Creating Joyful Family Holiday Traditions and Meaningful Celebrations

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The holiday season is a time of joy, family togetherness, and creating lasting memories. Planning meaningful family traditions is one of the best ways to ensure that joy is at the heart of your celebrations. Whether you’re looking to start new traditions or refresh beloved ones, these ideas will help you create joyful holiday moments that everyone in the family will cherish. I have included our family traditions and those shared by my social media friends.

 

Holiday light scavenger hunts

Thank you to my daughter for our newest annual event – the holiday light scavenger hunt! Our family loves to look at holiday lights. The scavenger hunt (either paper or digital) brings a lot of joy to our evenings together.

 

Gingerbread House decorating party

Each year, we host a gingerbread house decorating party with pre-made houses and tea party treats. There are oodles of decorations, from candy to frosting. Treats include homemade and store-bought holiday-themed snacks. My grandkids especially appreciate this time together.

 

Ladies Gathering

A friend gathers the ladies in her family together every Christmas Eve. When they started the tradition, everyone lived in the same city and they took turns hosting. Now that they are spread out, they have our brunch on Zoom

 

Special Family Outing

Every year a friend’s family goes to dinner in Houston, then goes see the Christmas show at Second Baptist Woodway campus. On the trip, they hit up Starbucks and Sprinkles Cupcakes in Highland Village, open the sunroof, and turn up the Christmas music while they drive through River Oaks looking at the Christmas lights and beautifully decorated homes.

 

Family Movie Binging

Every family has their favorite holiday movies to watch throughout the season. Families gather to watch a favorite Christmas movie like Elf, Home Alone, The Polar Express, or A Christmas Carol. Families watch Hallmark holiday movies throughout the season.

 

Christmas Eve Traditions

  • On Christmas Eve everyone gets one gift, which is family matching pajamas. The family fixes gumbo and crawfish etouffee for dinner and watches movies together.
  • Families gather together to read the Bible and share the story of the birth of Jesus.
  • Our family attends the Christmas Eve service. We gather early for a big feast of everything Italian, ending with cream puffs made each year by Gigi.

 

Chanukah Traditions

  • Families light the menorah and sing the Hebrew prayers each evening of Chanukah.
  • Preparing a dinner of fried foods, including latkes. Fried in oil, latkes symbolize the miracle of the oil that lasted eight days. These are typically served with applesauce or sour cream.
  • Our family had the tradition of one gift each night of Chanukah, brought to us by the Chanukah Fairy.

 

Family stay-cation ideas

Maybe this holiday season you will be staying in town and want some fun family activities. I especially love seeing Zoo Lights and spending time at the zoo. There are lots of activities for all your family in the local Houston area.

 

I would love to hear your family traditions create the magic of the season and bring joy and connection to your home.

Organizing for the -ber Months

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Organizing for the BER months

 

The months of September, October, November, and December have recently been referred to as the “-ber” months!  These months celebrate time together, fresh starts for the season, seasonal treats, and celebrations. This is also the time we nest for winter, no matter the real temperatures. Here are some ways to celebrate the season with organizing.

 

Freshen up your planner

Grab a mug of your favorite fall beverage and your planner and get started! Your planner is your first step in organizing. Write in all the upcoming events and activities. Set time for holiday travel planning and dates for travel.  Add in home maintenance tasks like appointments for AC/Heater, gutters and critical system checks. Write a list of upcoming appointments to make such as a family photo for your holiday card. By adding dates to your planner for home organization and maintenance at the start of Fall you have a plan in place which lowers your stress.

Start preparing early for Fall holidays and celebrations. Work backward from your family celebrations to write in dates to chunk steps for each holiday. Write in when to take your family photo for your holiday cards, dates to grocery and gift shop, and all other small tasks that will make your holidays easier.

 

Freshen up your space

With new activities and cooler weather, you want areas of your home ready for fall fun.

