{"id":6164,"date":"2025-12-02T04:13:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-02T11:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/?p=6164"},"modified":"2025-12-01T11:24:17","modified_gmt":"2025-12-01T18:24:17","slug":"my-december-personal-curriculum-plans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/index.php\/2025\/12\/02\/my-december-personal-curriculum-plans\/","title":{"rendered":"My December Personal Curriculum Plans"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>December can often be full of a mixture of opposites. We are often faced with a paradox of emotions or situations within each day. We can be filled with grief over loss, but then awed by the magic in the season kept alive by those still here with us. Some days can feel heavy, overwhelming, and brimming with tasks and rush. While other times feel slow and purposeful when the only thing to do is enjoy the moment looking at lights, or watching someone unwrap a present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unrealistic expectations often crop up this time of year. They show up in strained relationships, greedy children, and demanding bosses. We get pulled in many directions at once and feel the pressure to take on too much. I wrote about that in this post: <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/embracinghome.substack.com\/p\/all-is-calm-and-all-is-bright-making\"><strong>All is Calm &amp; All is Bright &#8211; Making Christmas Enjoyable<\/strong><\/a><strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s the truth: I used to dread everything packed into that stretch between Thanksgiving and New Year\u2019s. But in the last few years with my kids getting older and also taking the time to create margin in my life, that has changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Now, I look forward to the quieter rhythms of the season, the small traditions we\u2019ve grown into, and the chance to really be present.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are feeling the pressure and stress of the season, making some deliberate space for your personal curriculum might be the perfect solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My book basket has helped me anchor my days, giving me something steady and nourishing to return to when everything else feels loud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s jump in to the details of my own personal planning for this month! \ud83c\udf84<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>But, first\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>\u2733\ufe0f<em>Check out my newest creative project!! You are gonna love it!<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mark-s-school104.teachable.com\/l\/pdp\/how-to-build-a-personal-curriculum\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!AZCP!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2e6f9408-362c-46b6-bb8b-3d46af4721fe_6912x3456.png\" alt=\"\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/mark-s-school104.teachable.com\/l\/pdp\/how-to-build-a-personal-curriculum\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a class=\"image-link image2 is-viewable-img\" href=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!dANI!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcd1a7e11-482d-4d4f-bf9b-35ee542b0d5e_2000x1600.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!dANI!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcd1a7e11-482d-4d4f-bf9b-35ee542b0d5e_2000x1600.png\" alt=\"\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>&#91;note: this post is NOT sponsored, I just want to share what I\u2019m using and how]<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><em>Things I want to do just for my learning and enjoyment:<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Playing lots of <strong>Christmas music and singing Christmas Hymns<\/strong> \ud83c\udfb6\ud83c\udfbc<ul><li>A favorite during our school mornings getting out these books: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.robertjmorgan.com\/shop\/then-sings-my-soul-trilogy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Then Sings My Soul Trilogy by Rob Morgan<\/a>. The pages contain the hymn on one side and the story of how it was written or rediscovered on the other. I plan to put tabs on our favorite Christmas hymns to discuss.<\/li><\/ul><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1928\" src=\"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/PXL_20251125_173337494-edited-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6172\" style=\"width:725px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/PXL_20251125_173337494-edited-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/PXL_20251125_173337494-edited-300x226.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/PXL_20251125_173337494-edited-1024x771.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/PXL_20251125_173337494-edited-768x578.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/PXL_20251125_173337494-edited-1536x1157.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/PXL_20251125_173337494-edited-2048x1542.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/PXL_20251125_173337494-edited-1560x1175.jpg 1560w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">my photo &#8211; these books are so fun to look through and enjoy!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Reading picture Christmas books<\/strong> with my kids. We have a basket of favorites that gets set out with the Christmas decor and even though they are older we browse through and read them to each other for fun.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/embracinghome.substack.com\/p\/homemade-goodies-and-savory-winter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Baking homemade goodies<\/strong> <\/a>\u2014 I just got a new Christmas themed apron and I plan to put it to use! I recently found recipes for chocolate pecan pie, an oatmeal apple crisp, and gingersnap cookies. I would love to hear from you what goodies you enjoy making this time of year! \ud83e\udd67<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Dried oranges and old-fashioned homemade decor<\/strong> \u2014 we plan to make a garland with dried orange slices, some book flowers, paper chains, and paper stars.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Watching Christmas movies with Jim and our kids. \ud83d\udcfa\ud83c\udf85\ud83c\udf84<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Browsing through the collection book: <a href=\"https:\/\/bramblyhedge.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Brambly Hedge by Jill Barklem<\/strong><\/a> with my kids and maybe do some drawing and sketching together.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a class=\"image-link image2 is-viewable-img\" href=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!6FTx!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F974998b1-8947-45b0-bbf0-3b818c340d22_1386x618.