Tis the season to be jolly and all of that good stuff. I am sure making a holiday gift return has challenged the best of us. We get a gift we really don’t want, doesn’t fit, doesn’t work, is the wrong color or is just plain useless. Now comes the hard part. Do we:
A. Tell the gifter
B. Regift it
C. Bury it in the closet
D. Throw it out Read the rest of this entry »
You may not feel like “Deck the Halls” this season. A loved one’s poor health and all the changes that has brought into your life can put a damper on your holiday spirit. Try these tips for easing the blues and enjoying the season:
No need to keep up all the family traditions. Decorate simply, with just a few displays that are especially meaningful and spirit-boosting. Ask others to host or help with family celebrations. Read the rest of this entry »
Christmas Gifts Ideas That Will Not Break Your Funds
Christmas is fast approaching and for many of us, it is the feature of the year. It’s the season of giving, of sharing, of expressing love and showing kindness. This is the wisdom behind the season.
Fortunately AND unfortunately, this reason is commonly expressed in the form of material gifts. The commercialism that has been attached to Christmas is a highly questionable point, but the fact remains that today, Christmas has become synonymous with presents and most people expect to receive something from others who love and cherish them. Read the rest of this entry »
Here are some insights into “Christ” and “Christmas” that is really going to rock the foundation of this celebration as most people know it today. According to Timothy Freke, philosopher, historian and best selling author in his book “The Jesus Mysteries” published in 1999 and co-written with Peter Gandy a classicist, Jesus is what he refers to as a “every man figure” and the stories surrounding him are purely teaching stories. His conclusion is that the Jesus story is a mythical story. Read the rest of this entry »
The real meaning of Christmas, the season of good cheer, is about giving
especially to provide some assistance to those who need help for their daily
survival and who therefore don’t have the material resources to enjoy the
Christmas season. The importance of giving to those in need during Christmas is
embodied in the story of Jesus’ birth, which is the reason it is
celebrated. Read the rest of this entry »
While waiting for the wonderful Christmas holiday, you can always spend some relaxing time by decorating your home. You will see that this activity can be a great stress relief therapy. Art therapy to be more precise is one of the best ways to fight stress. Moreover, the Christmas holiday, asides its religious meaning, it has a healing power: it’s a day of forgiveness and sharing. Read the rest of this entry »
Christmas Gifts Ideas That Will Not Break Your Funds
Christmas is fast approaching and for many of us, it is the feature of the year. It’s the season of giving, of sharing, of expressing love and showing kindness. This is the wisdom behind the season.
Fortunately AND unfortunately, this reason is commonly expressed in the form of material gifts. The commercialism that has been attached to Christmas is a highly questionable point, but the fact remains that today, Christmas has become synonymous with presents and most people expect to receive something from others who love and cherish them. Read the rest of this entry »
Making a gift basket for Christmas or a holiday is a very personalized way to convey your feelings. It’s easy too. A custom, unique, personalized gift basket from you will be appreciated by the recipient more than anything you can buy from a store.
How to make a gift basket is not rocket science. Once you learn the basics you can use the same pattern, all year ’round, just change the theme. Read the rest of this entry »
On December 26th, a child did crouch,
Singing, “Deck the Halls,” until told to shut his mouth.
He kept on singing until “Shut Up!” bellowed the grouch,
Then a child’s smile — one day after Christmas — quickly went south.
I wish I had simply made up the entire set of events; however, just like the fictional Grinch, we sometimes steal the spirit of Christmas in real life with adult behavior very unlike that of our Lord and Savior. Read the rest of this entry »
It has been said that less is more. This holiday season in the spirit of generally simplifying my life I thought I’d see if that’s true. So what better way than to declutter what for most Americans is the jam-packed pinnacle of all holidays? Christmas.
Christmas in particular can use a lot of decluttering. Two thousand years after the blessed event we celebrate, we’ve managed to turn the season into the Olympics of gifting, baking, mailing, decorating and travel. We’ve made it a month-long sprint of parties, shopping and shipping deadlines. We even kill trees for it. I for one can live without fruitcake, egg nog, and a fresh evergreen in my living room once a year. Read the rest of this entry »