Are you a procrastinator this holiday season? My advice is K.I.S.S. - Keep it simple silly!!!!!
YES - keep it simple. It doesn't have to be complicated. We all tend to make things complicated that don't need to be. Just breathe and move.
Life is busy, no mojo, getty-up has gone, bad mood, illness, just blah - anything can be a reason. Just simplify. It is OK!!!!!!!
You don't have to be Mrs. Claus - you can just be you.
Keep decorations simple. We are 2 1/2 weeks out to Christmas. Many keep things up till N.Y. day so a good three weeks or so. But it doesn't have to be all out over the top. A few pretty lights, a tree, whatever you want. Do what makes YOU happy.
Gifts not bought yet? I imagine most of you are done or have a good start to gifts - but for those who don't - gifts of self or experiences are wonderful.
Invite someone for a meal at your home. Or perhaps promise a shut-in or neighbor or family or friend a homemade meal a month delivered to their home.
Make cookies or candy or breads for gifts. Make up a few jar mixes to hand out. You can get very inexpensive storage containers at the dollar stores to place goodies in. You can get tins at thrift stores for pennies. Buy or use a plate that can be given and kept.
Write out some of your favorite or best recipes and share with family. Pretty little recipe cards or just plain old index cards work fine. Get yourself a few little cheap photo albums and place recipes in them. Recipes are now protected from spillage and contained in one spot. I have several of these books that I use for all my recipe cards. ($1 each)
Do you have a handwritten copy of Mom's or Grandma's favorite recipe for something? Make a copy and frame it - maybe with a picture of them included. Memories.
A child's drawing or artwork - framed for Granma or Auntie.
A pretty doily that belonged to Mom or Grandma or Auntie? Again - frame it.
Pass on a family heirloom to someone who will love and cherish it. None of us will be here forever, so why not pass on things now - while we can watch others enjoy it.
Experiences!
Give a gift of a museum or gallery visit. A zoo trip. Any event - movie, skating, park, picnic, sledding, fishing, camping - something that you can enjoy with another.
My bro/sil give their daughter a pass to all state parks for the year. No, it isn't that super cheap - but it is a great gift that gives to her all year. She is a fitness instructor and takes people on many hikes and camping sessions all year.
Gift Cards
Gift cards can be purchased for anything today. Hardware stores, groceries, gas, spas, coffee, restaurants, general shopping - anything. You can get many cards at the grocery stores - they have a huge variety. It is basically like giving someone free money to shop with.
Strangers
Give of your time at a soup kitchen or holiday meal event to feed the hungry.
Donate goods to a food pantry to help others
Deliver pretty cards with a sweet message handwritten in them to nursing homes
Do something nice for a stranger
These things are not just gifts for others - but a gift for yourself as well. I well imagine you may get more from giving to strangers, than they will receive.
Serve and love others and you are serving God and doing His work.
So, if you have been procrastinating, now is the time to come up with some different options for others. It doesn't have to cost much if anything - but it may mean the world to someone else.
Give experiences, give of yourself, and give to those who you don't even know.
We can all make the month, the week, the day special for another.
Go forward and Keep It Simple Silly!!!!
Blessings
I love all your suggestions...especially the goodwill to strangers. We need to remember other people during the holidays.
ReplyDeleteThanks, and yes, we do. That is most important.
DeleteAll good advice! Some health issues are slowing us down but I guess we will get things done at some point.
ReplyDeleteSlow and steady. Before or after - it is all good.
DeleteTake care.
Simple and uncomplicated is always good! It is the season to put into action Yeshua's words to love your neighbor.
ReplyDeleteStay warm, my friend! Looks like it will warm up again tho.
Yes, yes, it is on both!
DeleteChilly out there today
All wonderful ideas, Cheryl, thank you! May I suggest that gift wrapping can be simplified using gift bags and tissue paper? I have a lot of gift wrap... plenty... but usually sit in the floor to wrap gifts. I'm unable to do that this year, so gift bags to the rescue! In fact, I've saved gift bags with hanging tags from years before; the hanging tags and be removed and new ones added to recycle!
ReplyDeleteAlways love the picture sayings you add. --Elise
P.S. Made some banana bread with "complete" pancake mix yesterday from a recipe at Farmer's Almanac website. I adapted it with Stevia/sugar blend for diabetics. You could also use GF "complete" pancake mix. Works a charm!
YES! I love gift bags and pretty boxes. I use them over and over. I keep Christmas cards I have received over the years and cut them into name tags. Tissue paper I keep as well - re-use it for years.
DeleteMost everything I give is either is holiday bags or re-useable grocery bags.
WOW - neat to know. Another use for pancake mix! Great.
Thanks!!
You had to say 2 1/2 weeks out....... Yikes
ReplyDeleteI know right?????? Crazy.
DeleteHi Cheryl,
ReplyDeleteI love your photo-album-recipe-book idea! And framed copies of mom’s or Grandma’s recipes...heirlooms ;). We are not putting up all the decorations we have in the past and feel good about it. I love your gifts of experiences ideas, too. My fav thing to do was always (and still is) driving around looking at other’s Christmas lights.
And, I’ve been thinking about passing on those things I will eventually pass on anyway. Just earlier, so I can enjoy the recipient enjoying whatever it is I give to them.
Hope you’re feeling our prayers lifting you up. You’re a blessing.
Thank you. I love looking at lights as well. I don't get out to see them anymore as I have night blindness in driving - but I see the ones around here.
DeleteI keep it simple here with decorations and that is plenty for me.
Thank you so much - your prayers mean so much.
Every year we take a drive through the city to look at the lights. So much fun.
ReplyDeleteThe last couple of years I have taken a few hours out of my day for two or three days and helped put the boxes together that we use for the Christmas hampers that the churches and church organizations hand out.
God bless.
The lights sound nice.
DeleteThank you, such a wonderful thing to do in helping others. If everyone did a little something it would be such a big help.
A little thing can be a big thing.
Blessings