For a few years, I tried to follow the advice of starting early preparing for the holidays, things like "have all your gifts purchased by December 1." And it was a horrible fit for my temperament. I am a fairly present-minded person and it just seemed to add stress in the fall when I wanted to be enjoying the changing leaves, admiring pumpkins, etc. Now, I basically don't even think much about the holidays until after Thanksgiving and even then I give myself time to slowly sink into the season. I try to prioritize a few things that bring joy and then enjoy the experiences that come our way. Our schedule actually lightens up a lot in December (fall sports are over, Cub Scouts takes a break, etc.) so it's really nice having more quiet evenings during the week and being able to sleep more on the weekends.
For a few years, I tried to follow the advice of starting early preparing for the holidays, things like "have all your gifts purchased by December 1." And it was a horrible fit for my temperament. I am a fairly present-minded person and it just seemed to add stress in the fall when I wanted to be enjoying the changing leaves, admiring pumpkins, etc. Now, I basically don't even think much about the holidays until after Thanksgiving and even then I give myself time to slowly sink into the season. I try to prioritize a few things that bring joy and then enjoy the experiences that come our way. Our schedule actually lightens up a lot in December (fall sports are over, Cub Scouts takes a break, etc.) so it's really nice having more quiet evenings during the week and being able to sleep more on the weekends.
I love that you identified and ignited that shift for yourself!!!