December check-in

Keeping it real as a parent during this crazy season and one hack that’s saving me

Six years into motherhood, and now as a parent of three, I’ve learned that the two biggest sprints of the year are May (aptly known as “Maycember”) and December. December is our true marathon. Everything in between feels like a gentle stroll by comparison. In fact, after the holidays, I actually welcome the dull, quiet stretch of January through March, months I once found depressing and lackluster. They’ve become the perfect antidote to the joyful chaos of December, the final sprint at the end of an already busy fall. It’s the best time of the year… and also the most overwhelming and overstimulating of all!

If anything, I want to offer a little reality check: while it may seem like many people, myself included, have it all together this time of year, that’s far from the truth. It’s my job to create pretty clips and curated photos where the mess is pushed just out of frame, and I never want that to be mistaken for a seamlessly run household behind the scenes. The truth is, it’s messy and chaotic. And yes, plenty of balls get dropped.

Since having the baby, on most days I feel like I’m scraping by, doing the bare minimum work-wise, rushing from place to place as a frazzled mom and friend, and doing a “good enough” job across the board. But even in the chaos, I know I’m doing my best. I’m making as much magic as I can. And I hope the kids remember the glow of the fireplace in our cozy living room, the Christmas cookies, the little traditions we squeeze in between everything else.

I hope you can give yourself that same grace, too, as you navigate this crazy time of year! I just know you’re doing great.

These past few weeks specifically, I’ve felt like I’m drowning with an overpacked calendar of nighttime work events in the city, school activities for both parents and kids, festive gatherings with friends, and squeezing in memories like breakfast with Santa and ice skating. All of that layered on top of the nonstop holiday to-dos: decorating, family photos, updating address lists for Christmas cards, ordering cards, shopping for gifts for… well, everyone. My brain is bursting from the mental load.

One thing that truly has been saving me lately is PDF Spaces in Adobe Acrobat Studio. It lets me upload all the important documents — school calendars, flyers, emails, contact lists — and keep everything in one place. I have a dedicated “School” Space where I can even ask the AI questions like, “How many teacher gifts do I need?” or “What time is the holiday concert drop-off?” and it pulls the answer instantly without me digging through a million old emails. It’s been my best hack this holiday season, giving me just enough clarity and mental space to actually enjoy the magic we’re working so hard to create rather than worrying about missing pajama day.

What’s great is the built-in security so I feel comfortable knowing the information I’m uploading about the kids’ school stays securely within the platform.

The AI Assistant pulls exclusively from the documents you’ve uploaded when you ask it questions, and has an Adobe Express integration which offers thousands of templates to create content based off the details in your PDF Space. I found this super helpful, for example, to make a consolidated holiday calender, combining both of the kids’ school events, to print and tape on the fridge! It’s been a life-saver this busy season.

We’re looking forward to traveling to France for Christmas, but until then will still be cranking through these busy days, looking for the little magical moments in-between!

Thank you to Adobe for sponsoring this post.