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Managing the Holidays

I had to drop in today so as to ensure you are getting this message early enough before we enter full holiday mode. I am hopeful that you have started to find your rhythm, save time and strength and fully be on top of your household management.

So as we all know, we are getting into the Holiday season. Schools on break so the kids are home, friends and family visiting, outings, indulgences and so on. It is so easy to get carried away during this period and the lose everything you have worked for and put in place in the past few weeks.

For example, since the kids won’t be going to school, you may decide that you can afford to wake up later or spend more time outdoors. Their being home may also warrant you to cook more frequently, more time in the kitchen, more dishes to be done, more laundry and the list goes on.

With all the activities lined up, there is a huge tendency to lose your rhythm and structure and dive back into that hole where there is never enough time, you are constantly tired, your house is untidy and you aren’t motivated to clean and basically you spend every day trying to catch up with the rolled over task from the day before.

This email is my reminder to you to get a grip on your affairs before the overwhelm kicks in. Your goal should be that everything that occurs this season should fall in line with your existing structure and not you compromising to your detriment. The holiday is just three weeks not forever. And before you know it, everything is back to normal. If you lose your structure now, every one will go on their normal business by the 2nd week of January, but you’ll still be trying to find your way back up. Unfortunately, life won’t wait for you. It just keeps going.

So here are a few tips to help you sustain the momentum you have going as regards structure:

1. For the kids, confine and contain play. The whole house doesn’t have to be messy because they are home. Restrict play to their room or allow them play outdoors. If you have read my free resource on household hacks, I explain this there.
Secondly, involve them in clean up. Turn it into a friendly competition on who can clean up fastest. These kids love to compete. They would have fun and you would get your results. Win-Win for everyone.

2. Still follow your normal schedule. Because really, nothing has changed. Activities may change but your home is still the same.

3. Involve everyone. Absolutely. The kids, your siblings and close friends who come to visit. Ask them to help with little things, like carrying the baby while you do something else, helping with the dishes etc

4. Improvise. If you have to use disposable plates and cups for things such as snacks, fruits and juices so that you can discard after use and there is no pile up of dishes, please do. If you have to cook excess, so you can eat left-over from the previous day as breakfast making you not to spend your whole day in the kitchen, please do.

Lastly, don’t put yourself under pressure. You are to be guided by structure not controlled or manipulated by it. Give room for the unexpected. Be adaptive to whatever the day brings so you don’t go through each day frustrated and taking it out on the ones you love. One day may not be so great, you may fall off the wagon but make sure to get right back on track the next day.

Take in every moment of the holiday. The chores to be done may increase, but don’t let that swallow up the cheer in the atmosphere. When you are tired, rest. The work will be done more swiftly and excellently when you are refreshed.

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