Parenting Guru: Less Holiday Stress and More Holiday Zest
With Thanksgiving rolling into Hanukkah this year, (I jokingly refer to it as "Thanukkah"), I'm feeling a little overwhelmed and way behind the eight ball with shopping for gifts. Hanukkah moves around every year (based on the Jewish calendar), and unlike Christmas or New Years, it can sneak up on you when you least expect it.
I haven't decorated the house yet either. We like to make it festive with dreidels, dreidel stockings, and our collection of menorahs (most of which have been made by our kids, over the years). I love the "festival of lights" and all lights in general (and at my age, especially, good lighting!). The city looks so beautiful lit up for the holidays. It is truly a joyous time of year, BUT the days are flying by and I am feeling choked, as my gift list is long and my energy and patience are running dry.
As crazy as it seems, the holidays just wouldn't have that special feeling any other way. So in light of how stressed I feel, (me and everyone else), here's a little list of tips to be taken with a helping of latkes and dose of eggnog.
Tips to make the holidays go smoother or at the very least, give you a chuckle (and if that doesn't happen, try a little more eggnog):
1.Tell everyone you're going out of town, and don't!
2.Never go to the same hairdresser or manicurist more than once. One less gift. (Trickier to get away with in a small town)
3.Hide your scale and only wear baggy clothes
4.Don't answer the door or phone (see #1)
5.Switch from regular to decaf, and decaf to 20% proof
6.Have chocolate at every meal (that goes for the 20% proof too)
7.Do holiday shopping a the grocery store (any gift card will do)
8.Forgo the gift wrap and holiday cards, cuz you're being "green"
9.If entertaining over the holidays, only do "pot luck". Better yet, do every meal, "pot luck"
10.Try to avoid leaving the house from Nov.26-Jan.2
11.Insist everyone wear red or green, or blue and gold, depending on what holiday they celebrate, to make it more festive
12.Save time coloring your hair and tell everyone that the silver is really tinsel
13.Remember, nothing needs to be perfect and don't take it all so seriously or personally, when something goes wrong
14.When all else fails, spike your coffee with eggnog morning and night
15. Laugh a lot, it will soon be over
Whatever you chose to celebrate, have a joyous Holiday Season and 2011!
