Merry Christmas

May your holiday be filled with joy, love, and a little magic in every moment. Here’s to cozy nights, warm hearts, and all the happiness you deserve. 

Holidays With Your Adult Children

The holiday season, once filled with the excitement of childhood traditions, takes on a new rhythm as children grow into adults. Work schedules, relationships, and new traditions begin to shape how and where we celebrate. These changes can lead to stress, hurt feelings, and resentment. But they don't have to!  Navigating the holiday season with adult children requires a blend of flexibility, grace, and a fresh perspective on what togetherness looks like. 

Be flexible with your expectations.

For many of us, the holidays have been a time when the whole family gathers under one roof. But as adult children begin to build their own families or share holidays with their partner’s relatives, we may find ourselves needing to adjust our expectations. This may look like sharing time, or having to take turns with which holidays we spend with our grown children. Flexibility is key to keeping the spirit of the season alive. By letting go of rigid expectations and embracing new rhythms, we open the door to holidays that may look different, but still carry the warmth and connection we cherish.

Celebrate from afar through phone or video calls.

When adult children live far away, holiday traditions often need a little creative reimagining. While you may not be able to gather around the same table, technology offers meaningful ways to stay connected and celebrate together. Set aside time for a dedicated holiday video call. Or coordinate your meal times and sit down to share a virtual feast together.

Celebrate at a different time.

Instead of focusing on the exact date or the traditional schedule, try focusing on quality time spent together. A family dinner in early December or a New Year’s brunch can be just as special as Christmas morning. The goal is connection, not perfection. We now share a big family celebration on Christmas eve.  This gives our children time to spend Christmas morning opening gifts with their own children or their in-laws. 

Encourage your grown children to create their own traditions.

Letting go of "how we've always done things" can be difficult. Especially during the holidays, when traditions can be deeply personal. But giving our adult children the space and freedom to create their own traditions is part of being a parent.  This might mean they host their own gatherings, blend traditions with a partner’s family, or start something entirely new. And who knows - some of their new traditions might become cherished parts of our own celebrations too.

By approaching this season with open hearts, flexible expectations, and a spirit of encouragement, we can create space for deeper connection and lasting joy. The holidays may look different than they did years ago, but they still offer us the chance to celebrate love, family, and the beautiful journey of watching our children become who they’re meant to be.

Sunday Inspiration: Together

Sunday Inspiration: Christmas Is

  

Sunday Inspiration: Christmas Feeling

Sunday Inspirational: Christmas

 

Sunday Inspiration: Christmas

Merry Christmas!!

 

Monday Musings: The Grinch

One of my favorite Christmas specials/movies is "How the Grinch Stole Christmas".  I don't know about Christmas - but that ol' Grinch certainly did steal my heart. Especially when his own grew three sizes that day!

I think we all have a little grinch in us.  Even if we do manage to bury it way down deep most of the time.  But something about Christmas can really bring it out in us, can't it?  We get overwhelmed, stressed out, exhausted and suddenly we are acting much more like the grinch than one of the citizens of Whoville.   

Maybe you get short-tempered.  Maybe you snap at others.  Or isolate yourself from them.  I'm not proud of it - but I find myself doing all of the above.

Maybe you just get sad at this time of year.  It happens to a lot of people. It can be tough when it seems as if everyone around you is celebrating and having just a holly jolly Christmas time but your life is less than perfect. 

Give yourself - and others - some grace . We can't do it all. It's ok if not every little thing is perfect. Or even if some things don't get done at all. It's more important to be present, to be happy and peaceful, and actually enjoy the season.

I have along list of things to do this week.  I need to wrap gifts and get some things ready for our family celebration on Christmas eve. But  I also get time with my grand son. And I plan to do some baking and crafts with him and watch some Christmas movies together. Even if it means some of the other doesn't get marked off the list.

How will you be spending this week before Christmas?

Monday Musing: The Holiday To-Do List

 I have reached a point in the holidays where one minute I feel as if I am ahead of the to-do list and doing well, but the very next minute I feel overwhelmed by all that still needs to be done.  It's a strange place to be.

In all honestly - I really am on top of things.  Most of the shopping is done.  The decor is all up and looks beautiful.  

I think the issue is that most of the things that I still need to do are the things that feel more like "work".  The wrapping of presents, addressing the Christmas cards, shipping packages, and fulfilling orders for my Etsy shop.  I am looking for ways that I can relax and try to enjoy those tasks.  Maybe brew up a cup of peppermint mocha coffee, put on a Christmas movie or some music, and get things done.  

I'm trying to mark a few things on the list one day, one week at a time so it doesn't pile up on me and leave me rushing to get it all done at once. 

On this week's To-Do list:

• Start addressing Christmas cards
• Finish Christmas shopping
• Complete and ship at least 3 Etsy orders
• Create Sunday graphics for the 1st quarter of 2022
• Blog for 1 hour on 3 days of the week
• Drink at least 64 oz of water per day

How are you doing with your Christmas and holiday preparations?  

Merry Christmas!

 

Sunday Inspiration: The Real Spirit of Christmas

 

Saying "Thank You" to Delivery Drivers!

 If you're like me, this has been the year when you fully utilized the various delivery services available in your area.  From Instacart to Amazon, to Shipt - I have tried them all over the course of 2020.  Between grocery delivery for most of the year and now having done all of my Christmas shopping online - the delivery drivers could probably find my house blindfolded by now.  (You know... if they really had to.  I personally wouldn't recommend trying it)

I wanted to do something to thank the delivery drivers for all their hard work throughout the past year.  They have made it so much easier for me to stay in isolation as much as possible and keep myself safer from the pandemic.  So, when I saw this idea on Pinterest I thought it was just perfect for the situation.

I ordered a variety of individually wrapped snacks.  In this case - trail mix, granola bars, crackers, some rice krispie bars for any sweet tooths (sweet teeth?), and some bottled waters.

I set up a selection of the snacks in a small basket along with a few of the water bottles, printed up a cute free sign that I found HERE. (Thank you MoneyFitMoms.com!) 

When I placed the basket by the front door where it was sure to be seen last week, I had some doubts about how the whole thing would work.  But each day when I brought it inside, a few snacks would be gone, along with a bottle of water or two.  

I even heard the UPS driver call out "Thank you!" from the front porch.  And one Instacart driver sent me a message through the app that it was "the sweetest thing ever!"  

I hope it has helped them to know that their work to keep the rest of us well-supplied through the difficulties that 2020 sent our way is greatly appreciated!

Sunday Inspiration: Christmas is...

 

Sunday Inspiration: Rejoicing and Reflection

Sunday Inspiration: Most Truly

Sunday Inspiration: Christmas

Sunday Inspiration: December

Merry Christmas

Wishing you and yours the love, peace and joy of Christmas

Sunday Inspiration: Perhaps

Sunday Inspiration: Christmas Gifts