We’re Doing this Right. Right?
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We’re Doing this Right. Right?
Navigating the Chaos: Simplify your Busy Season
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In this week's episode of We’re Doing this Right. Right?, Cheryl and Colleen dive deep into holiday preparation tips, family dynamics, and avoiding holiday stress, while sharing hilarious anecdotes and practical advice to make your holiday season smoother. From organizing your home and simplifying gift-giving to mastering holiday meal prep and juggling busy schedules, this episode is packed with insights for every woman looking to navigate the holiday chaos with grace and a sense of humor.
Welcome back. Uh, Colleen, you sound, you sound like you're doing it really right over there. Why don't you tell us about that? Uh, that is probably it. I've been hearing that a lot on like the TikTok medical feeds that people are allergic to October. Here that Jenny come back and we can talk about how she went viral on Tik Tok. She might be too famous for us now. Cause no clear cause. And your friend's a dermatologist, right? Got it. I know. Um, that's I was very concerned because she's like, I'm flying home tomorrow and in my mind, she was coming home Monday and this was like Wednesday or Tuesday or Wednesday and I was, because I got, and then she's like, and I got sick and then I'm like, oh God, you got really sick. You didn't come home on Monday. Geez. Mm hmm. Yay! Yay. Mm hmm. Love us. Love this city. Please. Mm hmm. Yay. Yeah. Yay. Yeah. It's my anniversary month and my birthday month. So all of you celebrating Christmas, I'm fine with it, but like the week of November 18th, if you could also just please celebrate my birthday, that'd be cool. Yeah. Yes. Let me share a little quick anecdote. My bunko group. November 1st rolled around like 7 30 a. m. And I get a text message that says Halloween's over. Merry Christmas. Let's plan, you know, whatever it is we're doing for Christmas. And then I'm just like, okay, but also happy new year. Like it's over. It's over. Yeah. Well, let's start with with the Madaris's did today. Cause also we're into November. We had our last soccer game yesterday. Oh wait, one more thing about Halloween. I was just going through my kids, Halloween candy. Again, this year, I didn't find any drugs. So, if you guys are giving out like pot gummies for Halloween, can you make sure my kids get them so I can have them? You know, there's like the whole thing about like, there's drugs in candy and we need to check their candy for like needles and drugs and stuff. These things that like don't actually happen. Again, no drugs in my kids Halloween candy. Such a disappointment. Oh, well, I mean, Who found needles? Nobody. Like, where did this old wives tale take off? And then I feel like it was also drugs when I was little. And I'm like, well, yet to find any drugs in my kid's Halloween candy. And I, yeah, I was a little disappointed. I could use some more sleepy gummies. Like, so I don't have to pay for those myself. Yeah. People aren't giving drugs away, you guys. So don't worry. Okay. So November soccer's over. Yesterday was our last soccer game. Very bittersweet. Yes. Today, we have nothing on the calendar, nothing, which never happens. And so I'm like, okay, we are getting rid of everything in the house. And how this relates to the holidays is like, bear in mind, I have three kids that are likely all going to be getting new things for Christmas, which I did just say to my husband, like, can we just encourage all experiences this holiday season instead of things? He's like, well, what about clothes? I said, have you opened their drawers? They're overflowing. What about shoes? Like, have you looked in their shoe baskets? They're like, we don't need it. A damn thing. We have too much of everything. We need to get rid of all of it. And largely like I'm just feeling unsettled and not in peace in the house. I could just, I feel like every time I turn around there's shit somewhere and that's not peaceful or relaxing for me. And as we move into this season that is busy, I need peace here at home, right?
