 |
| order scones from your favorite bakery or bake at home? |
*are you raising young twins?
*did your daughter just get engaged?
*are you hosting the neighborhood cookie
exchange?
*did you just move and have extra free time
this year?
Christmas is a good time to be intentional. Take an honest look at what your life is like this season. It is not too late to choose what you want the next eleven days to look like.
Three ways to find your sanity at Christmas:
Look at each thing that you have on your to.do list for the next eleven days and see if you want to keep it just as it is, (because it is already perfect and just what you and your family love) or apply one of these three b's.
1. Bag it. You can find extra time and a considerable amount of freedom by just saying NO to a few things. This year I said no to:
*sending out Christmas cards to our
whole mailing list
*baking cookies
2. Better it. Think about some of the activities and traditions that you do each year. Are there any ways that you can tweek them to make them better? This year:
*I had a pajama day and planned all of the
food for our holidays. (so fun)
*I ordered more gifts on-line. (so easy)
3. Barter it. Do you love to bake cookies, but hate to wrap presents? Find a friend that is the opposite and swap jobs.
And, you do not have to be a "lone ranger" Christmas magic woman. Let others help. This year I:
*let my husband do the grocery shopping
*let my favorite restaurant cook a special
meal
I wish you a wonderful, fun and peaceful next eleven days.
What a fabulous post, and great suggestions.
ReplyDeletesuch a wise lady, you are. love this :)
ReplyDeleteI am listening to what you're saying--a little this year, hopefully more next year. By now, I'd hoped (as always) to be done and ready to spend the days until Christmas with my feet up and December magazines along with a steaming pot of hot tea by my side. I have cut back but not enough. I'm afraid of spoiling "traditions". At our home, we'll celebrate early with the boys this coming weekend.
ReplyDeleteBest,
Bonnie
I love this! I've bagged a few things this year, and wonder of wonders...the world did not end! lol
ReplyDeleteWell, Glenda, you and I bagged the exact same things this year! lol Love your ideas and suggestions. We don't need to pressure ourselves (or others) with extravagant to-do lists.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I would add is to PRAY~for yourself. Praying for ourselves is not selfish and equips and prepares our hearts for the holidays like nothing else.
Blessings to you, sweet friend!
Happy Birthday to You! Glad to share the day with another wonderful woman of God. Hope it's amazing.
ReplyDeleteHey! We want a Christmas card from you! Ha, ha! Just kidding! :)Thanks for the tips! :)
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of All is Calm...my brother built a sort of mountainous landscape~~chunks of insulation stacked up and painted brown. Then he set up the nativity scene on it and titled the post showing the nativity set: All is Calm on the Cliff. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Glenda,
ReplyDeleteYou have some great suggestions here! We didn't send out Christmas cards this year either, so that one thing eliminated a little stress. Not only are we hosting our annual Christmas Eve party for our family, we are giving my mother a 90th birthday party next weekend! I may follow your suggestion and purchase as much of the food as possible!
These are wonderful tips to ease the stress of the holidays. I think they would work for any time of year that we might find stressful, you know? I just saw something on someone's blog that said "Christmas is not an emergency." Her topic was similar to yours, and she has 6 children ages 9 and under. Good advice for keeping a healthy perspective. Thanks for sharing your savvy advice, Glenda! :)
ReplyDeleteWhat great ideas!! You always have the greatest ideas!
ReplyDeleteLove your 'find your sanity' tips! Wishing you a peaceful next 11 days too! :)
ReplyDeleteThese are great tips, Glenda. I know I did less decorating this year. We give food gifts to the neighbors and I simplified that too. I am trying each day to embrace the stillness and lessons of advent and not rush through the season gulping down but savoring the flavors of this year
ReplyDeleteAll good ideas. I baked quick bread this year instead of cookies. Way easier. And I don't think I'm putting up my tree. I asked my family and no one cared either way. What a relief!
ReplyDeleteGlenda, it sounds
ReplyDeletelike you are really
embracing the season.
Love your pajama day!!!
Thank you for your
words of advice ~
I really need them!
xo Suzanne
What wonderful survival tips. Now if only I would lheed them when my day starts :-). I hope you are well and enjoying the season. Have a great weekend. Blessings...Mary
ReplyDeleteGreat tips and a wonderful list. I keep trying to downsize and be intentional but keep getting pulled back into the crazy! Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteGlenda, am SO loving your Christmas post - they bring me a little piece of calm every time I read one (and I read them ALL!!).
ReplyDeleteSarahx
Hi Mate, well you seem to have everything organised and under control. Well done! I don't do a lot, I guess I am feeling my age (and the heat).... We are mid summer here in Queensland and the humidity is soaring. On Christmas day we will spend the first half quietly and then drive an hour south to spend it at one of my daughters. She has a large pool so all the young ones will have fun and keep fresh and cool. We all do our part in bringing food so that one person isn't left with all the work.My own 94yr old mummy is in a Nursing Home back in New South Wales where I come from. My sisters are to visit her. I will drive the hundreds of miles to see her for her 95th birthday in March. My... time rushes by. God Bless you and yours for Christmas and may it be a happy peaceful time for you all. Blessing Crystal Mary Lindsey.
ReplyDeleteHello Glenda!
ReplyDeleteHope you are enjoying your Christmas season and also hope you enjoyed a wonderful birthday with your family and friends. And are able to enjoy the season. My sister had a baby on 12-12-12, so that is our excitement of the week. Now off to get my hosue cleaned up, I tried to finish up soldering some ornaments, in the meantime, the rest of the house delcared mutany of me!
Kate
At least the Lone Ranger had Tonto by his side!! I have let a few things go that I found were not important to me or that really didn't matter. You know those little extras that only you seem to notice so why are you doing it??!! I must say that having my week off really helped me this year and although there are still things to do I feel good and not stressed. As long as we are all together ~ nothing else really matters.
ReplyDeleteWhen you said bag it I thought you were going to suggest gift bags for everything instead of wrapping!! Happy week-end Glenda.
perhaps it sounds trite but Dave and I tried to live our lives like every day was Christmas. we celebrated "because it was Tuesday" or it was a sunny day. when we first moved to the farm, I would string lights, have a tree and go all out. over the years, age wore me down and I would do less. now, I put out creche's, hang wreaths and make cookies. I do delight in the gifts though...make a lot of quilts, throws, stockings...and visit the local craft shows...great gifts at better prices. oh joy!
ReplyDelete