TBT - Traditions New and Old

Throwback Thursday this week is all about family Christmas traditions, new and old.

This time of year for us signals calm, peaceful gatherings of food, family and friends. It's no longer about gift giving. (I don't shop Black Friday, Cyber Monday or any of that nonsense). There's nothing we need or want that can be purchased at a store. It's more about being "present" with each other.

When the kids were small, it was a different story. It was about presents under the tree, anticipation of Santa coming while they were fast asleep. Rightly so. I loved seeing the looks on their faces on Christmas morning. Especially the year they each got a new bike. So much fun!

With my parents being gone and the kids grown, my perspective of the holidays has changed; evolved over time. My Mom loved Christmas. It was definitely her favorite holiday. I always got a thrill out of helping her decorate, baking with her, and reminiscing about Christmases with my grandparents.

We would laugh. We sometimes cried, missing those times of absolute joy. We would turn up the music loud and dance around the kitchen together when Jingle Bell Rock played.

One year I accidentally dropped a whole pan of cookies on the floor. Both of us looked at each other and laughed hysterically. No stress; just fun.

Now I'm the matriarch of our motley crew (makes me feel old ... ha)!

The first picture consists of things that we either made for someone we loved or something passed down to us by a family member.

The wreath above the fireplace is one that my Mom had for years and the last one she hung when she had to move to assisted living.

The brass candlesticks were made by my uncle, who honed them from mortar shells found during the war. He managed to get them home from Germany. They're very heavy!

Mr. and Mrs. Claus shelf sitters were given to me by my daughter several years ago. I just love them!

The velvet Christmas stockings were purchased at a craft fair when we lived in California. I stuffed good memories in them.

And last, but by no means least, the Merry Christmas hearth rug was made by yours truly for my grandmother the year she had to be in a nursing home during the holidays. I wanted her to have something that would cheer her up. It did. Mission accomplished.

The next image is a tree made completely from jewelry items that belonged to my grandmother, mother, myself and my daughter. Many pieces are antique, like the cameo toward the top that my grandfather gave my grandmother when she was 16, the year they met.

This was quite a project for me. Selecting the pieces and placing them strategically to form a tree took a while, I must admit. But once that was done, then gluing them on was pretty easy. I used a special glue and once completed, put this into a glass shadow box. There are still a few holes to fill in with some pearl head pins.

It now hangs on the wall in the family room and each time I see it, I feel all the memories attached to each piece. My daughter suggested that I list each piece on the back and its history. I think I'll do that. When I'm gone, this will be passed down to her. She wants it now. Ha!

Not yet, dear daughter 💓

Be good to yourself and each other. Namaste'

Up, Up and Away

I won't be posting anymore until later next week.  I'm heading off in the big silver bird to CA to spend my daughter's 40th birthday with her and an early Christmas with the grandkids.  Looking forward to better holidays this year. Lots of fun and love. Color me happy!

Until then . . . have a wonderful weekend and namaste!

How to Keep Stress to a Minimum During the Holidays

The holiday season can be so joyous and yet extremely prone to creating real stress. Don't let your holidays be ruined by nerve-racking experiences. Here's some inspirational insights to help you keep your stress to a minimum this year.

Ask yourself if your expectations are realistic? Are you going to be getting together with family members that you normally prefer not to be around? Do you feel obligated to buy gifts for people who you aren't really close to? Do you get invited to events that just don't appeal to you but you feel obligated to go?  Believe it or not, these types of scenarios take place every year for millions of people. Why? Because we don't want to hurt someone's feelings so we sacrifice our own and then become resentful. If you want to stop that cycle, then just think carefully before you decide what to do. If it's a NO that you decide upon, say it as politely as possible but make it very clear that your answer is a firm NO. If it's a yes, then realize you committed yourself and see it through (hopefully in a very enjoyable way). I know people who purposely take the holidays to go away somewhere so that they're not caught up in the family frey. Las Vegas? Mexico? Hawaii, anyone?

Are you scheduling too much in too little amount of time? No one has more than 24 hours in a day. Try to remember that as you plan your pre-holiday events and accept invitations. Enlist the use of a calendar or day planner, either paper or electronic, so that you can feel some measure of control over your time. And don't feel bad if you've overlapped something by mistake. Just inform the parties involved and they will understand. We all make mistakes, especially at this hectic time of year.

Do you have a holiday budget or are you over-spending? Over-spending can be the biggest source of stress because we know what will happen ... we have to pay for those items sometime. If not now, then later. Just the dread of getting the credit card bills in the mail is enough to keep you from having a good time during the holidays. Stick to a budget. You'll be so glad you did come January when all the lustre and shine of the holidays has disappeared.

Sometimes our holiday stress comes from missing loved ones. If someone you love has passed on, change things up this year so that you can make it through this rough patch. There are lots of support groups with people going through the same kind of grief at the holidays. Tap into that for some healthy and supportive ways to cope. Last year at Christmas I just let myself "be" because my brother died in September. So I was pretty easy on myself and so were others around me. Of course I missed him, but attending a grief support group was such a lifeline for me.

The holidays can be the worst time of the year for us in terms of taking care of ourselves. My advice is to make sure you're eating healthy meals and drinking plenty of water. Dehydration (yes, even though it's not warm outside) can sneak up on you before you know it. Water supports every organ in your body, so if you plan on doing some holiday drinking, be sure to increase your water intake.

This may sound crazy because of all the running around we're doing at this time of year, but exercising is really important. Take a walk out in nature, ride a bike, do yoga, etc. Any form of exercise can be a phenomenal stress reducer. It's also good for lowering blood pressure, which could rise when crazy Aunt Mildred walks through your front door on Christmas Day.

One of the best things about the holidays is that more people open their hearts to acceptance and forgiveness. If there's someone in your life that you will be around this year that this applies to, give it a try. Even if it's a silent blessing from your heart to theirs. After all, the season really is about love.

The holidays are supposed to be a great time. Take good care of yourself and practice things that will eliminate some of the stress. I hope you find these tips helpful.

Merry Christmas to you and yours!