The Holiday Headstart

Managing the Christmas Elf tradition can feel daunting, especially as the holidays get busy. In this episode, we explore a 5-step process to create Elf Magic that keeps things joyful and manageable. With the help of our Elf Magic Made Easy planner, we’re giving you the tools to make elf planning a plug-and-play experience.

Join us as we explore the magic of holiday traditions and share creative tips for managing them without stress. Make it a season full of joy for both you and your family!

Highlights from the episode:

[01:11] - Tradition Spotlight on Stir-Up Sunday

[06:19] - Step 1 for Creating Elf Magic: Clarify Your Mindset

[08:09] - Step 2 for Creating Elf Magic: Build Your Framework

[10:47] - Step 3 for Creating Elf Magic: Know Your Limits

[13:19] - Step 4 for Creating Elf Magic: Gather Your Ideas

[16:06] - Step 5 for Creating Elf Magic: Make Your Plans

[18:19] - This week’s Get A Headstart Tip for recording Elf memories

[20:02] - What’s on our to-do lists this week

[21:41] - Our Nice Lists

Resources:

• Elf Magic Made Easy Planner
• Grab The Holiday Headstart Playbook
• Hot Fudge Pudding Cake
• LivLab Bins
• Santa's First Christmas
• Take the Holiday Profile quiz
• Follow on Instagram @theholidayheadstart 
• Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! 

If you enjoyed this episode, you'll love these too:

• Episode 6 - The Ultimate Guide to Planning Your Holiday Traditions

Show Notes: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/hh-podcast/elf-on-the-shelf

In this episode, we reflect on where we stand with our holiday preparations. With Halloween behind us and Thanksgiving quickly approaching, this is the perfect moment to pause, celebrate what we've accomplished, and figure out what still needs to be done before Christmas. We follow a simple, three-step process: first, we evaluate our progress so far, then make some course corrections, and finally, create a plan for moving forward.

We share some of our wins, like staying on track with the Holiday Head Start playbook and prepping gifts for our neighbors. There are things we wish we had done earlier, but we’re managing our expectations and not aiming for perfection. Of course we share plenty of practical tips for how listeners can make their own holidays a little less stressful.

We hope listeners will be encouraged to evaluate their own progress, manage expectations, and consider making Thanksgiving dishes in advance to enjoy more downtime during the holidays. 

Highlights from the episode:

[01:15] - Tradition Spotlight on Pie Night

[03:34] - Taking Stock week

[17:17] - Course correcting

[21:39] - Plan for moving forward

[24:06] - Reflection questions for taking stock

[26:04] - This week’s Get A Headstart Tip for making Thanksgiving dinner in advance

[28:23] - What’s on our to-do lists this week

[29:53] - Our Nice Lists

Resources:

• Grab The Holiday Headstart Playbook
• Take the Holiday Profile quiz
• Follow on Instagram @theholidayheadstart 
• Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! 

If you enjoyed this episode, you'll love these too:

• Episode 4 - How to Craft Your Holiday Values For A More Meaningful Christmas Season

Show Notes: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/hh-podcast/holiday-prep-check-in

Ready to kick off your holiday baking season? Join us as we dive into the joys and challenges of holiday baking! From long-cherished traditions to finding that perfect recipe, we’re sharing tips and stories to inspire your festive creations.

Not a cooking enthusiast? You're not alone! But there's something magical about holiday treats. Discover how to prioritize your favorite recipes, plan ahead with premade doughs, and balance the joy of baking with the hectic holiday schedule. Plus, a fun chat on festive traditions and our favorite seasonal treats. 

Get ready to make your holidays delicious, memorable, and perfectly planned. Tune in to the episode and get all of our tips for creating your personalized holiday baking plan.

Episode Highlights:

[01:01] - Tradition Spotlight on making a meaningful Thanksgiving decoration

[02:30] - Baking memories

[03:44] - Baking priorities

[07:28] - Making a baking plan

[18:32] - This week’s Get A Headstart Tip for making upcoming grocery lists

[20:00] - What’s on our to-do lists this week

[22:10] - Our Nice Lists

Links & Resources:

• Hallmark Better Together Plush Characters
• Cozy Flameless Candles
• Grab The Holiday Headstart Playbook
• Take the Holiday Profile quiz
• Follow on Instagram @theholidayheadstart 
• Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! 