  • Reset your landing strip where you come and go from your home. Move Summer items into their proper homes, Set up a system for the academics  and activities. Have a hook for each bag and hoodie. Make room for incoming and outgoing boxes.
  • Declutter your command center. Whether this is in your kitchen or your home office, now is the best time to get ready for all the paperwork, fall schedules and incoming information. Review what to keep and spend an hour filing your papers in your file area. Set a weekly time for an administrative time, depending on your new fall schedule.
  • Update your junk drawer. Clear out this space periodically to prevent it from getting out of control. It is easy to know what to toss and what to keep.
  • Refresh your pantry. Fall is about food including back-to-school lunches, fall treats, and Thanksgiving.
  • Say hello to your favorite fall sweater. Now is the time to pull out the fall clothing and tuck away summer clothing until next year. For your kiddos, check sizes and use bins to save clothes for your next younger kiddos. Keep only what can fit today in your kiddos’ drawers.
  • Check your medicine and first aid areas.  Declutter any expired medications and purchase what you need for the coming months. There is already a lot of sickness so be prepared with over-the-counter items and supplements. Check your prescriptions too. Pharmacies will take expired medication for proper disposal.
  • Declutter your bathroom counters and vanities. Take a few minutes and go through your cosmetics and personal hygiene products. Some products have not solved your challenges, so let those go to friends. Evaluate what you use each day and create an easy, functional, and attractive system for daily use.
  • Complete your organizing by adding touches of seasonal decor. Pumpkins, fall colors, and fall scents bring the season into our homes.

Find fun and energy this fall

Decluttering, organizing, and setting up systems in the -ber months all help you find more fun and energy for the fall. The goal of your fall organizing is to release what you do not need or love, reset your home, and prepare for fall fun. The best way to do this is to set time for fall self-care. Getting a good night’s rest, having more time outside, hydrating, and eating well are all the ways to energize and reset your frame of mind. If you have not done so, the first step is to set an adult bedtime for you to get ready for bed early in order to get rested.

 

Make the last quarter of the year the most organized and productive part of your year.

Holidays Start With the End in Mind and the Beginning of Next Holiday Season

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As holidays wind down, it is time for us to start with the end in mind and to unwind all the holiday spirit. The days have flown by, the festivities have been fabulous and now it is time to gather everything back and put it away for the next year. The best gift you can give yourself is the gift of an organized holiday for next year.  Here are some strategies to do just that.

 

Decisions on undecorating

The biggest factor in undecorating with energy is knowing when to undecorate. It may be before school starts again, the day of a holiday or a weekend. Make this decision based on your energy level in order to do your best work.

 

Declutter now for happy holidays

If you have not used decorations for several years, it is time to regift to those who will value the decorations. Go through and edit the bins of extra decorations to slim down your collection. If you plan a major shift in themes or colors, do this now.

 

Its a wrap

It might feel easy to dump all the exterior lights in any bin and call it a day. Wrap your lights around cardboard tubes to keep them ready to use for the next week. Start with the same end, with or without prongs, to wrap. Use tissue to wrap delicate ornaments and store groups of ornaments together by theme or room. You can also find specific organizers for holiday decorations like ornament boxes and canvas tree bags. Label the bins with the name of the theme or room on two sides and top to be able to decorate next year in manageable chunks.

 

Gather together and review

Gather your family and do a holiday review.  At the family meeting set an agenda that includes reviewing all the holiday events, calendar and more. What were the highlights to repeat next year? What added more stress but not more joy? Create a holiday notebook of hits and misses. In the notebook, either digital or paper, write your lists that works, foods that were fabulous and events most notable. This will help you more than you can imagine next year.

 

Incorporate gifts into your home

The holidays have been busy and now your gifts are sitting on the floor, waiting to have a home. Take time to incorporate these gifts into their existing spaces. Gifts belong back into closets, bath areas, or toy rooms. The next steps include consolidating and editing items that have been a long time part of your family or new gifts.

 

Starting with the end in mind and the beginning of next holiday season will be a wonderful finish to the holiday season.

Holidays + Family Games

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holidays and family games

 

Family time is our most precious time. The holidays give us time to be at home or away together. Our family loves puzzles and games while we visit or travel. It has become a fun way for us to spend time together over the holidays.

 

There are more reasons to play family games. Research has found that playing games together supports more effective, open family communication and a greater sense of family cohesiveness. For families with ADHD,  games help to build skills like working memory, recall, focus, and strategic planning.

