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The holiday season has a way of blowing up even the best routines.
School plays, class parties, visiting family, sick kids, late nights, early mornings, gift wrapping, last-minute errands… suddenly the rhythm you thought you had disappears overnight.

If you’re looking around your home thinking:

“How am I supposed to blog when everything feels unpredictable right now?”

You’re not alone — and more importantly, you’re not doing anything wrong.

In fact, this unpredictable, messy, stop-and-start pattern is exactly how most mom bloggers work during December. This month is more about realistic rhythms than rigid routines — something we discussed in Balancing Blogging, Mom Life, and Self-Care.

So let’s talk about when moms actually get work done during the busiest season of the year — and why your current pace is more than enough.

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1. Early Mornings — When They Happen (Not When They’re Perfect)

Plenty of productivity advice says “Wake up at 5 AM and write.”
But during the holidays, early mornings often look like:

• Finishing costumes for the school nativity
• Quietly wrapping gifts before curious eyes wake up
• Getting a head start on holiday meal prep
• Cleaning after a late night with family visiting

So if you’re not waking up early to blog?
You’re not lacking discipline — you’re being practical.

But on the days you do wake before the kids, even a short 10–20 minute session can work wonders:

• Outline a blog post
• Organize November/December analytics
• Update older posts for better SEO

Small bursts create big results over time, a concept I also covered in Recognizing and Recovering from Mom Burnout when talking about energy management and realistic expectations.

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2. Naptime or Quiet Time — The Most Predictable Unpredictable Window

Naptime is the classic “mom blogger” work window — but December often turns it upside down.

Kids may nap later, earlier, or not at all.
“Quiet time” isn’t always quiet.
Some days you get 90 minutes… other days you get nine.

And yet, this window remains gold because even on chaotic days, you can often carve out:

• A short planning session for January content
• A quick Pinterest pin upload
• Editing a paragraph
• Scheduling a batch of Instagram posts

This is where consistency is born — not in perfection, but in micro-moments, which we talked about in The Imperfect Mom’s Guide to Blogging.
Small steps absolutely count.

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3. Screens-On Moments — Yes, They Count, and No, They Don’t Make You a Bad Mom

Holiday movies, festive specials, and extra tablet time are normal this month.

Children love them.
You get a few minutes.
And your blog gets the benefit.

During these quiet stretches, many moms:

• Edit photos
• Clean up formatting
• Update internal links
• Respond to comments
• Map out upcoming content clusters

Your child enjoying a Christmas movie while you work does not diminish your motherhood. It reflects something we discussed in How Blogging Can Boost Your Confidence as a Mom — that pursuing something meaningful for yourself strengthens your identity, your confidence, and your wellbeing.

Screens-on moments are not a failure.
They’re a strategy.

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4. Evenings After Bedtime — But Only If It Supports You, Not Drains You

Some moms find their best creativity after the kids go to bed.
Some moms shut down mentally by 8 PM and need rest more than anything.

During the holidays, sleep often becomes even more precious.

Your only requirement is to check in with yourself honestly:

• Do I feel a little spark? Write.
• Do I feel drained? Rest.
• Do I have 15 minutes of energy? Use it gently.

Blogging should support your life — not exhaust you. This is something I touch on deeply in Recognizing and Recovering from Mom Burnout because pushing through fatigue is one of the fastest paths back into emotional depletion.

Trust your energy.
It knows the way.

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5. Car Time, Parking Lots, and Waiting Rooms — The Secret Productivity Zone

Holiday life comes with extra errands:

• Pharmacies
• Grocery stores
• School drop-offs
• End-of-year activities
• Playdates
• Doctor visits
• Gift pickups

These waiting pockets are surprisingly productive.

Most mom bloggers (myself included) use “car time” for:

• Keyword research
• Brain-dumping ideas into a notes app
• Writing intro paragraphs
• Listening to relevant podcasts
• Drafting headlines
• Pinning new graphics

If you’ve ever outlined an entire blog post while sitting outside a ballet class or soccer practice — you are absolutely normal.

You’re doing what real moms do:
Using the time you have, not the time you wish you had.

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6. When Family Is Around — The Unexpected Gift of Extra Hands

During the holidays, something magical happens:

Your kids are often more entertained than usual.

Grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles — they all love spending time with your little ones.

This creates natural pockets where you can:

• Update old blog posts
• Create Pinterest pins for December traffic
• Brainstorm January and February content
• Do a small audit of your site

This isn’t “avoiding family.”
This is using the small windows that appear naturally during holiday gatherings.

Your loved ones want these moments with your children — it’s special for them, too.

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7. “Mom Reset Moments” — The Time You Didn’t Even Realize You Had

These are the in-between slices of time that mothers overlook:

• Waiting for the kettle to boil
• Waiting for the oven timer
• Letting laundry finish
• Stirring a pot
• Sitting for two minutes while kids play independently
• Pausing after cleaning one room before starting the next

Instead of trying to “find time,” mom bloggers often use these tiny fragments.

In these moments, you can:

• Add internal links
• Update a featured image
• Fix a typo
• Write a CTA
• Outline subheadings
• Check a keyword’s search volume

These little tasks move your blog forward in ways that feel gentle rather than overwhelming.

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The Real Truth: Mom Bloggers Work in the Cracks — And December Makes That Even More True

You’re not disorganized.
You’re not falling behind.
You’re not inconsistent.
You’re a mom living in one of the busiest months of the year.

And your blog is still growing —
through imperfect rhythms,
through stolen minutes,
through flexible routines,
through grace instead of guilt.

This is exactly what we mean when we talk about balancing motherhood, identity, and creativity in Balancing Blogging, Mom Life, and Self-Care.

You are not supposed to blog like someone with uninterrupted hours.
You are supposed to blog like a mom.

And that means:

• Some days you write more.
• Some days you write nothing.
• All days count.

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Your December Reminder

You are allowed to:

• Slow down
• Shift your routine
• Work in tiny pockets
• Protect your peace
• Care for your wellbeing
• Grow your blog gently

Your blog doesn’t need perfection —
it needs you, showing up in the ways your season allows.

And that is more than enough.

Big dreams, little moments — you’ve got this, mama 💕
XO,
Mandy ☕