The holidays are upon us! All young women I know are saying, NO, NO, NOT YET. One of the smooth spots of being post 65 w/o grandchildren is there are almost no presents to buy, and I can shove off all the cooking on the younger generation. Sweeeeeeeet! (This year I'm going to have to do SOMETHING cooking wise for Thanksgiving, but I consider that to be an easy meal. I'm even contemplating making a pie.)
Looking back twenty years, I marvel at how many plates I was constantly twirling on the end of slender sticks. Now, that I only have about three plates twirling, oh, hey, let's be real - all my plates are lying securely on a waist high table, I can handle them with ease. So, another holiday season starts.
Here's a list of fun stuff to remember to do because each holiday may be your last one. (Service Announcement from 'The Grim Reaper')
1) If you don't feel like cooking the big, traditional holiday dinner, DON'T. (Imagine the hours you'd recover, and your loved ones could stop holding their collectively breaths since you're always in such a bad mood at the end of the big day when you've exhausted yourself shopping, preparing and cooking.) Yes, I know the idea can seem like heresy, but try it for one of the big holiday meals for just ONE year. Make a crockpot meal. Lay out a big sandwich tray. If you can't shed both meals (Thanksgiving, Christmas), then at least try shaking up one of them. Finally, if you get the, "Mom, if you don't cook, it won't be the same line, then offer to supervise rather than cook. Stick to your guns.)
2) Give presents all year long. Give trinkets at Christmas. I like calendars, cool greeting cards, books, puzzles, or games. Here's the way I look at it: The less money you spend at Christmas on 'presents' means the more money you can spend on charitable giving. So many reputable charities count on holiday giving - be a giver of important stuff.
3) Remember someone who has lost a love one in the past year. Acknowledgment of the loss at the first holiday season can be so appreciated. (Yes, yes, yes, I know, you don't know what to say, etc., etc., etc. So, buy a freakin' 'thinking of you' card, sign it and mail it. Any idiot can do that.)
4) Create a new tradition. (New stuff doesn't always 'stick', but keep trying . Something will catch hold. At the very least, it will keep the holiday family time from being so predictable.)
5) Enjoy Thanksgiving more. It disturbs me that Thanksgiving is being slowly eliminated by commercial greed. This is a holiday about the really, really important stuff without the minefields of religion or the expectation of buying, buying, buying. Don't go shopping on turkey day. The stores are open long enough. Nobody needs to start Christmas shopping on Thanksgiving Day. Remember: All the ads you are going to be flooded with are designed to psychologically snare you.
6) Get an Advent Calendar. I send a whole bunch of Jacquie Lawson calendars out every year, and I guarantee the adults who receive them enjoy them just as much as the kids. (For the clueless: Advent is a season in the Christian church that corresponds to the Christmas season. However, secular Advent Calendars are all about opening up something fun each day from December 1st to December 25th. There are paper versions where you pry up a paper window to reveal a new picture, or felt versions with pockets for each day, or electronic versions. They are all really fun.)
7) Rethink Christmas cards. Who do you really, really want to send a greeting to? Just do those people. It doesn't have to be hard. Electronic works! I'm a big fan of electronic cards because you don't have to particularly plan ahead. You can batch mail for the cost of a few electrons. That said, I do love the spirit of snail mail Christmas cards, and I send out way, way, way too many. However, it's not a contest. You don't get a brownie badge for sending out 100 or more cards. (And, yes, at one time, I actually did that.) What I have discovered is it's so heartwarming to have cards as decorations around your house - especially if you travel away at Christmas.
8) Nobody likes fruitcake or the fruit of the month club. Enough said.
9) Get your Christmas music in your car and play it from the day after Thanksgiving until Christmas. Your mood will improve. I look forward to it every year. Of course, I'm a Christmas carol nut - although, I must say, the Great Christmas Carol Quiz blog was super popular last year. If you have small children, car Christmas carols are a great way to introduce cultural icons. (Right, Sarah?)
10) Finally, in midst of all the hubbub of home, office, friends, and obligations, spend two minutes each day of the 'season' being mindfully grateful for all your many blessings.
