[Holiday Voices] What I'm Doing Different This Year With Deb Lee

This episode is part of Holiday Voices—a special Real Happy Mom podcast series filled with quick holiday tips, uplifting stories, and real-life traditions from moms who get it.

Whether you're a working mom trying to simplify the season, or just looking for ways to reduce holiday stress and be more present, these short episodes are packed with encouragement and ideas you can actually use.

Find all the episodes, links to guest freebies, and more at realhappymom.com/voices

Transcript

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You are tuned in to The Real Happy Mom podcast. I'm Toni-Ann, and this is Holiday Voices. This is a special series where moms share quick tips and meaningful moments to help you trade chaos for calm and make this season a little more like you. So let's jump into today's voice. Hey there, I'm Deb from Maryland. I am a digital productivity coach by day, but today I'm showing up as a human trying to navigate the holidays with just a tiny bit more peace. So, uh, the thing is, I am not a huge holiday person. Yes, I said that out loud. The holidays are just not for me. But, you know, there were humans in my life who just. Adore the holidays. They love the holidays. So I show up and I help because I want them to be happy and I love seeing them happy and enjoy life. I just wanna stay away from the pressure cooker of expectations that come with the season. So a couple years ago, part of my crew decided to do their own thing for the holidays, and honestly, that was kinda tricky. Sort of stung a bit and created a little bit of hard feelings, um, perhaps more on my part. And this year there's even more change. One of the matriarchs is heading off on a European adventure. So great for her, but you know. More change. And in the past I might have tried to keep things the same or try to hold everything together, but this year I am trying to do things differently. I'm really trying to lean into the change. Instead of fighting it, I'm really open to new things, like maybe skipping the whole traditional holiday menu or even pre-ordering some things so that there isn't this bouncing around in the kitchen. And honestly, I don't love when anyone else is in the kitchen when I'm cooking anyway, so, you know, there's that. Uh, so intuitively I know that change doesn't always have to be bad. Sometimes it's just an open door, an invitation to create something new, a new tradition, or to just chill and rest instead of rushing. So if the holidays look a little different for you this year too, maybe you don't have to fix it. Maybe you could just go with it. I know this sounds like a tip for you, but it's really also a big reminder for me and one that I need to keep tucked in the front of my head, especially since I'm a Type A girl and I like to be in, in control of all the things. So less control, less pressure, and more calm, more peace. So yeah, that's what I'm doing differently this year. And honestly, I really am curious to see how things will shake out. That's it for this one. It is short, sweet, and straight from the heart. And if you're loving the series, make sure you follow the show or subscribe so that you don't miss what's coming next. I'll be back again tomorrow with another one of these holiday voices. Until then, take care and with thoughts of love.