If you enjoyed this episode, you'll love these too:

• Episode 5 - How to Organize Your Holiday Gift List

Show Notes: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/hh-podcast/christmas-baking-game-plan/

The holiday season is just around the corner, and we're here to help you make it your best one yet! In our latest episode of the Teacher Approved podcast, we explore the 3 Cs of Holiday Planning: Calendaring, Confirming, and Coordinating. These are your secret weapons for turning holiday chaos into a well-orchestrated holiday celebration!

Get those important holiday events on your calendar now so you won't miss out on the magic. Remember, it's not about scheduling a perfect December, but about ensuring you enjoy what's truly important to you.

Stay ahead by keeping everyone in the loop. Whether you're hosting a party or coordinating family gatherings, early communication is key!

Discover how to collaborate effectively with family and friends to make the holiday season smooth and enjoyable for all.

For those who love a good planning system, check out the Holiday Headstart Playbook for seamless scheduling. Transform chaos into coordinated Christmas cheer! 

Episode Highlights:

[01:02] - Tradition Spotlight on Halloween Fashion Show

[03:42] - Using the 3 Cs to ensure holiday plans become reality

[04:10] - Calendaring

[10:50] - Confirming

[12:01] - Coordinating

[13:52] - This week’s Get A Headstart Tip for creating a Holiday Command Center to optimize holiday planning

[15:17] - What’s on our to-do lists this week

[16:38] - Our Nice Lists

Links & Resources:

• Grab The Holiday Headstart Playbook
• Take the Holiday Profile quiz
• Velvetizer from Hotel Chocolat
• Blue Lily Candles on Etsy
• Follow on Instagram @theholidayheadstart 
• Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! 

If you enjoyed this episode, you'll love these too:

• Episode 4 - How to Craft Your Holiday Values for a More Meaningful Christmas Season
• Episode 6 - The 5 Step Action Plan for Traditions

Show Notes: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/hh-podcast/guide-to-holiday-planning/

In this exciting episode, we're diving into the planning and preparation of holiday traditions. Have you ever considered all the details that go into planning traditions or activities? We have! And our Holiday Headstart Action Plan is the perfect tool for getting all the details out of your head and into reality. Join us as we put our Action Plan into action and use it to plan our new Reindeer Games Tradition.

We walk through the big details (when and where is this happening?) and the tiny details (are we going to have enough pretzels?) to make sure that we’ve accounted for all the ups and downs that come with planning a family activity.

We also reflect on last year's highlights and explore new ideas to make this year’s event even more memorable. Stay tuned for tips on managing holiday traditions, fun activities, and how to maintain a low-stress, high-fun environment. Let’s get a head start on making this holiday season unforgettable!

Highlights from the episode:

[01:21] - Tradition Spotlight on offering potatoes to trick-or-treaters

[02:45] - Diving into holiday activities and traditions

[04:15] - Our 5-step action plan

[06:52] - Planning our Reindeer Games tradition

[23:05] - This week’s Get A Headstart Tip for creating a Need To Know box (this can be a real lifesaver!) 

[25:16] - What’s on our to-do lists this week

[26:48] - Our Nice Lists

Resources:

• Filtered Showerhead
• Shark Hair Dryer
• Canisters
• Grab The Holiday Headstart Playbook
• Take the Holiday Profile quiz
• Follow on Instagram @theholidayheadstart 
• Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! 

If you enjoyed this episode, you'll love these too:

• Episode 5 - Making a Plan for Gift Giving

Show Notes: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/hh-podcast/action-plan-for-holiday-traditions/

In this episode, we explain how to approach holiday gift giving with an intentional plan. Our Holiday Headstart method includes:

1. Listing and categorizing recipients.
2. Deciding who will receive single or multiple gifts.
3. Determining the type of gift each person will receive—personal, thoughtful, or friendly.

We explain how to use the "Holiday Head Start Playbook" for detailed organization. And we share a tip for inventorying the gifts you already bought before your holiday shopping ramps up.

Episode Highlights:

[01:20] - Tradition Spotlight on Emily’s Harry Potter dinner

[05:48] - Your “Who To Give To” List

[11:29] - 3 Tiers of Gifts - personal gift, thoughtful gift, or friendly gift

[13:53] - This week’s Get A Headstart Tip for inventorying your gift stash

[15:06] - What’s on our to-do lists this week

[17:15] - Our Nice Lists

Links & Resources:

• Paprika Recipe Manager App
• Grab The Holiday Headstart Playbook
• Take the Holiday Profile quiz
• Follow on Instagram @theholidayheadstart 
• Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! 

