137 | How to host a simple holiday party without sacrificing your sanity

I used to have this bad habit of over planning, over spending, and over extending myself for every single family gathering. I'd spend days obsessing over the menu, the guest list, the gifts, and worst of all - cleaning every hidden area of my home that no one visiting had any business even seeing. I'm telling you this because I get a sense that maybe you're getting a little stressed out and worked up over the upcoming holidays and I have a lot to say about that in today's episode on Meant to Bloom. I knew something had to change about the way I was handling the hosting season when I found myself crying in my bedroom during a party, yet again, while a successful event was happening outside my door. I'd done everything I needed to do, I'd planned right, the guest had shown up, the house was clean and decorated, but I couldn't hold it together long enough to finish cooking dinner all by myself. I left my husband in charge of the kitchen and took a much needed break, but I knew this was sustainable. I'd thrown a great family party but I knew I never wanted to feel that way again. I learned more about myself - I'm an introvert - which I've known for a very long time, but I didn't know exactly what that meant. I thought for too long it meant I didn't like people, or preferred to be alone. I learned too late in my life that it simply meant I needed to take time alone to recharge so that I could fully enjoy the company of others. I long for those missed opportunities in my younger years. There's a great importance to understanding yourself and accepting who you are with grace and compassion. I read a book that really inspired me to scale back what I was doing, rethink why I was doing it, and focus in on fewer tasks so I could actually do a good job and put the love I intended into it. In this book I learned to stop obsessing over covering every inch of my home in decor that went unappreciated and never gave it the classy, cozy feel I was going for. I learned to focus on home cooking fewer items and delegating the rest to other guests, my husband, or simply buying premade from the grocery deli. I learned how to make my home cozy and guest ready so I didn't have to drive myself insane the week of an event. I want to share everything I learned to hosting a simple holiday party without sacrificing your sanity here in today's episode. In this episode we’re chatting about:  🌸What I learned from Welcome Home by Myquilin Smith (aka The Nester)  🌸The mindset I’m taking into the holiday dinners I’m hosting  🌸My favorite holiday side that no one else is bringing to the party  *********************************** Next Steps:  🧡Opt in & get your free Get Started Guide : https://brittniclarkson.ck.page/meanttobloom  🧡Shop the books: www.amazon.com/author/brittniclarkson  🧡Submit a question or topic for the show: https://brittniclarkson.com/q-a-form/    🧡Buy me a coffee & keep the show going: https://brittniclarkson.ck.page/products/appreciation-jar  *********************************** More episodes you'll love:  🌸133 | Heading into a full holiday season without the hustle and bustle 🌸129 | Breaking the addiction to stress & choosing to live mindfully 🌸110 | When your home needs a reset, but you're too overwhelmed to stay focused 🍎review on Apple​ | 🟢​ subscribe on Spotify ​ | 🕸️​listen on the web  ***********************************