We recently had the privilege of hosting a public Together Your Holidays virtual gathering for our friends interested in prioritizing and planning for the busy seven weeks ahead. We’re not talking the Pinterest Perfect kind of holiday organizing, but instead how we plan for meals, gifts, rest, gratitude, and rejuvenation in what is packed time of year – no matter how you observe.
A few key takeaways emerged from our 75+ participants:
Decide what matters to you – and what doesn’t. We asked the group to describe what Together Holidays looks like for THEM, and the answers were rich and varied. Family gatherings, delicious meals, family traditions, giving back to the community. For me, Togetherness at the holidays looks like no last-minute trips to the grocery store. Thankfully, Dr. Together loves a last-minute store run, so it all balances out. What does a Together Holiday look like for you?
I’m excited to try a few new things this year to make sure that we prioritize the traditions that align with the experience we actually want!
My partner and I are meeting right now to go over the next month (2 kids returning from college next Saturday!), and I’m keeping all of the things in mind – to plan so I don’t go bonkers!
-Together Your Holidays participants
Backwards plan for events. . . right around Halloween time. In my house, this looks like taking a blank three-month calendar and plotting in known events (Christmas Eve at my aunt’s, Chanukah with the cousins), desired events (ice skating with my teens), and leaving room for spontaneous events – like my bestie just invited me to her company’s holiday party, and I’m glad I had room to say yes (sidenote: I have never attended a corporate function like this. Maybe there will be lots of swag?!). The reason I like to step out of Outlook or Google (though clearly cross-referencing is necessary) is because it helps me to plan visually. Also, as I wrote this, I just noticed how late Chanukah falls this year – and I need to get that in my Holiday Horizon plan!
Create a centralized resource for any lists. Participants shared gift-tracking and budgeting documents, Google forms to gather gift ideas (check out Chrystie’s in the following image), and meal planning tools. It doesn’t matter where or how you track and gather information, but what matters is that you decide what you care about – and then see if you need a system to support it. I’m stealing this idea immediately!
Take notes on what works – and what needs editing. Whether we like it or not, the holidays come around every year. Janine, a participant in our virtual event, joins a 30-person Thanksgiving holiday every other year, and her family created an after-action notes document. I love knowing Julie has a coffee urn and that another table cloth is needed!
It was a great time to gather people for holiday Together-ing, and if it helps you, here are a couple of resources that could assist you in your own holiday planning!
