It's Not Just About Christmas Trees and Christmas Gifts
Let kids tell you what they think of Christmas and they will
speak of images full of snow, caroling, putting up Christmas
tree ornaments, Christmas gifts and the irresistible magic and
wonderment. For everyone else, Christmas is a whole 30 days
(even more for some) of headaches and stress.
This doesn't have to be so. Who says you can't enjoy the
yuletide season like kids can? This article will give you a few
tips on how to celebrate Christmas with less of the stress and
more of the ho, ho, holiday fun.
I bet you've heard this a gazillion times, but I guess once more
doesn't hurt until you take it to heart: do your Christmas
shopping early. Beat the mad rush and escape your kid's
heartbreak when you find out that the very last (insert name of
their wanted toy] that sells like hotcakes here) has been won in
a duel by another overzealous parent. So Shop early and avoid
the scuffle.
And no, Christmas doesn't mean you have to be a Stepford wife
whipping up delicious Christmas goodies from scratch. Doing this
will definitely eat up time on your hands to actually enjoy the
things you cooked or baked. Order your food ready-made, pop it
in the oven for a few minutes, and no one will ever know. It's
your little secret, everyone's happy, and Christmas will be full
of merrymaking from then on.
If you need help with your holiday preparations, then by all
means, ask for it. Is Christmas not a season of goodwill to all
men? (And Women?) More often than not, you will come out with
better relationships, a long overdue chat, or discovering
kindred hearts. There's no better time of the year.
Learn to let loose and let the small things go. Trust me, no one
will care about whether the food's a little late as long as
they're enjoying each other's company. Hey, it's Christmas. In
fact, you might get carried away by the excellent time spent
with each other yourself. Just don't forget, there's still food
cooking back in the kitchen. I mean, Christmas will cause you to
be a little more cheerful and forgiving than most other days.
Your guests are really there for the joy of your company - not
just for the food.
K.I.S.S. works real well. In other words, keep it simple,
sweetheart. Sure, your guests will no doubt be impressed by
excellent Christmas decorations, but the whole point of
Christmas is to enjoy each other, and pretty soon, after some
interesting conversations, they won't even notice the Christmas
tree is not a real tree. Don't go overboard on the decorations
and preparations. Simple pine-tree scented candles can do
wonders to your Christmas-inspired ambience.
Lastly, keep in mind what Christmas is all about, it's all about
giving and caring, it's all about the season of happiness and
delight, it's all about magic in the winter air. It's about
innocent kids secretly staying up all night so they may have a
glimpse of Santa and his reindeer. Remembering what this season
is all about will keep you from going overboard and from going
crazy with endless preparation. Christmas is about each other,
not about competition. It's the memories of each other that last
in our minds, not the Christmas decorations.