Welcome to the Hats Off Giveaway Hop, hosted by Mama the Fox!
It’s that time again. Time to settle back into so-called “normal” life after the hustle and bustle of the holidays. Or, for those who look at the holidays as a time to relax, time to get back on the treadmill, or back to the rat race, or whatever feels like “normal” to you.
When we lived in Alaska, the problem with January was that there wasn’t nearly enough daylight, it’s bloody damn cold, it’s been winter since early October and it’s going to BE winter until mid-April. Not that it’s any different in December, but in December I didn’t notice it so much because of the holidays. Even for someone who doesn’t celebrate Xmas, those lights are excellent for brightening and cheering the place – any place – up for a bit.
January was just gloomy. And cold. Did I mention cold?
So I’m happy to be in Atlanta, where winter generally deals a mere glancing blow to the area – and where we have sunshine most days even if it is just a tad chilly some of the time. But even 30 above zero is a huge improvement over 30 BELOW zero. I’ll take it.
But back to normal. Or whatever passes for normal in your neck of the woods. For me, normal life and January are usually marked by two things. The first is that the publishers come back to life after the holidays, and the new Spring and Summer books absolutely pour into NetGalley and Edelweiss.
The second is the American Library Association Midwinter Conference, which is usually held sometime in January, and often someplace that is just too damn cold in the winter. Last year was Denver. BRRRR! This year it’s in one of my old stomping grounds, Seattle. Where it will probably be a bit gray and gloomy, and rainy, but hopefully not blizzardy with snow. Next January will be Philly. BRRRR again. BRRRR I say. BRRRR!
What about you? What makes you feel like life is “back to normal” after the holidays? Answer in the rafflecopter for your choice of either a $10 Amazon Gift Card or a book, up to $10 US in value, from the Book Depository.
For more terrific prizes, be sure to visit the other stops on this hop!
MamatheFox and all participating blogs are not held responsible for sponsors who fail to fulfill their prize obligations.
getting some alone time and getting my house put back together
Peace and quiet after school restarts
Getting back to the usual schedule with work, kids, etc makes it feel back to normal
Reading and enjoying quiet time.
When the kids get back in school and I can do my thing while they’re gone
Getting my house clean and put back together makes me feel back to normal.
Thanks for the giveaway! I always feel back to normal once the Christmas tree is down and put away.
Getting back to house work makes me feel normal again. Not sure why.
Some relaxation and time alone.
When the kids go back to school and the decorations come down.
Getting back in my daily routine that I was in before the holidays helps me out!
When the decorations are put away,kids are back at school and the stores stop being crazy to shop in.
This year has been anything but normal, but January usually signals a housecleaning push at home and a return to regular activities after big December/early January projects at work.
Thanks for the giveaway.
The fact that I am not eating as much junk food.
Going back to work.
Putting away all the holiday decorations.
Well, taking the loads of decorations down, I guess… but then it feels odd because we find places for all this stuff and then it gets empty, even though this is how we always have our homes. It’s just weird, I guess. LOL
Feeling the extra weight and also fatigue from all the over time haul from before and during holiday season
Having less people to deal with when shopping.
Getting mail delivery and regular tv programming makes me feel back to normal.
Going back to work.
I like to take a few days to relax and find myself again once the crazy ends.
Once all the decorations are put away it starts feeling like everything is back to normal again.
Thanks for the giveaway; when I go back to work I feel like the holidays are over.
I feel like things get back to normal when all of the Christmas decorations are away and the house is cleaned up.
Exercise Im back on my 2 miles 5 days a week schedule
just try clean and get organized and back to regular schedule
Things start to feel much more “normal” (note the quotes… :p ) when the in-your-face holiday hype dies down. I’m referring largely to all of the ADVERTISING! The commercials and consumerism; the pressure to buy buy buy, to spend spend spend. It was so wonderful and refreshing to wake up on New Year’s Day and see our first real snowfall. It was so dreamy and picturesque…. like a truly clean slate.
I feel back to normal when my daughter is back in school
I’m still trying to figure out how to get back to normal, to be honest.
Naps make me feel back to normal after the holidays, lol I hate having to get up early because of time changes and get to bed early for the same reason. Then with winter, I wear myself out with all the snow issues; stressing about how I’m going to travel to get to appointments, ugh…so I need naps lol
Getting my house back in order after the holidays!!!!
