Plan Fun Activities for Family and Friends

Plan Fun Activities for Family and Friends

It’s so easy to get caught up in the preparations for a holiday. Shopping, baking, cooking, wrapping, cleaning, and chauffeuring the kids everywhere they need to go. As you make your list of things to do, be sure to include some fun activities that include your friends, family members, co-workers and neighbors. After all, fellowship and companionship is a big part of a holiday, so make sure you spend some quality fun time with those who mean the most to you.

Singing is a fun way to not only include people you already know, but a great way to break the ice and meet new people. Print up some lyrics, grab a portable stereo and sing. On Christmas many poeple tour the neighborhood singing Christmas carols, but that's not the only holiday for singing. It doesn’t matter that you’re not the best singer. People of all ages will enjoy this tradition carried into the modern holiday. If you don’t feel comfortable caroling, kareokee is another option, or just singing with family around the fire.

Ice skating is another great activity to do with friends and family. Not only does it promote getting some exercise, but it’s a great way to spend time outside enjoying the crispness of the winter air if you live in the right climate. If you don’t, most towns have local skating rinks. Check their schedule in advance and send out invitations to several family members or friends and make an afternoon of it.

Consider encouraging your friends and family join you on a volunteer excursion to help out at a local nursing home or homeless shelter during the holiday. You can visit, sing or help serve meals. If you know of a family in need, perhaps your friends and family could put together a holiday gift basket and fill the basket full of food, baked goods, and small treats and gifts for the children of the family. It’s a great way to teach children the importance of giving back to their community and helping those that are less fortunate then themselves.

Remember the reason for the holiday, and spend some time with your friends and family, and maybe even help out others in the process. Have a great holiday!

Enjoy the memories,
Renee

Reduce Your Stress During Holidays

Reduce Your Stress During Holidays

Holidays can be a stressful time. Some people are stressed out from the sheer volume of things that need to be done, such as shopping, baking, and decorating. For others, events with their family can cause great stress. Regardless of what creates stress for you, take some time for yourself to relax, rejuvenate, and rest so you can enjoy the holiday.

If you’re worried about having too much to do and not enough time to get it done, sit down and make out a to-do list. Include your spouse and children in the holiday planning process, and try to delegate chores to everyone to help make things simpler and free up your time.

Even the youngest of children can do a lot to help mommy and daddy for the holiday including picking up their room and behaving. Older children and teenagers are able to do quite a bit more. If you have a teenager of driving age in your household, take advantage and have him or her make deliveries or run errands for you.

Be realistic in your planning. If you know it generally takes you most of the day to do your decorating, don’t try to cram it all into a morning or afternoon session. And most importantly, don’t over schedule yourself and try to do too much in one day. Schedule in time to read a book, take a hot bath, or get to bed early.

If spending time with members of your extended family creates stress for you, consider bowing out of the festivities. After all, holidays are supposed to be peaceful and joyous. It’s highly likely that if you’re family is in turmoil the rest of the year that will be the case during the holiday as well. Try to make alternate plans with members of your support system such as friends or other family.

If you must attend, rely on this strong support system to get you through, and if things become tense, call it a night and come home early. There’s no need to tolerate an intolerable situation that will cause your stress levels to skyrocket. As an alternative plan, consider donating your time to a local soup kitchen, homeless shelter or nursing home, all who would appreciate a helping hand and a supportive ear during the holiday.

Most importantly, listen to your body. If you begin feeling the signs of stress such as headaches and body aches, anxiety and sleeplessness, that’s your cue to slow down and take things easier. Cut back on activities, ask for help with projects or chores, and take some time out for some deep breathing exercises and walking.

If you take care of yourself, you’ll be able to take care of the things on your list, your family and your holiday as well.

Enjoy the memories,
Renee

Choosing a Theme for your Holiday Cooking

Choosing a Theme for your Holiday Cooking

For some families there is constant competition from one year to the next to top the efforts of the hostess for the last season's holiday festivities and cooking. If you are looking for a great way to do just that when it is your turn to do the holiday cooking for the family how about breaking with tradition and creating your own theme for the holiday? I know it may seem a little rebellious and some may not like it but others may find it ingenious.

You can make your holiday cooking fit any theme or situation you like. You can create the perfect picnic complete with a checked table clothe, seating on the ground, and baskets filled with goodies for everyone to dig in when ready. The idea is to do something a little bit (okay I admit it a lot) different from what others have done in the past and give them ideas to build upon for the next holiday cooking theme.

If you decide to go with the picnic theme be sure to bring beverages, cheese, and plenty of finger foods that travel well. If the weather permits (and it may depending on where in the country you live) you can actually make a picnic event of your turn doing the holiday cooking.

You can set your food up and display your cooking efforts like an all you can eat buffet if that's what you like, though I hope your cooking is much better than most of those I've tried. The point is to make the theme something that is new and a little bit different but also that isn't really related to the holiday but allows the family to enjoy the benefits of the holiday, which includes the pleasure of each other's company.

If you really want something new go with an ethnic theme for your holiday cooking. This leaves a lot of room to explore and those who have the duties of cooking for the holidays next year will have a hard act to follow if you choose a theme that you really enjoy eating and cooking and decorate well to suit the theme.

Let your imagination, personal tastes, and knowledge of your family be your guide as you decide what theme to incorporate and how far you want to take it. You can even have a lot of fun by issuing a challenge from the very beginning.

One fun theme to bring into Christmas cooking (specifically) is a Medieval Christmas theme. I think it would be fun to require costumes for the dinner, dancing afterwards, and observance of some of the cultural 'manners' of the time for the celebration of Christmas. It just seems like such a fun way to spend the day with family and loved ones even if you are doing the cooking. The good news is that with a Medieval Christmas cooking theme you have a little bit of room to let your imagination run wild and it will definitely be a hard act to follow.

The downside is that skipping tradition is always a risk. If you are worried that your family might not like it, ask first, and then decide if this may or may not be the right move for your family situation. You could always do the other as a Christmas party or for your own personal Christmas with immediate family only (though arguably that would be less entertaining).

Enjoy the memories,
Renee