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Yeah,
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:Colleen lost power, but were telling me that Daveed's getting a dumpster for his birthday.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:whether he likes it or not, because we just got the kids new mattresses. So now the new mattresses are. We have, a two car garage and then we have a carriage garage and the carriage garage is what the kids call dad's garage. Do you know what that is? It's just like a single car garage. That's separate. For a carriage, I'm not sure at some point.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:don't think you probably ever had a carriage parked at your
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:no, my house was built in like 1997
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:Yeah.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:or something, but that's what they call them.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:that, but keep going.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:It's just full of dad's stuff and I don't really know what's in there, but it also goes like where the large, you know, where the mattresses go when we need to throw them away or like the overflow of like landscaping stuff or whatever. So I'm like, dude, I'm just thinking about contacting Mariah bear. She does not like to do garages, which I know, but she said she might have recommendations. Like maybe I can get like an organizer to come and like organize the garage for him. I don't know if he would like that or not. I think he would, but Maybe he wants something.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:like it.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:I think I'd like it. I think I'd like.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:we do when we're married
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Yeah.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:something? We get ourselves something?
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Anyway, I was just thinking about what you guys were doing and I was like, yeah, I'm going to get a dumpster and we're going to throw all this shit away because there is a dumpster. Too much. There's just too much. We've also been talking about I have a friend Kia who we need to get up, have on the show. Kia Wright is a really amazing she runs a nonprofit for young adults, children and young adults who are reentering after being in juvenile hall or prison or whatever. Anyway, I digress, but we should get her on the show. Cause she's awesome. She, for the last few years for Christmas. Or for holiday instead of gifts, they travel. And so I'm really trying to push that as, you know, but my kids still believe so. And they're so smart. They're like, it's okay, mom, I'll ask Santa for that, you know? And I'm like, I'm like, uh,
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:Well, let me be this annual reminder that Santa gifts,
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:that's right. You don't do
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:that they be modest and not extreme for a couple of reasons. One, other kids at school, Santa may not be able to afford the same
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:yeah.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:that your kids could get. And two, and my biggest one is like, let's take the credit. We give the fucking tooth fairy credit. We give the Easter bunny like they're everybody else getting credit, but we're the ones out here busting our ass getting this for the kids. I'm going to take some credit for the cool shit.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Yeah. So I was really like, what if this year we asked Santa for a trip? Would that be fun guys? And
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:mmm,
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:there was. Some buy in minimal, I think are really going to sell it better. I think I have to have a place like a destination to go, but I think I would rather do that than just, and they would still get little stuff, but yeah, but just more stuff, there's just so much stuff and like, it's just too much anyway. And then it becomes this like clutter everywhere all the time. And we talk about like, you know, we asked them more like, well, what did you get last year? And they're like, uh, you know, like last year, the boys got these ATVs, they still ride them. That was great investment. Vivian got a hoverboard thing. She doesn't use it, but she also got an Apple watch. She uses that every day.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:Mm hmm. Mm
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:but there, but there's that need to fill in with all those other things. Right. And then what did they get the year before? And they're like, I don't know, you know?
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:Right.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:okay. So let's start talking about, cause we love practical tips. What are some, like, practical things? That we can do to make the next two, two and a half months, getting through the new year a little bit easier for ourselves and our businesses and our lives. What do we got? What do you, what's your, what's your personal, before you go to our robot, because I know you love the robot, what's your holiday or holiday season hack that you've done?
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:I, this year, am not going to be concerned about doing all of the things. So there's, there's the train ride. There's the place with the really incredible Christmas lights. There's, like, all these things, and they all cost money, and they all take time.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Yeah.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:um, pretty much we have our weekends, that means to do these things because Alex gets off too late and we still put the kids to bed too early. So it's like the weekends up really jammed and that's very stressful. Also, if your Christmas party is not already on my calendar, I'm not coming and I'm sorry and I love you, but I'm only going to have hire a babysitter so many times,
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Yeah.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:of the money and hiring the babysitter, but because my kids also want to spend this season with me. And I, I literally like every Saturday in December leading up to Christmas is already booked.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Oh my God.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:Crazy.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:That's nuts.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:That's crazy. So that's just where we are. And also like in some of the groups like Bunko and stuff, we've decided to like push Christmas party into January. Just because we all need a little bit less in
