1 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:10,520 --> 00:00:15,880 Speaker 1: This is Laura, Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:20,680 Speaker 1: tip is to make your Holiday fun list. By figuring 4 00:00:20,680 --> 00:00:23,520 Speaker 1: out what you want to do during this upcoming festive 5 00:00:23,560 --> 00:00:27,640 Speaker 1: season and figuring out when you can do these things, 6 00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:33,640 Speaker 1: you increase the chances that you truly enjoy yourself and 7 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:36,760 Speaker 1: make the kind of memories that you want to have. 8 00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:41,559 Speaker 1: So every year, around this time, I make what I 9 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:45,199 Speaker 1: call a holiday fund list. This is a list of 10 00:00:45,320 --> 00:00:48,440 Speaker 1: all the celebratory things I want to do for the holidays. 11 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:53,320 Speaker 1: I celebrate Christmas, but whatever you celebrate, it tends to 12 00:00:53,360 --> 00:00:56,440 Speaker 1: be a festive time of year. It also tends to 13 00:00:56,480 --> 00:00:59,480 Speaker 1: be a busy time of year, and there may be 14 00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:04,479 Speaker 1: more options for shows, light displays, and so forth. Then 15 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:08,360 Speaker 1: we can space available to put these things. I used 16 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:10,559 Speaker 1: to just make a list of the things I wanted 17 00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:14,240 Speaker 1: to do, like go see Longwood gardens, see some holiday trains, 18 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:16,160 Speaker 1: go to the Nutcracker, have my kids be in the 19 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:19,960 Speaker 1: church Christmas pageant. Then a few years ago I realized 20 00:01:19,959 --> 00:01:23,760 Speaker 1: that with everyone's schedules, I needed to figure out exactly 21 00:01:23,800 --> 00:01:27,720 Speaker 1: when we could do these things, probably by mid November. 22 00:01:28,800 --> 00:01:32,039 Speaker 1: If I didn't figure out which weekend in November or 23 00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:35,320 Speaker 1: December we'd go see illuminature at the Philadelphia Zoo and 24 00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:38,759 Speaker 1: which weekend we'd go to Dutch Wonderland, we would probably 25 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:42,480 Speaker 1: run out of time. So this year I asked my 26 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:45,840 Speaker 1: kids and husband what everyone wanted to do, and then 27 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:50,320 Speaker 1: I plotted out the weekends of late November, December, and 28 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:54,880 Speaker 1: early January. Yes, it turns out that some displays are 29 00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:58,280 Speaker 1: still up in January. Longwood Gardens and the New York 30 00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:01,520 Speaker 1: Botanical Garden, for instance, both have their holiday displays open 31 00:02:01,600 --> 00:02:06,160 Speaker 1: until January eleventh of this year, for instance. That buys 32 00:02:06,200 --> 00:02:09,640 Speaker 1: you a little more time. We are aiming to do 33 00:02:09,760 --> 00:02:13,600 Speaker 1: things that don't require strict scheduling as well, think holiday baking, 34 00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:19,640 Speaker 1: holiday lego building, getting matching Christmas pajamas. Still, it helps 35 00:02:19,680 --> 00:02:23,280 Speaker 1: to know roughly when those things will happen. I am 36 00:02:23,320 --> 00:02:28,000 Speaker 1: targeting a particular Sunday in December for baking. That way 37 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:31,959 Speaker 1: I can look forward to it. I know everyone has 38 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:36,560 Speaker 1: different levels of holiday ambitions or comfort with full schedules. 39 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:40,280 Speaker 1: There's no need to pack things in just to do so. 40 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:44,799 Speaker 1: But if you are like me, January and February tend 41 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:47,799 Speaker 1: to be a bit ho hum. It's okay to be 42 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:51,360 Speaker 1: a bit busier in December when there are more things 43 00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:54,799 Speaker 1: to do. I also think it would be a bit 44 00:02:54,919 --> 00:02:57,799 Speaker 1: sad come January to look back and think, well, it 45 00:02:57,800 --> 00:03:00,280 Speaker 1: would have been fun to have a baking day with friends. 46 00:03:01,320 --> 00:03:03,840 Speaker 1: So if you are listening to this episode when it 47 00:03:03,919 --> 00:03:07,520 Speaker 1: is first running in mid November, take some time today 48 00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:10,920 Speaker 1: to list out what you would like to experience this 49 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:15,200 Speaker 1: holiday season. Who would you like to see, what would 50 00:03:15,240 --> 00:03:18,160 Speaker 1: you like to do? Where would you like to go? 51 00:03:19,639 --> 00:03:22,560 Speaker 1: Make your list and then share it with the friends 52 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:25,760 Speaker 1: and family you would likely be spending time with. What 53 00:03:25,760 --> 00:03:30,640 Speaker 1: would they add? Then get out your calendar and start 54 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:34,520 Speaker 1: looking at the time available. For most people, most things 55 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:37,440 Speaker 1: are going to have to happen on the weekends. There's 56 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:41,520 Speaker 1: Thanksgiving weekend and then three weekends in December before Christmas. 57 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:45,160 Speaker 1: That might not sound like a lot, but fortunately a 58 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:47,720 Speaker 1: lot of holiday things don't end right on the twenty fifth. 59 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:53,160 Speaker 1: There's a December weekend after Christmas, and of course early January. 60 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:55,440 Speaker 1: There might be time in there to hit up a 61 00:03:55,520 --> 00:03:58,160 Speaker 1: light display or get together with friends for a festive meal, 62 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:02,360 Speaker 1: but all of those are more likely to happen if 63 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:04,760 Speaker 1: you think about them ahead of time and get them 64 00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:09,040 Speaker 1: on the calendar now. To be sure, I don't recommend 65 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:14,040 Speaker 1: planning experiences for every second. Santa will need time in 66 00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:17,720 Speaker 1: the workshop, and if you likewise have holiday work you'll 67 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:20,800 Speaker 1: need to do like shopping and food prep, then you 68 00:04:20,880 --> 00:04:25,120 Speaker 1: need to build that in. Plus things will come up. 69 00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:28,680 Speaker 1: It's nice to have space to get together with people 70 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:32,920 Speaker 1: if they suggest it. The good news is that when 71 00:04:32,920 --> 00:04:36,760 Speaker 1: we are intentional with our time, I promise that there 72 00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:39,440 Speaker 1: is usually space during the holiday season for they have 73 00:04:39,560 --> 00:04:43,320 Speaker 1: to dos alongside the want to dos. And if people 74 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:46,159 Speaker 1: do want to do things last minute, well now you 75 00:04:46,200 --> 00:04:49,360 Speaker 1: know what time is available to steer them towards instead 76 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:53,279 Speaker 1: of just saying no because you feel overwhelmed. I know 77 00:04:53,520 --> 00:04:56,280 Speaker 1: I am excited about all of it, so I hope 78 00:04:56,279 --> 00:04:59,599 Speaker 1: you will make your holiday fun list with me. We 79 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:03,120 Speaker 1: will all enjoy this season and make the kind of 80 00:05:03,240 --> 00:05:07,000 Speaker 1: memories we will be thinking about well into the new year. 81 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:13,320 Speaker 1: In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and 82 00:05:13,480 --> 00:05:23,279 Speaker 1: here's to making the most of our time. Thanks for 83 00:05:23,360 --> 00:05:28,120 Speaker 1: listening to before breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, 84 00:05:28,440 --> 00:05:37,760 Speaker 1: you can reach me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. 85 00:05:37,880 --> 00:05:41,960 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts 86 00:05:41,960 --> 00:05:46,560 Speaker 1: from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 87 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:48,440 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.