season simple by shopping early
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https://twitter.com/bittripfan/status/417458371311054848
I get my shopping down early and get my food list for the holidays organized ahead and make sure I have everything I need ahead of time
We head to a tiny island in the Bahamas for the week of Christmas. Nothing more simple than that!
For Christmas Eve, we go out to dinner!
We make a plan and stick to it.
I keep it simple by not trying to do too much by myself 🙂 I let the kids help with whatever I’m doing and have the rest of the family pitch in too (especially with food!) 🙂
Tweeted 🙂 – https://twitter.com/Enter_Now/status/417544234086854658
Friends and family cooperate so no one has to do so much
I think it stays simple when you focus on doing everything together.
I saw your link on I saw your link on the Huffington Post page Yours is much better! I like the use of you tinlakg to camera it gives it a more personal touch. One? thing I’m trying to get into for my work is green screen video techniques. Maybe you could use this to superimpose you tinlakg about the house over photographs of the different rooms? Pointing out the uses or features the room has? Just a thought hope this was ok to message you about! Was this answer helpful?
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Excellent post.
Thanks so much for this! I love the compilation of advice from different folks, and that they all add up to a really helpful bigger picture.