Based on the last post, we know there's a multitude of cultural celebrations this month... many of which happened this last week alone. No matter which one you celebrate, may your heart be full while you create memories that hopefully will last you a lifetime. Sending you...
Merries... Happies.... Cheers.... Best Wishes.... Chag Sameach... ¡Feliz Las Posadas!...
May your homes be filled with many blessings...
Lots of love, peace, and happiness...
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Image created at Canva.com
Following up on my last post, I felt like it was good to mark our calendars. December is known by many as the month of Christmas and Hanukkah. But it's a month of much more than that when it comes to the many global, cultural, religious, and heart-centered holidays.
In this season of giving, sharing, caring, and peace, it's good to know how full this season is for all. Click here for a bigger version.
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The benefits of going "merry & light" are many:
Moreover, when you start adding in the expense of the cards and then the cost of the postage....it seems like an awful lot of money during an already expensive season.
Blogger, artist, author, and environmentalist Emily Ehlers (known as Eco with Em on Facebook and her website) summed it up perfectly in this poster she created. I saw it at the end of the holiday season last year, and tucked this away to share this year!
I'm definitely a fan of one holiday at a time. When my daughter was younger I had to enforce the "no Christmas music before Thanksgiving" ruling. Some years that was harder than others. This year, for Thanksgiving, we had a table set for 18, making it very necessary to stay singularly-focused on Thanksgiving. Works that way when you are hosting! But now that Thanksgiving has now passed, the table has been stripped, the fall autumnal colors have been replaced, the tree is now up in a bit of a whirlwind. As a teacher with a 5-day Thanksgiving break and the supreme gift of time, the timing just seems to work out well to transform the house into the winter wonderland. [Though, even with that, I am always keen on making it so that all the decorations can go up (and ultimately come down at the end of the season) in roughly a 24-hour time period.]
I've long had a complicated relationship with Christmas. I suspect many parents do. The memories of the seasonal childhood magic gives you a definite eye-opening when you see how much work goes into making all that magic happen for children. There's a lot of moving parts, changing wish list items, shopping, decorating, outings, shopping, spending, more shopping, and "extras" that come during this time of the year. I can get exhausted and/or overwhelmed pretty darn easily. (Doubly harsh when I'm not a born shopper or spender.) I'd imagine I'm not alone. I think as an elementary teacher (where classrooms and bulletin boards also rotate seasonally, and kids' eyes sparkle in the hopes of all that's ahead), it adds to the tight timetable and the magical demands of this time of the year.
Additionally, I know that it can be a difficult time of the year for many in other ways too. The longer we spin on this planet, the more we live, love, and face loss. That can also bring hard emotions upon the season. Memories and merriment at times can counter each other. Like I said, Christmas can be complicated.
This year, our halls got decked in a timely and patient manner. (I can't always say this.) I did it around naps and with the proper balance of sanity and serenity. I'm hoping to approach the entire season semi-holding on to this sentiment. One way I'm hoping to go about this mindset is through this advent calendar that I purchased from Sharing Kindness--one for me, one for a friend. We can be in sync with each other, and hopefully too it will soothe my tendency toward Christmas chaos during this in between season.
Hopefully you are managing the flip from one holiday to the next with the right energy and joy levels. May you share kindness, compassion, and warm spirits along the way...even when the lines are long, the nerves are frazzled, and your over-packed schedule starts tipping your scales.
Video from https://youtu.be/eJkGzsLUhRI?si=ZJ2wWUN2KDEEb6Fn and pics from my home.
It is a busy and full month, regardless of the holiday and traditions you celebrate.
Whether you are ending your holiday traditions or just getting geared up, may this time bring you peace, love, hope, joy, gratitude, rich memories, and time with the people you care for.
Inflation has been a bit of an economic buzz word this past year.
An interesting way to take a peek at inflation is to look at life through song. A seasonal song.
PNC Bank makes it easy.
Every year, for the last 39 years, PNC updates their PNC Price Index website where they price the items in the song "The 12 Days of Christmas."
Now that we are within those last 12 days until Christmas, it's the perfect time not check it out.
Read and overview about this year's numbers by checking out PNC's Insight article.
