"It's the most, wonderful time of the year!" keeps blaring over and over again on our radio during the holiday season. You enjoy the song, because for that moment in time you feel just as happy as Andy Williams did when he sang it. Yet most of us feel like we're running around stores, trying to catch our breath, while at the same time watching our bank accounts drop and our credit card bills skyrocket, none of which are reasons to smile and make us believe it actually is the most wonderful time of the year. You stand in line for hours on end just to buy the one thing that, after 5 more years, will become obsolete. You have to deal with crazier and crabbier drivers on the road, and park in the back row of the parking lot. You have to attend Christmas parties that are most of the time just as dull as a steak knife after trying to cut through a rock. Not only that, but after that Wii set you got for your nephew last year, you're just not sure how to top it. At this point, you're better off giving him the money, and letting him spend it on a new plasma TV.
This is what we go through during the holidays. But we try to brush aside the negative and focus on the positive, because, after all, this is Christmas.
So what can you do to make sure Christmas doesn't become about all the hassle we go through just for one morning of glory? From the funny to the serious, here are some ideas to help you glide through the holidays like Nancy Kerrigan skating on ice.
1) In your family gift exchange, make it a requirement that everyone must create something as a present. It doesn't have to look pretty, or even make sense, but think of the laughter you'll get from them. I remember a story my dad told about the jokes he'd play on his sister for Christmas. She had wanted a curling iron one year, and so he decided to wrap up a stick and a rubber band, then had written instructions on how to use it. "a) stick in fire b) pull out of fire c) wrap around hair." It may not have been the curling iron she wanted, but they still laugh about it every year. (P.S. She did get that curling iron that Christmas.) From family talent-shows to a simple "I love you, Merry Christmas," note, you're sure to realize what they say is true: It's the smallest things that come from the heart that matter the most.
2) Every night, curl up on the couch and read a bit of a Christmas story. Whether it's an Advent book and a Bible, or simple books, like "The Christmas Shoes," reading will help you relax.
3) Enjoy a holiday show! There are plenty of them to choose from, whether they're just little displays Macy's puts up in their store to catching The Nutcracker ballet. Taking a night out of your busy schedule to enjoy a show with friends can help put a smile on your face.
4) Silly Putty! You have no idea how incredibly fun and relaxing such a childish toy can be! Not only can you mold it into a ball and bounce it, but it's something to kneed into your palms as you review that last financial statement at work.
5) Count your blessings. Just like Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney sang in the classic film "White Christmas," make sure to count your blessings (instead of sheep.) Not only does it help you focus on the positive, but it helps you fall asleep.
6) Go to a Christmas Eve service at your local church. There's something almost romantic about church. Even if you're unfamiliar with the traditions, it helps you expand your knowledge about their faith. We should all try to learn about each other, and learn from each other. This is the perfect place and time to start.
7) Sing! Even if you have a terrible voice, sometimes just singing in the shower, or in the comfort of your own car, can bring laughter to your world. Buddy the Elf did say, "The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear!"
8) Give to someone in need. There's certainly nothing wrong with choosing a card from the gift-giving tree at the mall, then buying gifts for a girl in Africa. But many times, you can give by actually helping and volunteering with your local Salvation Army, or even just going into an after-school program for children and helping them color. By seeing their faces light up, knowing that you are there for them, makes a big difference.
9) Attend a yoga or pilates class! Flexibility, whether physical or mental, is always important to have during the holidays! Being a dancer, I've done plenty of pilates. Not only does it help your flexibility and balance, but it really does let you just relax and forget about all of your troubles! (I've come to appreciate this during the stressful weeks in school!)
10) Elf Yourself! This is bound to make you laugh! www.elfyourself.com, sponsored by Office Max, allows you to upload photos of you and some of your friends or family. After cutting out the heads from your photos, you can select different dances! It's quite entertaining to watch, and is bound to get you chuckling like Santa. It's available for free, but for only 5$ more, you can download the videos and burn them onto a DVD. (Christmas gift idea?)
