Tag: friends

Christmas Countdown C -1

~ jeanannduck ~ Leave a comment

07ae8c2f1a1949d273b1fddc6c21fe0e

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.

Christmas Countdown C -23

~ jeanannduck ~ Leave a comment

4ac148a96113d8846f3457b242075a74.jpg

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!

Christmas Countdown C -24

~ jeanannduck ~ Leave a comment

 

2b183effa20bd632fbb18c4c2d5f6a89.jpg

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!

Autumn Apple Tea

~ jeanannduck ~ Leave a comment

Celebrate with your friends as the kids head back to school. Show them (& you) how special they are with this fun & fabulous party. The table is simple but elegant with a bit of whimsy. The menu is easy to prepare. You can prepare some items the night before and finish the preparations the morning of the party. This event can be hosted on a weekday because it is simple to prepare. Now, send the kids to school, call your friends and Celebrate!

Continue reading “Autumn Apple Tea” →

Girlfriends Fall Party

~ jeanannduck ~ Leave a comment

Celebrate with your friends as the kids head back to school. Show them (& you) how special they are with this fun & fabulous party. The table is simple but elegant with a bit of whimsy. The menu is easy to prepare. You can prepare some items the night before and finish the preparations the morning of the party. This event can be hosted on a weekday because it is simple to prepare.

Now, send the kids to school, call your friends and Celebrate!

Continue reading “Girlfriends Fall Party” →

Christmas Countdown C-8

~ jeanannduck ~ Leave a comment

baking-santa.gif

Cookie Exchange

One of my favorite holiday traditions was baking cookies with my mother.  Each year, we made dozens of cookies for relatives, neighbors, friends and co-workers.  Once I had my own family, I worked to continue the tradition.  Unfortunately, my time was limited. I found the stress of doing too much was robbing me of holiday joy.

Many of us have this same problem.  The fantasy Christmas that plays in our head crashes into the reality of daily life and forces us to cut back on our activities.  While most of us have accepted the fact that we can’t do everything during the holidays, it seems a pity to eliminate baking homemade Christmas cookies from our to-do list.  Instead, invite 11 friends over for a cookie exchange. Each of you bake 12 dozen of your favorite Christmas cookies.

It is tempting to nibble your way through this event, sampling all the fabulous goodies everyone has brought to share. This is a very bad thing. Tasty but bad. Too often during the Holidays, we abandon good eating habits. We miss meals. We eat too much sugar. Well, you know what you (and I) are doing!

I think it is important to serve a simple, hearty and healthy meal during your cookie event. Soups, muffins, tea and hot cider are the perfect meal for a cold winter afternoon.

Menu

Soups

Butternut Squash

Chicken Noodle

Hearty Vegetable

Muffins

Corn Jalapeno

Pumpkin Cranberry

Apple Spice

Christmas Countdown C -24

~ jeanannduck ~ Leave a comment

2b183effa20bd632fbb18c4c2d5f6a89.jpg

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!