As we count down the days for this year everything seems to snowball.  Suddenly, the parties, the holiday cards (I say skip them…it’s more eco-friendly), the thank you cards, the school events, the recitals, and of course every day life seems to pick up speed and barrel down the hill throwing you out at hyperspeed some time in January if you are lucky.  I stumbled upon a great calendar today that will be a perfect gift for someone in the family and perhaps yourself too.

The best way to handle it all is to have fun, decline some invitations if they really are more than you can handle, take things off of your to-do list.  Write a great blog entry with some photos and skip the holiday cards or yearly newsletter (you won’t be the only one releieved that you did.  Treat yourself to 10, 15, 20, 30, 60 minutes with a hot beverage and a good book or people watching spot.  And…big emphasis here…get organized.  Use a calendar to write everything on and ask the family to use it too, get one notebook that you jot things down on and only one notebook or planner.

I throw parties because they take away from the humdrum of every day chores.  I look forward to them.  I don’t worry if the house isn’t perfect.  I choose simple menus.  I plan the party for a time when the kids are on their best behaviour and most likley to have fun (in the morning) or in bed.  I make them child-friendly.  This year we’re going away for a family weekend on the Cape so I won’t throw two or three parties, but I have to have at least one.  If I don’t have my calendar at hand and my CrossItOff.list then I’m just going to fall behind on everything.

The calendar find that I stumbled upon is the Down To Earth calendar from the farms of Columbia County, in the Hudson Valley.  It is beautiful, it is foodie friendly, and the profits go towards farm to table education for urban children.  The New York City Greenmarkets are working on this in collaboration with the Sylvia Center.

Perhaps Boston will follow New York’s lead with the program and calendar.  Coming soon, farm to table education in the Boston area.

Bon appetit.  ttyl your BFF (Boston Family Foodie)

For more info: Katchkie Farm, Sylvia Center