Tis The Season
Don’t let the holidays pass you by! It’s so easy to begin planning for January and forget we have all these glorious days of love and celebration in December. Post Thanksgiving we receive daily reminders of Christmas’ eminent arrival and that our current year is almost over, but instead of every store display, commercial and Christmas song causing you stress, let them be reminders to treasure each December day and celebrate the moments. I know this all might sound trite - I feel like I just wrote the closing monologue of a Hallmark Original Christmas movie, blek (ok, secretly I love them) - but it’s true. Christmastime doesn’t care how busy you are; just like every other time of year it keeps marching forward until it’s too late and the season has passed you by.
Set aside one or two afternoons or evenings with your partner, a friend, or a whole gaggle of pals to soak up some Christmas joy. These don’t need to be expensive or lavish, in fact most of the time simplicity is the greatest catalyst for true joy. Stay home and listen to Christmas music while making cookies, stroll the streets near your home to enjoy your neighbor’s decorations, go ice skating, or find a Christmas village featuring local artists and businesses selling gifts and food. Often the less stress and money involved the more you can enjoy the moment with the people important to you. Laugh, reminisce, share stories, eat an extra cookie, and put the whirlwind of preparing for another new year on hold for just a couple hours.
If you’re having trouble stepping away from the machine of the routine, try this: give your shoulders a shimmy, find your closest mugs, fill them with some hot chocolate and share with a friend. Now you’ve taken one tasty step in the right direction!
P.S. I recently spent a fun Christmasy night with my dear friend Alyx wandering the streets of midtown in search of the various department store Christmas windows! It was an amazing time to laugh, talk and shiver together. While there were six stops on the map, we only made it to the windows at Bloomingdale’s, Bergdorf Goodman and Saks, but it was still perfect. We had spent time together remembering what makes this time of year so special and growing closer as friends. Here’s a little glimpse into our night and a copy of the map Alyx was inspired by if you want to recreate our Christmas adventure in New York City!