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Yeah.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:So I'm not going to keep up with the Joneses. I'm being very intentional about the yeses.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Yeah. This is no.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:we throw a party every year where Santa, like the real Santa comes,
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Oh.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:He and Alex are really good friends from when they were on the fire, well, Alex was on the fire department
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Oh.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:and so he used to drive him around the town. And so anyhow, the real Santa comes to our house every year. so we're having that party and that invitation list has recently got out of control.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Oh. Okay.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:So.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Somebody's going to get the hack.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:because he started inviting all these people from his leadership group, which I'm so here for, like, yes, would love to have you all, but I looked at him and I was like, so we're catering this.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Oh yeah.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:where I blame it.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Yeah.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:not doing this
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Yeah.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:It's too big.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:That's too much.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:Easy button where I can
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:easy, but Mary can.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:About my calendar.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Yeah. I think for me, I always, Everett's birthday is so close to Thanksgiving. That's always a, Challenge. So last year we threw this really cool we called it turkey bowl birthday party. We had 30 kids basically over to our house and they did a whole big football game in the backyard and it was awesome and we loved it. And we're like, yeah, this is our tradition. We're going to do this. And he doesn't want to do that for his birthday this year. And so I was like, okay, he wants to go to like a laser tag place or something. And I was like, Great. Bye. That's easy. I just have to book it now. Otherwise it's going to be gone. So I'm not going to host 60 people in my house for a birthday party this year. And then the other thing, this is, I was thinking about this and this is maybe like lame, but I find this extraordinarily helpful is for, for Thanksgiving. I make all the sides and stuff like that, but I order my turkey at Whole Foods so that I don't have to, it comes like pre cooked, but then you have to like heat it up or whatever. And I learned this from another super high level entrepreneur mom of three years ago. We went to her house and we're like, Oh my God, this, we used to have Thanksgiving with them every year. It's a woman that I grew up with. She was my sister's best friend. She was the one that told me about work life balance, how it doesn't exist.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:right? It's a myth.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:It's a myth. And she is like, we're like, wow, this turkey is so good. She's like, oh yeah, we just order it from Whole Foods. But it comes up like you can make it, present it like it's, you know, like you've done this whole thing, but it also saves your oven hours and hours and hours of cooking. So that gives me more time back. Right? Like that gives me more time with my kids. That gives me more time with my family on Thanksgiving. That gives me, you know, like, and then we just do the sides and stuff like that. But if you're feeling a lot of pressure about doing the whole big thing, like I grant you permission to just order that turkey from
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:Mm hmm.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Whole Foods, the
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:hmm.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:the wherever you can just do it because nobody cares.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:I'd like to talk about my oven. I have a double oven. It's lovely.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Yeah.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:broke over a month ago,
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Why?
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:a month ago. And we have a home warranty plan, like we renew
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Yeah.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:We got it when we bought the house. We just renew it every year. So we're waiting for them to fix it. It has been at least a month and a half
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:You've had no oven.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:No oven, guys.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Is it a double oven? Like two ovens or is it like one that's split
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:of the other.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:and they're both broken?
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:on top of the other and both are broken. Yeah, we were having a lot of power issues, California. Shocking. And we surged one day and then lost power and then the oven never has turned back on.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Oh, shoot.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:the company sent a repairman out and they like ordered the part ahead and everything that they thought they were need gonna need even though Alex thinks that's not the right part. Anyhow
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:It's never the right part.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:like, well I need two people to pull this oven out to put this fuse in and I'm like, knew what the part was. Why didn't you know where the part was in the machine? Like,
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Yeah,
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:cool. So now we'll just be without an oven for another month.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:dude. What are you going to do?