If you enjoyed this episode, you'll love these too:

• Episode 4 - Crafting your values for a more meaningful holiday

Show Notes: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/hh-podcast/making-a-plan-for-gift-giving

In this episode of "The Holiday Headstart," we identify and organize our core holiday values using a structured exercise from our Holiday Headstart Playbook. Then we use our values to craft a purpose statement to help guide our holiday planning.

Episode highlights:

[01:04] - Tradition Spotlight on Fall Drives

[05:21] - Starting with the Why of planning

[14:17] - Writing a Holiday Purpose Statement

[21:37] - This week’s Get A Headstart Tip for scheduling time to plan

[24:13] - What’s on our to-do lists this week

[25:55] - Our Nice Lists

Resources:

• Only Murders In The Building
• The Peek Nest App
• Grab The Holiday Headstart Playbook
• Take the Holiday Profile quiz
• Follow on Instagram @theholidayheadstart 
• Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! 

If you enjoyed this episode, you'll love these too:

• Episode 3 - How to Plan Your Ideal Holiday

Show notes: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/hh-podcast/meaningful-christmas-values/

Have you ever thought about what truly matters to you during the holiday season? Sometimes as adults, we end up with default holidays instead of our ideal holidays, especially at Christmas! For example, maybe your Christmas celebrations are full of traditions that you grew up with, or traditions that you see others doing, but they don’t really bring you enjoyment. 

On this podcast, we want to create space that helps you create a clear vision of what it would look like to have the kind of holiday that you look forward to celebrating. The first step in crafting this vision, and making it a reality, is to take our Holiday Profile Quiz.

This quiz will clearly identify what matters most to you when it comes to the holidays…and what matters the least! Then you will be able to start planning your ideal holiday. It’s never too early to start your holiday preparation!

Episode Highlights:

[01:00] - Thinking about different Christmas traditions

[02:54] - How to figure out your full holiday profile

[06:51] - Important conversations to have with your loved ones to ensure the holidays are enjoyable for everyone

[09:23] - Our “Get A Headstart Tip” for adding to your wallet now to help with holiday spending later

[11:59] - What’s on our to-do list this week

Links & Resources:

• Gramercy Rolling Cart
• Game: Cover Your Assets
• Follow on Instagram @theholidayheadstart 
• Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! 

Show Notes: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/hh-podcast/plan-your-ideal-holiday/

Having intentions to make the holidays feel special and actually bringing your ideas to life are two very different things! Whether you tend to leave things to the last minute, let overwhelm take over, or struggle to be present for the moments that matter most, we can relate.

There was a time where we resisted the need to plan ahead for holidays, but now we want to help you learn from our mistakes. Just like we created our own curriculum for the classroom when we saw a need, we’ve mastered the art of systems for holiday prep. 

In today’s episode, we’re sharing how we discovered a need for step-by-step holiday prep that keeps stress levels down. Plus, you’ll hear how to utilize Pinterest for getting organized without getting overwhelmed.

Episode Highlights:

[01:03] - Why we care so much about planning and preparing for the holidays

[02:42] - How we learned to keep stress levels down during holiday planning

[07:43] - A “get a headstart tip” for using Pinterest to get organized

[11:09] - What’s on our to-do list this week

Links & Resources:

• The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, by Beth Brower
• Somebody Feed Phil on Netflix
• Follow on Instagram @theholidayheadstart 
• Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!

Show Notes: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/hh-podcast/holiday-planning-mistakes-episode/

Welcome to the very first episode of The Holiday Headstart, where we help you plan and prepare for all your celebrations so that you can truly enjoy them! We love any excuse to celebrate, so we’ll be covering so much more than major holidays like Christmas.

We know it’s Spring, but trust us, this is actually the perfect time to start preparing for the holiday season. Inside this episode, we dive into the power of traditions, the benefits of planning your holidays early and share a practical tip for organizing your holiday lists.

Don’t forget to tap the follow or subscribe button in your podcast listening app so that you never miss an upcoming episode. We can’t wait to share more holiday prep with you in the weeks to come!  

Episode Highlights:

[00:50] - Welcome to the show

[02:36] - Where so many of us go wrong in our planning

[03:47] - This week’s “get a headstart” tip to help you keep track of your lists

[05:28] - What we’re working on this week to get ahead

[07:00] - What’s made it on our nice list this week

Links & Resources:

• Ready or Not, by Cara Bastone
• Nampons
• Follow on Instagram @theholidayheadstart
• Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! 

Show Notes: https://www.secondstorywindow.net/hh-podcast/plan-your-holidays-early/