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Monday, November 21, 2011

Question of the Week:
Getting a Head Start on the Holidays?

Good grief!  It's holiday time again.  You know, that magical time of year where there is too much to do and too little time to get it all done.

Almost makes me want to hide under the covers until after New Year's...

This is also the time of year where the tome Simplify Your Life: 100 Ways to Slow Down and Enjoy the Things That Really Matter by Elaine St. James would really in handy.  Come to think of it, I have a copy of this book somewhere in my house.  Maybe it's time for a refresher course!

Now my personal favorite holiday by far is Thanksgiving.  And I get to celebrate it in a very low-key fashion, with just my husband and our furry kids.  It used to be the holiday we spent with my family, but since my parents passed away and my sibling have scattered, it's just me and the hubs now.

Truth be told, I don't mind.  We can eat what we want, when we want and don't have to get all dressed up (or out of our pajamas) to do it.

I know this kind of holiday isn't possible for some of you because of family obligations.  Or maybe it is and you just haven't considered this option yet. After all, you can see the family on Christmas instead, right?  That's what me and the hubby do.

Either way, it's time to break out the OMA&P! Special Event form and create your plan of tackling Thursday's holiday TODAY if you haven't already.   You may decide to:
  • Spread the cooking out over several days.  
  • Delegate some tasks to others.  
  • Ask guests to bring a food dish with them and have a potluck instead.
  • Purchase a heat-and-eat meal from a local restaurant, grocery store or gourmet food shop.
  • Go out to eat instead (and with this current economy, there are probably reservations still to be had.)
Don't forget to sneak in extra rest where you can and reserve the rest of the holiday weekend for lots of downtime to recover.

You are a brave soul if you decide to participate in all the Black Friday shopping madness.  Although, since many stores will be open Thanksgiving Day, does that make it Black Thursday instead?  I'm doing my shopping online, as usual, because I just won't have the energy to deal with crowds and chaos.

Which brings me back to that book on simplifying your life...





So are you getting a head start on the holidays?  What do you do to make this season less hectic and more enjoyable?  Please share the secrets to your holiday success here or over on the Oh My Aches and Pains! Facebook page.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my chronic friends, wherever you live.


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2 comments

Julie said...

Happy Thanksgiving, my friend! Thanksgiving has become a less-than-happily-anticipated holiday for me. So much work! And the last few years, a sort of melancholy vibe, too. I'm learning to say "no" more often, and ask others for help... not easy for this control freak. But I realized, just this last weekend, what the real reason is for my frustration and melancholy about Thanksgiving: I can't help but remember how my Grandmother did it- with our help (oh, the hours I spent peeling potatoes for 30 people)- but always to her specifications. She did it beautifully every year. In my mind, this is what you do for your family. And, for years, I DID. Now, I simply can't. It's hard to lower expectations for yourself, and to let go of traditions or routines that mean "holiday". It wasn't supposed to be this way, ya know?
Working through this one... I know there's a positive spin, just gotta find it. :-)

Helena said...

Happy Thanksgiving Selena! With each year that passes, I'm giving up more and more control and the need to be Martha Stewart. I'm asking for more help in the kitchen and for people to bring dishes to pass. I find I enjoy myself more...an unexpected blessing!