These are only ideas, but tried and tested by me, I've found them all to work. As much as I love opening presents to see if I got what I wanted, I love savoring the small moments more, like watching a good Christmas movie, or decorating the tree with my family. Sometimes we forget that the holidays aren't really about the gifts. I hope you take to heart a few of these ideas; they may make you uncomfortable at first, but after you've tried some of them, you'll be making them tradition.
This is what we go through during the holidays. But we try to brush aside the negative and focus on the positive, because, after all, this is Christmas.
So what can you do to make sure Christmas doesn't become about all the hassle we go through just for one morning of glory? From the funny to the serious, here are some ideas to help you glide through the holidays like Nancy Kerrigan skating on ice.
1) In your family gift exchange, make it a requirement that everyone must create something as a present. It doesn't have to look pretty, or even make sense, but think of the laughter you'll get from them. I remember a story my dad told about the jokes he'd play on his sister for Christmas. She had wanted a curling iron one year, and so he decided to wrap up a stick and a rubber band, then had written instructions on how to use it. "a) stick in fire b) pull out of fire c) wrap around hair." It may not have been the curling iron she wanted, but they still laugh about it every year. (P.S. She did get that curling iron that Christmas.) From family talent-shows to a simple "I love you, Merry Christmas," note, you're sure to realize what they say is true: It's the smallest things that come from the heart that matter the most.
2) Every night, curl up on the couch and read a bit of a Christmas story. Whether it's an Advent book and a Bible, or simple books, like "The Christmas Shoes," reading will help you relax.
3) Enjoy a holiday show! There are plenty of them to choose from, whether they're just little displays Macy's puts up in their store to catching The Nutcracker ballet. Taking a night out of your busy schedule to enjoy a show with friends can help put a smile on your face.
4) Silly Putty! You have no idea how incredibly fun and relaxing such a childish toy can be! Not only can you mold it into a ball and bounce it, but it's something to kneed into your palms as you review that last financial statement at work.
5) Count your blessings. Just like Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney sang in the classic film "White Christmas," make sure to count your blessings (instead of sheep.) Not only does it help you focus on the positive, but it helps you fall asleep.
6) Go to a Christmas Eve service at your local church. There's something almost romantic about church. Even if you're unfamiliar with the traditions, it helps you expand your knowledge about their faith. We should all try to learn about each other, and learn from each other. This is the perfect place and time to start.
7) Sing! Even if you have a terrible voice, sometimes just singing in the shower, or in the comfort of your own car, can bring laughter to your world. Buddy the Elf did say, "The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear!"
8) Give to someone in need. There's certainly nothing wrong with choosing a card from the gift-giving tree at the mall, then buying gifts for a girl in Africa. But many times, you can give by actually helping and volunteering with your local Salvation Army, or even just going into an after-school program for children and helping them color. By seeing their faces light up, knowing that you are there for them, makes a big difference.
9) Attend a yoga or pilates class! Flexibility, whether physical or mental, is always important to have during the holidays! Being a dancer, I've done plenty of pilates. Not only does it help your flexibility and balance, but it really does let you just relax and forget about all of your troubles! (I've come to appreciate this during the stressful weeks in school!)
10) Elf Yourself! This is bound to make you laugh! www.elfyourself.com, sponsored by Office Max, allows you to upload photos of you and some of your friends or family. After cutting out the heads from your photos, you can select different dances! It's quite entertaining to watch, and is bound to get you chuckling like Santa. It's available for free, but for only 5$ more, you can download the videos and burn them onto a DVD. (Christmas gift idea?)
These are only ideas, but tried and tested by me, I've found them all to work. As much as I love opening presents to see if I got what I wanted, I love savoring the small moments more, like watching a good Christmas movie, or decorating the tree with my family. Sometimes we forget that the holidays aren't really about the gifts. I hope you take to heart a few of these ideas; they may make you uncomfortable at first, but after you've tried some of them, you'll be making them tradition.
