There are plenty of reasons to head to the beach this December. Luckily, the weather in Southern California is pretty nice in the winter compared to most parts of the country. The following Christmas and holiday events should help get you in the spirit of the season, Southern California style.
San Diego
On the first weekend in December, Balboa Park in San Diego celebrates the holidays with an annual event called December Nights.
You can sample foods from around the world at the International Cottage Christmas Festival at the House of Pacific Relations Cottages. In the Spanish Village, you can watch artisans work on their craft and find one of a kind Christmas gifts.
Several museums in the park will be open with no admission fee from 5-9 p.m. both nights. At the Spreckels Organ Pavilion Stage, you can enjoy holiday music, dance and theater performances.
A carnival will entertain the kids on the Palisades Midway. In addition, there will be a holiday marketplace and the Cabrillo Bridge Food Tasting.
December Nights goes from 5-10 p.m. on Friday December 2 and noon to 10 p.m. on Saturday December 3, 2005. For more information, call the Balboa Park Visitors Center at 619-239-0512.
Laguna Beach
The Sawdust Festival in Laguna Beach presents an annual winter’s version called Winter Fantasy. This year, the arts and crafts festival will be held over four weekends from November 19 to December 11, 2005 on Saturdays and Sundays only.
The fine artists and artisans come from far and wide. Not only is it a unique place to do your Christmas shopping, but the kids will have fun too. There will be children’s art activities, a snow play area and Santa.
Live music and festive decorations will add to the holiday experience. Food and drink will also be available.
Admission fees are $5 for adults and $2 for kids age six to twelve. The Sawdust’s Winter Fantasy will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The festival grounds are located on Laguna Canyon Road in Laguna Beach. For more information, call 949 494-3030.
Newport Beach
The annual Newport Harbor Christmas Boat Parade happens this year from December 14 to 18, 2005. Boating enthusiasts go all out decorating their watercraft, from rowboats to magnificent yachts.
The more than 200 boat-long parade starts at Collins Island at 6:30 and sails around the bay on a 14 mile route, returning to the starting point around 8:30 or 9 p.m. Carolers and projected music accompany many of the boats as they cruise along.
This has been going on for 95 years and draws quite a crowd.
Some of the places you can best view the boat parade include the Balboa Island beaches or boardwalks, the waterfront restaurants, or on a boat charter.
There is also a Ring of Lights contest in which waterfront homes and businesses pull out all the stops to compete for prizes for the best decorations.
For more information on the Newport Harbor Christmas Boat Parade, call 949-729-4400.
Huntington Beach
In Huntington Beach, you can enjoy the annual Cruise of Lights Boat Tour from December 14 to December 23, 2005.
For between $8 and $14, you can take the Huntington Harbor Philharmonic Committee’s narrated boat tour throughout the festively lit Huntington Harbor. While cruising along, you can view the myriad of colored lights and decorations, which bedeck the waterfront homes, docks and boats.
The tours will leave at 6, 7 and 8 p.m. on Monday through Friday, and 5:30, 6:30, 7:30 and 8:30 on Saturday and Sunday evenings.
Call 714-840-7542 for more information.
Oxnard
Up in Ventura County, Channel Islands Harbor will be holding its annual Parade of Lights on Saturday, December 10, 2005. The colorfully lit parade of boats starts around 7 p.m. You can view the parade form the harbor view restaurants, along Peninsula Park or at Hobie Beach.
If you come during the day, you can also enjoy the festival at the Channel Islands Harbor. Next to the Marine Emporium Landing at Harbor view Park there will be 25 tons of snow for kids to play in. Also there will be kid’s rides and games, horse drawn carriage rides, an arts & crafts boutique, carolers and water taxi boat rides.
Word has it that Santa Claus and his reindeer will fly across the sky in full view. For more information about the event, call the Channel Islands Harbor Visitors Center at 805-985-4852.
Santa Barbara
On Sunday December 11, from 3 to 7:30, the Santa Barbara waterfront will be celebrating the holidays with their own annual Santa Barbara Parade of Lights.
