23 Days until Christmas. Your to-do list for the next few weeks is probably longer and pricier than any other three weeks of the year, right? In spite of it seeming counter-productive, your Christmas experience this year will be so much more enjoyable if you slow down and stop to smell the holiday incense.
Here are seven ways to simmer the season:
- Take 10 minutes a day to sit by the glow of an Advent Wreath and slowly unfold the story of the season. Many Advent resources abound but for a quick refresher, here is the post I wrote about it last year. http://wp.me/pPRDV-vV
- Plan something enjoyable each day to feed your Christmas spirit. One of my favorite Christmas books is Madeleine L’Engle’s, “The Twenty-four Days Before Christmas” http://amzn.to/18hq9wd where she introduces this fun idea to celebrate the season each day.
- Schedule plenty of time for your favorite parts of the holiday so you don’t miss the pleasure of what you most enjoy. I love writing a Christmas letter over the course of a week in the early morning with quiet carols in the background.
- Trade in your usual bedtime reading material for fun and inspirational stories and books. I have a whole box of Christmas books to choose from each year plus Kindle Christmas e-books. Finally read “A Christmas Carol one year.
- Decide now what to let go of. Everything can’t fit in every year and when you say NO to something you are always saying YES to something else. I gladly exchange cookie baking for a Christmas concert.
- Choose ONE event to fully participate in instead of three or more to barely be present at. I think you know that feeling 😦
- If you must multi-task, watch your favorite Christmas movie while you wrap gifts. Home Alone does not require full attention!
Stop back Thursday for more Christmas helps!
Hope for the best,
Tish
Hope for the Best 
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