One thought from me:

​

I wrote the first draft for this email on a notepad in bed this morning, my two-year-old cuddled into me, who was trying to snatch a few extra minutes of sleep. I could see the sky out of the bedroom window, clear and blue. It's presence reminding me to get up and get some washing on, because as always, I had a mountain to do.

Next to my bed were my running tights, socks and shoes, neatly laid out for exercise, I'd been putting off.

In the lounge room, I could hear my older children going through the box of Christmas things, scattering the handmade decorations and tree lights across the floor. Hearing them reminded me of all the other things I needed to do, order a ham, reply to messages from family about Christmas gifts, clean the fridge and make the pudding.

December is here and no matter how much we enjoyed those quiet last November days, now there is a lot to do.

But in this busy season and other ones, there is a practice I always find helpful.

It is the practice of doing one thing at a time.

​

My one thing might be replying to an email, cleaning up breakfast or setting up the craft table with play-dough, rollers and cutters for the girls.

Sometimes I even say my one thing out loud to clear the fog in my brain, 'Right now, we're going to the park for an hour so the kids can play and we can all move our bodies.'

It's a simple mantra for busy seasons that I hope you'll find helpful.

​

A quote from someone else: ​
​

It seems to me that one of the great luxuries of life at this point is to do one thing at a time. One thing to which you give yourself wholeheartedly, uni-tasking.

​

― Michael Pollan, Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation​

​

And a few things I think you will love:

​

1. Breaking a large task down into small ones also helps. Christmas day needs a master list, a page of smaller tasks that will bring all the things together. This idea helps for other goals too. I once heard Mem Fox give some good advice, she said you shouldn't make your goal to read thousands of books to your children over the course of their life, because that task is too big, and on tiring days, while they're little, it will feel overwhelming.

Instead, your goal should be to read your child three picture books a day. A favourite book, a familiar book and a new book. Smaller tasks that add up to something magical.

​

2. I love Michael Pollan's book Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation. At the moment I'm also loving reading Anna McGahan's Metanoia. Neither is about parenting, but I think you would love both.

​

3. Congratulations to Laura who won last weeks new subscriber competition. I'll be in touch via email to get a copy of Anna Walker's All Through the Year out to you this week.

I'm curious to know if you have a favourite Children's Christmas book. This year I've decided I need to add one or two to our collection, so hit reply if there is one you love. I might even share your favourites next week.
​

With love

Hannah Alexander

Thanks for reading.

You are receiving this email because you have subscribed to my email newsletter.

Each week, I share 1. A thought from me,

2. A quote from someone else and 3. Some things I hope you'll like.

I'd love to hear back from you, so hit reply with any questions or thoughts. If you don't yet receive this email weekly and you'd like to, you can sign up here.

​

​