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:Well, I mean, we should have it. I mean, they're coming next week sometime, I think, allegedly. I don't know. They keep rescheduling, but I've been using the barbecue. I ordered a bigger air fryer that has like multiple levels in it.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Okay.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:it also bakes
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Oh, okay.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:just the stove. And then, I mean, it's been soccer season. I don't have time to use the oven. I hadn't, I wasn't having time to use the oven anyways, but yeah, man, we're just, a lot.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Well, that's great because you're in the land where you can do that year round. Can't do that year round here.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:we can. Mm
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:It's actually been,
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:little windy blowing out my fire, but otherwise, yeah, okay, so you are going to hit the easy button when it comes to preparing your holiday dinner and feasts.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Yep. And Everett's birthday.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:you're going to ask Santa for a trip you'll have less shit in your
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Oh, and less things to order and less mental, mental load thinking about, Oh my God, I got to order this. What did I order that? Did I, I don't know how to deal with David's gift spreadsheet.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:I have another idea.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Okay.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:it just came to me.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:I like it.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:Why not with some of these like family members that there's like a feeling of obligation to get people things? Suggest like the Secret Santa,
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Oh, we do that.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:of
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:We do that.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:and you be the one that suggests it, because I promise if we both feel like this, like, I don't want to spend a bunch of money on that, getting people shit they don't need, I'm wasting my money, I'm taking up space in their house, nobody wants that, mean, I bet we could all just kind of do this together, you guys,
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:We
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:less destroying the planet with shit, like, when we talk about taking stuff to the dumpster, I feel so much guilt, and Danielle will probably Be here telling me like I could disposable a lot of that better, which she's probably right I'm talking about declutter with Danielle and Paso everybody But I feel so much guilt when I'm like watching these trash bags leave the house and it's like this All this plastic that's gonna go back to the landfill
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:have you ever.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:destroy our world I just feel terrible about so we need we need like a cultural shift away from consumerism.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:I have two things to say to this one. Have you ever been to a landfill?
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:Yeah
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Oh my God. It is like every. Environmental movie they made us watch in middle, in elementary school and middle school, David and I, when we had our construction business, sometimes we had to take stuff there. And I went once and I cried as I watched like this giant tractor, like move a couch over a mountain of like just junk. And I was like, Oh my God, this is so intense. Like I get that. I'm like a, I grew up in the Bay area during the eighties and nineties with like. Like grungy parents and we recycled and we did compost and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. But it was intense to see in person. So I feel you on that. Like there just needs to be less stuff. Too we started, so David has four siblings and now every sibling is married, but they've had partners for Yeah, last seven years, five to seven years. Right. So I would say in the last five years, we started doing sibling secret Santa. So it will, the uncles, aunts and uncles will always get the kids stuff, but like. We were all spending so much money getting each other gifts, but then being like, I don't really know what this person wants. And then we would end up getting something that we didn't like. And then you felt bad. And then you would, I feel bad returning gifts. I have a sister in law who does not care. She's like, whatever, I'm going to return this. So I ended up keeping a lot of these gifts that I'm just like, what am I gonna do with this? So we started a sibling secret Santa and it's actually so much fun, right? Because, and it's got like a,
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:Mm
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:a 50 limit. And what we like to do is just, and then everybody fills out a form about what they like, what they don't like, blah, blah, blah. And then it's super fun to try to find something that, you know, this one person is going to love for under 50, right? Like it becomes like a much more exciting game versus like, Oh my God, what are we going to get Miguel and Joelle? Oh my God. What are we going to get Tomas and Chanel? What are we going to get? You know, like it becomes.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:hmm.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:more fun. And now because we don't live near each other, we do like a family, a sibling zoom, and that has been super fun. And it's just like everybody,
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:fun.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:know, it's just like a nice, fun thing to do. So I love the secret Santa. I used to hate the secret Santa idea. I used to think it was like cheap and blah, blah, blah. I love it. It's so much fun. And
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:Yeah, I'm here for it.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:yeah, I don't think we need ways.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:people. Suggest it to your tribe.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Yeah.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:like, try to sell it. Convince the people.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Yeah.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:save our landfills and our bank accounts.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Yeah,
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:year. I mean, my god. I know nobody who has not felt the pinch of inflation. I mean, maybe people not in California. Do you feel like, are you noticing it there?
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:no, but I don't know.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:inflation?
