When you feel the pressure to do, make, or be something this holiday season, pause and ask yourself three questions. Does this TRULY matter to me? Is the PROCESS joyful or meaningful (or is it that others make the product look so easy)? And–a big one–what if I DON’T? In Episode 290 Meagan and Sarah offer gut-checks on some of the biggest pressures moms feel during the holiday season–from magazine-worthy living rooms to the mental load of shopping for (and giving gift ideas to) a large extended family–and offer concrete tips for releasing yourself from expectations of perfection in pursuit of a peaceful season. Join us, friends!

As always, our holiday episodes often make brief mention of magical night visitors. If you have curious ears about, you’ve been warned!

Sponsor Spotlight: StoryWorth

Telling family stories is a huge part of the culture in both Meagan’s and Sarah’s families, so we are loving what StoryWorth does to help families preserve and share their stories. When you gift a subscription your family member receives weekly emails with questions to prompt a memory of a story, and at the end of the year their stories are bound into a beautiful book. To save $10 off your first purchase visit storyworth.com/themomhour.

Sponsor Spotlight: Annie’s Kit Clubs

Annie’s Kit Clubs are a selection of 13 fun crafting subscription boxes. . From woodworking to beading, knitting to card-making, Annie’s has just the project for you. When you join one of Annie’s Kit Clubs, ready-to-go craft kits are mailed straight to your home on a regular basis—no prep work required. Go to THEMOMHOUR.COM/ANNIES to find three special offers for kit clubs we love, including the Young Woodworkers Club we featured in today’s episode.

Sponsor Spotlight: Athletic Greens

Athletic Greens is a delicious blend of 75 superfoods, vitamins, minerals, probiotics and more. Every ingredient is sourced for the highest quality and efficacy. For a FREE 1 year supply of Vitamin D AND 5 free travel packs with your first purchase, visit AthleticGreens.com/MOMHOUR.

Partner Spotlight: Parenting in Place

Parenting in Place is a live parenting masterclass series featuring parenting experts, therapists, authors, educators, and neuroscientists who’ve come together to share their very best strategies and ideas for thriving through this fall and winter. Go to themomhour.com/parentinginplace to sign up for 8 weeks of parenting help for just $49.

Links we mentioned (or should have) in this episode:
The “What if I don’t?” question comes from Sarah’s conversation with Whitney Hawthorne in our November Voices episode
Meagan talked about her interview with Ashley Brown for December’s Voices episode
Join our special Facebook Community for The Mom Hour Listeners (make sure to answer the questions to be approved!)
Be sure to check out our blog, where Meagan is doing a 25 day holiday pep talk
Past episodes that are similar in tone to this one:
December Intentions For Busy Moms
Moms Deserve A Magical Holiday, Too