The holidays are no longer “approaching.” They are full-blown here, my friends. They can be stressful, hectic, fun-filled, joyous, magical, draining, and every other emotion out there. It can be totally magical or a total mess. However, one mom is determined to make her holiday season with her adult kids the most organized (and delicious) week of their lives. And no one can stop her.
A lovable son is going viral on Twitter after sharing his mom’s detailed itinerary for the holiday season. According to Janet El Khatib’s son — Khalid — she sends out an annual family email right before the holidays informing her children of the weeklong activities (mostly centered around meals) she has planned for them.
“My mom’s annual ‘home for the holidays’ email to me and my siblings just dropped,” he tweeted along with a screenshot of part of the email. “An incredibly thorough, detail-rich look ahead at how it’s possible for me to gain 15 lbs in one week.”
First, Janet confirms the dates her children will be coming home from their respective locations. She then blocks out some time of “rest,” followed by Happy Joe’s Pizza for dinner.
She also clarifies that there will be plenty of snacking opportunities while the kids are home including, “puffed popcorn, Chex mix, and various candies available for grazing throughout the day.”
She gets down to business on Monday, calling for a work day for all but doesn’t hesitate to suggest some delicious chili and fresh bread for dinner. Tuesday’s dinner that( I would like to come over for) includes burgers, fries, mac and cheese (Ina Garten’s recipe – yum!), as well as Culver’s ice cream for dessert.
Wednesday is a day out for the family to Galena, Illinois, which Janet refers to as the “Hallmark of the Midwest” which of course is a nod to how adorable the town is during Christmastime. Straight out of a Hallmark movie!
The day out in Galena will consist of lots of eating, which is no surprise considering how the itinerary has gone so far.
As the week’s plans progress, she looks for input from her kids on what kind of meals they would prefer. Remember: this trip home is basically all about keeping these kids fed and happy.
Janet turns to Khalid to help plan the Christmas Eve menu, but just in case he doesn’t know where to begin, Janet thinks lasagna or deli sandwiches would be perfect.
The tweet quickly went viral, garnering over 140k Likes and over 4,000 Retweets. “This is taking off; my mom will be thrilled,” Khalid tweeted in an update.
“I should note I cut off the part of the email where she asks if she should make a “butter board” and for us to vote on homemade Snickers, blueberry or raspberry cheesecake on Christmas. Nothing to promote — just have a Happy Holidays!”
After much demand from Janet’s new fanbase, Khalid shares the rest of the itinerary with his followers. “For those you asking, here is the rest of the absolutely unhinged Christmas Day menu (a day in which I always slip into a food coma and then my mom yells at me for falling asleep and ‘wasting Christmas’,” he wrote.
The follow-up tweet includes a screenshot of just a giant list of possible food ideas for Christmas Day. From tacos to shrimp to beef tenderloin, Janet wants to make sure she has all her bases covered when it comes to literally stuffing her children to brim with food as if they are going into hibernation for the winter. Truly mom goals.
Tons of Twitter users responding to Janet’s effort to make the holidays magical for her kids with their own thoughts. One user wrote how she loves this idea and hopes to mimic it when her kids get older, “Every stage of parenthood is new and different and having not been shown good examples, I look around and take notes. This right here is my new mother of adult children/grandmother at the holidays standard. I now know what to do. Thank your mom for me!”
Another mom empathized with Janet and her desire to create that holiday magic for her children, even if they are grown. “And that, friends, is how Christmas magic happens. Moms all over the world work their asses off for months thinking about how to make sure their family’s needs are met. It’s no miracle. God bless your mother!!”
The tweet went so viral that soon-to-be mom of three and celebrity, Chrissy Teigen has some thoughts on Janet’s amazing holiday meal extravaganza. “Making this detailed schedule for all my kids 20 years from now is truly all I have ever wanted in life. This is very much exactly exactly it,” she tweeted alongside Khalid’s original tweet.
Khalid got wind of Teigen’s tweet and invited her to come to Iowa to partake in the family’s festivities herself.
“You’re welcome to come to Iowa to get some tips for 20 years from now — but know she will put you to work assembling candy and cookie trays (and you aren’t allowed to eat from them in the process),” Khalid replied alongside an amazing photo of the family’s dining room table completely covered with cookies, truffles, and other delicious treats.
In true Teigen fashion, she just responds, “She…MAKES THEse???”
Janet is now totally privy to the fame she has gained from her son’s viral tweet and is so happy that others are feeling the joy she tries to give her kids during the holiday season. “I was blown away by it,” Janet told TODAY Parents. “All of my friends’ children who are on Twitter would contact their moms and say, ‘Is this your friend Janet?’ And they were just shocked. So it’s pretty neat.”
“I was so touched by the responses from so many of the people, and so many who have lost, say, their mother, and it just brought back so many fond memories,” she added. “I mean, at some points, I almost was moved to tears because I just felt people are looking for a happy holiday and they’re looking for a warm family time.”
Wishing Janet and her family nothing but the best and most delicious Christmas season ever! And you can follow along with Khalid and his tour de food this week as he is detailing it all over on his Twitter.
