Next Saturday I'm going to a Halloween party in full costume, and I'm going to eat whatever I want.
I'm telling you now because I already know how the rest of that weekend goes if I don't plan it. Sunday turns into "well, I already blew it." The trick-or-treat candy is sitting on the counter. Monday turns into "I'll start fresh after Halloween." And somehow it's January.
That's not one day. That's a whole season, and it started with one party.
So this year I'm doing it differently. And I made you the plan I'm using.
This year looks different for me
Usually I host Thanksgiving and Christmas. My house, my kitchen, my mess. This year we're in an apartment for the first time while the new house gets finished, so the holidays are going to be smaller and a little weird. Next year I'm back to hosting, and I'm already so excited about it.
But smaller doesn't mean easier. Here's what my calendar already looks like:
The Halloween party. My sister-in-law's work throws one every year, and it is honestly the coolest party we've ever been to. Costumes, the whole thing, and a lot of food.
Trunk-or-treat at school. Which means candy. So much candy.
Trick-or-treating. We'll head to a friend's neighborhood, and then all of that candy comes home with us.
Thanksgiving. No idea yet. Genuinely.
Christmas at the apartment. Low key. Me, my husband, our two kids, my sister-in-law, and probably my brother.
Every school day in between. I teach, and students bring you treats. It's sweet, and it's also a lot. (We're doing Halloween slime in class instead of a food party, which is my favorite kind of compromise.)
And I have a sweet tooth. Not every day, but when it shows up, it shows up.
The holidays aren't hard because of one big meal. They're hard because the food is everywhere, for ten weeks straight.
My whole philosophy, in one sentence
It's one day. It doesn't ruin everything. Don't make it a whole season.
On the actual holiday, I eat whatever I want. Halloween party night, Thanksgiving, Christmas. I'm not bringing a food scale to my sister-in-law's work party, and I'm not going to sit there with a sad little plate while everyone else has fun. That night is a night off from the plan, and that's okay.
What I'm not doing anymore is letting that one night bleed into the next morning, and the next week, and the next six weeks.
Because here's what I've figured out. The party isn't the problem. The morning after is. That's the moment you either go back to normal, or you decide you already ruined it.
You don't need more willpower in December. You need a plan you made in October.
Start here: map your season
This is the first step in today's printable, and I want you to have it even if you never upgrade, because it's the one thing that changed how I see the holidays.
Grab a piece of paper and write down every event you already know about between now and New Year's. Parties, school stuff, work potlucks, the cookie exchange, the trunk-or-treat. Then next to each one, decide what kind of day it is:
Full day off. Eat what you want, enjoy it, no tracking guilt.
In between. One treat you actually want, normal everything else.
Normal. It's a Tuesday with a costume on.
Then count how many "full days off" you circled. If it's more than a handful, that's the whole problem right there. Not every party deserves a full day off. Pick your favorites. Mine are the Halloween party, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. The break room cookies are not making the list.
Inside today's members post
The Holiday Game Plan. A 7-page printable: map your season, pick your three non-negotiables, plan the big days, deal with the candy, and check in once a week from now until January.
My three non-negotiables, including the one I've struggled with every single holiday season, and why it made the list.
The morning after. Exactly what I'm doing the day after the Halloween party, so one night stays one night.
The candy plan. For the girl with a sweet tooth and a house full of trick-or-treat buckets. (Hi, it's me.)
What to say when someone pushes a plate at you.
Your thread prompt, so we can plan this season together.
Why join Girl Code Daily?
The holidays are easier when you're not the only one at the table trying.
Every day inside Girl Code Daily, we do this together: the Sunday Weigh In, Monday Focus, the Wednesday Check In, Friday Wins, a new printable every Saturday, and a monthly challenge (October is steps), with women who get it. Heading into the holidays, that matters more than ever. Here's what members are reading right now:
Yearly members also get Picky Girl HQ, the thing I've been using every day to plan my meals and fix the rest of my day when it goes sideways. It's going to be my holiday sidekick.
I'm 75 pounds down with more to go, and I'm doing this season in real time, right alongside you. Come plan it with me.
