Ah, December.
The month where everyone else seems to be powered by peppermint and holiday magic… and I’m over here running on fumes, stubbornness, and one functioning spoon. Maybe two if I slept weird and accidentally charged myself.

But here’s the thing: December doesn’t have to eat us alive.
We can enjoy the cute twinkle lights, the cozy vibes, the nostalgia — without sacrificing our last working nerve.

So here are my tried-and-true, spoonie-approved tips for making it through the season with your sanity (mostly) intact.

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1. Lower the Bar. Then Lower It Again.

Holiday movies lied.
No one needs matching pajamas, a handmade wreath, and a three-course dinner.
Pick the bare minimum that still feels like joy — the rest can sit in the corner and think about what it’s done. Matching PJs? Nope, I get everyone a shirt and call it good.

2. Build Your “Nope List” Early

These are the things you’re not doing.
Not even considering.
Not even thinking about reconsidering.

Mine includes:

• Wrapping gifts like a Pinterest mom
• Baking anything that requires more than one bowl
• Going to three events in one weekend (laughable)

Write it down. Honor it like a boundary carved in stone. I will NOT be guilted into something I physically am unable to do.

3. Embrace the Lazy-Girl Gift Strategy

If it can be ordered, mailed, or printed without me putting on real pants?
It’s fair game.

Digital gifts, Etsy finds, consumables… honestly, the best gifts don’t come from a craft room meltdown. Pants arent really the enemy but shoes and a bra always seem to take more spoons than I have.

4. Schedule Recovery Time Like It’s a Medical Appointment

Events = exhaustion.
Fun = exhaustion.
Walking from the couch to the door to sign for a package = sometimes also exhaustion.

So plan buffer days around anything that drains you. No guilt.

Your energy is a budget — spend wisely. I try to not plan anything for the whole month of December because things come up.

5. Keep One “Emergency Joy” Thing Nearby

A candle.
A smashbook.
Your comfort show.
A snack that makes you feel alive.

Something tiny that sparks joy when your spoon count hits “Windows XP crashing” mode.

6. Delegate Like a CEO on a Deadline

Kids can help.
Partners can help.
DoorDash exists for a reason.

Being a spoonie in December means becoming a master delegator with zero apologies.

7. Create a Bare-Minimum Holiday Tradition

One thing.
Just one.

A movie you always watch.
A hot cocoa night.
A drive to see lights.

Consistency beats intensity every time. I’ve got little things I add each year, with trimming the tree (daughter does under my supervision.) We TRY and watch a movie with a holiday theme. Hot chocolate. Little things.

8. Let Go of the Ghost of December Past

Maybe old you did more.
Maybe old you hosted dinners or ran around like a festive tornado.

New you deserves grace — not comparison. What sucks is there is ten years between middle and last child. I could do WAY more when the older two were prime Christmas ages! Theres not even a comparison.

9. Pick the Memories Over the Motion

If something makes a good memory but doesn’t drain you?
That’s the sweet spot.

We’re not chasing “perfect.”
We’re chasing “present.” There’s a lot of moments you can be ‘present’ for once you take shortcuts on the things that matter less.

10. Celebrate Your Way — Even If Your Way Is the Couch

Rest doesn’t make you less festive.
Joy doesn’t require performance.
You’re allowed to celebrate at the speed your body allows. Do things in advance to use when your spoons are empty, cook in bulk when you have everything out.

And honestly?
That’s where the real peace of the season lives.
December is not a test you have to pass.
It’s a month — messy, beautiful, loud, overwhelming — that you get to shape in the way that works for you.

You deserve moments of joy that don’t cost you your health.
You deserve ease.
You deserve gentleness.

So here’s to a season that meets us where we are — not where the world tells us we “should” be.Til next time gang, take care of yourselves, and each other.