Holiday Season Survival Guide

Plus the menu for the week of December 15-19th

Dec 12, 2025

Welcome to Here & Human Wellness (formerly McDaniel Nutrition). Besides the name, nothing has changed! Same voice, same mission, same heart. We’ll be sharing more about the shift soon, but for now, let’s dive in…

We’re deep into the holiday season, and maybe some of you can relate to this: some days I feel holly-jolly, and other days… a little grinchy, slightly unhinged, and wondering why I thought creating 25-page personalized summer-camp books for each child was a good idea. (Three hours each! Eek!)

How much can we squeeze into one month?
Apparently, everything.

Here’s just a snapshot of a few extra tasks from our list: holiday cards (PJ handles), stocking stuffers, ~30 of my DIY granola packs (neighbors, teachers, friends), figuring out what to wear to the party, get black shoes for the middle school holiday band concert, Secret Santa for the cousins (PJ handles), and, of course, moving the elf!

So, in the spirit of being a real human looking to be here for it ALL, I thought about five things I’ve learned over the years that actually enhance my holiday here-ness versus do-ness…

Holiday flashback, Circa 2012.

1. I get my Southern self outside to walk. Even when it’s really cold.

This morning I walked with a friend in 17 degrees. And I told her, I want to be known as the person who will never let you down at 5 am. I might let you down at 9 pm, but you can always count on me in the early morning hours.

Walking has become a true love of mine. I adore the dark morning hours even in the cold. This Tennessee-girl, who had never worn a scarf until she moved to St. Louis, has learned to layer.

Something about this quiet time when many are still sleeping, right-sizes my mindset. I feel myself exhale and find perspective and feeling of gratitude.

2. I let my “yes”es be yes and my “no”s be no. And then I PUT IT AWAY.

The “put it away” part is pretty important. How many times have you said “no” and then replayed it… either contemplating the choice over and over and/or pretending you know what the person on the other side MUST be thinking. After a decision has been made, it feels good to put it down and move on.

A specific example:

There is a Christmas cookie-making party that I am grateful to receive an invite to. It requires four dozen cookies and a creative “theme” because, competition is involved. Honestly, any other time of year, I would love this event! But at this time of year, I have limited inventive bandwidth to craft a cookie worthy of judging.

So, I quickly responded “no” in the evite.

I know myself. If I say maybe, what I really mean is no, and the closer events get, the less I want to go. So I made the decision early and moved on…and that felt clean.

3. Delegation.

A few years ago, I officially handed the family holiday card responsibility to my husband. I won’t throw him under the bus by critiquing his inaugural Shutterfly creation, EEK! but I was grateful to take that task off my plate. Since then, I’ve continued to look for things I can either stop doing altogether (no advent calendar this year, too many fights over who opened what!) or confidently delegate. I’ve also passed along the Secret Santa for his side of the family.

I can’t speak for all women, but I know that I still manage most of what happens during our family’s holiday season. So I’m learning to look for simple ways to do less or recruit help!

4. I get my rest (and I am not ashamed about LOVING early darkness).

Holidays require extra. Extra energy! I know I’m in the minority here, but I adore that it gets darker early. Darkness gives me permission to wind down sooner and slip into bed earlier.

My sleep is the best it’s been in years. I invested in a new mattress and new pillows when I sold my business…truly the most on-brand celebration for me. ;)

And I can’t recommend enough: naps, following your rhythms, reading in bed, ample sleep. Another delegation opportunity: my husband is a touch more night owl-ish, so puts our youngest to bed (which is not easy). Since I handle 3:30 to 7 p.m., this feels like an extremely fair trade.

And if you’re a single parent reading this: I have nothing but the deepest respect. There is privilege in partnership, and I don’t take that lightly.

5. And finally, I embrace my human-ness with less need to improve.

We’re all trying. We’re all juggling. The point isn’t to conquer December, to improve, to be better - it’s to be awake to it all!

Here is a quote from Joan Tollifson that I loved about self-improvement.

Self-improvement is rigid and perfectionistic, driven by beliefs, expectations and old answers, while genuine transformation is flexible, open to new discoveries and rooted in not-knowing. Genuine transformation listens for what life itself wants, while self-improvement imagines that “I” know how everything “should” be. Self-improvement is judgemental, self-righteous and narrow minded, while happiness and real change are the release of all that.”

So consider this my holiday survival guide, born from small experiments and big realizations over the years. Happy holidays. I’m so grateful for you.

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Menu for the Week of December 15-19th

Monday

Coconut Curry Lentil Soup: It’s officially soup season, and I’m not mad about it. Three out of five recipes this week are soups, and this one is a plant-powered favorite. Creamy coconut, aromatic curry, and protein-packed lentils come together in a bowl that loves your gut as much as you’ll love the flavor.

Tuesday

Instant Pot Chicken & Dumplings: My ultimate comfort food. My mom made her chicken and dumplings with Bisquick, and it was one of my all-time requested meals growing up. This Instant Pot version captures that same warm yummy-ness with a fluffy dumpling on top.

Wednesday

Creamy Tomato Orzo Soup with Mini Meatballs: Tomato soup is a staple in our house! This upgraded version adds tender mini meatballs and orzo (I’ll be using store-bought to keep it easy), which bring extra protein and staying power.