Seriously?
Yes, I said Happy Holidays. How the heck did that happen so fast? I completely got sideswiped by Thanksgiving! I’m a little pissed about that because I had a great recipe I wanted to share.
It doesn’t matter if you are home-bound under a mountain of content creation, working two jobs while fishing that thesis, kids running around the house screaming while you’re trying to get year-end reports finished. Everybody’s got something going on.
So, how do you fit in “Joy to the World” with all the chaos?
The holidays are supposed to be a time of joy, seeing family and friends you haven’t seen for a long time. Taking a pause to enjoy everything we should be grateful for, what we have and celebrate the big and small things. Don’t forget the baby Jesus!
The real problem is that we get so caught up in the hustle and bustle, all the stuff and social expectations that are hammered at us every commercial break. We forget the real reason for the season.
Sorry to be so cliché, but it’s true!
Every year I am determined to make the holidays all about Joy to the World but of course, I fall short. This year I am really really really making a solid effort. I swear!
So, how do we make it simple? How do we make it joyful to ourselves as opposed to unbelievable hard work and drudgery? Instagram and Facebook all have tips, tricks, quick things that are supposed to make things festive fun and absolutely gorgeous. You look at some of these posts that people put and it’s like… Really?
You have time to do that? Really?
I was looking at Instagram the other day and this woman’s photographs were insane. It’ clear her apartment is someplace in Upper West Side Manhattan and is completely decorated in off whites. She’s got three kids and dog and everything is glistening and spotless. Do you really live in that perfectly pristine place with three small children? No way in hell.
I loved some of her ideas but how do I trust her authenticity? She’s obviously not legit, putting on this immaculate facade. I showed my sister and she quickly educated me that the woman obviously has staff to keep things picture perfect. Of course! There is probably being a production team behind all of it. She probably has someone coming in every day to make sure the place is spotless and glistening. Can you imagine?
“Happy Holidays! Come on in but put on this clean-suit, these shoe covers and don’t touch anything!”
I can’t wait to see her kids therapy bills when they get older. Having to deal with the trauma of living in a bubble wrapped home. Hell, they may have borrowed the neighbor’s dog for the shoot. I can’t see a giant Labrador fitting in to a white/off white apartment immaculately. Who knows.
In the real world things are not that neat and tidy. As much as we would love to have things picture perfect as seen on social media, it’s not. Finding a way to do a happy, healthy, joyfully easy holiday is the elusive dream isn’t it? Don’t even get me started on packing up all the stuff once it’s over.
Joy to the Chaos!
Right now I’m looking out over my kitchen island. The dog is on the couch and has thrown every pillow off both of them. He is running around like a reindeer on crack and is about to eat a coffee table book. He’s gone through about 1/2 a dozen Christmas ornaments so there’s a fine coat of gold glitter just about everywhere that I will never completely get up.
Little by little over the past couple of weeks I’ve been putting something out trying a couple of different things keeping it simple. You want that festiveness, you want to feel the reason for the season and you want to feel that holiday spirit. The truth is we put the pressure on ourselves to meet some BS expectations. When we take slow baby steps instead of “I got to get it done right now!” it makes a difference. In today’s world you do what you can when you can and that’s applicable to all things.
Keep it Simple!
My mini Christmas tree took me about four days to get all the decorations on because I would do one set at a time. It was fun! I put on music, started cooking dinner and while something was simmering I put one set of ornaments on and then I walked away from it. The next day did the next set and by the time the week was done I had the Christmas tree finished! Super cute! I even had garland on the fireplace mantle and I went so far as to change out the lamp shades on the sconces to some super cute Christmas ones I picked up on a lightening deal.
The fun thing was that when I got a little bit done it inspired me to do a little bit more and a little bit more instead of being sick of it when I was finished. Simple things that don’t require massive hauling of ladders going in the garage and pulling the boxes out from the rafters. Keep it simple, keep it small, keep it beautiful, keep it intimate and keep it in theme with what you want the holiday to feel like to YOU! If you want to do a big rigamarole by all means do so! If you have the time and the energy for that, great! But don’t feel guilty that you couldn’t, can’t and didn’t.
Reality check!
Christmas is not about tons of presents under the tree despite what consumerism has done. Corporate America has brainwashed us to think this is the time of year is about what you buy and give. When we gather and share with loved ones it doesn’t mean to exchange presents, expensive iPods, Apple watches or Robovac X. It means sharing your time! Sharing your love! Catching up on life and sharing a meal together. Making new memories! That’s what the season is about! Sharing time and remembering why we’re here and why there is a season.
Christians believe that this is the season when the baby Jesus was born and the start of something beautifully spiritual. I’m very eclectic so I believe that’s true but I also believe that Kwanzaa is true. I believe that Hanukkah is true. I believe in all kinds of things! What I believe doesn’t matter, it’s what you believe and what rings and sings to your soul. That’s another really important thing, singing! Sing out the joy of the season whenever you can! Hum while you’re cooking. Have Alexa play some holiday favorites and let the spirit get into you. Remember, they are called HAPPY HOLIDAYS for a reason. You don’t have to get over the top into the spirit! Don’t force the square peg into the round hole. Let the cool air of the season’s change wash over you and smell the pumpkin spice in the air. It will come if you’re open to it.
This Christmas Eve will also mark my puppies one year birthday so that has me in a different frame of mind. I intend on spoiling him rotten and celebrating him too. We really shouldn’t need a reason but ’tis the season after all!
Happy Holidays and just have fun with it!
