Make Your Holiday Brighter

December is in full swing and the big day is less than a week away.  We know...there's lots to do and it’s all causing a ton of stress.  We can relate.

Yet, there’s nothing worse than waking up December 26 with nothing to show for your efforts except bags of trash and a pile of returns.  Now is the time to step back and re-assess what you want Christmas and New Years 2011 to be for you.  There’s still time to re-prioritize, change up plans, and create new intentions (and memories).

Below we offer 31 simple ideas with the power to make the holidays brighter.  All were designed to create a memory, pamper your senses, and cheer yourself (and others).

Don’t let the stress, hustle and bustle get to you!  It’s time to take charge of your own holiday experience!

1. Set your holiday intention right now – what two words do you want to be the theme of this season?
2. Schedule a massage for after Christmas.  You’ll definitely deserve it!
3. Hang a wreath on your door.
4. Buy yourself some holiday reusable shopping bags. Spread holiday cheer and be kind to the planet.
5. Decorate your car windows with window clings.
6. Decorate your key chain with a festive key ring.
7. Put a fancy holiday pin on your coat/jacket.
8. Here’s a simple way to add a holiday touch to any décor...Recycle that ugly Christmas sweater by turning it into a pillow cover! Learn how here.
9. Simplify your Christmas to-do list.  Anything you can dump or delegate?
10. Get a new holiday towel for the kitchen or bathroom.  You’ll smile each time you see it.
11. Decorate your place of work. Perhaps an ornament from your drawer or a bow on your monitor.
12. Burn a mulled cider candle ($5 at Wal-Mart).  If nothing else, your house will smell like Christmas!
13. Take the family on an outdoor adventure.  Just because it’s colder doesn’t mean you need to stay indoors.
14. Write your holiday affirmation: My holiday season with filled with _________ & _________.
15. Start one new tradition. Read a particular story on Christmas Eve, recite a particular prayer before meal, go caroling, ice skate under the moonlight.
16. Make tonight’s dinner conversation about holiday childhood memories.
17. Take a family picture this year…no excuses!
18. Make a batch of your favorite holiday cookie. On a special diet? Then give them away to others!
19. Try out a new mocktail recipe for Christmas!  How about a Cinnamon Holiday Mocktini.
20. Take some time to reflect on your last year; when did you learn, when did you succeed, when were you amazing?
21. Make the game plan for 2012; what’s your intention, what are some goals?
22. Schedule an hour of “me time” today.  Do whatever you feel will rejuvenate you!
23. Get yourself a fun new scarf!  You’ll actually look forward to heading out into the cold.
24. Sport some new holiday undies.
25. Merry Christmas!  Enjoy the day to its fullest!
26. Buy a new journal for next year.
27. Try out a new mocktail recipe for New Year’s Eve!  How about a Pomegranate Spritz!
28. Answer this Soul Searching Question for next year: What goal, if achieved by year-end, would have the greatest positive impact on my life?
29. Answer this Soul Searching Questions for next year: What am I willing to do differently this year that will lead to a life that more closely resembles my vision?
30. Make New Year’s Eve a little easier with these simple recipes.
31. Write your year’s mistakes and regrets on toilet paper and flush them down the toilet to close the year!

The Most Wonderful Time of Year?

We’ve made it! It’s the day after Christmas and I hope you were able to spend at least some of your day relaxing in your PJ’s. It is a great time of year; full of memories, family, and friends…but it sure takes a lot out of a person!

So how’d you do? They say this is the most wonderful time of year after all…you know, “with the kids jingle-belling and everyone telling you be of good cheer”. So was it the most wonderful time of year for you?

I have to admit, I absolutely love Christmas; even more so these last couple years while I’ve been enjoying my time as a stay-at-home mom. But I’ve heard the signs loud and clear from a few women I know. While Christmas is supposed to be the most wonderful time of year, we find ourselves being over-stressed and over-stretched. Where did all this hype come from? I’m sure we can all look back at our Christmases growing up and think, “They were all such quaint little gatherings back then.”

So we hear the advice time and time again, “streamline your schedules, do only what’s important, delegate, etc., etc.” but we obviously aren’t listening. Every year the bar is placed higher and higher. We definitely aren’t enjoying the holidays as much as we once did.

So here’s another approach we could take. Wouldn’t we enjoy the holidays more if we weren’t trying to jam so much into one month? Instead of Christmas being the social climax of the year, why don’t we celebrate year-round? If you think I just fell off my rocker, stick with me here…

Whoever said that holiday greetings and gay happy meetings could only happen during the Christmas holidays? I’m pretty sure 4th of July cookies would taste just as good, and I’m sure extra kindness to strangers would always be welcome.

I’m not saying forfeit the Christmas season and its traditions altogether. I’m just proposing we all take a step back, and spread it out a little more; carry it beyond the end of the year. Instead of trying to run the marathon that is Christmas, why not visit some family at Christmas, some at Thanksgiving, and some in…June? Perhaps send your donation to the Salvation Army in August instead of trying to remember your change jar in December? And couldn’t we send greeting cards in the spring?