About 30 decorated boats will be on parade around the harbor. It should be starting around 5:30. You can view it from Stearns’ Wharf or at the breakwater in the harbor.
There will be a Santa’s Village with 12 tons of snow for children to frolic in. Carolers will grace the crowd with musical cheer. The festival will culminate in a fireworks display. For more information, call 805-897-1962.
These festive events will help light up the holidays. Who needs snow when you’ve got the Southern California beaches?
Laura Eggers Underhill is a beach lover with a website. Visit www.southern-california-beaches-vacation-guide.com to plan your next beach vacation.
Maybe you were looking the other way, but Christmas is here. For hundreds of millions of people around the world, Christmas is the biggest holiday of the year.
How about going out on a limb and trying something new this year? Why don’t we return to an old fashioned slow Christmas where people carol in front of houses? Why don’t we return to a time of family gatherings and exchanging modest but meaningful Christmas gifts? Christmas is a time of year in which we are to express our love, and love is not measured by the size, amount or price of our gifts to one another, but by the size of our heart.
Getting back to real family values! With Audio4fun products, you will give Christmas gifts that keep on giving on this holiday season. Make this Christmas the quality time, which is the best expression of love you can give. Start your family project which requires spending quality time, and in which everyone has the opportunity to input their ideas and voice their own opinions. You and your family could:
- Sing along Christmas songs,
morph them in a fun style with Music Morpher Gold, record them and burn into CDs as “happy together” memoirs.
- Stay in contact with distant family members by using Voice Changer Software Diamond: have fun in voice chat with them with new Christmas package.
- Create and send a meaningful Christmas card to your beloveds and wish them a very merry Christmas.
- Make funny Christmas ringtones for your cellphone to suit the holiday seasons.
- Why do you guys go out for a movie on this cold winter? Stay at home watching your favorite old Christmas movies in a new funny way with DVD Player-Morpher Gold. Your family will surely have a joyful Christmas season!
How easy it is! You can visit Tutorials at http://www.musicmorpher.com/free-tutorials.htm to learn how to use Music Morpher Gold to remix songs, makeringtones, make medley, duet songs, etc. Make your own “handmade” gifts by spending time instead of money.
http://www.audio4fun.com/season-greeting.htm
Louise, Audio4fun Community writer, shares a special focus on how to celebrate holidays in unique ways, reflected in specific holiday articles that help you choose gifts for others.http://www.audio4fun.com
With the holidays right around the corner, it’s hard not to reminisce our childhood memories and holidays of yesteryear. In each culture, there are differing values and traditions which are celebrated in different ways.
During the 70′s, growing up ‘German’ in Europe was one of the most fascinating and magical decades. Having strong German roots, our family participated in many German Christmas traditions. One of those traditions was Advent. The Advent, or Christmas calendar, is picture-box calendar decorated with wintry & Christmas scenes, biblical characters and ‘St. Nicolas.’ On the face of the calendar, are 24 small doors, each containing a small chocolate – one opened each day for the holiday season. The December 24th door, which is the ‘Heiligabend’ (Christmas Eve) is usually the largest door on the calendar and most often contains a chocolate Nativity. As children, we relished in this fun, and tasty feature of the holiday season.
But Advent wasn’t simply comprised of the Holiday Calendar, we also partook in the Advent Wreath, or ‘Adventskranz’ which was beautifully displayed on tables throughout the house. Wreathes held 4 candles; the first candle being lit the fourth Sunday before Christmas, and another one each Sunday thereafter. Around the evergreen wreath of candles, our family would gather as each candle was meticulously lit. My mom would recite a simple, German passage each time she would light a candle:
“Advent, Advent
Ein Kerzlein brent.
Erst Eins,
den Zwei,
den Drei,
den Vier –
den steht der Kristkind vor der tur.”
Which translates into, ‘Advent, Advent, a candle burns. First one, then two, then three, then four – then stands the Christ Child before the door.’
For you see, in Germany, it is the ‘Kristkind‘ (Christ Child) who brings gifts on Christmas Eve.