 

Here are a few of our favorites. These make great gifts too if you are searching for family gifts this season.

Puzzles for all ages

No matter how old your family members are, many people love puzzles. This quiet activity gives everyone an equal opportunity to participate. We have a puzzle out every holiday season throughout our time together.

Digital games

If you are waiting on travel in an airport or stopping overnight on the way, digital games are a fun way to spend time together. These are free and available for download from the App store on either Android or Apple phones.

  • Psych, trivia and a word game.
  • Heads Up, a guessing game.

 

Board games

Here are a few of our favorite family games at home.

  • Do You Really Know Your Family? 
  • Ticket to Ride
  • Apples to Apples
  • Monopoly

Card games

Favorite card games of our family include Uno and Crazy Eight. For more sophisticated games there is Mafia, Seven-Up, and Speed.

 

Host a family game night during your holiday vacation, including snacks and hot cocoa. The time together will bring lots of laughs.

Favorite Holiday Organizing Gifts to Share

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holiday favorites organizing gifts

 

Practical gifts make the best gifts for the holidays. Each of us can use a little more functional and fun organization at home and when you travel. Here are a few of my favorite things!

 

Clear countertop organizers for jewelry, makeup up, or other small items

Airtags

Air tags to find lost devices, keys, or luggage

Electronics organizer for cords and small device accessories

 

Family fun at home or on vacation for fun communication and connection

Travel makeup organizer for on-the-go ease

 

 

 

 

 

Embracing Joy with ADHD During the Holiday Season

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The holiday season often means joy, laughter, and togetherness. However, for individuals with ADHD, it can also mean long task lists, impossible levels of perfectionism, and overstimulation with sights, sounds and emotions. With intention and strategies, you can enjoy the magic of the season.

 

Plan with Purpose

One of the strategies during the holidays is planning with intention and knowledge. Know what works best for your planning. This depends on your work flow and your energy level. You can create a detailed plan for each day or think big picture with a week dedicated to specific parts of your holiday plan. Make use of family and personal calendars, to-do lists, or digital reminders to help you stay organized. You may find that some days you need to regroup from the plan. Be realistic about what you can accomplish in the time you have. Curb staying up late to make up for your less productive times and reallocate that task to another day.

 

Prioritize Self-Care

Amidst the business of the holiday season, it’s crucial to prioritize self-care for energy and mood regulation. Making self-care a priority means skipping a party once in a while to get in bed on time, or skipping that last glass of champagne for a better night’s rest. Keep active with outside walks, time at the gym or pilates, or time for any kind of movement. Your  mental and physical well-being will help you better manage ADHD symptoms and reduce stress.

 

Embrace Simplicity

Too often we see the extravagance of the season as a necessity. We may feel that this holiday requires lots of twinkling lights and decorations.  Step back with intention to embrace simplicity. Choose those truly meaningful traditions or activities that you genuinely enjoy and spend time with family and friends.

 

Delegate and Collaborate

Throughout the year we need to delegate and collaborate. This is even more true during the holidays. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or delegate tasks. Family and friends want to join in the fun by bringing a favorite food during the holidays. Collaborative family events reduce the burden on you and also create opportunities for bonding and shared joy.

 

Practice Gratitude

Gratitude changes our perspective on everything. Pause and reflect on the abundance in your life and find those “glimmers” of joy that are a part of daily life. Perfectionism and comparison are the thieves of joy. Be realistic in getting up your calendar and task list knowing that you are grateful in the shared experiences of the holidays. Set a time each day to fully reflect on your gratitude. Many people enjoy a quiet time with prayer during this time too.

 

Embracing joy during the holiday season is possible through thoughtful planning, self-care, and a positive mindset. By prioritizing your well-being, simplifying your celebrations, and seeking support from loved ones, you can make the most of this special time of year. Remember that the essence of the holidays lies in the moments you share and the love you give through thoughts and deeds at this season.

