Planning a Matheson Family Christmas Post #3 Travel and Guests

          What a week. Both of these little stinkers got a cold this week. So far Mom and Dad have had a throat tickle and a stuffy nose...I stress so far. So been a bit of a whirlwind. Fortunately what I have been working on lists pretty well all week. I can do this while I get nailed down for marathon nursing sessions. 

           I'm looking at travel and guests. Because of the times we're in, this might not be as relevant as it has been in previous years. It might also might require more effort, and more flexibility. We're exceptionally luck to live where we do, and the plan is to travel for Thanksgiving, and have guests for Christmas. But provincial boarders could close again.

            Planning for these have been my project. I don't feel like what I'm doing is a one size fits all deal. In my situation planning for guests is a far lesser project than planning a 4 hour drive with a toddler and a newborn. I think I might do a post about that after we've survived the travel.

           K, Luv ya, Bye

           Nancy, Cale, Jake, Brock and Alice 

Planning a Matheson Family Christmas Post # 2 Plan Thanksgiving

           I know in the states Thanksgiving is very much part of the Christmas season. I get all my stuff started early, so it is for me too. In this series I do cover the holidays leading up, Thanksgiving being the first. Jake and I have been decorating for Fall, he's honestly a little too into the decor, he keeps wanting to play with it all (breakable are up high). 

            In a time too where the world is in the wait and see mentality, some of this planning may be wasted. Thanksgiving however, we like to go to my In-laws, so my planning is typically travel. Because we're still wait and see and I'm not 100% sure we can cross the provincial boarder, I'm doing a backup plan if we're staying the blazes home. I already have a turkey in my freezer, and a couple staples too. So I'm putting together a menu and shopping list, much like last week. The other upside with picking this stuff up, this stuff goes on sale for Thanksgiving, so non perishables can be scooped up for Christmas now too.

          K, Luv Ya, Bye 

          Nancy,Cale,Jake, Brock and Alice 

Planning a Matheson Christmas Post #1 Let's Get Started

       

 It's back! Year 5 of my Christmas planning blog. If this is your very first time ever seeing this series, welcome. I will be sharing how my family is preparing for Christmas right here. I'll start with weekly posts and it will ramp up as we get closer to the big day. Today marks 101 days until Christmas. This sentence can trigger several reactions, some quite negative. People equate Christmas with stress mainly. Feeling yourself over spending and spread too thin. I would feel the same if I didn't firmly believe I starting early, is spreads the financial burden and helps you tackle the important stuff early. 

           This brings me to what I have been upto in my preparations, identifying the important stuff. When I started the series 5 years ago, it was just Cale and I, there was less urgency and I went for a little more let's say structure. We now have 2 kids and one who really knows what's going on this year, so times have changed, but my methods haven't. I am a list maker, this is what keeps me on task, the first one I do is the Master list. This is a list of everything you prioritize over the holidays. For me, looking at lights, watching parades, making cookies are high on the list because Jake will love them. I also have dinners and cards, wrapping,  decorating. This list also reminds me of our traditions, in we have the festive special when we decorate the house, or hot chocolate when we look at lights. 

          This takes me to my next list, menus. We have these little traditions, but i think most stick with a similar menu year to year when it comes to Christmas. I map out Christmas eve, Christmas and boxing day.  This list results in another list, the grocery list. I make the dauntingly long grocery list, this is where I spread out some cost.

           Once I have my grocery list I sort everything into Non perishables, frozen and fresh. This is also the point where I start shopping for non perishable food and put them away. I budget out roughly $10 a week and pick up items on sale. I got some soups I need for fifty cents already. 

          This typically an excellent starting point for me. I should also mention 3 other things (because this post hasn't been long enough). #1 I "organize" my lists in my notebook. I live out of that thing and it's how I keep everything sorted. 

#2 I start this post 101 days before as a tip of the hat to an actual daily planning site that inspired me. If you're looking for a more in depth approach, be sure to check them out 101daystochristmas.com. It's American too, so it's time line is different. 

#3 With Covid this year, we have no idea what Christmas will look like. Some Major events in my area have been canceled. I think this year, more than ever it will be important to be on top of all of this nice and early.

         K, Luv Ya, Bye

         Nancy, Cale, Jake, Brock & Alice 

Relearning all of this

          I discovered this morning how much I forgot about newborns. I remember a lot of the basics of course, but little tricks I developed, I have forgotten a lot. You know how a lot of meats you only flip once while cooking? This was my approach with nursing...if that makes sense. I now remember, because I struggled with nursing Jake, I would flip him back and forth from side to side. This not only kept him awake nursing, at night it kept me awake too...I rediscovered it this morning. 

            Or what worked to put Jake to sleep, it's been tweaked, and I remember little tricks that help. I'm just over 3 weeks in and remembering...slowly. It's pretty cool to get to slow down and enjoy this time, I didn't necessarily get to woth Jake being so overwhelmed...kind of funny I was more overwhelmed with one than I am with two. 

            K, Luv Ya, Bye

            Nancy