Another childhood pastime was St. Nikolaustag (St. Nicholas Day) was a fun and lighthearted tradition whereby children everywhere anxiously awaited the arrival of December 6th when the Nikolaus, or Weinachtsmann (Santa Claus) came. Leading up to Nikolaustag, we children would have to behave very well, because St. Nikolaus could ‘see everything’ we did. And the night before December 6th, we would have to clean our winter boots meticulously to put outside our doors. Why the heck would we clean
our boots and place them outside our doors? Well, I’ll tell you why – if we were good, and our boots were really clean, St. Nikolaus would stuff our boots with candies, little toys and chocolates. If we were bad, we would receive a bundle of switches or lumps of coal.
Unknown to popular American custom, the ‘Weinachtsmann’ was conceived by German-American Illustrator, Thomas Nast, who created the Christmas image of Santa in America – which, ultimately set a precedent for the permanent, symbolic establishment of Santa Claus.
Traditionally, German Christmas is observed through ‘Heilige Drei Konige Tag,’ or Three Kings Day (also known as the Magi or the Wise Men). In some parts of Europe, such as Austria, Germany and Switzerland, the Letters C + M + B (Caspar, Melchor, and Balthazar – and, ‘Christus mansionem benedicat,’ meaning ‘Christ bless this house.’) are etched with chalk above doorways and home entrances on January 6th. Of course, this is the epitome of the 12 Days of Christmas
Finally, on the ‘Kristkind Abend‘ (Christ Child Eve or Christmas Eve), aside from the Weinachts Baum (Christmas Tree custom started by Martin Luther), families receive ‘Bunte Teller,’ or colored plates filled with oranges, candies, Marzipan (comprised of almonds and suger), Lebkuchen (gingerbread), Stollen (fruit bread) and an assortment of chocolates and other goods. Before any gifts are exchanged, Christmas Carols like Stille Nacht (Silent Night from Austrian composer Franz Gruber) are sung by the tree.
To this day, I am still amazed at the profound effects of Christmas’ past have had on me. As a child, the holiday was mystical and magical, as an adult, its beautiful memories are forever etched in my heart and soul.
Wishing all a happy, memory-filled, holiday season!
© A European Christmas – All Rights Reservedby C. Bailey-Lloyd/LadyCamelot
About the Author:
C. Bailey-Lloyd/LadyCamelot is the Public Relations Director & Writer for Holistic Junction — Your source of information for Holistic Practitioners; Massage Schools; Reflexology Schools; Hypnotherapy Schools, and Natural Healing Schools; Alternative Healthcare; Insightful Literature and so much more!
NOTICE: Article may be republished free of charge as long as Author Resource Box (above) is included, and ALL Hyperlinks REMAIN in tact and active.
Christmas parlour games are fun, relaxing, group-involving games played indoors in a cozy sitting room. They are competitive, yet scoring is rarely important. A hearty pat on the back for a game well played is usually the best reward. One of the most popular parlour games of all time is charades. To play Christmas charades compose a list of Christmas carols, Christmas movies or Christmas items and let the drama begin. (Note: To avoid being stumped for material at your gathering it is important to prepare these lists ahead of time.)
When you’ve finished acting up, gather the family in the livingroom (parlour) and enjoy some more Christmas parlour games. That’s right, take a break from the tv and share lots of good old-fashioned family fun. Try one or more of the following parlour games and create family memories that will last a lifetime.
Christmas Parlour Game #1 – Yes and No
Give each player five pennies. Have the players pair off and engage in conversation with each other. Players must trick their conversation partners into saying either ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. The first of the pair to say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ is given a penny by his opponent. The players then split up and move to different partners. The first player to get rid of all five of his pennies wins.
Christmas Parlour Game #2 – Pan Tapping
One player is sent out of the room. The remaining players then choose a task they would like this player to perform when he returns (eg. pick up and open a particular book, remove another player’s shoes, sit on a particular chair). When the outside player returns he is guided towards the task he must perform by one of the players who has been given a pan and a spoon. This player taps faster and louder as the outsider gets closer to the object he needs to use for the task and taps slower and softer as the outsider moves away from it. This continues till the outsider has found the object and performed the task required. It then becomes the pan-tapper’s turn to leave the room while a new task is chosen.
