3 Tips to Stop Holiday Hosting Stress Before It Starts

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Hey there, and welcome to Mealtime Magic and Mayhem, the podcast that's all about embracing the crazy, messy, and downright chaotic side of family dinners.

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I'm Tricia, your mealtime mentor and kitchen witch.

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And let's get one thing straight.

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This is not your typical how to have a perfect family dinner kind of show.

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Because honestly, family dinners are rarely perfect.

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They're loud, they're messy, and half the time, someone's crying.

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And it's not always the kids.

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But you know what?

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That's exactly where the magic lives.

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It's in the burnt toast, the last minute takeout, and the nights when you're eating cereal off paper plates.

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Because it's just life.

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It's not chasing some Pinterest worthy mealtime fantasy.

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It's about reclaiming the table for what it really is.

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A chance to connect, laugh, and maybe spill a little wine along the way.

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In each episode, we're diving into the nitty gritty of what it means to juggle all the things dinner, kids, work, maybe your own business.

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And trying not to lose your damn mind.

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We'll be talking about turning those daily struggles into connection points and finding joy in the mayhem.

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You'll hear from some badass guests, moms, coaches, experts who know what it's like to be in the thick of it.

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And they're not afraid to spill their own tea on mealtime disasters.

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And I'll be right there sharing my truth, my snark, my sarcasm, and probably an embarrassing kitchen story or two.

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So whether you're hiding in the pantry for a minute of peace, trying to figure out what's for dinner, or just here for a little company, you're in the right place.

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Let's laugh at the chaos, find the magic, and remind ourselves that mealtime doesn't have to be perfect to be special.

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Welcome to Mealtime Magic and Mayhem, where the mess is part of the magic and every meal is a new chance to connect or at least survive with your sanity intact.

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Hey there, friends.

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Welcome back.

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This is where we make life's most meaningful moments feel a whole lot easier and more magical.

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Today, we're going to talk about something that so many of us face this time of year.

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Holiday hosting stress.

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You know the feeling, right?

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The endless to do list, the juggling of family expectations, the hopping from house to house, the buying presents for everyone, and the sheer panic that hits when you realize you forgot the rolls in the oven again.

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So here's the good news.

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It doesn't have to be this way.

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And I'm here to show you how to stop the holiday hosting stress before it even gets started so you can actually enjoy the season and create those cozy, connected moments that you've been dreaming about.

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So are you ready?

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I mean, the holiday struggle is real.

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I mean, let's be honest, during the holidays it can feel like a full time job.

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And when you're working and managing kids and school and getting ready for Christmas break and all of the things.

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We haven't even hit Thanksgiving yet.

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But from the planning the menu and decorating to navigating those family dynamics, it's a hell of a lot.

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So maybe you're staying up late scrolling Pinterest, trying to find that perfect centerpiece idea.

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Maybe it's trying to find the perfect menu or frantically googling easy holiday meals for 12.

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Or maybe it's even easy holiday meals for four.

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Maybe you're cooking for a small family and that brings its own set of stress if you're used to the expectation of a huge feast and spread, right?

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But if you're like most of us, by the time the big day rolls around, you're so exhausted and stressed that you barely even enjoy it and you really just want to get it over with.

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Does all this sound familiar?

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And if it does, don't worry, because you're not alone.

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This is exactly why I created Marian Bright, the ultimate holiday magic experience.

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But we're going to talk about more of that later.

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For now, let's just talk about why this stress happens and how can we get ahead of it.

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So I'm going to give you the three biggest causes of that stress.

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When you're hosting a holiday get together, it usually boils down to three main things.

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A lack of planning.

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You're trying to get everything done the last minute, which makes it feel incredibly overwhelming.

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When you don't have that clear plan, it's so easy to forget important details or waste time on things that don't actually matter.

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And you know, if you have a neurodivergent brain like myself, you get sidetracked with something and hyper focused and getting OCD about the little things that don't matter.

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And then forget about important details like rolls in the oven or the perfect napkins fold or I mean, fill in the blanks.

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It could be so many different things.

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So it's really important to have a clear plan.

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And that can be an incredibly simple plan.

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We don't have to make this incredibly complicated.

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With 5,000 to DOS and the perfectly folded napkin.

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Get out some paper napkins.

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It's just about having your timeline laid out and having A plan ahead of time.

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The second is family dynamics.

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Every family has its quirks, and navigating them during the holidays can just be, like, tricky.

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So tricky.

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So whether it's managing picky Eaters, it's Uncle Bob's disparaging comments, juggling different opinions, or dealing with Aunt Susan's unsolicited advice, it can really take a toll and add some serious weight to a holiday gathering.

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This is where I bring in human design.

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And if you're familiar with human design, there's so many ways we can use it beyond business.

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The third is the pressure to be perfect.

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We put so much pressure on ourselves to make everything perfect, but if we really look at it and if we're honest with ourselves, perfection.

