1 00:00:03,480 --> 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 00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:19,959 Speaker 1: tip is that if you celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas or 4 00:00:19,960 --> 00:00:23,159 Speaker 1: Hanukkah with the same people, it can be convenient to 5 00:00:23,200 --> 00:00:28,840 Speaker 1: make your December holiday plans at Thanksgiving. It is often easier. 6 00:00:28,480 --> 00:00:31,760 Speaker 2: To make plans in person than over text or email. 7 00:00:32,800 --> 00:00:36,400 Speaker 2: Plus it's helpful to have a plan in advance so 8 00:00:36,560 --> 00:00:41,360 Speaker 2: no one has to scramble at the last minute. Many 9 00:00:41,440 --> 00:00:44,879 Speaker 2: families have some sort of routine for their holiday celebrations. 10 00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:49,840 Speaker 2: For instance, maybe your family always gathers for a meal 11 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:54,560 Speaker 2: around four o'clock on Christmas afternoon, with everybody contributing a dish, 12 00:00:55,320 --> 00:00:58,360 Speaker 2: though the entree and the person hosting may vary from 13 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:02,320 Speaker 2: year to year. Or maybe every year your family gathers 14 00:01:02,360 --> 00:01:05,360 Speaker 2: at your parents' house on the second night of Hanukkah, 15 00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:08,160 Speaker 2: so various branches of the family can gather with their 16 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:12,720 Speaker 2: other relatives on the first night. If your family has 17 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:16,759 Speaker 2: a basic plan you follow every year, Thanksgiving is a 18 00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:20,360 Speaker 2: great time to take that plan from vague to specific. 19 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:25,000 Speaker 2: For example, if you will gather in December for a 20 00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:28,720 Speaker 2: big family meal with each person contributing a dish, or 21 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:33,959 Speaker 2: to figure out a Thanksgiving who is bringing what? You 22 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:37,640 Speaker 2: could circulate a sign up sheet or ask each person 23 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:41,800 Speaker 2: what they want to bring and take notes. If the 24 00:01:41,840 --> 00:01:46,160 Speaker 2: adults usually draw names to exchange gifts, you could draw 25 00:01:46,240 --> 00:01:49,960 Speaker 2: names at Thanksgiving. Just be sure to make provisions for 26 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:52,840 Speaker 2: anyone who is not at Thanksgiving dinner but will be 27 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:56,520 Speaker 2: part of the Christmas gift exchange. If you give gifts 28 00:01:56,520 --> 00:02:00,600 Speaker 2: to multiple people in December, Thanksgiving can be a great 29 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:03,160 Speaker 2: time to ask these people if there is anything in 30 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:06,559 Speaker 2: particular they would like. You will be able to ask 31 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:11,160 Speaker 2: them questions live and maybe even go through some options together, 32 00:02:12,160 --> 00:02:15,800 Speaker 2: or quickly work out a group gift for someone without 33 00:02:15,840 --> 00:02:20,200 Speaker 2: a lot of digital back and forth. Of course, your 34 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:23,560 Speaker 2: family may have default plans that you follow every December, 35 00:02:24,320 --> 00:02:27,120 Speaker 2: but those plans may not be working for everybody anymore. 36 00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:31,560 Speaker 2: If that is the case, Thanksgiving can be a great 37 00:02:31,639 --> 00:02:36,880 Speaker 2: time to reimagine what your December gathering could be, and 38 00:02:36,919 --> 00:02:39,760 Speaker 2: if your family doesn't have a basic plan for celebrating 39 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:43,880 Speaker 2: the December holidays, Thanksgiving can be an ideal time to 40 00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:47,560 Speaker 2: do big picture planning while you are gathered in the 41 00:02:47,639 --> 00:02:51,360 Speaker 2: kitchen cleaning up from Thanksgiving dinner, you can talk about 42 00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:55,240 Speaker 2: your hopes and plans for Christmas or whatever else you celebrate. 43 00:02:56,160 --> 00:02:58,240 Speaker 2: You can talk about what you'd like to do while 44 00:02:58,240 --> 00:03:01,520 Speaker 2: you are seeing each other, who will host, and when 45 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:04,639 Speaker 2: you will gather. Even if you don't figure out all 46 00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:07,680 Speaker 2: the logistics at that time, you can get a shared 47 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:15,519 Speaker 2: vision and pave the way for more specific planning. Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, 48 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:19,160 Speaker 2: and Christmas come fast on each other's heels at what 49 00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:22,920 Speaker 2: is usually a very full time of year. If you 50 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:26,480 Speaker 2: gather with the same people for each holiday, planning for 51 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:29,799 Speaker 2: the next holiday while you're to gather at Thanksgiving can 52 00:03:29,919 --> 00:03:33,360 Speaker 2: ensure everyone has plenty of lead time for doing their part, 53 00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:37,520 Speaker 2: and it means you can plan live rather than needing 54 00:03:37,560 --> 00:03:40,760 Speaker 2: to do it all remotely, so you will probably be 55 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:46,800 Speaker 2: more efficient and cheerful during the planning process too. In 56 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:52,040 Speaker 2: the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's 57 00:03:52,120 --> 00:04:01,960 Speaker 2: to making the most of our time. Thanks for listening 58 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:06,440 Speaker 2: to Before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, 59 00:04:06,760 --> 00:04:16,120 Speaker 2: you can reach me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. 60 00:04:16,200 --> 00:04:20,280 Speaker 2: Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts 61 00:04:20,279 --> 00:04:24,880 Speaker 2: from iHeartMedia, Please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or 62 00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:26,760 Speaker 2: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.