Christmas Parlour Game #3 – Thimble Hunt
Everyone is sent out of the room except the person whose turn it is to hide the ‘thimble’ (or other small object). That person must hide the
thimble in a place where it can be seen without moving anything. When the players are called back into the room, they are instructed to hunt for the thimble without moving anything or touching anything. The player who finds the ‘thimble’ will be the next one to hide it.
Christmas Parlour Game #4 – Picture Frame Game
Each player takes turns holding an empty picture frame in front of his face, through which he can look at the other players. He must keep his face completely immobile for a period of sixty seconds (except for the odd blink) while the other players make as many silly, distorted sounds and faces as possible to get him to laugh, smile, or move his face. Kudos to the player who can actually last for sixty seconds.
Christmas Parlour Game #5 – Pass the Stocking
Have all players sit in a relatively tight circle. Pick a player to sit in the center of the circle. Have this person close his eyes while a stocking is passed from player to player behind their backs. At a time of his choosing, the center person opens his eyes and the passing stops immediately. The center person must then guess who has the stocking. If he guesses right he trades places with that player. If he guesses wrong he closes his eyes and the passing begins again.
Christmas Parlour Game #6 – Odd or Even
Each player is given 10 pennies. A player puts any amount of those coins in one hand, chooses an opponent, holds out his clenched fist to that opponent and asks ‘Odd or Even?’ If the opponent guesses correctly he hands over one of his coins to his challenger. If he guesses incorrectly he is handed a coin by the opponent who just challenged him. These two players then reverse roles, going through the same challenge. Next, the two players split up and seek new opponents. The first player to get rid of all his coins wins.
The author has hosted hundreds of kids’, youth, ladies’, and community programs and events, showers, birthday parties, slumber parties, and camps over the last 25 years. She also directs local theater productions and teaches drama at a small private school. If you are planning a party, shower, scavenger hunt or any other gathering or event visit http://www.diva-girl-parties-and-stuff.com/christmas-party-games.html for party games and ideas.
Are you plagued by holiday stress year after year? Do you feel as if you are a victim in all of this? Do you believe that you are the ONLY one in your household who is contributing to the success of the holiday?
Let me share with you some ideas for making the holidays manageable. I used to literally make myself nuts during holiday time. I was married to a man who thought his contribution to the holiday was simply to show up, eat his fill and then watch television in the living room while I cleaned up the kitchen. I also had two sons who couldn’t care less about the trimmings of the holiday season.
What I am about to suggest may offend your sensibilities but it does stand a good chance of greatly reducing your holiday stress. When you are finished with this article, you’ll have to decide what is most important to you—having everything just perfect or regaining some of your sanity. When all is said and done, you can always continue to do it just as you’ve always done. I’m only providing some alternative suggestions.
What is your typical routine? Of course, for me there was mailing of at least 100 Christmas cards. Often this was the only way I was able to stay in touch with people I cared about.
Then there was the gift buying. I married into a family where I instantly inherited 20 nieces and nephews and the family insisted that all children receive a gift from all the aunts and uncles until they reached the age of 25! No matter what I said, they were not going to be swayed from their position. Christmas shopping, for me, was a chore.
Then, after the gifts were purchased, there were the many hours of gift-wrapping that was required. And what about putting up the Christmas tree and decorating the rest of the house? Let’s not forget the cleaning that had to be done to make my house presentable for the drop-in holiday visitors. There was also the baking of the many multiple varieties of cookies and the preparation of whatever food I was expected to bring to any myriad of places to which we were invited for holiday party after holiday party. Add to that the stress of the inevitable weight gain over the holidays and it was no wonder I was crabby and irritable.
Once I began to practice Inside Out Living, ™ I had to question the sanity of all the rituals in which I engaged myself. The first question I asked was, “How many things am I doing because I believe I have to and how many are for my pleasure and the pleasure of my family?”
