If I wasn’t a blogger, would the holidays still be as stressful? If I didn’t wake up every morning with a list of posts I need to write, reviews and giveaways and unanswered emails and sponsored posts that pay the bills, all swirling around in my head, if I didn’t wake up every morning thinking about all of that, would I still be stressed out just because it’s the holidays?
Probably.
I don’t even know what I want any more. I love blogging. I love the opportunities it brings me, the people I get to meet both virtually and in real life, the new products I get to review, the giveaway opportunities that bring me new readers. I just wish I could organize it all better, integrate it better into my family life.
Today is Nathan’s 12th birthday. I bought his presents, but I didn’t wrap them, didn’t buy him a card or order a cake.
I haven’t addressed or sent out a single Christmas card. Or wrapped a single gift. At least they are all purchased though.
Gah. I’m just a ball of stress today.
How are all of you holding up?
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Twitter: taylordates
says:
I think it’s very important to be stress free as much as possible and put all love and heart into my family. As much as I love to blog and communicate with people, some days can be put on hold so that I don’t overwhelm myself because if you blog, your a crazy internet person…..and the one thing i’ve learned is that nothing is more important than my kids and making them happy….some days it feels like it takes 10 hours to put a post together because i’m constantly taking breaks to attend to their needs…so i’ve learned how to whip a post in a matter of minutes…it’s just the proof reading and stuff that gets me…i have to have everything perfectly neat or i get crazy…haha
wishing him a happy birthday…go take a break and enjoy:)
Vic recently posted..Gingerbread Men and Reindeer Poop
Twitter: Table4Five
says:
Thanks for the reply, Vic! I know just what you mean about it feeling some days like one post takes forever to write. I feel like I “should” be able to just whip posts out right and left, but most days I’m lucky to finish one!
Twitter: momfiles
says:
Elizabeth, I see that there is a trend with bloggers and stress most especially during the holiday season. Although I am no where near the big blogger like you are I have had to manage my life so that the online world would not run me ragged. Stress is a killer and sometimes we just have to pull away for a bit to re-evaluate and relax. It is okay to say no sometimes! I took a vow earlier this year to not allow myself to get overwhelmed or stressed and I stuck to it! I am 37 but I feel more like 25. At the end of the day I want to know that I am the very best wife and mother and not so sick and stressed that I no good to my family.
I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a peaceful and prosperous New Year! Take a break and enjoy yourself!!!
Sheliza recently posted..So much for a break
take a deep breath and relax!!! and know that probably half the moms on earth feel this way this time of year~not just the bloggers!
every year , no matter how early I start getting ready, I tell myself that THIS is the year that I will have the kind of Christmas that you see on tv shows and in magazines and movies~~~you know the ones I mean…where everything is perfectly decorated, the gifts are wrapped beautifully, every room in the house is clean, my hair and make-up is perfect and I am completely organized——
and every year I wind up like I am today~~wondering where the heck the time went that I’m not able to accomplish that picture-perfect Christmas yet again !!!!
I got to the point where I know that what gets done gets done, and what doesn’t will have to wait-or we do without—-or do things differently. Every year circumstances are different and I just learn to go with the flow. Christmas is going to be here whether I am ready or not so I want-for my family’s sake-to just make the best of what comes our way.
Don’t be hard on yourself—you’re a great blogger and the ones who are here to read what you have to talk about understand that having a family comes first, and being with them is what the holidays are all about~~~so relax and enjoy this time WITH your family!!!!!
Happy Holidays to you and them!
Twitter: Announcingit
says:
I feel the same way! I run my own business, website, twitter, facebook, blog… the list grows and grows. When I read your “I’m a ball of stress” it reminded me of a funny blurb on the radio I heard as I was leaving the office last night in the pouring rain to go home and work some more – “Stressed is just desserts spelled backwards.” I laughed out loud and could have easily then been in tears. Where does the time go when we do so much? I hope I can relax enough to enjoy at least Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, then back to the grindstone.
P.S. I should have you do a product review and giveaway for me from http://www.announcingit.com but can we please wait until after the holidays?
Jeanette recently posted..We Showed You our Invitations- Now Show us Your Party!
Breathe…Laugh…Repeat…
Merry Christmas !!
KINGOFNEWYORKHACKS recently posted..King of New York Hacks and The Christmas Story
Twitter: steve_wlw
says:
Hey Elizabeth,
I totally hear you on the organizational thing, I work full time and blog/build websites and trying to get everything done is so stressful, add 2 kids under 8 to that and a wife who thinks I spend too much time on the computer!!!. Most days are hectic and stressful, but I found a way to make it all work.
I limit my online time to 2 hours per session 3 days a week, no more. If something doesn’t get completed in those 2 hours I just walk away and finish it next time. The work, blog posts, reviews and emails will be there when you get back. Prioritize the most important tasks help you reach your goals and forget the rest.
Those are my thoughts anyway,
With regards to Christmas Stress, I am very lucky that I have an amazing wife that takes care of all the gift buying. She is awesome at it (it helps that she isn’t a blogger so she has a bit more free time).
I only have 1 person to buy for (her) and I always seem to screw that up. I’m just grateful to whoever came up with the idea for gift receipts
Merry Christmas!,
Steve
Steve Markham recently posted..Purina Coupons
I agree with your summation of “probably.” I’ve got a fair amount on my plate, just not blog/giveaway/review related (no way in hell could I do that, I need those 4 hours of sleep a night!). The holidays were stressful here, for various reasons, but I’m hoping 2011 will usher in more calm in the house.
Twitter: erenmckay
says:
Hi Elizabeth,
Christmas always loads on all of the responsibilities. This year I had no time on Christmas week to even blog and I was fine with it. Do the best you can with what you have and let everything else go – that’s my motto. If we try to keep everything perfect we will only drive ourselves into a stressful craze. I have 3 boys and the responsibilities just mounted up. I had planned to do a lot of things with them for Christmas but when the time came to play the games, I could hardly keep my eyes open. So I decided that I’ll have a continuation of Christmas in the end of January when I’ve had more time to plan it all. My middle son’s birthday was on December 22 ( day after yours!) – he turned 12 too and I told him that I would prefer that we went to a restaurant this year rather than having a big party simply because I was swamped. He loved the idea and that saved me a lot of planning time.
Happy New Year!
All the best,
Eren
Eren Mckay recently posted..Personalise ladybug invitations