Browse The Blog
💛The Holiday Organizer That Helped Me Enjoy December (Without Losing My Mind)
A relaxed Alaska cruise aboard the Eurodam, exploring glacier-filled waters, charming ports, and the joy of traveling with friends and family.
December is my favorite month.
It’s also the month where we apparently try to do everything.
Case in point: this past weekend.
Our wedding anniversary is in December — one of those long, steady marriages where traditions have had time to root. (We picked December back when it was the first weekend without a Buckeye game. Priorities were set early in this marriage.)
So we celebrated by wandering Columbus in an actual snowstorm.
A freezing walk through Goodale Park.
An amazing dinner at Marcella’s.
Then another snowy walk to Kemba for a Highly Suspect concert.
We ended the night in a city-view hotel room, watching snow fall over downtown.
And because December never does just one thing, Friday night was spent baking gingerbread cookies and building gingerbread houses with the grandkids.
Joyful? Absolutely.
Full? Completely.
Calm and quiet? Not even a little.
And that’s the point.
Why This Matters Right Now
December isn’t stressful because it’s bad.
It’s stressful because it’s full.
The traditions, the celebrations, the family time, the memories — all stacked on top of regular life. Work still exists. Appointments still exist. Laundry still exists.
And when everything is full, that’s when:
lists live in six different places
decisions pile up
the mental load quietly becomes heavier than the calendar
The problem isn’t that December is too busy.
The problem is that December is busy.
Why Holiday Systems Matter (Especially in December)
Here’s the truth I’ve learned:
The payoff of being organized isn’t that unexpected things stop happening.
They won’t.
Snowstorms still happen.
Concerts still pop up.
Grandkids still want gingerbread villages (and honestly, thank goodness).
The payoff is that when plans shift, you already know how to adjust — because you’re not starting from scratch.
That’s what gentle holiday systems do.
They bend instead of break.
The Holiday Organizer (And Why I Made It)
I didn’t create the Holiday Organizer to be perfect.
I created it to give guidance and peace during a season that asks a lot.
It’s not about filling every box or doing December “right.”
It’s about having one place where:
your plans live
your thoughts land
your brain doesn’t have to hold everything at once
It’s a calm place to come back to when December starts doing what December does best — piling it on.
How We Actually Use It (Real Life, Not Pinterest Life)
Jamie and I check in with it most evenings after work.
Nothing fancy.
We look at what’s coming up, what still needs to happen, what can wait, and what needs adjusting. Sometimes it’s shopping. Sometimes it’s shifting plans. Sometimes it’s just confirming, “Okay, we’re good.”
That five-minute check-in saves a whole lot of late-night stress and last-minute scrambling.
Small reset. Big relief.
The Real-Life Difference
I still have full December days.
I still say yes to the memories.
I still wander snowy cities and bake cookies with tiny helpers.
But now I feel grounded — not rushed.
Not because everything is perfect.
But because everything has a place.
A Gentle Invitation
If December feels full for you too — and you want to keep the cozy memories without the constant mental clutter — the Holiday Organizer was made for you.
Not to slow December down.
But to help you enjoy it while it’s happening. ✨