‘Twas the Night Before Christmas…So We Drove to the Mall!
Enjoy, be yourself and surround yourself with those who are most accepting of you.
I assure you this is not what Clement Clarke Moore envisioned when he wrote his very famous poem back in 1823.
The holiday season with all of its festivities, food, drinking, and celebrations can be a welcomed time for some and a dreaded chore for others. There are some people who anxiously await to put up their decorations, lights, ribbons, and bows and who can’t get their gift shopping done early enough.
These are those we love to hate, who have bought all of their gifts by March at half price, have them beautifully wrapped by July, and then have nothing to do come November but truly enjoy the season as it was meant to be.
They also “hang the stockings by the chimney with care” and “have visions of sugar-plums dancing in their heads”.
What is a sugar-plum anyway?
They have time for throwing parties, baking cookies, and shopping for the pleasure of it– not because they have to!
Who are these people, and how did they get this way??? Surely this can’t be normal!
Then there are the rest of us who would rather just take a long winter’s nap and wake up in spring to birds chirping and flowers blooming.
Yup, that would be a modern-day Scrooge to me! These people, (myself included), wait to the end unsure as to what gifts to buy, who to shop for, and how much money to spend. The dilemma is truly overwhelming and it repeats itself year after year.
Self-promises of changing behaviors dance in our heads just like those sugar plums, and every year, we ask St. Nick to help us figure it out for next year.
Well, no matter how many times your Santa List repeats the request, or many years go by where you find yourself promising to “do it better next year”, here are three things you can do NOW that will improve your holiday season IMMEDIATELY. Here goes
Shopping Partner
Find yourself a partner and shop. Whether it’s a girlfriend, parent, sister, or daughter, go do it. I was having difficulty finding my inspiration to shop, and taking my 14-year old daughter was the best thing I could have done.
What started out as a dreadful “scrooge-like” event for me alone turned into a wonderful afternoon filled with successful shopping, conversation, lunch, and laughter. Somethings are just best done with a friend!
Decorate One Space
Decorating for the holidays can be overwhelming and putting the decorations away even more so! Often times if you wait too long to setup, you begin to question if it’s even worth doing it at all. This year I decided to take only one major space in my home and place my attention there.
My living room is filled with candles, the Christmas tree, lights, pillows, and everything holiday!
Everything about it screams Christmas…but it is all contained and will help me later when it’s time to put away things.
This makes me happy!
Let go of “Perfect”
The idea that things must look like magazine covers, home design shows, and what we think others would expect from us could be the most exhausting of all during the holidays. We can easily drive ourselves crazy making sure the gifts we give exceed everyone else’s standards even if it puts us in debt financially as well as emotionally.
Reframing your thinking and letting go of what is perfect and “acceptable” can be the best gift you can yourself and those you love. Let go of the preconceived ideas you have in your head.
The reality is that in 12 short months, God willing, we will be repeating all of this again. So instead of dreading the holidays like the scrooge you think you might be, try thinking positively: “I will enjoy this season and choose to surround myself with those who I can me myself with.”
So roll out your holiday wrapping paper, grab a friend and your wallet, and even it’s the night before Christmas head to the mall for some fun!
Merry Christmas and to all a Good Night!!
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