Putting up the Christmas decor makes me feel so relieved. Having it all around the house gives me joy yet it stresses me out!
Having a regular schedule again makes me feel back to normal.
Taking the decorations down and moving the furniture back to where it belongs,
When the kids go back to school it starts to feel “normal”again!
Getting back into a regular exercise schedule and work schedule makes me feel back to normal.
when the decorations are all gone
putting things away
What makes me feel back to normal after the holidays is cleaning up the holiday décor and storing it away.
Nothing! It drives me insane! Getting back on routine just takes time after being in the holiday daze!
Going back to work makes things feel normal again 🙂
going back to college!
I can get back to “normal” after all the decorations are put away and I do a good cleaning of the house.
A clean organized house makes me feel normal again!
school starting back up for sure
Just getting back to my normal schedule.
Having people stop asking if I am done with my Christmas shopping every few days. lol
Taking down the decorations and returning to work makes things feel normal.
I take down the Christmas tree and decorations and get back to my normal routine.
After all the company leaves and we have the house back to ourselves. Deep breath, I enjoyed that.
School re-starting and getting back to our normal routine
Getting back into my normal routine.
What makes you feel “back to normal” after the holidays?
pretty much when every goes back to work
Getting up every day too early.
Thanks for the contest.
I’ve got into a more normal and regular work out routine and that’s helped me a whole lot.
I get back to normal when school starts and I take my Christmas decorations down
Getting the house cleaned up and all decorations put away makes me feel “normal” again.
It takes a while, but I find after a week or two of forcing myself through my normal routine, I finally feel back to normal.
Getting back to the usual schedule with work and family and getting some me time.
Peace and quite and getting back on my usual schedule.
Having time to myself to destress
Taking down my decorations
I just start counting down the cold winter days until the warmer weather gets here again. Winter and I do not get along.
Putting away all the Christmas stuff!
I always feel like I am “back to normal” after the holidays when my normal routine is back into swing. During the holidays, my normal routine takes a back seat.
getting back into the routine of work
We do not deviate much from our regular daily schedules even during holidays so no change here.
The biggest thing is probably going back to work – I guess just having a normal schedule again.
-lauren
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Cleaning up my house! Getting rid of the clutter helps.
When I can actually just relax on the weekends.
Taking the Christmas decorations down and cleaning the house.
Having less people to deal with when shopping.
Once the tree is down- just getting back to our routine! One day at a time!
When I can go shopping without the stores being overly crazy.
Getting back to my usual schedule.
I don’t think it’s anything in particular, but I just gradually feel back to normal.
I am back to normal when I take the Christmas decorations down after Christmas.
I am back to normal when I am back to eating healthy and exercising regularly.
I don’t usually start feeling back to normal until the weather starts warming up
Not having the pressures of preparing for the holidays makes me feel back to normal.
being home by myself
Getting back into a routine does.
eating healthier and not so many desserts and junk foods around
cleaning up the house, and getting back into a routine
Getting back to work after the holidays gets me back to normal.
Eating healthy makes me feel back on track.
Taking down all the holiday decorations and putting away all the gifts helps me feel back to normal.
I tend to eat too much but thats about it. I feel more normal when its jan5htish lol because my sons bday is the 29th and mines the 31st so once that stuff is out of the way, its back to norm
Having my home back in order.
i dunno, we kind of follow the same patterns during the holidays so we just keep going!
Organizing and deep cleaning my house
Expecting to feel a little sad is the way I tell myself that it is a normal feeling that will pass as soon as my routine re-establishes itself.
Cleaning my house!
Getting back into my daily routine
Taking a vacation for some ‘me’ time.
Getting back into our normal routines makes me feel good!
Making a list of what needs to be done so I get back in the habit of accomplishing my tasks
I like traveling, or getting some rest!
Rest and trying to make time for myself
Getting back into the routine of things with the kiddos and their activities. Thank you!
Going back to work makes me feel normal even though I enjoy being abnormal sometimes 🙂 .
Being in my own house and bed.
Extended family have made their way back home and the home is back to being normal
When I keep myself set to a routine and daily schedule then I feel normal after the holidays. It takes a little while to get back into it all.
Undecorating the house and getting things back to normal. Plus back on a good eating routine
getting back to a normal schedule, getting the house back together.