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!6FTx!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F974998b1-8947-45b0-bbf0-3b818c340d22_1386x618.png\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>I will get out <strong>my knitting project<\/strong> and work on that while listening to a Christmas audiobook.\ud83c\udfa7\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Don\u2019t laugh, but here\u2019s the full disclosure: <em>my knitting is just making long rectangles that I don\u2019t know what to do with<\/em>. I only know the simple beginner stitch that my grandma taught me and so I just knit till the yarn is gone and then stash away my strange rectangle and then start another one. \ud83d\ude1c But it is so soothing and comforting that I enjoy it and I also like having a hobby that is not useful or for a specific tangible purpose.\ud83e\uddf6<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Filling out my <a href=\"https:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/keepsake-christmas-planner-exclusive-paper-source\/1146560736\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Christmas Keepsake Planner<\/strong><\/a> that I found in the discount bin at Barnes and Noble last spring. Its a beautiful forest green hardbacked book with gold edges and its full of planning pages specific to Christmas. I plan to fill it out in a way that I can reuse it each year. I have a notebook I use to keep holiday notes in but it needs updating so this will be a fun fresh start!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Jigsaw puzzles<\/strong> <strong>and relaxed conversation<\/strong>. I have some puzzles that my mom gave me last year that I am excited to get out and work on.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a class=\"image-link image2 is-viewable-img\" href=\"https:\/\/images.unsplash.com\/photo-1571397872194-0ad8fbafe058?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wzMDAzMzh8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxOHx8cHV6emxlfGVufDB8fHx8MTc2NDA5MzEzOHww&amp;ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/photo-1571397872194-0ad8fbafe058.jpg\" alt=\"close up photography of puzzles\" class=\"wp-image-6167\" title=\"close up photography of puzzles\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/photo-1571397872194-0ad8fbafe058.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/photo-1571397872194-0ad8fbafe058-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/photo-1571397872194-0ad8fbafe058-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/photo-1571397872194-0ad8fbafe058-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo by <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/@momentsbygabriel\">Gabriel Crismariu<\/a> on <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\">Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><em>So, what\u2019s in my basket?<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>Non-fiction:<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.chookooloonks.com\/in-defense-of-dabbling\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>In Defense of Dabbling: The Brilliance of Being a Total Amateur <\/strong>by Karen Walrond<\/a> &#8211; I have seen this book recommended a few times and I\u2019m looking forward to underlining and enjoying it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/jamieerickson.com\/holy-hygge\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Holy Hygge<\/strong> by Jamie Erickson<\/a> &#8211; This book is not specifically Christmas\/winter focused, but it will be the perfect companion to helping me up my hosting game this month.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>I have a few favorites that I get out this time of year. I am not usually a re-reader but skimming through these well-loved books is something I enjoy this time of year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/bethkempton.com\/calmchristmas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year<\/strong> by Beth Kempton<\/a> &#8211; So many practical ideas in this book. [also check out her Substack: <a href=\"https:\/\/bethkempton.substack.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Soul Stack<\/strong><\/a> for excellent online resources and video courses]<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>My favorites in the art of cozy-making and creating a season of warmth and family gatherings. Meik Wiking is the CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen and one of the leading experts in global happiness. His books have become international bestsellers.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.penguinrandomhouse.ca\/authors\/2147588\/meik-wiking\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>The Little Book of Hygge<\/strong> by Meik Wiking<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.penguinrandomhouse.ca\/authors\/2147588\/meik-wiking\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>My Hygge Home<\/strong> <\/a>by Meik Wiking<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/katherine-may.co.uk\/wintering\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Wintering<\/strong> by Katherine May<\/a> &#8211; this book was a kind companion to me 2 years ago when the holiday season was mixed with grief, a quiet Christmas, and <a href=\"https:\/\/embracinghome.substack.com\/p\/the-icy-chill-of-grief?r=1qjcbv\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a celebration of life for my dear Aunt Stacie<\/a>. [Katherine May also writes on Substack with profound insight into the human experience: <a href=\"https:\/\/katherinemay.substack.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>The Clearing<\/strong><\/a>]<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>Fiction:<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In a discount bin I found a cloth bound Penguin Classics: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/a-christmas-carol-and-other-christmas-writings-charles-dickens\/1100733904?ean=9780141195858\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Writings<\/strong> by Charles Dickens<\/a> &#8211; I\u2019m not sure how much I will read this but it will be fun to keep on my coffee table and pick up randomly.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/murder-at-holly-house-denzil-meyrick\/1143276280\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Murder at Holly House<\/strong> by Denzil Meyrick<\/a> &#8211; This is a different direction than most of the books I typically pick up, especially this time of year, but it\u2019s been fun to read so far. I found it while Christmas shopping and ended up reading 10 chapters that evening. As I get deeper into the story, there are new layers to uncover and it\u2019s been a delight so far. I loved mysteries as a teenager, so maybe this will be my first step back into that genre.