I remember one particular Christmas when I was feeling especially stressed, I told my children I either needed help with holiday preparations or I needed to cut some things out of the holiday routine. They made it clear they didn’t really want to help in reducing the load of things that I put on myself but they were more than willing to forego many holiday traditions. In fact, what they told me is that we didn’t need a tree. All they cared about
was presents and they didn’t even need them to be wrapped!
That was eye opening for me. Now it was clear that anything beyond gifts was something I was choosing to do and not something that was necessary to the success of the holiday for my children.
Next, I had to assess what was necessary for me. I decided I wanted to send Christmas cards to stay in touch with friends and family and I wanted to wrap my children’s gifts so I could enjoy the expressions of surprise and pleasure on their faces as they opened their gifts.
That particular Christmas, I discovered the joy of sending out New Year’s cards. That’s right. I stopped pressuring myself to get the cards out before Christmas. After all, the purpose was to keep in touch with people. It turned out to be much better to send my card in January. It definitely stood out from the rest!
I didn’t put up a tree. My children really didn’t care if we had one or not. Neither did I. Great stress reducer.
I also gave up the idea that everyone in the home SHOULD contribute to the work involved in the holidays. In demanding assistance from unwilling family members, the only thing I accomplished was to alienate the people I loved the most. The whole holiday hype was not important to them. If it were, they would have more willingly provided the assistance for which I asked.
In shopping for the nieces and nephews, I discovered the value of gift cards. The kids love them because they can pick out whatever they want and they protect them from getting those unwanted, unappreciated gifts from an aunt or uncle who really doesn’t know them well enough to purchase a gift they would truly appreciate.
Another suggestion, particularly if you have older children, is to take the money you would normally spend on gifts and find a family who needs it more than you and purchase gifts for another family as part of your new Christmas ritual.
As for the cookies, I stopped making 27 different varieties and only made chocolate chip cookies—the family’s favorite. They were always a hit and no one really the liked the others anyway!
And as for the weight gain, there are two possible solutions. Approach the holidays with reckless abandon. Know that you will gain weight and that you will address it in January. The other option is to take control of your eating. Eat smaller portions and taste, instead of devour, any of the many sweets offered during holiday parties.
Please visit my blog and let me know if you have any other suggestions for reducing holiday stress. It’s at http://www.therelationshipcenter.biz/journal. Happy Holidays!
Kim Olver is a licensed professional counselor and a life/relationship coach. She helps people unleash their personal power by living from the inside out, focusing their time and energy on only those things they can control. She also helps people improve the quality of their relationships with the important people in their lives. She offers free chats, assessments, a blog and an eZine, as well as workshops, teleclasses, e-courses, counseling and coaching. Visit her website at http://www.TheRelationshipCenter.biz or contact her at (708) 957-6047.
Kids love cool pumpkins and I bet you do too. Carving pumpkins is a very entertaining hobby that the entire family can enjoy. Pumpkin carving is a fun self-fulfilling hobby that with the right skill will allow you to impress your family, friends and neighbors.
When I first started carving pumpkins I gave just about every pumpkin that I had created away. I gave pumpkins away to my parents, people at the office, neighbors, nieces and nephews, and my wife’s work. I was a modern day pumpkin slayer and having a blast doing it. Everyone and I mean EVERYONE absolutely without a shadow of doubt LOVED the pumpkins! You would have thought I was giving away money with the reactions I received.
Pumpkin Sculpting
Unlike traditional pumpkin carvings, pumpkin sculptures add uniqueness to the Halloween season that is rarely seen. Pumpkin sculpting is the art of sculpting an image out of a pumpkin. Whether the image is a person, object or some random design the pumpkin sculptures create a work of art that has to be believed.
Most people still consider pumpkin sculpting the same thing as carving pumpkins but I personally believe there are some key differences. “Pumpkin Carvings” are usually two-dimensional designs that can appear to be three-dimensional. When you sculpt a pumpkin you actually create a three-dimensional design. For instance, the
nose on a sculpture actually sticks out from the face; it is not carved in a way that it creates an illusion that it is sticking out from the face.
