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With a week to go to Christmas Day, it seems that any notion of healthy eating has well and truly gone out of the window! We seem to be in an endless cycle of Christmas celebrations as various groups and activities end for the Christmas and New Year break and I feel like we have eaten more biscuits this last week than we have the rest of the year combined!
The children are enjoying it, of course, and it’s nice to have such a wide circle of friends to mark the occasion within such a fun way.
Keen not to make it all about the children though, I have managed to have not one but two, yes two, ‘mums’ Christmas meals! It’s hard to find the time to spend with friends, but it’s so worthwhile doing so. Here are my tips for making a mums night out a successful night!
Sort your date early
Get the dates in the diary early! I decided to host a mince pies and mulled wine evening at the weekend. I have the date in the diaries in October time. Yes, it felt early but the number of friends who already had commitments was amazing! In the end fi,ve friends came round and it was a lovely evening. I did some snacks and we shared a glass of wine and shared stories. It was a lovely informal evening and I hope my friends enjoyed it as much as me.
Another friend also arranged a mums meal out. We have a fabulous restaurant locally that is always excellent as well as being very well priced. We arranged a mid-week meal there which meant that a different range of friends could come along.
Take the time to prepare
It’s easy to just through on a pair of jeans and run a brush through the hair when you’re a busy parent, but for one night of the year, make time to look after yourself. I don’t have many excuses to get dressed up and wear a new dress so my Christmas evening out with friends is that excuse. Get your nails done, head for a massage or treat yourself to a hair cut. If you’re feeling particularly generous then go for a whole new look with some hair extensions which should last through the Christmas period.
Taking a bit of time for yourself and indulging in a bit of pampering does the world of good and sets you up for a lovely night ahead.
Don’t worry about over-indulging
Everything in moderation, and as long as you’re not racking up huge enormous debts, then a bit of overindulgence is fine. We have eaten more junk foods than normal this last week, and I’m sure that will continue next week too. But come the new year things will be back into a routine. My children and I won’t remember the number of miles I ran in December, but we will remember the evenings we had with friends, the night we sang Christmas carols and the parties we enjoyed.
Enjoy the spirit of gifting at Christmas
Christmas is a time when I always amazed at the generosity of my friends and family. We have friends who willingly and happily open their homes up for us to share in festivities with them and other families. Family who help out with the children and let me have a day or two trying to get on top of the many tasks. Enjoy the season and if buying gifts, do so with the spirit of joy at its heart. I always try to choose gifts that the intended recipient might enjoy. Be aware of hobbies and interests and buy gifts that suit those. I try and listen out to things that have been mentioned over the year, as well as having a peruse through Instagram posts to try and get a feel for recent interests and likes. It’s always nice when a cousin or niece is presented with a gift like a magic ponytail hair extension that you heard them talking about with a friend, or you gift that book that someone told you they were keen to read. There’s no better feeling than knowing you got a gift right.
