Y’all. THE HOLIDAY SEASON IS HERE!
If you haven’t learned this about me by now, it’s my absolute favorite time of the year. Everyone seems happier, the feel of community is thicker, decorations are up balancing my nervous system through nostalgia and the air is crisp and cool. My ONLY complaint!? Time has this unwritten rule of moving expeditiously fast for absolutely no reason at all. Every year I tell myself, “Next year, I’m going to take my time. Soak it all in. Not overbook our calendar”. And every year, by the middle of December I’m out here looking like the Cynthia doll from Rugrats. Just BURNT.
Between EOY reviews with my corporate clients (I’m also an HR Consultant) and all the holiday happenings, I inevitably slip into survival mode and forget about my pledge to presence. And one of the first things to fall by the wayside? Intentional time with my boo. This year though, we’re trying something different.
Here are three ways to protect a little time for each other this holiday season, including date night ideas that go beyond the usual dinner and drinks.
Make Something Together, blindly
In the middle of the pandemic, when everyone was locked in their houses, we (read: I) decided it was a good idea to try our hand at YouTube. One of the very first videos we made was a “blind baking challenge”. One of us was blindfolded and baking, the other was guiding and giving verbal directions. When I tell y’all we still talk about that "challenge” to this very day! There’s something ridiculous and fun about being terrible at something together. The communication and trust that’s required to make this challenge successful will cure you. We laughed through most of it because it was just so bizarre but made us really lean on the other. All that to say, try it. Pick a holiday dessert recipe, get some Christmas tunes going in the background and make something together, blindly.
Don’t judge us from this screenshot. We had NO idea what we were doing on YouTube back then haha
Have a Christmas Taste-Test
This one is another great option if you’re literally not trying to get out of your comfy clothes and leave the house. Pick a category, holiday cookies, hot chocolate, fancy chocolates, etc. just something you can snag quickly from your nearest grocery store. Purchase 3 to 5 different versions. Taste everything blind, rank your faves and then see how well you actually know each other’s preferences. Low effort, a little competitive.
Make a holiday rap/poem
Cut up pieces of paper, you write down 10 words, they write down 10 words. They can be random, categorized, themed, inside jokes, risqué, whatever. Throw all the words in a hat, then you each draw one word at a time. Keep them in order! Then write your rap using those 10 words. Bonus: Don’t just read your rap to your partner, hop on youtube, search “Lo-Fi Beat” or “Chill Boom Bap Instrumental” or “Freestyle rap beat” and SPIT YOUR RAP!
PRO-TIP: BLOCK THESE DATE NIGHTS ON YOUR CALENDAR LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT.
Before the holiday parties, family gatherings and last minute invitations take over, block off a few non-negotiable date nights. Put them on the calendar like any other important commitment.
Spending intentional time together doesn’t have to be something elaborate that takes 30 minutes to drive to or require a $200 grocery and activity bill. Pull out Yahtzee, light some candles, throw on a Christmas Cult Classic and grab some wine, call it good. The point is literally to spend quality, STRESS FREE time together regardless of what your calendar is trying to tell you to do.
Here’s to a holiday season that feels less like survival mode.
Happy Holidays!