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One doesn't exist, and it's incredibly overrated.

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And it's usually what leads to burnout.

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I mean, I don't know how many times you hear, oh, you just look like you have it all together.

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I promise you, none of us do.

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None of us have it all together.

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None of us are perfect.

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So I want to know if any of this resonates with you, and if it does, leave me a comment, send me a message.

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But.

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And if it does, here's what else you need to know.

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It's possible to flip the script and make holiday hosting not only manageable, but enjoyable and create those real, family, memorable, magical moments that everybody remembers for years to come.

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So, next up, I'm going to share some strategies with you.

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Here are three simple strategies you can start using today to make this holiday season feel so much easier.

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1.

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I want you to get ahead with a solid plan.

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I want you to start with the end in mind.

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I want you to ask yourself, what do I want this holiday to feel like?

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How do I want to feel when it's done?

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How do I want to feel the day of not?

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What is everybody expecting?

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What does everybody want to see?

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What is the perfect decor theme?

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Now we can get into decor and everybody wants to decorate for Christmas, and I'm all for it.

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I love to decorate for Christmas, but what does that need to look like for you?

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So we really want to create a roadmap that aligns with that vision, breaking those tasks into smaller, manageable steps.

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Think menus, shopping lists, timelines.

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You can use tools like my AI Kitchen Witch to plan meals, create shopping lists, and even set day of reminders using some other great tools I can introduce you to.

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They're game changers.

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The second tip is leveraging human design to create that harmony with your family.

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This one's a little unconventional, but it can be oh so effective by understanding what your family's human design charts look like, how they're wired energetically so you can anticipate the challenges and create an environment that works for everyone you want to talk about.

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Powerful.

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For example, maybe you have a child or a spouse who thrives on structure and another who really craves freedom and flexibility.

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You can plan accordingly to reduce the tension and foster that connection.

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There are ways to do that and there are ways to make it simple and fun.

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Sometimes it's just letting them know what to be prepared for so that they're not surprised.

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Or for that one that needs freedom.

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Maybe it's giving them just a little hint of what's to come and then letting them help you create that flexibility.

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Number three Focus on connection, not perfection.

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Instead of obsessing over every detail, focus.

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On what really matters.

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Take yourself back to that what do I want to feel?

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What do I want everyone else to feel?

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Focused.

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Focus on what really matters and create moments of connection.

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Whether that's sitting down together for a meal, playing a silly game, maybe simply sharing stories.

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Those are the things that your family will remember, not whether the napkins match the tablecloths or whether you had the perfect gift for every person there.

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In fact, I strongly recommend give up the gift giving for everyone there and let's try some other strategies like a white elephant gift or drawing names to take the pressure and the financial load off of everyone so that they can show up differently.

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I hope these tips help you start thinking about your holidays differently, but if you're ready to take it to the next level, I'd love to invite you to check out the Merry and Bright program, the ultimate holiday Magic experience.

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It's really a 30 day program designed to help you host with confidence using tools like the AI Kitchen Witch Companion.

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It's here to help you navigate those family dynamics with human design readings to really help you determine what that roadmap should look like and help you understand those dynamics and what may be causing friction.

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It's also here to help you create a step by step plan that takes the stress out of every detail.

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From the food to the shopping to the decor to the actual gathering activities.

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And here's the best part.

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You can start with a free quiz that helps you uncover your unique hosting style and identify your superpowers and what's holding you back so you can grab that link below.

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But whether you're feeling overwhelmed or just want to make this year super extra special, Marian Bright has everything you need to create a holiday season that you and your loved ones will cherish forever.

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And that's really what it's about is those memorable moments.

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Think about the moments you remember from childhood.

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What made them really, really special.

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I want to thank you so much for tuning in today.

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Remember, the holidays are meant to be joyful, not stressful.

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And with a little planning and the right tools they can be.

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And if you love this episode, please share it with a friend who might need some holiday hosting help.

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And don't forget to hit subscribe so that you never miss another one.

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I'll see you next time.

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And here is to your most magical, connected and stress free holiday ever.

Tricia: 00:10:37

That's it for today's episode of Mealtime Magic and Mayhem.

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If you're ready to jump in, maybe dive a little deeper and take control of your mealtime madness.

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I've got something special for you.

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I want you to check out the.

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Meal Planning your Way masterclass designed to help you simplify your dinners, your meal plans and connect with your family even on the busiest of nights.

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Whether it is meal planning, just knowing what to cook for dinner, or just setting aside the time, the Meal Planning masterclass is going to help you create a meal planning routine your way, personalized for you in a way that works with your lifestyle.

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It's free and all you have to do is go to trishasbytesoflife.com mealplanningyourway to download the masterclass and get your free workbook.

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It also comes with a notion, recipe database and meal planner, so check it out, download it and I can't wait to hear what you think.

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Thanks for joining me and I'll see you in the next episode.