Simplifying the holidays
The holidays are here whether we like it or not. A lot of us tend to put a lot of pressure on ourselves to make it the *Best ____ Ever!” for our children. But do we really know what will make it great for them? I’ve been asking my family when I start planning for a holiday what is most important to them and I learn something new every time! I use this information as the core of my planning and move from there.
We are usually sitting at the dining room table over breakfast or dinner when this comes up. I simply go around the table and ask them for example, “What is the most important part of Thanksgiving for you?” then I wait. I don’t offer opinions or suggestions. I want to know the first thing that comes into their mind. For Thanksgiving, food is usually the main subject. I plan my menu based on what is most important to all of us. For Christmas, different things come up. Driving around and looking at Christmas lights. Fizzy Water our elf. Cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning. A tree. You know what usually doesn’t come up? Gifts.
Think about Christmas when you were a child. You might remember a few big gifts here and there but what do you remember above all things? The music? The smells? The people? The simple task of asking your family what comes to mind when they think of a specific holiday is a great way to start your planning. You simply can’t do all of the Christmas things but if the only event your kids mention is the annual tractor parade, you bet that should be at the top of your list. Put it on your calendar now and plan all of the other stuff around it…or plan nothing else at all. Just like we minimize all of the clutter in a closet, minimizing all of the activities around a holiday can make that one tractor parade or walk through the museum light show stand out even more.
I’ve created a Holiday Priority Planner to share with you in hopes that you can pin down what is most important to your family and make your planning a bit easier. Signing up for my email newsletter here will get you access to download this planner that can be customized to whichever holiday you are working on next. Here is how I use it:
Ask each member of your family what is most important to them. Write it down, putting their initial next to the suggestion (helps with any follow-up quesitons that may come up later). Make sure you touch on both food and activities.
Plan your meal(s) based on the family suggestions. If you can’t do it all in one day, perhaps use the holiday “eve” as overflow. Take note of any dish that might take extra time to make. For example, I always make Christmas morning cinnamon rolls (recipe here) the night before and put them in the refrigerator. When we get up they are ready to put in the oven to bake. Starting from scratch on Christmas morning is not fun or recommended!
Look at the events and put the date next to them. Sit down with your calendar and see what you can make work. If there is a conflict, can you reschedule in order to prioritize your family’s preferences? Can you group any activities together such as the tractor parade and driving around looking at lights into one night?
Have fun and soak in every minute!
I recently sat down with my family to go over Christmas priorities. There were a few things that came up that I never would have thought of myself. Mainly, one of my daughters said that getting adjusted at the chiropractor was something she thought of when she thought of Christmas. For real. Did I push back and ask for something more traditional? No, Going to the chiro is something we do regularly, so when we go next month, instead of it being a regular appointment, I will attempt to do something to make it more “Christmassy”. Festive attire? Deliver Christmas cookies? Who knows, but it will be memorable that’s for sure. Why not embrace the gift of simplicity when it’s put right in your lap!
If you’ve felt crazed trying to fit it all in, I challenge you to try this approach. You never know - we just might bump into each other at the chiropractor’s office next month!