holiday season planning tip

Grant and I got out our calendars in mid-November and planned out our holiday season. The Christmas season is Grant’s favorite time of the year, but, if we wind up exhausted at the end of it, it goes by too quickly, and we end up feeling like we didn’t get a chance to enjoy it. So we went through every day of the calendar between Thanksgiving and the kids’ Christmas break, planning out things that we wanted to be sure to include, and, most importantly, adding “no plan plans” to several days and evenings so that we’re sure to have plenty of time at home just enjoying the season.

In addition to plenty of “no plan plans” entries in the calendar, we made sure to add in other things we love to do and don’t want to miss like the following:

• watching Christmas movies together as a family (you know Grant has a list)
• a pajama and hot chocolate Christmas light tour around town
• the gingerbread houses at Conner Prairie
• annual Christmas Vacation viewing with my side of the family
• dinner in downtown Noblesville to enjoy the lights and maybe see Santa
• ice skating at theChristkindlmarkt
• St. Nicholas celebrating
• baking cookies with the kids’ classes
• cinnamon rolls for St. Lucy’s Day
• Christmas Eve brunch with family
• Winterlights at the IMA
• Picking out our Christmas tree – we did Spencer’s this year to support our neighbors
• Advent Wednesdays at church
• Winter solstice yoga

Every year, late on the evening of Christmas Eve, Grant and I make a list of our favorite things from this holiday season and any changes that we want to make for next year – and then we read that list when we get the Christmas decorations out (hence, why we did this calendar thing this year – it was on our “do differently next year” list from 2016). We keep a little journal in our family room where we keep these lists. Every year, we say we’re going to do a monthly recap, but we usually only make it through April. But it has become a keepsake of our highs and lows throughout at least some of the year as a family. I think it is one of our best practices, and like all journaling, it helps us to see what’s working for us and what isn’t. You still have time this December to schedule in some down time to keep your holidays from getting too hectic and overscheduled!