Things don’t always work out as planned
We’ve advocated before for planning by reminding you that failing to plan is planning to fail. Truth is, though, unforeseen circumstances could always pop up. For instance, this could be you if you planned to travel for the holidays only to have a major snowstorm roll in.
Make the most of the situation
Let’s look at the change of plans as an opportunity to make some great new plans. If you’re experiencing a boatload of snow, how about getting together a group for sledding? With snow that’s the right texture, you can also make a snowman (or a whole family of them). Delight the kids with a snow fort. Or simply go for a scenic walk in the whitened neighborhood.
Make the most of whatever your particular situation is. If original plans got called off because of work, you may need to be extra-flexible with your holiday. It’s okay to adjust the time of your mobile home holiday events to accommodate those who couldn’t get the day off.
Live, laugh, logistics
With things being a little unexpected, you may need to make some extra effort to stay calm and enjoy the holidays. And even though your plans will not have been crafted long in advance, you can still make plans.
Create a “flex” schedule
If guests’ arrival times haven’t been nailed down yet or if you’re not sure who will be at the house when, your situation may call for a little extra flexibility. You can still make a plan or schedule, though. Just call it your “flex” schedule and set it up with the uncertainty in mind.
Don’t know who will be here at the dinner hour? Go ahead and make a plan that specifies several different paths you can take depending on how the day turns out. Plan A could be the path you’d like to take if it turns out to be just 1 or 2 guests, while Plan B could be an option for 5 or 6 extras. Correspondingly, Plan C is your plan of attack if everyone who possibly could come does indeed make it.
List how people can help out
Sometimes, you’ll get the question “What can I do to help?” when you’re the host of an event. Consider coming up ahead of time with a list of things people can do to assist. Once you have your list, transfer the items one by one to sticky notes then post them on your fridge. This way, if you’re busy (or not around) at the moment someone asks to help out, they can simply pick a sticky tab they’re comfortable with and get started.
Plus, leave adequate directions on your sticky tab. Then, helpers may not even need to check back in with you for directions on how to execute the listed task. (For instance, on your “Set the table” sticky tab, note where you store the silverware and napkins.) Once your helper completes their job, they can toss the sticky tab. Alternatively, they can leave tabs in a separate stack so you can review what work has been completed.
Gravitate toward easy
With plans a bit more spur-of-the-moment this year than other years, keep food easy on yourself and others. You may find that choosing to serve some pre-made items as opposed to from-scratch food might help out in this department.
Begin by grabbing a veggie tray or fruit tray from the grocery store. Next, pick up some frozen appetizers that you can pop in the oven. Plus, even if you will be doing some cooking from scratch, grab a few frozen pizzas on your shopping trip. This way, if you’re busy cooking food for supper you can just throw a pizza in the oven for lunch, then get back to cooking.
Plan to enjoy your mobile home holiday
Also, you could always try to take a breather here and there if it will help you stay calm and cheery in all the busyness. Additionally, you may find you need to adjust your expectations sometimes when things are a bit last-minute and unexpected. Don’t add unnecessary stress to yourself or others by thinking everything has to be just so. Instead, enjoy and be thankful for things the way they are – different from your initial plans, but good in their own way.
Be flexible and have fun
So if a last-minute mobile home holiday just emerged on the horizon, take a deep breath. Now, put on your flexible hat and grab a few minutes to pull some plans together. Bask in the unexpected opportunity to visit with a lot of friends and family at your own place. Or simply relax and enjoy a quiet time with a few others if your group is small. And if some of your guests are staying over, check out our 7th Blog Of Christmas: Prepare Your Mobile Home For Overnight Guests.
