Photo Credit: http://www.augustteaphotography.com/
By Katherine Contributor
You know the song right?
I’m talking about the Christmas song that every time I hear it I can’t help but smile and sway back and forth.
At the same time I’m swaying back and forth, though I can’t help but cringe a little bit.
You see, “The most wonderful time of the year” also means it’s my busy season at work. Not because we produce Christmas things by any means…I don’t work for Santa. But because this happens to be the time of year for me, that has me running around like a chicken with my head cut-off for the next 90 days.
Product launch & trade show season.
This means I’m coordinating photo shoots. Writing product copy. Working with our web designer to hit our launch date. Coordinating flights, rental cars and hotel rooms for about a dozen different shows and meetings. Editing the images from our photographer to pass on to our graphic genius. Weeding through sponsorship proposals. Signing advertising contracts. Writing down the list of items that HAVE to make it in the crate. Getting printing quotes for sell sheets and graphic quotes for the trade show booth. I could go on here, but I think you get my point.
All of which I happen to love doing. I’m a planner, remember? But during Christmas time? Oye.
So sometimes, while I’m at home doing Christmassy-type things like decorating our house. Buying and wrapping Christmas gifts. {Does anyone LOVE wrapping as much as me?!} Baking. Coordinating meal times with our 3 family stops. Sending out Christmas cards. {And of course the list goes on and on and on and…} I’m also doing things like checking my email to see if there’s another version of that sell sheet to proof before it goes to print on Monday. Throwing together the flyer for the show specials that was handed to me at 4:45 on Friday evening. Taking phone calls from the photographer that’s halfway across the country doing our lifestyle shots who wants to make sure he’s on the right track. Checking in on the flight statuses of my bosses to make sure they have in fact made it to their destinations.
The most wonderful time of the year? HA!
I love the Christmas season, I really do, and this year will be particularly fun because Rylee is really into it so far, but seriously? I’m kind of ready for March.
Do you have a busy season at work? Does it coincide with a busy season of life too? How do you manage it?
End of year is always busy for non-profits: people are trying to get in last minute donations for the tax write-off! We’ve already entered the busy time…
Mrs. MidAtlantic recently posted..22 months going on 16
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Good luck with your busy time!!
Twitter: lilmissrysmama
My job is really crazy December — March. Like 70-80 hours/week crazy. It’s just unavoidable in the particular field of work that I’m in. The stress of December is worse now that I have a fun 2-year-old to play with…I’m much more consciencous of late nights and weekend hours. The nice thing about my December workload, however, is that I can sort of get it done on my own schedule…i.e. I know that I have a Dec. 30 deadline to finish everything. But if we have plans and I know I don’t want to work on the weekend, I can work late every night and not come in Sat/Sun. Conversely, if I know we have stuff in the evenings during the week (like R’s preschool Christmas program next week), I can get in early, work about 10 hours, and then make up the rest on Saturday & Sunday. So there’s a little flexibility.
As hard as the holidays are with my crazy work, the flip side is that I have a very liberal leave policy in the summer…as in no one will bat an eye if I decided to take two weeks off on a whim, so long as I have the vacation time, or take random days off without notice.
That’s awesome that your work is “flexible” enough to let you go in early/stay late to accommodate family time/activities. Mine is like that too, and same with our slow time allowing for plenty of time off. It’s definitely a nice perk. ; )
Twitter: lilmissrysmama
I’ve been up against a really tight deadline at work, so I’m sort of feeling the pain. I’m glad, though, that I don’t have to deal with tradeshows any more. At my previous job I had to travel to them multiple times a year.
I also was not super smart this year and signed on for three freelance assignments, plus the regular blogging and other writing online. But on another positive note (like not having to travel), the university I work for closes from Dec. 22-Jan. 3, so I get more than a week off, paid! And I am sooooooo ready for it.
Misty @ The Family Math recently posted..Thankful Series: Courtney from The Mommy Matters
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Luckily I don’t do much of the traveling! Just the coordinating. I travel to 1-3 a year and that’s it. I wish we shut down the week between Christmas & New Year…that’d be SO nice!
Twitter: lilmissrysmama