8 Things to do on December 26 (or later, if you prefer)

kaboompics via Pixabay

Today, I'm taking a week off from the usual 3 Keys post for a different kind of list post. 3 Keys Thursday will resume next week. 

Meet a friend for coffee. I'm so grateful to my dear friend who texted me earlier this week to set up a time to meet for coffee today. Not only did I enjoy a relaxing opportunity to get caught up and spend time just chatting, but I also got up earlier than I would have otherwise, which saved me from myself -- the self that would have just rolled over and gone back to sleep, wasting a significant portion of the morning.

Sleep in. This is usually at the top of my vacation list which, unfortunately, starts the cycle of get up too late/go to bed too late that I have to break when the real world comes calling. My coffee date saved me this morning but for those of you who've been exhausted by holiday preparations (or jobs in retail), this might be an even better option than coffee.

Put away some decorations. We used to joke that my mom had the Christmas decorations taken down and put away by the time we got home from their house on the day after Christmas. While I'm not ready to undeck the halls yet, I did decide that we could dispense with the emptied out stockings. I might pull out a snowman or two to fill in the gaps, but I'm not in any hurry.

Score some bargains. I'm not a Black Friday shopper, but I used to love going shopping the day after Christmas. As I accumulated a collection of "just right" decorations (along with some surplus) and retailers started slashing prices before Christmas, I did less of this. But, each year, I take stock of staples like wrapping paper and greeting cards and use December 26 to fill in the gaps with all the stuff that's on sale. As an added bonus, I feel more prepared when it comes time to get ready for next year's holidays.

Grab a Starbucks. If you're like me, you forget what day it is when you're on vacation. Since today is Thursday (which I had wrong until my daughter corrected me), it's BOGO day at Starbucks (at least for my drink of choice) between 2pm and 7pm. You're welcome.

Make a list. This was one of the first things I did this morning. Now that all of the "getting ready for Christmas" things have been checked off the list, I can get to the other things that have been competing for my attention. I can't do them all in one day, though, so I'm choosing three(ish) items from my master list to add to each day so I can feel accomplished.

Organize something. Over Thanksgiving, my husband put together a new bookshelf for our living room, which will house a variety of things from books and magazines to piano music. I got the new system started, then had to abandon the project for other, more time sensitive things. Now, with more time at my disposal, I'm using the new bookshelf as the impetus to sort through piles of accumulated reading material with a serious read it or toss it mentality. Since paper clutter is the biggest problem in my house, accomplishing this project will make me feel lighter, both literally and figuratively.

pinwhalestock via Pixabay

Chill. This is vacation, after all. Yes, I want to do all of these things (along with tackling those writing projects that have been unceremoniously pushed aside by other, time sensitive stuff), but I also want to make time to read, do crossword puzzles, play with the Apple Pencil Santa left under the tree and spend time with my family. This time off goes way too fast, and striking that balance between enjoyable work (the stuff that makes my "want to do" list) and play (the other stuff that makes my "want to do" list) is the key to a vacation that leaves me feeling both relaxed and accomplished.

That, to me, is the best of both worlds.