Stress Less this Holiday…
It’s the most wonderful time of year…or so the song would have us believe.
December brings us the holiday season which many consider to be the happiest time of the year. Is it for you? Or, do you find yourself running to keep up with the challenges of being a personal shopper, gourmet baker and chef, tree decorator and correspondence queen lead? So much so…you vow that next year things will be different.
Time to unleash from all those should’s and have to’s.
Over the years I’ve tried to incorporate ways to make the short time between Thanksgiving and Christmas less hectic by buying gifts all year on sale and stashing holiday baking in the freezer weeks ahead. Even though I sometimes forget where I hid the gifts, and somehow the treats disappear from the freezer before the intended holiday I baked them for rolls around…I stand behind my strategy.
I have fond memories of spending the day making sugar cookies, ginger snaps, banana bread, and a special family favorite–my famous peanut clusters. The house always smelled wonderful on those occasions and when the scent of fresh Christmas tree in the family room is added to the mix…well that makes for pretty heady holiday joy.
There’s still time to simplify your activities. Ransom the joy of the season back…you know spread some of that holiday cheer in your own direction!
My suggestion for living a Live Unleashed this month has to do with wrapping your gifts. When wrapping your holiday treasures, choose one paper pattern for each gift recipient. You will know immediately who gets what and they will appreciate the fact that you took such care in wrapping their gift. It could even be a game to match the paper with a personality or the contents of the package. Have fun with it and be creative. Remember, gift wrap doesn’t have to come from the store. Think Green: use the comics, newspaper, brown craft paper, or grocery bags. Try using fabric, better yet get bonus points for dual purpose by using a reusable shopping bag.
Photo credit: Dreamstime.com
About Mary E. Knippel
Mary E Knippel, Writer Unleashed and the founder of Your Writing Mentor supports women to take pen in hand to unleash their story worth writing…to leverage their impact through their stories…reclaim their voices…to polish their words so that they sparkle and shine from the start…and go from making dinner to making a difference. Contact her at mary (at) yourwritingmentor.com.
