ADHD-Friendly Podcast Episode #219: "Holiday Lessons to Remember!"

Host: Patty Blinderman
Release Date: December 31, 2025

Episode Overview

In this special end-of-year episode, executive function and ADHD coach Patty Blinderman explores how to make the holidays easier for those impacted by ADHD. Patty shares lessons from her own holiday planning experience, offers practical tips to capture key takeaways before memories fade, and presents her top 10 ADHD-friendly books of 2025. The aim is to help listeners move from holiday overwhelm to more calm and enjoyment, while reminding them of the value of documenting what works (and what doesn’t) before another year begins.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Early Holiday Planning: A Personal Celebration

[01:25]

• Patty celebrates finishing all major holiday prep two weeks before Christmas—cards, wrapping, baking supplies, and gifts—allowing for a less hectic and more enjoyable season.
• By structuring tasks in advance over several years, she created "the reality that I'm now enjoying by making small changes year after year."
• “It just literally allows me, it feels like to exhale. Like I'm like, okay, now I can enjoy it. Used to be I was running around up until the morning of Christmas…” (Patty, [02:50])

ADHD-Friendly Planning Philosophy

[05:20]

• Patty emphasizes planning systems tailored for the ADHD brain:
  • Commercial planners don’t work unless adapted.
  • The ADHD Friendly Membership helps adults create sustainable, actionable routines.
• “It wasn’t until I let myself tweak what I needed, keep continue to notice what worked and didn’t work, that I created a system that works for me…” (Patty, [07:00])

ADHD-Friendly Tip: Capture Holiday Lessons Now

[10:15]

• Patty’s main advice: Immediately write down what worked, didn’t work, or could be tweaked while memories are fresh.
• Our brains overestimate future recall. Capturing details now supports next year’s planning.
• “Trust me, your brain is not going to remember the details in any way close to the way it remembers them right now.” (Patty, [11:08])
• Suggests challenging yourself by writing notes and checking next year—most are surprised at what they forget.

Six Holiday Lessons to Remember

[13:10] Patty introduces six reflective prompts, encouraging listeners to focus on just one or a few that resonate:

1. Time Management and Duration

• Capture how long core tasks actually took (mailing, baking, wrapping), not just how long you thought they would take.
• For future reference: "Your future brain can tap into them and use it again next year." (Patty, [13:55])

2. Seating Arrangements

• Note any family/group table configurations that worked (or didn’t).
• Take photos, jot down who sat where.
• “Maybe you want to make a note, like have place cards so that people will sit where you have already planned it out…” (Patty, [15:10])

3. Gift-Giving Processes

• Track order/tradition of opening gifts, what made the process smoother or more fun.
• “I don’t have to rely or drain my energy trying to pull and stretch it back to remember... I just have it written down…” (Patty, [16:15])
• Tip: Capture special sequences (youngest to oldest, categories like Santa gifts first, etc.)

4. Supplies and Groceries

• Note supply shortages, handy items, or things you ran out of (e.g., K-cups, extension cords).
• Maintain a master list that’s editable year to year.
• “Maybe you needed to run to the store for an extension cord… never hurts to have some extras.” (Patty, [18:10])

5. Energy and Event Management

• Record which events (or elements) were energizing vs. draining for you and your family.
• Consider sleep schedules, overwhelming clutter, overstimulation, or which traditions promote calm.
• “Maybe you want to prioritize sleep schedule next year because you noticed that the kids just unraveled…” (Patty, [19:10])

6. Money and Budgeting Lessons

• Identify where you stayed within or exceeded your holiday budget.
• Consider ending or tweaking expensive traditions.
• “Maybe your family has just evolved and now what you used to do is no longer really needed.” (Patty, [21:05])
• Example: Patty decided that her kids’ annual Hallmark ornament tradition would end at age 25.

Organizational Tips:

• Keep notes in a holiday "personal owner's manual" (POM), either digitally (Google Doc) or on paper.
• Place reminders in your holiday storage bins or set electronic calendar alarms so you’ll see them early next year.
• “Put a reminder in your calendar with an alarm that will go off… something like ‘Christmas notes inside’…” (Patty, [23:15])

Patty’s Top 10 ADHD-Friendly Books of 2025

[24:25]
(All rated 4.2 or higher out of 5; genres and brief descriptions included. Titles and authors are clearly attributed.)

1. The Measure by Nikki Ehrlich (Fantasy)

   • "A day where every person on earth got a little box... It was just a really interesting idea and brought up a lot of interesting conversation..." ([25:00])

2. Speak to Me of Home by Janine Cummins (Fiction)

   • Recommended by Real Simple Magazine; “I just don’t remember anything about it.” ([25:55])

3. Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson (Fiction)

   • “Very easy to get into.” ([26:25])

4. Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Historical Fiction)

   • NASA space program in the 80s; "About a woman who applies to the space program... Very fast read." ([26:50])

5. American Dirt by Janine Cummins (Fiction)

   • “She made the list twice this year... I just remember it being really, really good.” ([27:45])

6. Pretender by Joe Harkin (Historical Fiction)

   • “About a prince who did not know he was a prince and was in hiding... Highly recommend.” ([28:15])

7. Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell (Historical Fiction)

   • "Gave this one a five out of five... loosely based on the idea of Shakespeare’s real-life son." ([28:53])

8. Destiny of the Republic by Candace Millard (Nonfiction/History)

   • About President Garfield’s assassination; “I really mourn the loss of a president that I didn’t even know about.” ([29:48])

9. Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe (Nonfiction/True Crime)

   • “90% of it I knew nothing about and so I found it really interesting to read...” ([30:20])

10. Last Rights by Ozzy Osbourne (Autobiography)

    • “It just showed me a side of him I didn’t really imagine was even possible… I highly recommend this.” ([30:55])

Bonus:

• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (Classics; Reread and re-listened in audiobook form.)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On starting new routines:
  “As with anything, if we don’t start, we won’t be able to make progress. So progress is something I always want to underline and celebrate…” (Patty, [04:20])

• On the fallibility of memory:
  “Trust me, your brain is not going to remember the details in any way close to the way it remembers them right now.” (Patty, [11:08])

• On making change sustainable:
  “I’m all about creating a program and a membership that is not only actionable but is also sustainable.” (Patty, [08:15])

• Closing Motivation:
  “Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one.” —Brad Paisley (quoted by Patty, [32:15])

Useful Timestamps

• Early holiday prep celebration: [01:25]
• ADHD-Friendly planning tip & membership info: [05:20] - [09:20]
• Importance of capturing holiday lessons: [10:15]
• Six lessons breakdown: [13:10] - [21:40]
• Recording and retrieving your holiday notes: [22:50]
• Top 10 ADHD-friendly books of 2025: [24:25] - [31:30]
• End-of-year quote and wrap up: [32:15]

Episode Takeaways

• Document your holiday lessons immediately—even just a few bullet notes—so you reap the benefits next year.
• Focus on sustainable, ADHD-friendly planning; perfection isn’t required, but progress is worth celebrating.
• Consider joining supportive ADHD communities that value action, ease, and realistic expectations.
• Check out Patty’s book recommendations for a range of engaging ADHD-friendly reads.

Happy New Year! As Patty says, “Here’s to a fabulous and very ADHD friendly New Year.”