Hello and welcome to Best Laid Plans.

This is your host, Sarah Hart Unger, and this is the podcast where we talk all things planning and planning adjacent.

This is episode 111, and it airs in mid-September, and it's going to be an all-Q-N-A episode, as I've had a little time to

accumulate some more of your wonderful questions, and I thought it would be fun to address some of

these, especially because some of them are a little bit seasonal. So without going into it

further, I am going to dive into question one,

which comes from a listener named Elizabeth. Elizabeth writes, you posted asking for episodes

ideas. I wanted to add my vote for an episode or question about sustainable holiday seasons.

I loved one poster's comment about the logistics and managing

of family emotions taking all the enjoyment out of the season because that so perfectly describes

my own feelings. I think this could apply to either Thanksgiving slash Hanukkah slash Christmas

slash New Year or the May season of the year where so many events tend to happen such as Mother's Day,

graduations, and other school events. One difficult facet of the holidays for me is that with

people who have very different planning styles or approaches than I do, but who I absolutely

have to coordinate with during the holidays. For me, this comes up especially with my in-laws,

but I know for other people it might come up with their own families of origin or friends.

I struggle with everything from managing family expectations, trying to balance family time so we see all of our extended family but still have time just for my family of four and our traditions,

getting all of the presents and food taking care of,

and trying to keep my kiddos from going off the rails during events that are really not

kid-friendly or at kid-friendly times, but which our attendance is still expected.

I would love any insight you or other listeners and blog readers could offer, and that's from

a listener, as I said, named Elizabeth. I love this question,

...