Week by Week Holiday Planning

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week by week holiday planning

 

The weeks of December pass quickly! There are more activities to attend and more tasks to do as each week goes by.  Focusing on one task per week, even with all the events to attend, makes it easier to enjoy the holidays. You will have to make decisions on what is most important for your family, meaning that some tasks may not happen at all. Prioritize first, then follow this weekly plan.

 

Before the end of November – create your holiday calendar

Start off with your family’s holiday calendar. Holiday social schedules, school activities and religious events are all part of the fun and at the same time overwhelming.  Those with with ADHD feel stressed with all the responsibilities and multiple overlapping events. Be wise to choose which engagements are most important and put these on the calendar. For those last minute oops events, decide which take priority or if you can attend multiple events on the same day.  Prepare for the energy needed to attend, the transitions between events,  and the preparation time for you to be ready.

 

First week of December – decorate for the holiday

Decorating gets us in the holiday spirit. Gather on the weekend to decorate your home and tree for the holidays. Take out all the decorations, mark which ones you are using this year, and let go of what is broken and in less than good condition. Keep your perfectionism in check as  you and your family work together on this.

If you celebrate without decorating, use this time to volunteer and give back. There are many needs in your local community where you can make a difference.

 

Second week of December – purchase and wrap your holiday gifts

Gift giving is part of the joy of the season. Organize what you have and make a list to know what  you still need to purchase. Wrap as you go by setting up a wrapping station and place gifts under the tree as you wrap. Be prepared with tape, gift wrap, bows, tissue and gift bags. Many families are opting for the Four Gifts or the gift of experiences. Mail your gifts now to avoid the holiday rush and have these arrive on time.

 

Third week of December  -mail your holiday cards or bake holiday treats

Start by choosing a family photo and card. Many stores have 2 day delivery of cards. Gather the cards you have received and your contacts list to create an address list. Purchase stamps online or at local groceries or pharmacies. Enjoy watching a holiday movie while you address and stamp.

 

If cards are not on your list this year, use this time for baking holiday treats. Keep it simple with up to three treats to bake or make. Be prepared with holiday tins for gift giving. Invite your family to bake with you as part of holiday traditions. Bake extra goodies to serve at home.

 

Last week of December – preparing your meals and preparing for company

Enjoy the time together as a family and friends by preparing your meal ahead as much as you can. Do a high level cleaning of your home with a sweep through bathrooms and the kitchen. Set the table, grocery shop and meal prep.

 

Having just one focus every week gives you the opportunity break each task into manageable chunks and accomplish all your holiday tasks.

In honor of Thanksgiving

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Wishing you an abundance of love, laughter, joy, peace, comfort and friendship this holiday season!

 

Favorite Quick Tips for Holiday Happiness

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Thank you to my amazing clients who share so many strategies with me! My clients who have ADHD are creative and resourceful, finding ways to make the holidays fun with ADHD-friendly ways to get tasks done. Here is a list of favorite quick tips to embrace the holiday spirit!

 

Strategies for holiday planning

  • Family calendars and a dry-erase board make it easy to see what we have planned. We ask our family what they love to do and the favorite is always driving to see Christmas lights. We do that as much as we can. All our other activities are on the calendar.
  • Use your devices like your phone and iPad to keep up with details. Create an album in your photos to screenshot activities and tickets.
  • Plan as much time without activities as with activities. Your family-together time can be time at home with puzzles or board games.
  • Make a list of everything you plan to do: cooking, shopping, hosting, attending – everything. Then go back through the list and cross off 30% of it, planning for only the things that will be most meaningful and helping you to go in with more realistic expectations of how much you can accomplish.
  • Assign tasks to specific people by giving them a list. No doubt does who does what and your kiddos will know what to do to help.

Strategies for holiday treats

  • Homemade gifts are something I love to do and give. I prepare one easy treat, usually a recipe that has three steps and three ingredients. I keep supplies on hand to be able to make treats as needed throughout the season.
  • Bake multiple holiday treats like bread and cakes well ahead of time. Label and freeze to share later in the holidays.
  • Prep before you begin! It makes all the difference, especially for us Adhd peeps who get distracted. If we know we have 25 gifts to do with all the supplies and whatnot, our brains can work more efficiently to get it done.