The process of sculpting pumpkins is very similar to carving designs out of wood. The image is first blocked out and then carved away to create very beautiful and amazing designs and patterns. The artist uses clay loop tools, which are the same tools used to sculpt with clay, to carefully carve the design into the pumpkin. The flesh of the pumpkin is also easy to carve which allows the sculptor to create a beautiful work of art in very little time.
Another great aspect about pumpkin sculptures is that they look just incredible whether the lights are on or off. In fact, they are actually more of a work of art instead of an old plain pumpkin carving. The best part about pumpkin sculpting is that anyone can learn to do it. Although skill levels will vary, with the right instruction anyone can learn to sculpt beautiful pumpkins.
Gerald Gore is the author of the e-book Cool Pumpkins. Gerald is a self-taught sculptor that has used his sculpting skills to carve some amazing pumpkins. Visit http://www.cool-pumpkins.geraldgore.com if you would like to see some examples of Gerald’s pumpkins and learn how to carve amazing pumpkins yourself.
“Near-na-near, Near-na-near, Near-na-near-na-near….”
That’s the guitar intro to “Jingle Bell Rock” and one of the most ubiquitous sounds of the holiday season. It’s nearly impossible to escape this tune—it’s played repeatedly from Thanksgiving through Christmas on radio stations and in department stores.
I used to love it as a kid. Then I grew to despise it in my adolescent years, inspired, no doubt, by my rocker-wannabe friends and their complete disdain for this holiday schlock. “That’s not rock!” we’d howl, disgusted. I mean, come on—“Giddy-up jingle horse, pick up your feet”?
That song set my teeth on edge for years. I’d scowl. I’d roll my eyes. I’d smack my forehead in mock despair. You could say I had my own little holiday tradition of hating that song.
And then, one December morning, as I helped my four preschoolers decorate the house with paper chains, that song came on the radio. They instantly started dancing, rockin’ around the Christmas tree as only exuberant toddlers can.
I thought it was the cutest thing I’d ever seen. I couldn’t for the life of me remember why I hated that song so much. It was catchy. It sounded happy. Clearly, my kids felt the joy in it. What was my problem, anyway?
I’d spent a fair amount of time and energy despising something that was completely innocuous. Cringing every time I heard “Mix and a-mingle in the jingling feet” wasn’t bringing me any comfort and joy.
We’ve all got our favorite holiday annoyances. Maybe it’s your Aunt Mary’s Christmas sweaters. Perhaps
it’s your parents’ tattered aluminum tree. It could be your neighbor’s inflatable Homer Simpson in a Santa suit in plain view from your living room window.
Well, here’s the good news: you can use your holiday irritation to become more mindful. That’s right. Pay attention to the little things that bug you about the preparations and celebrations. Find the goofiness in it, and laugh—not at others, but at yourself.
You’ve got a perfect opportunity to step back in order to see your reaction for what it is.
Hate your partner’s snow globe collection? Despise the way your brother always takes charge of the present distribution on Christmas morning? Get riled by your sister’s habit of outspending everyone? Cranky about the way stores put out their decorations before Thanksgiving?
Gosh, you’re funny.
Watch your irritation, and then watch yourself grin. Be present enough to see the humor in your response. Pay attention to the things that get on your nerves, even if they’re hopelessly hokey.
ESPECIALLY if they’re hopelessly hokey, because if hokeyness doesn’t make you grin, what will? Look for your trigger and turn it into something that tickles you.
May you and your loved ones dance in your living room this holiday season.
“That’s the jingle bell…that’s the jingle bell…that’s the jingle bell rock….”