Then be sure to see which of the items from the song are up, what items are down, (and what one item annually irks me!) by checking out the PNC Price Index.
It'll make you feel better about your own Christmas expenditures and budget!
Also, be sure to check out my 2018 and 2020 posts on the subject and ways I've used it in the classroom (and how I've included Hanukkah too).
Image from the PNC Price Index: https://www.pncchristmaspriceindex.com/en/about-pnc/topics/pnc-christmas-price-index.html
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I was recently telling my college-aged daughter about my long-standing, complicated relationship with Christmas. It's a swirly mix of a full calendar events, to-do lists, and a bounty of extra preparations in an already run-around schedule. Then there's the commercialism and expense, the wants and needs, the environmental demands in more, more more STUFF...all combined with the "happiest time of the year." I feel this phrase can be a misnomer of heightened expectations, especially as you get older and people you love are no longer here. High expectations can also easily lead to disappointments as reality and human frailty and flaws are at play. There can be a lot of pressure at this time of the year: the perfect gift, the perfect dinner, the perfect family events. In the mix, sometimes the true meaning of the season gets lost in the frenzy and stress. At times, it can make me perfectly Grinchly.
With all of that, I found myself apologizing to my daughter about my grinchly-ness because even on the cusp of total adulthood, she adores the season and all that goes with it. It's not my job to sprinkle my mixed feelings like snow in a snowglobe and dash her delight.
One thing that helps me to take a look at the gifts--both in my requests and in the ones I give. I know I'm fortunate and I really don't "need" more "stuff." My needs are fulfilled, with the exception of needing more time with the people I love. And when it comes to "wants," more and more, post-Covid in particular, I'm finding the wants also involve shared time over stuff. Time and togetherness are certainly clutter free. Perhaps this is why this list of 52 Clutter Free Gifts really spoke to me.
May it serve some inspiration for you too, and help center you this season in the true meaning of the holidays.
Image from The Art of Simple FB page and created by https://www.becomingminimalist.com/: https://www.facebook.com/theartofsimple/posts/pfbid037QU9xenu3NVybhUguae4rLXF5miJPprDAWs4TVLL2EHTi8wQuLQEfmBqoF8zBaV6l
Using this space and place today to wish you warmth, cheer, joy, love, and laughter.
Thank you for the gift of traveling alongside GTG all these years.
Image created at Canva.com
I recently had a birthday, and it certainly was the novelty of the day that made it. The kindergarten and the second grade class that spontaneously broke into song when I walked in their doors. The well-wishes from colleagues and kids alike as I walked down the hall (having heard my name in the list of birthdays du jour). My daughter joining us at my son's soccer game with a bouquet of flowers. Birthday cards and gifts that were unexpected. Trips made in the few weeks before and after that were loosely tied to myur birthday to be special visits with special people. I think it's the novelty and the adventures that were missed most during the 18-20 months of the pandemic, where days rolled into each other with a very "Groundhog's Day" movie of each day being on solitary retreat.
"Be kind" has become her trademark and motto over the years. Approximately 3 years ago, Ellen created her Be Kind Subscription box. I got the Fall 2021 box from my friend. Yes, it's a lovely gift, but the elements in side and the meaning behind them are some of the most beautiful part. I found myself reading the booklet of the box's content and my heart filling up with the humanity and charitable association that backed everything. It had me diving into websites to learn more about these amazing brands that are affiliated with the contents of this Be Kind box:
With the holidays swiftly approaching, it may be worth considering checking out a Be Kind box or longer term subscription for your friends or your family....or visiting one of the affiliated companies included here. Next season for Winter there'll be a new box. Might be an interesting quarterly check in to see what good you can do for you (or a loved one) and our world. What a great way to "Be Kind" indeed!
Be Kind box from https://www.ellentube.com/video/get-groovy-with-zenwtr-and-the-fall-be-kind-by-ellen-box.html, Birthday image created at Canva.com
My typical Christmas greeting is always a simple wish of wellness to all to have a joyous season.
After a hard year, may your holidays be filled with hope, health, and happiness.
As always, sending you my best during this time of year!
