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
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