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Christmas Countdown C -15
Family Service Project
Every child will tell you how much better it is to receive at Christmas! Not that I think kids are greedy. It’s just so exciting to find all the things Santa has brought when Christmas morning dawns. However, not everyone is joyful at Christmas. Many people are lonely without family to celebrate the Holiday season with them. Many families don’t have the resources to give their children gifts at Christmas. Many children spend Christmas in the hospital, some miles away from home.
There are so many things families can do to brighten the Holidays for the lonely or the children that might not otherwise receive a gift. Things that can encourage children & families battling illness this Christmas.
This week-end, do a search in your community for projects that need help. I really think it is important not to simply buy some gifts & drop them off at a distribution center. Kids need to be involved in the work that goes into providing a Merry Christmas to those in need, those who are alone, those away from home. Let the family decide which group they want to help, then find out how you can volunteer. It might be packing food boxes to be delivered before Christmas. It might be going to nursing homes to sing Christmas carols & deliver cards. There are so many ways we can bring the joy of Christmas to those alone in the dark. This year, let’s shine the light of Christ’s love in our communities with those that are searching in the darkness. It’s a gift for the whole family to enjoy.
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Christmas Countdown C -1
Guests
Are you having guests stay over during the Holidays? This can be stressful for both hosts AND guests. I know there are all kinds of articles telling you how to prepare a wonderful guest room so you company is comfy during their stay. However, I would like to share a bit of advice.
As wonderful as it is to have the grandparents or the grandkids visit for Christmas, it can also be exhausting. Schedules & routines are upset. People are around all the time. They may be family but you still feel you must treat them like company. And it is tough for your guests to relax since it isn’t their home.
My suggestion is to make the guest room into a sanctuary for your guests. Let them know you don’t mind if they retreat to their room for some quiet time. If they have a television, snacks, even a coffee maker with the fixings right there for their convenience, it can make for a more relaxing visit.
And if you are the guests, give your hosts some time to relax alone. This isn’t being rude. It’s being very polite by preventing frayed nerves at the end of the day. Have books with you. Bring some snacks. Spend time relaxing away from one another & you will enjoy each others’ company so much more.
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Christmas Countdown C -23
What REALLY Must Be Done?
When I was in the Navy, we were very busy in the weeks before Christmas. I was concerned I might not get everything done before the big day. This was not only causing me stress, it was also making me very sad. Katy, our daughter, was about 6 years old & I wanted her & Mr. D to have a great Christmas. How was I going to get everything done? Then I got an idea!
I sat down with a pice of paper & created 2 columns. One was labeled “Have to Do” the other was labeled “Want to Do.” Then I thought about all the things that needed to be done before Christmas morning. As I thought of a task, I asked myself, “Did it HAVE to be done or was it simply something I wanted to do?” I had to decide if Christmas would be ruined it the task didn’t get done. And I forced myself to be honest about it.
When I finished, there was only ONE thing on my Have to Do list. We need to shop for Katy so she would have presents on Christmas morning. We needed to make certain Santa had gifts to deliver to Katy. As much as I wanted to get all the other tasks done, none of them was a deal breaker. We might be disappointed if we didn’t put up a tree but Christmas wouldn’t be ruined. So, everything else went on my Want to Do list.
Then a strange thing happened. As soon as I took the pressure off myself, as soon as I told myself I didn’t HAVE to get all those things done, I was able to relax, slowing working my way through the tasks I simply wanted to get done. And do you know, by Christmas Eve, every single item on both lists was done!
Pressure & stress often cause us to freeze up. Determine what you absolutely HAVE to do by Christmas. Not the things others are forcing on you but tasks YOU determine are necessary. Then put everything else on your Want to list. Finish the Have-to’s first. Then slowly work your way through the Want-to’s. You may be surprised how much you get done when the pressure is off!
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Christmas Countdown C -24
You Deserve to Celebrate Too!
Your focus at Christmas is your family. You spend most of your time making certain everyone around you has a wonderful Christmas. Well, you deserve to celebrate too! At Simple Joy, we believe women must take care of themselves first or they won’t be able to care for others. If you focus entirely on everyone else this season, you may forget to enjoy yourself. Take time throughout December to do things YOU enjoy! Remember, we are the hearts of our families. The way we feel impacts the way the entire family feels. If you are stressed, focusing only on others, you may develop a not so nice attitude that eventually affects everyone around you. Taking care of yourself first is NOT selfish. It is the best & most effective way you can care for everyone else!
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The Guilty Mommy Christmas Survival Guide #1 Your Plan
Christmas is a time of celebration and joy. It is also a time of stress and chaos for the women struggling to keep up with Holiday preparations on top of their regular responsibilities.
The Guilty Mommy Christmas Survival Guide helps you discover ways to find peace and joy in the season once again.
Each episode offers you a tool to reduced Christmas stress, increase Holiday joy,& control the fear that causes you to overreact.
Jean Ann offers advice, tips, ideas, and more to help you prepare for Christmas one day at a time. Jean Ann helps you reduce the stress of the season by breaking down all the tasks that need to be accomplished into daily bits and pieces.
In this episode, Jean Ann explains why a plan is the #1 tool you need this Christmas..
Put the joy back into your Christmas one day at a time with The Guilty Mommy Christmas Survival Guide.
The 12 No-no’s of Thanksgiving #9 Never Overestimate Your Time
Thanksgiving can be incredibly stressful. So much to do & very litle time in which to do it, no matter how late it is in the month. You can take much of the stress out of the season when you avoid these 12 No-no’s for Thanksgiving. In this series, Jean Ann points out some of the things we do that create our stress, then offers ways to make the Holiday more joyful.
In this episode, Jean Ann offers ways to avoid stress by creating a schedule for Thanksgiving prep.
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The 12 No-no’s of Thanksgiving #8 Never Forget to Take Care of Yourself
Thanksgiving can be incredibly stressful. So much to do & very litle time in which to do it, no matter how late it is in the month. You can take much of the stress out of the season when you avoid these 12 No-no’s for Thanksgiving. In this series, Jean Ann points out some of the things we do that create our stress, then offers ways to make the Holiday more joyful.
In this episode, Jean Ann points out the importance of putting yourself first this Holiday season.
This Holiday season, work smarter, not harder when you celebrate a Thanksgiving of Simple Joy.
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The 12 No-no’s of Thanksgiving #7 Never Buy When You Can Borrow
Thanksgiving can be incredibly stressful. So much to do & very litle time in which to do it, no matter how late it is in the month. You can take much of the stress out of the season when you avoid these 12 No-no’s for Thanksgiving. In this series, Jean Ann points out some of the things we do that create our stress, then offers ways to make the Holiday more joyful.
In this episode, Jean Ann tells you to save your money by borrowing what you need to make Thanksgiving a success.
This Holiday season, work smarter, not harder when you celebrate a Thanksgiving of Simple Joy.
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The 12 No-no’s of Thanksgiving #6 Never Try a New Recipe
Thanksgiving can be incredibly stressful. So much to do & very litle time in which to do it, no matter how late it is in the month. You can take much of the stress out of the season when you avoid these 12 No-no’s for Thanksgiving. In this series, Jean Ann points out some of the things we do that create our stress, then offers ways to make the Holiday more joyful.
In this episode, Jean Ann explains why Thanksgiving Day is NOT the time to try a new recipe.
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