Maya Talisman Frost has taught thousands of people how to pay attention. Her playful, eyes-wide-open approach to mindfulness has been featured in over 150 publications worldwide. To read her free tips and tricks for practical awareness, visit http://www.Real-WorldMindfulness.com
The women in my family have a thanksgiving tradition that they have followed for more years than I can remember. The planning and strategy goes into effect days before thanksgiving itself. They gather at my sister’s house, and they begin to go through the sale ads for the busiest shopping day out of the year, which is the day after thanksgiving. I’m sure many people do the same, but they are among an elite and dedicated fanatic organization called the early birders. These renegade shoppers are perhaps the best in the world and the level of competition ranks right up there with the Olympics. In fact, there are rumors circulating through this underground coalition that this may soon become an experimental Olympic event at the games of 2008.
Although the stores open at 5 a.m, the diehard cultists begin camping outside only hours after that last piece of pumpkin pie is eaten. The lines are reminiscent of the crowds which use to camp out for Led Zeppelin or the rolling stones, back in the 70′s and early 80′s. There are only a limited amount of the electronic items each store is allocated to sell at ridiculously low prices. For a newcomer, they have no idea of the danger and chaos that awaits them as the manager unlocks the door and the running of the bulls begins. My sister told me of a woman that ran beneath her shopping cart, but not to worry, as soon as my sister grabbed 1 of the mere 20 computers, she quickly went back to the woman, picked her up and apologized, and was thoughtful enough to call 911 for an ambulance. I thought that to be a wonderful example of how compassionate people become in the spirit of the holidays. I’m proud of you sis, and how ever did you get that great parking spot in the handicap zone?
So this year I decided to give it a go, but when I showed up at 10 minutes to 5 the line was wrapped around the parking lot. I was having second thoughts and wondering what in the world was I doing at 5 in the morning standing in line behind hundreds of people, many of them wondering they were standing in line behind so many people.
Let me see. The store has 20 computers and I have 420 people
ahead of me, and I don’t think they’ve been waiting out here all night to get a good jump on the bows and wrapping paper. 20 minutes later I’m in the store and it dawns on me that I might have got in line a few hours to late. Almost every basket had an $88 TV in it. I saw people frantically grabbing the same 2 boxes of what, I don’t know, but I knew it must have been some kind of crazy savings so I found a way to claw my way in and grab 2 for myself. And then it dawned on me, was I now partaking in some sort of ritualistic orientation into the savage cult I had refused to be part of for so many years? What in the world was I doing there, had I completely lost my mind?
Meanwhile, across town, my mother and one of my sisters reported in to me that they had secured me a camera and a sewing machine at their locations and I was delighted that I could get in my car, drive home, and get some much needed sleep. But it was too late. I was caught up in the frenzy and running on a second wind. I’m here, and darn it, I’m going to shop.So I filled my cart up with things I didn’t need, nor could I afford. I was spellbound and for the next 3 hours I too became part of the frenzy. And as I left for home the sunrise greeted me at the door, and I carefully maneuvered my cart around the fallen victims, careful not to do them any further harm. (Just kidding, they were already being treated) Oh the spirit of the holidays! The celebration of brotherly love. The joy of giving. Unfortunately when it came to Christmas spirit, they were completely sold out. Happy Holidays!
If you enjoyed this article, please visit Jay’s Family sites at Jays Plan – Secrets of a Single Dad and Family Health With Mister Mom
Jay Bartels is the author of many human interest stories. Jay’s own story of hope and inspiration can be found on his highly resourcefull family sites. Jay is a single father raising two young girls and shares his experiences in several journals that can be found on his web sites.
Something pretty interesting happens in the animal kingdom this time of year…something that you might recognize. As they do every year, all sorts of bears are preparing for their upcoming winter hibernation by padding themselves with plenty of extra pounds. Sound familiar? Sure it does. Because it describes half of the North American population.
While bears accomplish the porking up period by eating endless amounts of fish, berries, and plenty of natures other goodies, we humans balloon out by gorging on Halloween candy, splurging on Thanksgiving beer and turkey, and stuffing ourselves on endless Christmas dinners. Eventually, this is what leads to the New Year’s resolution of “finally getting to the health club” and the inevitable late spring decree of “I need to lose 20 pounds before I wear my bathing suit.”
