Thanksgiving is 9 days away. Christmas is in 36 days. And in just 42 days, this decade is coming to a close.

(okay whew, kinda breaking a sweat writing that)

If you’re anything like me, you adore the holidays. And you also know that alllll of those days are gonna be peppered with things you have to do.

Okay yes, we’re supposed to slow down and savor the holidays. But how is one supposed to do that when they also have to work so they can pay rent, have to take their kids to school, have errands to run and things to clean and projects to finish…where does the slow savoring happen, exactly? You know, I’m not exactly sure. But I do know I desperately want that this year.

Some ways I’m going to try to savor the next 42 days:

Slow down when I do have time.

If I’m honest with myself, I do have pockets of downtime here and there. The problem is that I tend to stuff them full of not slow things. I mindlessly scroll on facebook and get heated over political things or people I have no business following (WHY do we do this?! I’m working on it) and call it “relaxing.” NOPE. For the rest of the year, downtime is for relaxing, savoring-the-season kinda things. Christmas movies, books, snuggles with my bub, Making handprint turkeys (remember those?!), the works.

Make the most of the mundane.

Simplysuzy (my favorite instagram account at the moment – if you’re not following her already, DO IT) posted the quote “Memories are simply moments that refuse to be ordinary” and it has completely wrecked (in the very best way) my view of life with Jack. I hope he remembers the grand gestures, the trips to theme parks, the over-the-top Christmas gifts. But I also know he’ll remember the mornings I turn on Christmas Monkey while I do the dishes so he can dance in the kitchen with me.

Throw kindness around like it’s glitter and I’m at a Lady Gaga concert.

Nothing warms my stressed out little heart like giving back. This can be as big as donating money to those in need or as small as holding the door for someone who has their hands full. I’m going to actively look for opportunities to be extra kind this season.

Ask myself what’s really important to me.

I love Thanksgiving. I love Christmas. I love New Years Eve. There are six-thousand and fourteen things I would love to do to celebrate all three of them. But realistically, that’s not going to happen. So in order to savor this season, I’m going to ask myself what’s the most important to me. Traditions, family, the works. And I’m going to prioritize those things.

Remember that the things that have to get done will get done.

Isn’t it something – the work projects that have to get done always do. The messes that absolutely must be cleaned up always are. The fires that simply have to be put out always get put out…things work out. I’m going to remember that.

Don’t cheat yourself out of some holiday memories because the dishes need to be done. Seriously, I know how lame that sounds, but don’t we do that sometimes?

I think it’s going to be a magical 42 days. How will you savor them?