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:I don't really pay attention.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:there is not a person in my social circle that is not like groceries, man. Like they're going to break the bank now. Like all of us, food shoppers are at food for less now. Just trying to like,
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Yeah.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:leave two bags, a hundred bucks. It's like insanity.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Well, what's interesting is I don't, I don't super pay attention to that, but maybe I have noticed that my grocery bills are more. I also think because my kids are eating more and that has been an adjustment as well. There's like inflation of kids size where they're just like eating more food, but it was crazy. Like. I think I'm still used to California prices on stuff. So here I'm calling when we went back, I, we went to trader Joe's and I bought a couple of things, but you're right. Like we bought a couple of things at trader Joe's trader Joe's used to be like super cheap. It was like almost 200 bucks,
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:generally is.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:like 200 bucks for like some two bags of groceries. But so you're right. If you think about it, yeah,
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:and then the other thing here in California that probably also is different is our car insurance and our homeowner's insurance. We've seen massive increases on both of
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:dude,
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:As well, and
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:that's happened. Car insurance.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:down like when the businesses are also seeing those things as well, then now prices are going up and up and up and up
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Yeah.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:paying for us and, and ultimately it's us. So,
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Yeah.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:here we are.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Here we are. Okay.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:Okay. things to help prepare for the holiday. Okay. Well, here's 1. I did go to the robot 1 in 1 out. mean, I
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Oh,
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:need a robot to tell
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:I like that though.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:new item in, you should be taking 1 new 1 old item out.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Okay.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:Mm
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:I like that. This, well I came to the robot a bit ago and it said reuse basics creatively. So like reuse the vases and the candle holders and like put seasonal stuff in them instead of going out and buying new things, I guess. I don't know. I don't know about that. That feels also, sometimes that feels like a lot of work to me where I have to think creatively.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:Decorating in general feels like a lot of work to me.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Okay. So I did a story about this two years ago, and it actually made me connect with another organizer in town because she does this as a service. I, and I was watching lady decorate her tree. Did you see her, her story about her decorating her tree or whatever? She was beautiful. Um, I think they are, they celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah. And so it was like a Hanukkah tree. It was really cute. But. Like I want someone to come and decorate my house and people will do that. But what I like about that is
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:sure they will.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:they come, they decorate, and then they put it away and they label it and then it's gone. And I'm just like, Oh, that's amazing.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:Yeah, that's next level.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:That's next level. But anyway.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:Yeah, that sounds nice. I do use decorating as an opportunity to deep clean
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:yep.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:well.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Yep.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:when I am first, I pull all the stuff out that is going to leave so that I can make room to decorate, put the, the, and it's tub. And then like, I'm pulling out the couch and I'm moving like the big pieces of furniture and I'm cleaning behind it. I'm washing all the cushions. It's like kind of my cue to do like a really deep clean
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:I like that.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:to like when I'm going to decorate. So I recommend that I do it every year. Always have used to be really nice. I could put the kids down and nap or one kid when I had that. And then I'd like. Get started and then they'd wake up for nap and it was like,
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Ta da! That's so fun.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:I'm doing a tree in all of their rooms
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:God.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:Christmas.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Oh my God.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:a, just fake or fake tree family.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Yeah. We do that too. I don't, I don't know why I just had that reaction. We also do that. So dumb.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:I love it. I think, and they love it. And then it's like the season where they don't complain about it being too dark in their room
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Vivian has a pink tree in her room.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:Oh,
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:then the boys have a little tree in their room. Okay, let's think about like work wise, like what are we doing to declutter things at work or to organize at work so that we're set up for these, all these holidays, all the kids off school, all the events that are coming up. We're coming deep into school event season too, which really digs into my business. I think these are things like, I think one, if you don't already have all this on your calendar, put those all in your calendar and block off your calendar. If those are things that you can do or want to do, you know, make those your priority first.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:If you are a person looking for a way to add value to the people in your life, like many of us realtors are like, what can I do to set myself apart from other people? Let me give you this fun little tip I did for the school this year. I created a calendar that I invite parents to subscribe to
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Oh,
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:every single day off school, minimum day, conference week, PTA events. It has everything on it because listen, I need that
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:your school doesn't have that. The school doesn't provide that. Oh, our school does.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:I mean, not in a way that you can subscribe to it.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Yeah, we have a, we have a,
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:I took the school's calendar and the PTA's calendar and I combined them and put everything on there
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:you know,
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:then like even would like on October 1st, it says it's October start thinking about Halloween costumes
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Oh,
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:in at the end of January, there's a event that comes up that says like order your kids valentines.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:when do you release
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:kind
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:that?
