The festive season is around the corner and the excitement levels of children across the land have reached fever pitch. But if you’re a parent, chances are you may not be looking forward to the holidays with quite the same amount of glee as the kids. In fact, it’s completely natural to feel completely overwhelmed by the mere thought of the looming holidays, and the present panic buying, burnt Christmas dinner and family feuds which that brings.
Luckily, there are a number of ways to ensure you and your children get through Christmas break unscathed. You might even, whisper it, enjoy the holidays. Here are a handful of investments to help ease the pressure of the festive period; our 4 IDEAL gadgets to help parents survive the Christmas holidays.
A ROBOT HOOVER
The Christmas holidays can take a toll on your upholstery and carpets; a spilt glass of port here, some quality streets melted into the carpet there and don’t even get us started on the pine needles. So you can do the important stuff like entertaining and imbibing, equally, have you considered a robot to do the dirty work? Wait, we’re not kidding; hear us out…
Robot hoovers have been around for a while, and luckily they have just become affordable. Investing in a quality carpet cleaner can be a saving grace if you want to avoid permanent damage and the need for professional cleaning. As a good carpet cleaner can often be acquired for the same price as a single professional clean, it represents a far better long-term choice and investment. There really is no reason not to.
AN ELECTRONIC READER
Keeping sane during the school holidays will require you to shut out the chaos around you for a while and engage in something you enjoy. Christmas really is for the kids, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do something selfish and indulgent too. A simple e-reader can prove to be a saving grace for a stressed-out parent in desperate need of some down-time during the holidays. Whether you use a Kindle, Kobo, or Barnes & Noble Nook, allow your favourite authors to transport you somewhere far from the mince pies and mulled wine for a while.
A SLOW COOKER
So, so, soooo much cooking seems to define the festive season for parents. But whilst we’re not about to implore you to hire a chef for the Christmas period, some simple, easy to use gadgets in the kitchen can certainly relieve some of the burden. Perhaps top of our Christmas gift wish list this year is a slow cooker, for the convenience and deliciousness they can bring to your meals. Just pop in the protein, choose the correct preset, and let time do its thing! Do yourself another favour, and check out these while you’re at it; our 5 tips for cooking the IDEAL turkey on Christmas day.
A MASSAGE PILLOW
The physical exertion of lifting that tree, the repetitive strain of wrapping all those presents, and the stress of the season…well, there must be something to relieve it, right? Expecting your partner to give you a relaxing massage after a long day is probably wishful thinking but luckily a nifty massage pillow can help ease the discomfort.
Indeed, research has found that making use of a massage pillow during stressful times may not only reduce lower back, neck & shoulder pain but also help improve your posture while loosening pesky muscle knots. After a day that, for the most part, consisted of cooking for and cleaning up after your family, enjoying a relaxing massage courtesy of your massage pillow will help the following day seem a lot less daunting than what it actually may be.