DO | Between Christmas and New Year's

The six days between Christmas and New Year's can be strange. 

You still have to work even though clients and coworkers are nowhere to be found. You've exchanged the ugly sweater from your great-aunt in Milwaukee for three pairs of unicorn socks and transformed the Christmas ham into a sandwich, an omelet, and a casserole. 

You've already played Monopoly, Jinga, and Qwirkle at least three times with your nieces and nephews and watched so much Disney+ with your kids that you heard yourself singing "Let It Go" walking down Lady Street on the way into the office this morning.

Never fear, your friends DOWNTOWN pulled together a list five semi-productive projects for when your family time has reached its peak, but it's still too soon to get back to the oh-so-comforting hustle-bustle of business-as-usual that keeps us sane:

#1 Try a new restaurant. We know you're tired of eating leftovers, so take a break from the green bean casserole and sweet potato pie. Instead, head on down to one of these three new spots in Columbia: Bubba's Biscuit, Il Focolare, or Black Rooster.

#2 Make someone's day. Whether it's with your father-in-law, sister, great-uncle on your mom's side, or the guy who bags your groceries once a week at Publix, find a way to say: "Thanks for being you. You make the world a better place." Bonus points if you can genuinely say this to the one person who drove you nuts at the family holiday gathering this year.

#3 Clean out your closet. "Nobody needs an abundance of plaid," as our favorite fashionista Tan France would say. But did you know that an organized, clean closet is actually good for your health? And after you learn the Kondo Method for bringing the magic back into your life, you'll be able to impress your friends at the laundry mat when you bust out this folding technique.

#4 Binge-listen to a podcast. While you're spending the next six hours folding your t-shirts, why not listen to one of our favorite podcasts? You may think Jordan is always on the phone when you see her in the office, but the truth is she's listening to podcasts, while simultaneously scheduling Sunday volunteers, entering data into our weekly scorecard, and updating your address in our database.

#5 Maximize your tax savings. The steps here are simple. First, call that smart person who helps you manage your money (likely one of the few people in the office wishing the phone would ring). Let them know you'd like to offload some cash or stock before the end of the year. Then, put them in touch with Susanna who can make the transaction super easy.

Or perhaps you're the kind of person who stays in your seat during Holy Interruption and avoids making calls at all costs. That's okay, we've made it easy to give us money without having to say a single word. Now, back to your show.