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:prompt those things, hmm,
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:When do you release that in the summer? Like when do you, yeah,
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:built it over, I built it over the summer. I got the link from the Google calendar and I just started sending it out to people and saying like, here, subscribe, subscribe if you want this and people are like, you've changed my life. you so much.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:that's amazing.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:before there's a day off school, there's a calendar event that reminds you there is no school next Monday.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Oh my God.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:so,
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:good.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:you've not thought about who's going to watch your kids or how you're going to juggle it, then it's like, oh, here's a prompt for you.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:That's next level.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:you can add to your community. And then since I have my very hyper local newsletter, specifically for the little town I live in, I'm also now including the PTA events and like the off school days in that newsletter. And then I include the link that people can subscribe to
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Okay. That's really good.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:Like, I need these things for myself. And so I just made it available to other people.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:That's so smart. That's so smart. Okay. So we're blocking off,
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:that.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:blocking off our calendars for these important events.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:Blocking off our calendars.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:are, what else?
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:schedule some rest on your calendar. look at your calendar if you have a heavy weekend of events. Like, put some blocks on your Monday
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Dude. Yeah. Hop. Yep.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:shopping if you're going to do that or the Hanukkah shopping or the holiday shopping, I guess, like block out the time that you're going to hit Costco to buy everything for your stuff now so that you just like don't get to that week and you are like, where am I fitting this? You've just thought ahead and blocked your calendar for it,
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Yeah. I think this is just so much prep. I think it's a little bit like, let's start it now. So that when we, I mean, you could start doing like your meal prep, you know, and grocery order lists now too, right? Like that's always something that I'm like, Oh, that hits me. Like, Oh my God, it's Thanksgiving week. Like. We haven't maybe put, maybe that's something
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:shopping. Yeah,
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:we should add that to your calendar, like start preparing your Thanksgiving shopping list.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:Mm hmm.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:are the things I'm thinking about. And then what about like holiday work, holiday party? You talked a lot about holiday parties, but there's also like what work holiday parties are you going to, are not going to. What work days are going to be heavy for you? What like presentations or what, you know, we have listings coming up that are, we have to time as well, like with all of this stuff. So I think it's just starting to think about that stuff now so that.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:Mm hmm.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:riding smoother into November and December, but you know what? I don't have all the answers. So I would love for our listeners to let us know what the hell they're doing. Yeah. Yeah. I'm also doing on November 12th for any of our Indianapolis, local people, Mariah bear and I are doing an effortless holiday event foundry, which is. So, amazing, adorable, like home furnishings and home goods kind of store in Broad Ripple. And we would love for you to come to that. I'm going to have more tips. Can't give it all away here. So we'll put the link to that in the show notes, but. We really want to hear what you guys are doing because we don't have all the answers, right? Like, there's, I'm sure there's so many things, like, maybe we should poll our past guests too and see like what they have done. We can put that out for our, for our listeners. I
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:That's brilliant.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:like that idea.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:I thought I had another thought that I wanted to share, but I think it's gone.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:That's fine.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:I think it's away with like your pneumonia or whatever you have.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:I think I literally have brain fatigue. So
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:I'm sure you do. Well, we said we were going to be short and sweet today because my poor friend is dying over there in Indy. So I guess we'll wrap it up.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:yeah.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:Happy when you guys hear this, it's going to be the day after the election. So happy election season's over.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Oh yeah.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:like, I don't know about you, but I'm very much looking forward to just this being done. It's very important. It's crucial. I hope everybody got out and voted.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:I am going tomorrow to vote and I'm nervous about it. I'm going Monday. I should have voted earlier. The lines have been
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:I,
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:hours and hours.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:and I'm done,
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:I don't think we have that option here. Maybe we do, but I'm not sure.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:Oh yeah, I did it in bed one night and I'm done
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Oh, that's great.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:so relieved and can't wait just to have this be done and behind us for another four years.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Well, we'll see.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:big stuff anyways.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:see. All right.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:Well,
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:love you.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:we love you. Thanks for being here. I hope none of you caught Colleen's pneumonia listening to us. All right, you guys, I'll talk to you soon.
colleen_2_11-03-2024_153903:Bye.
cheryl_2_11-03-2024_123903:doing it right. Take care.
