3. Holidays Without Alcohol: New Traditions, Triggers & Tiny Sparkles

What happens to the holidays when alcohol is no longer the main event?

In this episode of The Amazingly AF Mother Daughter Podcast, Jaime and Jules talk honestly about what the holidays used to look like when drinking (and even cocaine) were part of the “fun”… and what’s different now that they’re both navigating the season alcohol free.

Jules shares memories of Christmases centered around booze and the constant fear of being “found out” by her kids and grandkids. Jaime opens up about holiday drinking on the drive home, trying to juggle family expectations with hangovers, and why she refuses to miss the magic of Christmas with her kids now that she’s sober.

They also get practical about how to actually get through the holidays without drinking: listening to your body when you’re burnt out, saying no to things, having a plan for social events, and using Jaime’s 5 Daily Sparkles to stay grounded, proud, and present.

Topics covered include:

• What the holidays looked like when alcohol was the priority
• Jules’s memory of doing coke at Christmas and being confronted by her dad
• Why so many moms feel like they have to “hold it all together” while numbing out
• The chaos of shuffling between houses, expectations, and family dynamics
• How Jaime used to white-knuckle it through events just to drink on the way home
• What’s different now that both of them are alcohol free for the holidays
• Noticing “glimmers” and small moments of joy when you’re no longer numbing
• Why 90% of our time with our kids happens before age 18 (and what to do with that)
• Jules’s fear of relapse and how she manages triggers as she approaches one year AF
• Tools for the holidays: knowing your greater why, playing the tape forward, saying no
• How Jaime’s 5 Daily Sparkles help you feel steady instead of spiraling
• Journaling, gratitude, and building self-respect one tiny habit at a time

This episode is for you if the holidays feel triggering, you’ve always associated this season with drinking, or you’re trying to create new traditions that feel calm, connected, and actually enjoyable without alcohol.

Key Moments

• 00:00 – Intro and quick update on Dry January + The Confidence Club
• 01:18 – Jaime’s “I needed a break” day, half marathon fatigue, and choosing rest over burnout
• 03:44 – Jules on learning self-care for the first time in almost 70 years
• 06:04 – What the holidays used to look like when drinking started early in the day
• 06:54 – The Christmas memory: snorting coke in the bathroom and getting called out by her dad
• 10:19 – Chaos, driving between houses, and trying to “keep it together” while half drunk
• 12:54 – Jaime on old holiday patterns: road beers, hangovers, and missing the magic with kids
• 15:33 – Noticing glimmers and small joys now that they’re not numbing everything out
• 22:53 – Mel Robbins stat: 90% of the time you spend with your kids is before age 18
• 26:11 – Jules on thinking she only had a couple of years left if she kept drinking and using pills
• 28:18 – Being an empath, big feeling

Connect with Jaime:

• Website: https://amazinglyalcoholfree.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/amazinglyalcoholfree
• Sign Up for Jaime's Weekly Newsletter

Work with Jaime

• Join Amazingly AF Dry January
• Join The Confidence Club