Normal schedules.
when my house finally gets to where all the decorations are up I start feeling normal again.
Getting my schedule back on trac k!
I feel back to “normal” after the holidays when all the presents have been put up, and all the decorations put away.
putting away the decorations
Cleaning the.house
Relaxing and doing some organization.
Some relaxation
For me its taking down the tree and decorations. Getting everything back in its normal place!
Getting back to our homeschooling routine and daily schedule gets us back on track.
Getting back into my routine, cooking, exercising all help me!
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I always feel better once I put all the decorations away, vacuum, and we all get back to the normal school and work routine.
back in the routine for sure.
Getting back on the regular schedule.
I take some me time including going to the gym to get back on track after the holidays.
Cleaning the hose makes me get back into the swing of things.
Packaging away the Christmas decorations and when the kids go back to school
reading books
Getting everything organized and getting rid of things helps me feel normal after the holidays
Having some down time and getting back to healthy eating after all the indulgences over the holidays.
Getting my house clean!
I always take both of the trees down a few days after Christmas. Getting the house put back and no decorations in sight!
Getting back in the swing of things
Fewer people to deal with in the grocery store.
Definitely getting my kids back to school and getting back in to our normal routine!
I feel back to normal after family and friends leave.
Having to go back to work pretty much forces me back into normalness after the holidays. You can’t really do anything else but keep up your routine pre-holidays and you just jump right back in.
Getting back to my work routine
Getting back to work and getting all my laundry done.
Going back to my diet and saying goodbye to the holiday treats, hoping to lose 20 pounds by mid summer.
Cleaning my house putting all the holiday decorations away
Clean house and family time with my husband and kids.
I get back to normal by eating WAY LESS food! Too much binging on wonderful stuff at the holidays, especially sweets.
When the tree comes down and school vacation ends.
Thanks for the chance.
Getting back to routine, including regular food, not so many sweets and treats, and sleeping routine.
Getting everything packed away and my house all put back together helps me to feel back to normal.
Taking down the Christmas tree always signals the end of the holiday season.
Taking down decorations and eating normal-size portions for dinner haha.
Whenever starts relaxing again.
Decorations put away, gifts put into correct places and everyone back to school and work.
i go to sleep or eat the daily things
Probably getting back onto our normal schedule with the kids going to school, the house back into it’s normal state without all the holiday decorations, etc.
Putting away all the decor and getting back to the routine
Taking down all the Christmas decorations & returning to a school schedule.
getting enough sleep, haven’t caught up yet
Having to get up early for the kids.
I feel “normal” after the holidays when the cold weather lets up. So far, it hasn’t.
Thanks.
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work
idk
Not thinking about how much I miss my mom who died almost 2 years ago from Stage 4 lung cancer .
Taking down my tree and decorations gets me back to normal
When I’m able to catch up on my sleep.
Putting away the decorations
Relaxing and putting my tree away
We usually travel so getting back to cold weather and work.
I honor our Lord’s Birthday during the holydays and don’t stress out about running here and there buying presents….thus I don’t feel “un-normal” during them and honoring Him is my normal. Thanks and God bless!
getting back into my regular fitness routine helps
I get back to normal by resting and going back to school
Putting things away and eating less sugar again helps me feel normal after the holidays.
Getting back to the gym.
My husbands work ends their holiday shutdown, and kids back to school, so everyone getting back in the grind is “back to normal”.
Tree and lights are packed away, and I eat something other than turkey.
Going back to work
Hibernating with a good book and a cup of not cocoa.
Once all my Christmas decorations are packed away things feel back to normal.
Putting on the decorations away and kids going back to school make it feel more normal after the holidays.
It is nice to get back to normal with routine. Sometimes the holidays throw things out of whack around here.
getting back into a regular routine
kids going back to school and taking my decorations down
Going back to a normal schedule makes it feel more normal.
When the kids go back to school and we are back to a regular schedule the I feel back to normal after the holidays.
I feel back to normal after taking down the holiday decorations and the house is quiet again.
I’m back to normal when my kids go back to school.
Back to normal for me is just getting the house back in order and getting back into the school routine with the kids.
Putting all the Christmas decor away and getting on to the New York
Getting back into my regular daily routine rather than running around and shopping all the time.
Getting back into my routine make me feel “back to normal” after the holidays
When the kids go back to school and we’re back onto a normal schedule!