1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:10,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:12,080 --> 00:00:17,960 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:22,880 Speaker 1: tip is to make a holiday fun list. By thinking 4 00:00:22,880 --> 00:00:26,480 Speaker 1: through what you like most about the holidays and asking 5 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:31,120 Speaker 1: your loved ones too, you can make more memories and 6 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:35,920 Speaker 1: spend your time well. So we do a lot of 7 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:39,720 Speaker 1: Christmas celebrating in my house. Every year, I make what 8 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:43,520 Speaker 1: I call a holiday fun list. This is a list 9 00:00:43,560 --> 00:00:46,360 Speaker 1: of the things I want to do before early January 10 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:51,560 Speaker 1: to make the holidays feel fun and memorable. This often 11 00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:56,120 Speaker 1: involves seeing the Nutcracker, singing in a Christmas choir concert, 12 00:00:57,120 --> 00:01:01,440 Speaker 1: watching the kids and the Christmas pageant, buying new family pajamas, 13 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:05,520 Speaker 1: doing a Christmas lego set with the older kids, and 14 00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:09,759 Speaker 1: so forth. We have tried a lot of different things 15 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:14,640 Speaker 1: over the years, different light displays, holiday train shows, and 16 00:01:14,720 --> 00:01:18,399 Speaker 1: so forth. It is hard to know exactly what is best, 17 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:22,319 Speaker 1: so I've also started asking the kids what they like. 18 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:25,399 Speaker 1: My daughter and I made a list to gather the 19 00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:28,319 Speaker 1: other night, and now I know that she wants to 20 00:01:28,319 --> 00:01:32,720 Speaker 1: go ice skating, and she wants to do a baking extravaganza. 21 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:37,160 Speaker 1: She also wants to visit Dutch Wonderland to see the 22 00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:41,399 Speaker 1: lights and go on rides there. Now I would not 23 00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:45,959 Speaker 1: have pegged that as a top pick, but now I know. 24 00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:51,000 Speaker 1: The point is to really think about what would feel 25 00:01:51,240 --> 00:01:56,760 Speaker 1: most festive. Because during the holidays there are lots of options. 26 00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:00,120 Speaker 1: It can be easy to do whatever is right in 27 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:03,640 Speaker 1: front of us. Or else we don't make plans and 28 00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:06,200 Speaker 1: then don't get to go to that holiday train show 29 00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:10,320 Speaker 1: because it's sold out. We forget what's going on and 30 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:13,320 Speaker 1: realize we really would have liked to go see the Roquettes, 31 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:16,720 Speaker 1: but it's not going to be possible to build in 32 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:20,640 Speaker 1: a New York City trip now. Or you go to 33 00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:23,000 Speaker 1: an ice skating show because you think that's what your 34 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:25,120 Speaker 1: kids want to do and it turns out they don't, 35 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:28,000 Speaker 1: and then they complain that they never got to have 36 00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:32,079 Speaker 1: breakfast with Santa. I mean, the truth is people might 37 00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:36,320 Speaker 1: complain anyway. But the upside of a holiday fun list 38 00:02:36,880 --> 00:02:41,080 Speaker 1: is it that it makes everything feel more intentional. You 39 00:02:41,120 --> 00:02:43,400 Speaker 1: can say no to stuff that is not on the 40 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:47,160 Speaker 1: list and still feel like you will have a full 41 00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:51,040 Speaker 1: holiday season. You can make arrangements to do things that 42 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:55,000 Speaker 1: are on the list, knowing that the family has identified them. 43 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:58,560 Speaker 1: As mattering, you decide it is worth fitting in that 44 00:02:58,600 --> 00:03:01,600 Speaker 1: amusement park trip the visit to see Santa on the 45 00:03:01,639 --> 00:03:05,799 Speaker 1: same weekend because they both are on the list. You'll 46 00:03:05,840 --> 00:03:09,560 Speaker 1: have time to relax in January. You can also budget 47 00:03:09,560 --> 00:03:12,800 Speaker 1: more strategically if you know what people are excited about. 48 00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:16,480 Speaker 1: Maybe you do pay for the breakfast with Santa tickets, 49 00:03:17,120 --> 00:03:19,840 Speaker 1: but you don't buy tickets for some pricey train show 50 00:03:20,520 --> 00:03:22,440 Speaker 1: since it turns out that no one cares about it. 51 00:03:23,520 --> 00:03:26,160 Speaker 1: If you still want to go see trains, he finds 52 00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:30,880 Speaker 1: something cheap or free. So this weekend, sit down with 53 00:03:30,919 --> 00:03:33,800 Speaker 1: the people you will be spending the holidays with and 54 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:36,800 Speaker 1: see what they would like to do, what would make 55 00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:41,040 Speaker 1: everyone feel festive. You can brainstorm a long list and 56 00:03:41,080 --> 00:03:44,640 Speaker 1: then narrow it down, or maybe you construct a few 57 00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:48,120 Speaker 1: anchor activities and then let everyone add an additional one 58 00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:51,960 Speaker 1: or two. But I find that making a holiday fun 59 00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:55,080 Speaker 1: list always puts me in something of a celebratory mood. 60 00:03:55,920 --> 00:03:59,240 Speaker 1: I have a plan for the holidays. It makes me 61 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:04,200 Speaker 1: feel like they will be memorable, and honestly, that is 62 00:04:04,240 --> 00:04:10,400 Speaker 1: the way the holidays should be. In the meantime, this 63 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:14,680 Speaker 1: is Laura, Thanks for listening, and here's to making the 64 00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:24,839 Speaker 1: most of our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. 65 00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:29,120 Speaker 1: If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach 66 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:38,880 Speaker 1: me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast 67 00:04:38,920 --> 00:04:43,159 Speaker 1: is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, 68 00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:47,279 Speaker 1: please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 69 00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:48,600 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.