Is it just me? Drowning in the responsibilities of the holidays? Our lives are still jam-packed with all the sports my kids want to do, and there’s piano, and ballet, but at least Nutcracker’s over, and Cub and Girl Scouts, but there’s also holiday parties for every class, programs, performances, social events, and no time left to just sit and enjoy the holiday spirit.
In a case of the cobbler’s children have no shoes, I think I’m running low on my own self-care. My typical routines have been replaced by sprinting to power yoga classes, responding to emails in the bathtub (with my laptop precariously perched on a box… which is precariously perched on an Ikea step stool), and skipping massages to make room in my budget for more holiday magic and room in my schedule for other, more productive things I could be doing.
Now, this is me proclaiming to the world that I’ll do a little better about it. Does it have to be a massive shift, turning over the proverbial table of my responsibilities? Nah, that’s a bit dramatic. I think what I’m looking for is a few intentional routines with high cup-filling ROIs to add to my days. I’m arranging it into my beloved self-care menu format, and you can find it beneath this “recipe.”
Because all December, I need to be eating “recipes.” You know the sort—it’s really just an idea or concept, but you’re using it as inspo because it sounds so good. That’s what this Holiday Girl Dinner Snack Bowl is.
It’s all my favorite things, arranged intentionally, so I feel indulgent but purposeful when I eat it.
Here are my non-negotiables with any girl dinner snack bowl:
Cheese. In fact, I want cheeses. If it’s not cheeses, it doesn’t count for me.
Ummm… I thrive with a dip. Not a technical requirement, but I’ll be sad if my snack bowl dinner doesn’t come with a dip and something delightfully crispy to dip it in.
Pickled things, preferably stuffed with cheese. I’m going with true pickled cucumbers, olives, and cheese-stuffed peperoncinis.
Well… once you get past cheese, everything else is basically optional. I try to shoot for a little protein, but now is not about gains. It’s about glory, my darling.
I’ve been going holiday-themed lately, for a little festive zhuzh, meaning:
fig-cardamom spread from my lovely Bonne Maman jams & spreads Advent calendar (a yearly tradition, gifted to me by my sweet assistant and recipe tester!)… served with
baby Brie bites. Fave.
prosciutto and salami left over from a grazing board
maple-glazed nut-and-dried-fruit mix from Trader Joe’s derrrr
a dried orange slice for drama.
It’s all served best along my beloved Spiced Noël candle from Quince, of course. Truly makes my home smell like we just hauled in a real, live Christmas tree, but it’s just my years-old Balsam Hill in the corner feeling insecure.
Here’s me bullying you into making a snack bowl for dinner and calling it good. This is what I eat on FFY Nights at home—Fend. For. Yourself. You guys will be fine, I really trust in you.
Winter Self-Care Menu
Will you stop looking at me like that? I know I need to refill my cup, or I’m going to be straight-up empty in a blink. Here’s to that, and formatting it in a way that makes my brain feel like it’s all very manageable.
My recommendation? Choose a couple apps to incorporate in your daily routine—they don’t have to take more than a few minutes. Then pick an entrée or two to anchor your week, plus a dessert when you need it and can swing the time and energy, just because.
Love youuuuu. Call me when you get there!