Well 2017 is drawing to a speedy close and I must say it’s been one of the fastest but most fulfilling years I’ve had and I’m thankful for opportunities that have been presented to me as well as ones I have created for myself. I am looking forward to what 2018 will bring and the like-minded people who will be around me to share my vision, be part of an exciting team and to make goals a reality for them too.

Although every body is driving and shopping like an asteroid is plummeting towards Earth at this time of year, it should be time to take a bit of a breather. The holiday season is a wonderful time to be around family and friends and be grateful for those we have around us to help us through all the ups and downs life brings. However, it can be high pressure, expensive and very busy too so it’s important to gain some perspective at this time of year to make it through without curling up into the foetal position under the Christmas tree with your thumb in your mouth.

Please don’t get me wrong; it’s not all ‘beer and skittles’ in my world all of the time either. I can relate to so many aspects of the movie ‘Bad Moms 2’ on so many levels….. We are a blended family of eight plus I have my Mum and Dad, two sets of step-parents, a mother and father in-law and an ex-mother and father in-law, which can be a logistical nightmare at Christmas time to make arrangements, just so that the children can all be spoilt rotten in one go in a frenzy of paper ripping and chocolate coins for breakfast.

I used to put so much pressure on myself to create the perfect Christmas lunch with all the trimmings and made sure my table looked like a spread from the latest Taste Magazine because of course, everyone else would notice the finer details …(not likely). I used to get so anxious about it being perfect, totally stress myself out and spend so much time planning and literally standing over a hot stove for hours on end, I ended up totally exhausted and dreading Christmas by the end of it. I recall one year I stayed up until 1.30am watching a pot boil with a home-made Christmas pudding in it that I’d started way too late at night and spent so much money on ingredients, there was no way I was going to let that baby fail. Admittedly, it was absolutely delicious and appreciated at the time but it was a lot of hours of my life I’ll never get back and now I know I can buy one for about a third of the price and stress level of what my ingredients cost!

I have really learnt to readjust what the most important thing is to me and instead of thinking about the financial drain of having such a big family and the logistics and politics associated with extended family, I have tried to switch my attitude towards recognising how lucky we all are to have so many people around us to share life with and provide positive influences for my children. I have started to buy back my own time where it counts and made lots of changes, along with sacrifices, to enjoy the things that matter the most. I understand why some families have an easy barbecue lunch instead of fancy turkeys and hams and I know how lucky I am to be in a country where we have it all at our finger tips when some are struggling to get one meal every day. I try not beat myself up about the odd indulgence over Christmas because I’m only human after all, and the key is enjoying everything in moderation using the 80 healthy/20 sometimes food or drink, rule of thumb. There’s always tomorrow to get back on track.

The holidays are a great time to get out and about with your families, enjoy some sun and activity and start thinking about what it is you’d like to create for yourself in 2018.

Thanks for your support this year. Have a safe, happy and most importantly, fun Christmas.

Cheers, Christie xoxo