3 ways to get life back to normal after the holidays

The holidays were a little crazy at our house. I overdid it and couldn't keep up. I tried to do an Advent calendar, Elf on the shelf and 25 books of Christmas in addition to all the programs, gifts, get togethers, etc. It wasn't pretty, I gave up on the Advent calendar around the 15th and we still have wrapped books under the tree.

I intend to spend this week after Christmas connecting and having fun with my family, as we are on vacation from work and school. I want to lose the pre-holiday craziness and get back to normal. Here is my plan:

• Rekindle rituals:: When we don't need a big meal on the weekends, we like to have a buffet where I cut up some meat, cheese and fruit. We did this for lunch today and the boys loved it.
• Spend time in nature:: Even though we live in the upper midwest, we have had beautiful weather for this time of year. This afternoon the boys and I spent time outside playing with Christmas toys and the sun felt so good!
• Get off the sugar and back to healthy eating:: It felt so good to get away from the Christmas goodies and get back to fruit, vegetables and real food. We made kale chips and whole wheat bread in the bread machine today to compliment the Pioneer Woman's Beef Stew.

We are going to incorporate these items during the rest of the week to continue to SLOW down and get back to normal. What works well in your family?