Hope You (and Yours) Survived the Holiday!

Good morning!

Hope you found your way through the sticky waters of the onset of 2010's holiday season!  My goodness! We were fortunate to have some wonderful family and friends in town and even got to visit with most of them ;)

As we collectively cruise past Thanksgiving and migrate a tinge closer to (brace yourself)... Christmas, perhaps we should make a game plan. One of my girlfriends recently shared with me the Thanksgiving preparation list that her 80+ year-old grandmother had made. Not only did the list reflect what happened last year, details as to which appetizer was most appreciated, and who did not receive a full portion of left-overs to take home-- this amazing woman also logged prices for her feast purchase and time tables for the work. WOW!  May I extend myself to say, they just don't make em' like that anymore! The 70-80 y/o's are just the example that we all could learn a thing or two from! What amazing work ethic, morals, passion, perspective... and (most importantly) heart!

Back to lists. I find that lists enable me to focus on the job at hand, rather than the millions of things I need to remember. If that 'speaks' to you, let's proceed.

If you have not started already, how about we prepare a couple lists together?!?
What might the lists entail?

• Presents-- who are we buying (crafting) for, and what shall we give

• Food-- what dishes need to be prepared, where are we taking them, and when should we prep (or order) them

• Decor-- when is it going up, when is it coming down. Pencil in a good couple hours for a friend or spouse to help with the assembly or disassembly so that you don't get worn-out

• Family/Me time-- SCHEDULE (yes schedule) some time alone, with your spouse, with your children to pause this holiday. Perhaps a mani/pedi. Maybe a hockey game. Consider a hike, a game night, or a dinner together. Make some quiet memories, too.

• Appointments-- medical, dental, automotive, etc. Get the most out of your 'benefits', if you have not already done so. Let's be real, sometimes we need to squeeze the 'not-so-fun' stuff into the holidays, as well.

Alright. You've got your lists, now let's go shopping, right?!?!? Patience young Jedi.

After the lists you have at least earned yourself a cup of hot cocoa. Enjoy. Take a deep breath and enjoy the fresh air!

There are a lot of fun ways to enhance the holiday experience without adding any events to the calendar. For example, think about cutting down your own tree instead of zipping over to big Wally, pit stop for cocoa on the way home and make a memory or two. Have the kids help with cookie delivery to the neighbors and sneak in a mention of the reason for the season. Something crazy-- bring treats to a relative and when they open the box of goodies, it also becomes an appetizer-- sneaky, but good technique I learned years ago!

The West Side Leader offered some great notes on the trees:
http://www.akron.com/pages.asp?aID=10931

And the Beacon Journal added a great scoop on some different local activities:
http://www.ohio.com/entertainment/shinn/110562244.html

You've got this!

Happy Holidays,

The Rubber City Homestead