How Zoe Marshall is easing the mental load this holiday season
“It’s an absolute gamechanger and I highly recommend for every single parent”
While Christmas is a time for celebrating and spending time with friends and family, many parents find themselves facing a daunting to-do list filled with entertaining, gift-giving, and hosting responsibilities.
From planning festive activities to buying and wrapping presents, Christmas can often feel like the most stressful time of year.
Podcast host and mum-of-two, Zoe Marshall understands the importance of saving time (and sanity) to deliver peace of mind and ease the mental load during the holidays.
Bounty Parents caught up with Zoe, who shares two children, 5yo son, Fox, and 2yo daughter, Ever with NRL star, Benji Marshall, to talk about holiday plans, organisational tips and stressing less this Christmas period.
How will you and your family spend Christmas day?
This year we will celebrate Christmas over three days because it can be quite overwhelming trying to fit everything and everyone in on one day, especially with young kids. Our celebrations revolve around two things – food and the kids. We love to come together over a beautiful meal and reflect on the past year, sharing what we are grateful for and what we are looking forward to. Once we have all digested our lunch, the adults all participate in a funny Kris Kringle in the kitchen while the kids play. We always finish the day with a Baileys on ice and delicious deserts.
Does your family have any special holiday traditions?
We love Elf on the Shelf in our family. However, I didn’t realise how big of commitment it is to remember to move the elf every night! I’ve set up a reminder every night on our Amazon Alexa at 8pm to move the Elf – it’s an absolute gamechanger and I highly recommend for every single parent that has decided to take on this monumental task.
How do you manage expectations around gifts and Santa with your kids?
I know I’m not alone here with moving toward quality over quantity when it comes to gift giving – we don’t need to contribute any more to landfill! We like to have Santa bring one present that the kids will really enjoy, in addition to a couple of presents from Benji and myself. I don’t want to be a boring Mum, but this year we are really focused on giving educational or creative gifts that they can continue to enjoy once the wrapping comes off.
How do you plan to spend the summer holidays?
We are very lucky to have visited Fiji twice this year, so this summer we plan to spend the holidays relaxing in Sydney, visiting the beach and spending time together.
What are your go-to activities to keep the kids entertained during the summer holidays?
Getting the kids creative gifts for Christmas really keeps them entertained during the holidays. We have some Plaster of Paris sets that the kids love, for example. We also love to spend time outdoors to bring about some holiday fun – the kids love playing on the slip and slide or running around with the sprinkler in the garden on a hot day, along with little adventures to the beach or the zoo.
How do you balance relaxation and planned activities during the summer break?
With two children under five, holidays are not always very relaxing. I think the only way we find the balance is by sticking with our routines. The kids still have their naps during the day, for example, which gives Benji and me a chance to relax at home.
What strategies do you use to stay organised during the busiest and most festive time of year?
I really rely on my Amazon Alexa to help with the mental load during the busyness of Christmas. I love to use Alexa for making lists, whether actions or shopping lists. It has become the middleman between me and my husband… anytime he asks me what needs to be done for Christmas. I tell him to read Alexa’s list – it’s a win/win!
Can you share a tip or two for maintaining a sense of calm and order amidst the holiday chaos?
I think my best advice is to ask for help and be okay with that. Not everything needs to sit with one parent or another. Secondly, be realistic with young kids and to not overcommit. We like to spread out our celebrations, for example, instead of cramming everything into one day.
Zoe Marshall on how Alexa can help you stay organised – and have a bit of festive fun!
1. Say, “Alexa, start Christmas”
To up your festive game and bring some Christmas family fun to your household, simply say “Alexa, start Christmas”. You can pick from a bunch of festive content – think stories, trivia, Christmas crackers, which Christmas character am I? and more.
My son, Fox, loves having a laugh over Alexa’s festive farts… yes, festive farts, and I love a good sing-along with Alexa to my favourite classic Christmas tunes.
2. Set all your reminders
Setting nightly reminders to move the “Elf on the Shelf” is a lifesaver. Simply say, “Alexa, remind me to move the Elf on the Shelf at 8pm.”
3. Create a shopping list
With a simple voice command, adding last-minute essentials for Christmas cooking and entertaining to your shopping list is easy. Try saying “Alexa, add nutmeg to my shopping list.” No more handwritten lists as you head to the grocery store as you can access the list from your Alexa app.
4. Turn on the festive ambience
Alexa can also help with your Christmas lights! All you need is a smart plug, then igniting the joy is as simple as saying, “Alexa, turn on the Christmas tree.”
5. Recipes and cooking tips aplenty!
Whether providing access to hands-free cooking instructions or searching for inspiration, Alexa can help make festive cooking hassle-free. Just say, “Alexa, show me a Christmas ham recipe.” You can also quickly ask Alexa to set multiple timers for different dishes, or ask for measurement conversions like: “Alexa, how many tablespoons are in a cup?”
6. Calendar management made easy
By syncing family calendars with Alexa, the silly season schedule can be kept in check! Simply ask, “Alexa, what’s on my calendar today?” With multiple events, often on the same day, shared calendars ensure that everyone stays updated and you can remember which in-law’s or friend’s house you’ll be heading to next.
7. Set a Jingle Bells alarm
To make Christmas morning a little more festive, try setting the children’s wake-up alarm to cheerful Jingle Bells. Simply utter, “Alexa, wake me up at 7am to Jingle Bells.”
8. Countdown to Christmas
Most importantly, Alexa can help remind certain household members *cough, cough, partners, kids, friends* how many days are remaining until Christmas – ensuring they’ve left enough time to find the perfect gift (for you). Not only does it give you the day count, it also adds to excitement with fun recordings and festive features to try. In moments of need, just ask: “Alexa, how many days til’ Christmas?”
