Have you ever dreamed about doing the holidays differently? While 2020 has taken organization, creativity, and even distancing from family, that’s not all bad. This year has created a unique chance to do holidays differently in a perfectly socially acceptable way.

There are articles popping up this year about doing holidays differently, and not just the same old ideas about cutting back and simplifying. This has a different flavor that gives us much more space to be true to ourselves.

I’ve mentioned before that I haven’t sent holiday cards in nearly 20 years. I used to get so stressed about ordering, addressing, and mailing cards, but instead I choose to spend my time on creating a family photo book. I’m not alone, according to one perspective in this WorkingMother.com article: Holiday Cards Were Designed to Torture Working Moms, so Just Say No. Why exactly do we still need this time-consuming tradition?

You can love your family, and still enjoy the break from cross-country travel, entertaining, and gift-overload this year. This is from CNN.com: Not everyone is sad to be missing the holidays with family this year. There is truth in this quote, “Families ‘can be a source of tremendous support,’ Neupert said, but they can also be toxic. ‘And sometimes both of those narratives can be used to describe the same family.'”

This idea of choosing your own holiday activities and maybe even starting up a new tradition from scratch this year is something that my friends, David Zyla and Sophia Clark, and I have offered guidance on in our free video series, the 21-Day Holiday Countdown. You can jump in at any time and even catch up on the short (~3-minute) videos that we’ve prepared just for you.

My readers look for organizing advice on how to clear out closets and arrange shelves, but organizing your life, organizing your day is really at the heart of what we do. So whether you decide to break with tradition and opt for an artificial Christmas tree, cut out the holiday cards, add a new twist to your family’s traditions, or just enjoy a quiet season with fewer errands this year, I hope you find the reset button for organizing your life in the upcoming year.

Hannukah starts today, and I wish my friends who celebrate it miracles and light in the days ahead. In fact, I wish that for all my friends, period.

We put up a real tree this year, and I really enjoy looking at all the ornaments we’ve collected on each of our trips over the years. I haven’t had time to take pictures because I’m still doing double duty as mom-teacher-cruise director-coach-lunch lady. And even if I did have time, my dining room and family room are now classrooms, and my living room is now my assistant’s office so, yeah, my Christmas decor isn’t magazine-ready (or blog-ready) for a photo shoot right now. I share this to help you keep some perspective. I hope you don’t get bent out of shape if you need to make a few adjustments to your holiday routine and look. We’re all doing it, and it’s all gonna be just fine. 🙂

In fact, it might just be a little more peaceful. Give peace a chance.

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p.s. My two holiday organizing specials are still available for you, but not for much longer. Click through to get your gifts at the best prices I’ve ever offered.