In an attempt to save all of us from the extra-20-pound blues, I will attempt to share with you some helpful, albeit annoying tips about trying to beat the curse of the holiday fatties.
Alcohol: Usually, the only thing that helps most of us get through the holiday haze of endless Christmas parties and family gatherings is booze, and lots of it. Of course, if you must (and lord knows, some of us MUST) drink, go for some of the drinks with fewer calories. For instance, a glass of wine (no, not the whine of your mother-in-law) amounts to about 90 calories per glass, while a half cup of egg nog, with the mandatory shot of rum, is about 215 calories, not to mention the added fat from the creamy…ummm, what is egg nog anyway?
Candy/Sweets/Desserts: It starts at Halloween…a few extra candies here and there. You might have an extra candy apple or seven just to get you through another boring day at work. Then comes Thanksgiving and endless mounds of ultra sweet cranberry sauce and pumpkin
pie. And finally you get to the utterly orgasmic chocolate paradise that is Christmas. And while I may be making light of the situation, ultimately, you have to learn when to draw the line. When you are surrounded with people who prefer to indulge, learn to practice some restraint. Ultimately, this is the hardest part of any moderation of lifestyle and the bottom line is that for many of us, food is a comfort food. We turn to it during our most emotional times. Whether those times be happy, or traumatic. If you can learn to disassociate food with your emotions – you’ll have a lot more control over your eating habits.
Beef and Poultry- Not many of you are going to like what I’m about to say. Red meat can be a killer. Can you say colon cancer? Can you say clogged arteries? Can you say excessive fat content? Well if you can say all these things, so can your doctor. In turn, your hospital bills are going to be sky high unless you take a moment to consider whether you really want to load up that plate with slabs of cow carcass. Skip the pot roast and grab some turkey. White meat is undoubtedly your healthiest choice this holiday season.
So as the holidays approach, don’t fret about your eating habits. You may gain a few pounds…we all do. But as long as you maintain confidence about your eating habits, and follow a few simple guidelines, you won’t have as hard a time creating and sticking to that new year’s resolution list come January.
Sharon B is a registered nurse and a contributing author to http://www.fitandwell.com She enjoys the internet and working on ebay with information she gained from http://www.buyingwholesale.comIn her spare time she enjoys her grandchildren and her church family.
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The holidays are a great time to gather the family. Alas, your holiday experiences can fade with time. The best way to prevent this is to keep a journal for your holidays.
Holiday Writing Journals
Take a minute to give some consideration to the holidays in 2004. What sticks out in your mind? Now think about what you did for the holidays in 1998. Undoubtedly, you remember few things about 1998. The experiences you’ve forgotten are lost to time. If you had kept a journal, this wouldn’t be the case.
Keeping a journal each holiday season is a good way to build up a history of family gatherings. It also keeps you from losing hilarious and cherished moments to the passage of time. Each holiday season offers a chance to see how the lives of families and friends have changed. It is also a time to reflect on the things you have to be thankful for, such as a sister or brother you haven’t seen in years. Keeping a journal lets you take a snap shot in time of what you were thinking then.
As time passes, your holiday journal will grow in detail. It will
become a great keepsake by acting as a time line for the growth of your family. You’ll be able to look back at past years and read about the good and, perhaps, not so good times. You’ll be shocked how to realize how much everything has changed over time.
As time continues to pass, you will inevitably lose loved ones as nature runs its course. I am not trying to be macabre, just realistic. Your journal will give you a detailed account of memories involving that person. Frankly, re-reading the good times can help get you through the tough ones.
Eventually, you’ll have to come to a decision with your journal. Should you pass it on to one of your children to carry on the volume or just keep it as your private diary? Whatever your choice, you’ll be thankful you kept a record of the holiday seasons spent with your family.
Rick Chapo is with http://www.nomadjournals.com – makers of writing journals. Travel journals are great travel accessories and travel gifts for student travel, family vacations and adventure travel. Visit http://www.nomadjournaltrips.com for more travel articles, travelogues and travel stories.