So here it is, December 26. Are you going to plummet off the Christmas high, or are you going to carry the magic of the season into 2011? Now that I think about it, February would be the perfect time for hearts to be glowing!

Becky,
Sister of Soul

Soulspiration of the Week:
"Instead of being a time of unusual behavior, Christmas is perhaps the only time in the year when people can obey their natural impulses and express their true sentiments without feeling self-conscious and, perhaps, foolish. Christmas, in short, is about the only chance a man has to be himself.” ~Francis C. Farley

A Special Holiday Offer for You

What a delightful time of the year…truly one of my favorites. If I had to put my finger on the one thing that I like most about the Christmas Season I would have to say that it’s the feeling in the air. It’s that magical feeling that anything is possible. It’s the season of miracles both big and small.

I have to be honest; I have not started my shopping. Every year I strive to be one of those people who announces the week before Thanksgiving that they just finished the wrapping of their Christmas presents. And every year, this year being no different, I’m now starting to frantically shuffle through the store flyers and surf the internet to find the best prices, the whole time hoping that on-line purchases can be shipped in time for Christmas.

This year however, all this talk about the economy is causing many people to cut back. The retailers accommodate; it’s amazing the specials, sales, and offers that the stores are advertising. Get 20% off your entire purchase today only, buy one get one free, free shipping, my personal favorite the unadvertised sale, and the list goes on. To track every deal, and determine which really is the best value, would take an expert shopper, which I am not.

Cutting back financially will certainly benefit our pocket books, but more needs to be done. Anyone have a hot deal on Christmas Spirit?

We have an idea…maybe we take a lesson from our friendly stores and offer our own personal unadvertised sale? Try the “20% off unnecessary commitments” and spend more time with family and friends. Or how about the “buy one, get one free” and hand down a family tradition or two to a child in your life. Some people like coupons, why not redeem this…“1/2 off stress and live in the moment”.

For a truly special Christmas Season, focus on the simple things that the holidays have to offer. Start now, well before Christmas, and see the magic waiting to happen.

Jenny,
Sister of Soul

P.S. Become a Soulspring Empowerment Group fan on Facebook and download our Soulspring Holiday Coupons (just click on our Facebook pdf tab). Not your usual discounts, but a creative reminder of the special opportunities available to you this holiday season. Print them off and redeem them today! Finally, some coupons you can really use!

Soulspiration of the Week:
“The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.” ~Burton Hillis

Love, Gratitude & Giving

It’s November and I’m excited! As anyone who knows me can attest, this is my favorite time of year. To me it’s the beginning of the holiday season; a time of love, gratitude and giving.

You see, I believe that love and gratitude are the most powerful of all emotions, easily trumping fear, anger and negativity. Is there any other time of year when love, gratitude and giving are more freely expressed than during the holiday season? I think not!

So while I try to do my best throughout the year to make love, gratitude and giving a daily focus, for the holiday season I intensify my efforts. Here’s how…

Practice present time consciousness. With every activity, instead of just going through the motions, I make a conscious effort to think about what it is I’m doing, why I’m doing it, and how it’s impacting the world. For tasks like wrapping gifts and sending holiday cards, this may seem like a no-brainer. But what about paying bills and running errands? While maybe a little more challenging at first, it is possible to find the giving, love, and gratitude at their core. This practice can actually make the most monotonous of tasks quite inspiring!

Believe in divine timing. They say there are no good and no bad experiences; they are all neutral and it’s our own thoughts and beliefs that label good and bad. Try to tell yourself that while you’re stuck in traffic and late for an appointment! Yet, you can certainly look back on any “bad” experience and find some speck of “good” that came of it. At this time of year I practice trusting in divine timing; everything is as it should be at this moment in time, and all will be revealed at the perfect moment.

Be thankful for everything. Instead of complaining about the cold, be thankful for the crisp air and frosty beauty. Rather than lament your busy holiday schedule, give thanks for the friends and family who want to spend time with you. As you roll out of bed each morning, start your day with a “thank you” as your feet hit the floor, and set the tone for a wonderful day!

Be of service. It would be wonderful to spend time volunteering or somehow serving the less fortunate this time of year; it’s what the season is all about after all. But what about the everyday simple acts of service, like allowing a hurried mom to go ahead of you in the checkout line, opening the door for a stranger, shoveling the walk for an elderly neighbor. They take merely a moment, yet when given with love the ripple effect from these simple acts of service is far reaching.

They say that the holidays can be a stressful time, and I admit it certainly can be hectic. Here’s my holiday stress-busting tip just for you: Place your focus on love, gratitude, and giving, and make this time of year your favorite too.

Kim
Sister of Soul

Soulspiration of the Week:
“The single greatest thing you can do to change your life today would be to start being grateful for what you have right now. And the more grateful you are, the more you get." ~Oprah