Even the most joyous holiday season can knock the wind out of my sails. Of course, there’s always the physical drain from running around and hosting, but I think the mental exhaustion is what truly depletes my energy. Between all the merry management and tongue biting going on in these parts—Mama’s got to refuel.

December 26th will mark the third anniversary of Fend for Yourself Day in the DePetris household. 

The day after Christmas is a day when everyone is expected to 100% tend to their own needs. As soon as all of our children were capable of preparing a bowl of cereal for themselves, it was time. Time to take an in-house day off to do absolutely nothing.

My heart is a little a-flutter right now just thinking about it. A whole day to just sit on my keister (one of the places I’m the most jubilant). For me, it’s like being able to play the get out of jail free card, the draw-four card while sliding down the gumdrop pass. It’s a gift I can give myself year after year—the gift of restoration. And everyone around me benefits when I take time to be restored.