Strategies for gift-giving

  • Santa’s workshop is filled with socks! The joy of fluffy socks for everyone, including teens, can be immeasurable. I keep a stock of socks of all sorts, gift bags and tissue ready to assemble as gifts. As surprises happen, I am prepared.
  • It is easy to go down a million rabbit holes searching for holiday gifts. Order from the same vendors as much as possible and keep the receipts in a digital folder for returns.
  • Buy a stack of generic gift cards like Amazon, Target, or Starbucks, for gifts and to keep on hand in case you forgot a gift.
  • Decide once on teacher gifts. An Amazon gift card in an envelope (labeled with the recipient’s name) attached to a movie-size box of candy makes a fabulous teacher gift!

Strategies for decorating

  • Start and finish early. We decorate the first weekend of November every year and take down our holidays right before New Year’s Eve.
  • We make an appointment with our holiday decorator early in the season to put up the treat and decorate the mantle. It saves us time and we enjoy the festive decorations longer.
  • Know when to end your decorating and start the next things on your list.

Strategies for self-care

  • Stay the course on everyday routines. Try to keep your routines of sleep especially as close as possible given all the extra stuff you are doing.
  • Ask for help. Easier said than done but every little way someone or some delivery can help make it easier.
  • Know your limits before you reach them. When you are feeling overwhelmed or over-tired, state your feelings and take a break.
  • Remember the power of music and smell. Holiday favorites bring joy to the day.

 

Create your own list of quick tips to keep in your holiday notebook for this year and the coming years.

Empowering Holiday Joy Using Lists

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Lists empower holiday joy

 

During the holiday season, the foundation of good project management is list making. Using lists helps you prepare and prioritize for each step of the holidays.  Check out these ADHD-friendly ways to use lists effectively during the holiday season.

The Power of Lists

Lists are a powerful tool for individuals with ADHD because these help to lift cognitive load, assist with processing and prioritizing of tasks, and bring order and serenity. Lists give structure to success because you can conquer everything in manageable chunks.  Having a place to hold all the ideas rather than in your head helps you enjoy the season.

 

Lists empower time management

Having a list will not guarantee success during the holidays. Prioritize first what will be most important since some tasks might be aspirational rather than practical.  Use your list as a guide to how for how you conquer both big and small parts of the holiday season. Write down how much time generally you want to allocate to each task. A suggestion might be by week so to keep on the same project throughout a week’s duration. Combine your lists with your calendar and assign specific dates to specific tasks on your list. You might spend an afternoon looking up recipes and writing a shopping list, then another afternoon baking holiday treats.

Lists reduce overwhelm

The holiday season overwhelms us with the amount of tasks added to your already filled days. Using your lists, you can create daily action lists with 3 Most Important Tasks. Your list can also include the one next step, rather than the entire project. Decide what is the best way for you to chunk your list whether it is by day, task, place of the task, or whatever categories work for you.

 

Here are lists of lists that can help you manage your holiday season.

    • Holiday binder: a comprehensive lists of schedules, information and all the lists for the holidays
    • Gifting list: all the items you are purchasing, where these are ordered from, and receipts
    • Grocery list: all the items you are serving and making for holiday gifts, including recipes
    • Family calendar: list of all the activities for the holiday season
    • Helpers list: a list of all those you can enlist for delivery services, extra help at home, cleaning, and baby and dog sitting
    • Digital wallet: all the tickets for the performances

 

The joy of lists

Make your lists fun by customizing what works for you. Digital lists can include a project management tool like Trello or Notes app. Paper lists are best written with jolly gel pens and markers. If you love stickers, purchase a pack of holiday stickers to remind you of tasks. A weekly planning time also ensures you stick to your list, rather than adding more and more tasks. During that time update your list with what has been accomplished to see and feel your success.

 

The holiday season will be a time of joy and connection, not stress and overwhelm by using lists effectively. Keep your lists visual and easy to see while using them. Avoid the temptation to stop using the lists, even if they are lengthy.  Use your list as a way to keep true to your holiday planning.  By harnessing the power of lists, using your customized approach to writing tasks, and building effective time management with chunking, individuals with ADHD can navigate the holiday preparations with greater ease and effectiveness.