December is a half crazy-half chillaxing type of month. Here’s how you can get some time to relax while also getting all the chaos done!
Focus your time! Because we did so much prep work through November, December will be an easier month to set up. Do all of your last minute shopping, gift finalizing, and try to get all your Christmas day planning done early! Get everything done by the 15th, so that you have at least 10 days where you don’t have to think about to do lists and shopping and instead you can sit back and entertain or get together with family and friends.
December is for fun! If you love winter, you can probably find endless amounts of things to do that create that fun ‘kid in you’ type of feeling. If you’re like me, and winter is actually your least favourite season, you may be hard pressed to make it fun for your kids. I used to have a hard time with it when it would take about 38 minutes or more to dress the kids in their winter gear, then I’d get my winter gear on, we would all head outside for about 7 minutes or less before they’d say they want to go inside… Oh, the fun times! Now, at least, they can get themselves dressed and head out for their own fun! One of the most fun experiments we have done over the last couple of winters is making snow ice cream!! The other fun treat we have enjoyed is making our own maple syrup taffy! (Look for an upcoming post for directions!)
Other fun things to look up are snow tubing hills, regular tobogganing hills, outdoor skating rinks or paths, winter hiking, snow shoeing, and even just good old snow man building. The big challenge with winter for us is that we get slushy wet weather mostly. If we get a big dumping of snow, it’s way more fun – well, for about a week, then I could send it on its way and get back to the summer weather!!
It’s great to take advantage of the ability to get the outdoor decorations up and on display before the freezing temps set in. It’s so much more pleasant to be on a ladder or outside for hours setting up the lights while it’s sunny. Use any time that you have. If you’re working from home, try to use a lunch break for setting stuff up. If you’re a stay at home parent, get out there while the kids are at school. If your kids are still toddling around your every step, set up a bubble station outside or chalk walk while you try to set up a couple of decorations. Base it on the weather. It just makes things so much more satisfying!
Push yourself to get as much done by the 15th as you can! Like I said before, it feels amazing knowing that you don’t need to step foot in a mall or store (unless you want to) after the 15th. Everything gets crazier in the world, and the people become a little extra grinchy as the days tick towards the 25th. Use that time instead, to chill out at home rather than be running around like a mad man!
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