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Articles
Naughty Nuffs of Christmas!
12-08-2009
This year brings more pause to the already stressful holiday season with the current economic strife just about everyone is experiencing. However, I have a guide to experiencing the holidays with the least amount of stress and the maximum amount of enjoyment.
I'm going to give you exclusive tips to holiday season. Beware, dear reader of Ye Olde holiday tale and Ye Olde holiday critters known as "Naughty Nuffs" of Christmas.
Naughty Nuff Of Money
This Naughty Nuff will rob you of your spirit and your sense of self so beware!
Remedy: Forget about what you've spent in the past and take a new mindset. Relieve yourself of past ideas of how much you should spend on each child, mother, father, etc. Christmas is not about spending gads of money to please your husband, wife, children, mother, friends, etc. Remember Christmas is not about material things, moreover Christmas is about experiencing good times with your loved ones and can be accomplished with very little money.
So, what you can do is create a memorable experience of this holiday season for the entire family. Once you take the mindset of creating experiences of the holiday season, you can really get creative. For example, let's say you have a family budget of $400, you could go up to the Oregon coast for a couple of (really memorable) days as a family and stay at a beautiful beach house, have bonfires at night on the beach, make Christmas cookies together and spend some quality family time that will create memories that are well, simply priceless.
If you are of a more fortunate financial persuasion, do something different and more meaningful than the usual- adopt a family in need. Make the entire family participate in the process of selecting presents, wrapping the presents and giving the presents to the other family. You'll have a amazing experience as a family in truly being unselfish and giving another family joy in the holiday season. You'll create an wonderful memory for both your family and the other family.
Naughty Nuff Of Me!
This Naughty Nuff will rob you of your sleep and contribute to hair loss!
Remedy: This is where you must take control of the situation and realize that there's only one you! Quit stressing yourself out with everything that you must do this holiday season. How about delegating some of the holiday tasks to the entire family to alleviate all the things you have to do during the holiday season. This way you involve the whole family in the celebration of the holiday season. Enlist the support of your family- have your daughter make the cookies, let your husband wrap the presents (even it doesn't look good), or have your eager 17 year old new driver practice parallel parking and run the gifts to the post office. Or, on second thought, skip the new driver and parallel parking!
And, if money is no object, and the family is not around, simply buy the gourmet cookies you don't have time to make, have the caterer come in to cater your dinner party, or hire someone to hang the lights. Say "Get outta here Naughty Nuff!"
If money is an issue, then enlist the support of close friends to assist you in putting the tree up, or decorating the house. Help your friends out with their holiday chores and see if they can help you out. That's what friends are for.
And, above all, treat yourself to nice massage, pedicure or manicure, or a brand new book by the fire. Delegation is key.
Naughty Nuff Of Time.
This Olde Naughty Nuff will rob you of your very core!
Remedy: This is a difficult one for most people- there simply isn't enough time in the day when it comes to all the invites, dinner parties, and events that are taking place during the holiday season. This is where, again, you must take control of the situation and make decisions that will allow you to thoroughly enjoy the holiday season. Learn to pick and choose carefully the invites and events that you really would like to participate in. When it comes to all the celebrations and events, realize that less is more. When you cut out several invites, you'll find that you can enjoy the events that you do attend much more.
Learn to stop being a "people pleaser" and understand that it's OK to say no and give your regrets to your hosts. Become more discriminating and you'll enjoy this holiday season.
Other remedies for gaining time back:
Less TV.
Listing to a book on tape on iPOD while working out.
Check email only three or four times per day (block out time for it.)
Use your day planner rigorously.
Eat better and sleep better.
Now get out there with these tools and enjoy the holidays! See you next year!
Mary Mast M.Ed.
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