Stick a broom out there and call it a day!

It’s October and it’s beautiful and everyone can finally put out the pumpkins, drink fall spiced lattes, and start celebrating the final few months of the year. The weather is getting colder and we have a stronger desire to snuggle up and spend more time in the warmth of friends and family.

BUT … this is not a post about pumpkin spiced lattes although this IS my favorite season.

There’s a tangible stress that comes with the close of a year, as time seems to gain momentum. The pressure to compete and get everything done is overwhelming and emotionally exhausting.

I feel this especially as a single parent to a young child with a New Year’s Eve birthday. As soon as fall arrives she starts talking about Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and her birthday and suddenly my mind is spinning and I feel a sense of overwhelm and it’s only October.

Considering my daughter’s excitement, I thought we would go out and get some stuff to decorate the front door with some festive decor, but when I saw the cost of the cute little decorative bales of hay and corn stalk bundles, I almost died on principal alone.

I was probably channeling my mother considering we grew up on a farm and had fields full of this stuff and our holiday decorations were handmade, but there was no need to compete or compare ourselves because social media didn't exist and holidays weren't the ridiculous profit-making movement they are today. 

After talking with my girlfriend about it, she sent me the above photo with the caption, “Stick a broom out there and call it a day!” I literally laughed out loud. I mean, seriously, right?! 

Social media is full of photos of the perfect Pinterest front entry with elevated displays of inspiring holiday decor and interior images of stunning homes with curated moments of matching dinnerware, festive place settings, and striking seasonal centerpieces.
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If that's you, congratulations! I admire your zest and enthusiasm and love the sense of joy it invokes. If that is not you or the thought of it feels overwhelming because you don't have the natural gift of design or have the time or the resources to get it done, then don't. We shouldn't be killing ourselves and feeling so depleted by the time the new year rolls around.

​There are ways to minimize the stress and simplify so that you can have more peace of mind and enjoy the end of the year. Our health is way too important to kill ourselves trying to look "holiday" perfect on social media. Just enjoy your life. And if you feel like you have to do something, then just stick a broom out there and call it a day!

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