The Mom Flow: A Holiday Checklist That Won’t Break Your Brain (Promise)

Welcome to The Mom Flow, where I share things that are on my mind in the hopes of helping you connect to your Mom Flow. Thanks for being here! —Erin Sousa

We are about to head into the Superbowl of motherhood… the holiday season.

DUN DUN DUNNN!

I thought it might be fun to share with you what I plan for when it comes to the holiday season.

But first, let me explain a bit and let’s get on the same page…

I remember feeling so flipping strung out last year because as Lola gets older, there is simply ‘more to do’. People will say “just keep it simple” buuuut you know that won’t be the case for me. My mom made the holidays magical, so I plan to do the same. Here’s the thing though… I do not want it to be all about stuff. Sure, we will buy gifts, enjoy seeing her open them etc., but I want to create warm fuzzies – for instance, for the closest friends/fam in my life, I bake and wrap my moms Cinnamon Swirl Loaf (IYKYK, it’s actually the best thing you might ever eat).

The holidays can feel like a full-time job when you’re a mom – the traditions, the events, the baking, the gifting… it adds up fast. Every year I remind myself that preparation is what gives me the space to actually enjoy the season instead of sprinting through it. So I make a little plan, a few early lists, and get my “big pieces” in place before December hits. It doesn’t have to be perfect or Pinterest-y – just thoughtful enough that I’m not scrambling when things get busy and the real rush starts.

The holidays aren’t meant to be a marathon of buying, running around, or performing. And moms? We become strictly ‘the magic makers’. Dare I say, the magic we feel comes from making that magic, but also from not being so exhausted we resent it or dread it. So as you work through this checklist, think of it as creating room for joy, not pressure. Prep the things that make the season feel magical for you and your family, and let the rest fall away.

This year, we’re choosing ease over excess, presence over perfection, and memories over “more.”

Oh, and while we are here, Black Friday means we get very swept up in possibly buying what we don’t need. I’m guilty of it too… but I just did something very different this year! I got a promo email from one of our faaaave (fave meaning we went there to have dinner once and swore we would stay there one day) Palm Springs hotels for 30% off and snapped up an April getaway for suuuuch a stellar deal (fun fact: I just checked the rates a few days ago on a rather soggy and chilly Vancouver day and they were much higher than I would have booked at!). So, experiences are really a priority for me!

There’s more! Keep reading this week’s edition of The Mom Flow by Erin Sousa; subscribe for free to receive new posts and support her work, here!