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Christmas-Castle-Scotland-Romantic-Escapes\/dp\/B09QMS69H6\/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>The Christmas Castle in Scotland<\/strong> by Julie Caplin<\/a> \ud83c\udfa7- I just started this on audio so I don\u2019t know the spice rating, but so far I am enjoying the setting and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/s\/ref=dp_byline_sr_audible_1?ie=UTF8&amp;search-alias=audible&amp;field-keywords=Kirsty+Eila+McIntyre\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kirsty McIntyre<\/a> is doing an excellent job as Narrator!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sarahmaclean.net\/how-the-dukes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>How the Dukes Stole Christmas<\/strong> <\/a>\ud83c\udfa7<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sarahmaclean.net\/how-the-dukes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">&#8211; A Holiday Romance Anthology with Tessa Dare, Sophie Jordan &amp; Joanna Shup<\/a>e. This contains 4 stories and is so fun to listen on audio. (\ud83c\udf36\ufe0fit\u2019s a spicy romance) Each story is in the regency time period and full of gowns, lovely accents, and each story contains the element of enchanted shortbread.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>and more that I find on audio\ud83c\udfa7\u2026 TBD. \ud83d\ude1c (I would love any suggestions!) <a href=\"%%half_magic_comments_url%%\">Leave a comment<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a class=\"image-link image2 is-viewable-img\" href=\"https:\/\/images.unsplash.com\/photo-1708550168569-aa58bd025e41?crop=entropy&amp;cs=tinysrgb&amp;fit=max&amp;fm=jpg&amp;ixid=M3wzMDAzMzh8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxMDB8fHdpbnRlciUyMGdhcmxhbmR8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzY0MDkyNjQ4fDA&amp;ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=80&amp;w=1080\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1447\" src=\"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/photo-1708550168569-aa58bd025e41.jpg\" alt=\"a lit christmas tree in the corner of a room\" class=\"wp-image-6168\" title=\"a lit christmas tree in the corner of a room\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/photo-1708550168569-aa58bd025e41.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/photo-1708550168569-aa58bd025e41-224x300.jpg 224w, https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/photo-1708550168569-aa58bd025e41-764x1024.jpg 764w, https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/photo-1708550168569-aa58bd025e41-768x1029.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo by <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/@eugenemagia\">Eugene Uhanov<\/a> on <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\">Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>As we settle into December, I hope you\u2019ll give yourself permission to choose a gentler pace and follow your curiosity wherever it leads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your personal curriculum doesn\u2019t have to be big or impressive. It can just be meaningful to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><em>I\u2019d love to hear what\u2019s working for you!<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Share your tips and ideas in the comments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>\ud83c\udf84\ud83d\udcd2<em>Happy December Learning! &#8211;<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><a class=\"image-link image2\" href=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!13CZ!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc8f3feaf-fd28-453e-aafb-69b230ed36e8_1344x256.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!13CZ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc8f3feaf-fd28-453e-aafb-69b230ed36e8_1344x256.png\" alt=\"\" style=\"width:514px;height:auto\" title=\"\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>\u2733\ufe0fIf these posts are sparking ideas, you\u2019ll love the full course.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>My self-paced course is the perfect companion to your learning this winter. It gives you the tools, templates, and clarity to finally create a plan that works (without overwhelm).<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mark-s-school104.teachable.com\/l\/pdp\/how-to-build-a-personal-curriculum\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!AZCP!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2e6f9408-362c-46b6-bb8b-3d46af4721fe_6912x3456.png\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/mark-s-school104.teachable.com\/l\/pdp\/how-to-build-a-personal-curriculum\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I know it\u2019s a big ask to buy a class, but everything else I share on Substack (and my blog) is free and will stay that way. Your purchase helps me keep creating practical content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/mark-s-school104.teachable.com\/l\/pdp\/how-to-build-a-personal-curriculum\"><strong>check out my course!!<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>December can often be full of a mixture of opposites. We are often faced with a paradox of emotions or situations within each day. We can be filled with grief over loss, but then awed by the magic in the season kept alive by those still here with us. Some days can feel heavy, overwhelming,&hellip; <\/p>\n<div class=\"readmore-wrapper\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/index.php\/2025\/12\/02\/my-december-personal-curriculum-plans\/\" class=\"more-link\">Read <\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_stc_notifier_status":"sent","_stc_notifier_sent_time":"2025-12-02 04:40:32","_stc_notifier_request":false,"_stc_notifier_prevent":false,"_stc_subscriber_keywords":"","_stc_subscriber_search_areas":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[692],"tags":[49,217,222,220,722,559,305,721,712,485,695,178,706,50],"class_list":["post-6164","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-intellectually-alive","tag-books","tag-christmas","tag-christmas-season","tag-december","tag-december-planning","tag-growth","tag-learning","tag-my-learning","tag-my-personal-curriculum-plan","tag-my-reading","tag-personal-curriculum","tag-personal-growth","tag-personal-learning","tag-reading-stack"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6164","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6164"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6164\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6173,"href":"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6164\/revisions\/6173"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6164"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6164"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.embracinghome.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6164"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}