Unleash Your Creativity and
Magic Happens!
It’s the most wonderful time of year…or so the song would have us believe.
Is this a wonderful time of year for you?
Do you find yourself running to keep up with the challenges of being a personal shopper, gourmet baker and chef, holiday stager/decorator and correspondence queen?
Yes, your day-to-day schedule is jam-packed and somehow you take on shopping, wrapping, mailing, and holiday gatherings on top of it all. It’s too much.
Since cloning yourself isn’t an option how will you manage it all
Time to unleash from all those should’s and have to’s. Over the years I’ve tried to incorporate ways to bring the magic back between Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Divide and Conquer: Delegate! Get the team/family involved in as much as you can. Share the tasks and let others take ownership of whatever task or activity of the season it is they are responsible for. The Gingerbread House, for example, that comes from a kit is perfectly acceptable and saves a lot of stress for kids of all ages who enjoy that tradition.
Bake with Purpose: Bake before the holidays arrive and stash holiday treats in the freezer weeks ahead. I have fond memories of spending the day making sugar cookies and other family favorites. They were made with love whether we started from scratch, used a box mix, or the pre-made cookie dough. The house always smelled wonderful on those occasions and when the scent of fresh Christmas tree is added to the mix…well that makes for pretty heady holiday aroma. (On occasion, the treats may disappear from the freezer before the intended holiday rolls around; I still stand behind my strategy.)
Plan Self-Care: I prescribe water therapy for myself and highly recommend it for you. Sink into a sweet smelling tub, sip on something bubbly; perhaps catch up on some reading. Or listen to your favorite music and light some candles. Pure bliss!
Shop Strategically: Buy gifts all year so you can take advantage of sales and boutique opportunities. I realize that it may be too late to be helpful for this holiday, but something to consider going forward. (Warning: I must admit that I sometimes forget where I hid the gifts. But by keeping a Gift Journal, that problem has been eliminated.)
Multi-task in Layers: Combine watching holiday classics with lots of heart while you wrap gifts. I grew up in a large family and discovered this simple system. 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
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RHG Magazine & TV Guide TM - Fall/Winter 2017 © All rights reserved.
Live a Life Unleashed
A Column
by Mary Knippel