The holidays are filled with traditions, yet the usual routines can sometimes leave your marriage feeling stale and falling flat amid the seasonal frenzy. So, if you want to spark fresh romance rather than fade into the background of the hustle and bustle, it's time to upgrade your holidays and break the 'too busy' cycle in your marriage.

The holiday season isn't just busy — it's a full, constant sprint, leaving you gasping for air. It's no wonder your marriage feels blah!

Desire to be supported and encouraged by other like-minded women? Join us at the Kairos FREE Online Community. https://createyournow.com

And then the overwhelm kicks in when you realize something has to be done for the two of you, like traditional routines. But they can get buried under to-do lists and phones or tablets, turning festive cheer into unattended background noise.

If you want your connection to survive during the holidays, especially and thrive, you have to stop running on autopilot.

The solution isn't more decorations or typical "quality time." It's creating intentional rituals that cut through the noise and demand your focus on what really matters, each other, and turn your holiday into a true romantic retreat.

The K.I.S.S. ~ Turn your holiday into a romantic retreat!

Here are three straightforward, heartfelt rituals to break the endless "too busy" cycle this Christmas and turn your holiday into a true romantic retreat:

1. Advent Date Nights with Heartfelt Depth Forget cookie-cutter outings. Each weekly date builds intimacy by inviting honest sharing and listening. Try these:

• Story Swap: Take turns sharing a meaningful Christmas memory from your childhood, then discuss why it stuck with you. Vulnerability here isn't optional—it's the point.
• Dreams & Wishes: Set aside distractions to talk about your biggest hopes for the year ahead, together. This isn't small talk; it's planting the seeds for real growth as a couple.
• Gratitude Reflection: Light candles, turn phones off, and each share one specific thing you noticed and appreciated about your spouse that week. No generalities—be concrete and sincere.

2. The 12 Letters of Christmas Replace the standard gratitude jar with a daily habit that deepens connection through words. For the next 12 days of December leading up to Christmas, write your spouse a short letter—one that could be a cherished memory, a simple "thank you," or a hope you have for your life together. These notes build an emotional archive, turning busy days into moments of presence and love.

3. Create a Purposeful Christmas "Love Playlist" Music shapes mood and memory, but this playlist has a purpose. Ask your spouse to add one song each week that reflects how they feel or a story they want to share. Play it during dinners, coffee time, or wrapping gifts, then talk about why they chose that song. This soundtrack is your couple's anthem—new tradition, new connection.

Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol showed us how even the coldest hearts warm through meaning and kindness.

This season, don't just check off boxes: craft rituals that demand presence, draw you close, and remind you why your love deserves more than a passing glance.

This is how you break the "too busy" cycle. This is how you make the holidays about the two of you again.

"Be present. Be incredible. Be YOU!!!"

#RelationshipBuilders #CreateYourNow #LoveAndMarriage

💍 The Christmas Ring by Karen Kingsbury: (https://karenkingsbury.com)

🔔 Desire to be supported and encouraged by other like-minded women? Join us at the Kairos FREE Online Community. https://createyournow.com

TAKE A.I.M. ~ Action Ignites Motivation - This is a complimentary (FREE) coaching call with me. You will discuss your specific situation while gaining tools and strategies to move you forward. (https://form.jotform.com/62988215824163)

🙏 Create Your Now TV on Pray.com (https://pray.com)

🎥 Create Your Now on YouTube (https://youtube.com/createyournow)

🎧 Create Your Now on Spotify, Pandora, and Audible.

🎶 Create Your Now on iHeart Radio (http://www.iheart.com/show/263-Create-Your-Now-Your-Best/)

✍️ [email protected]

Instagram @CreateYourNow @KristianneWargo

Twitter @KristianneWargo @CreateYourNow

Facebook www.facebook.com/TheKISSCoach www.facebook.com/CreateYourNow

Cover Art by Jenny Hamson

Photo by Canva.com

Music by Mandisa - Overcomer

http://www.mandisaofficial.com

Song ID: 68209 Song Title: Overcomer Writer(s): Ben Glover, Chris Stevens, David Garcia Copyright © 2013 Meaux Mercy (BMI) Moody Producer Music (BMI) One Songs (ASCAP) Ariose Music (ASCAP) Universal Music - Brentwood Benson Publ. (ASCAP) D Soul Music (ASCAP) (adm. at CapitolCMGPublishing.com) All rights reserved. Used by permission.