Deck Those Halls

Are you in the Christmas spirit yet? It’s ok if you aren’t. There have definitely been years when I haven’t felt it, but just did all the things because that’s what you do. We have all recently walked through one of the weirdest times that a person can walk through. It’s hard to believe that we were housebound and spraying off our groceries before we put them away (remember that?). It all feels like a fever dream. So if you are still sleep-walking through the season, it’s really ok. I find that it helps to forget about all the manic shopping (we draw names now) and focus on spending time with my people. That’s what everyone really wants anyways, right? The last several years, in addition to drawing names for gifts, we have planned a staycation here at the house that has turned out to be so much fun. Yes, we probably spend just as much money as if we’d done gifts for everyone, but I’m a professional organizer - experiences always rank higher with me than do gifts. Below are some ideas we’ve done (and I plan to do this year) for staycation. Steal one or two for yourself and let me know how it goes.

Board Game Night - exactly what it sounds like - loads of fun!

80’s night - we all dressed up in 80’s clothes and had a photographer come and take photos - we looked incredible!

Hire a chef (or a friend who likes to cook) to make a dinner for you - our friend is a neighbor who is very talented with food. Alternatively, you could swap doing this with another friend. That way, it’s free and fun!

Nacho Bar/Baked Potato Bar/Taco Bar - just writing that makes me hungry!

Scavenger Hunt/Easter-type hunt - I hid airplane sized bottles of alcohol and my kids did an easter egg type hunt for them (they are all adults BTW).

Pajama Night - I bought matching pjs for everyone and we took the weirdest family photos and hung out and watched a movie.

Traditions are such a fun part of Christmas and the holiday season, but sometimes it makes sense to add something new into the mix. We’ve all had tough years where we couldn’t do all the normal traditions for lots of different reasons. Taking a year off from some of those things helps add meaning when we do return to them.

Wishing you good cheer and and a memorable holiday season.