Scrumpy Cider

Where is your place?

The place your mind jumps to when every one of your senses seems to need a tender hug? 

Taste. Smell. Sight. Touch. Sound.

You know those weeks: when life is everything

 loud, dramatic, stressful, exhausting, too. much. stimulation...

Where is that place you dream of running off to? Your place to be soothed.

Mine is a little challenging to get to in a hot minute - it's actually an old English pub, "a local". Deep in the countryside.

One that serves scrumpy cider preferrably.

There is just something found there that ministers to all my HSPness.

They're dimly lit. There's nearly always a fire (or two) going. Often a dog (or 10) lounging at their master's feet. Quiet, interesting conversation to be had. Delicious, filling stew on the boil...

It's just everything calm and cozy and peaceful and intimate and flavorful and wonderful to me.

These English country pubs...

My tangible place - the place that soothes both body and soul the instant I walk under the low-framed stone doorways. They slow my heart rate. They calm my frazzled nerves. They let my inmost being breathe deep and slow.

And I'm curious: what's yours?

One Thing...

Who am I? How did I get here?

This outspoken proponent of slow and intentional living is drowning.

I guess a move and home renovation will do that...nobody is immune to the swiftly flowing undercurrent that whisks you off your feet and then pulls you under before you even know what hit you.

We're tired. So tired. We're stressed beyond any stress we've ever known. We're disconnected. We're prickly. We don't have any capacity to hold up under the weight of the everyday challenges our life is fraught with. At the slightest breath of ill wind, we snap in two. We don't know who we are anymore. 

And we don't like it.

Now that life is resuming it's normal(ish) cadence for us, we find ourselves faced with the opportunities to: slow down, savor, say no, breathe, feel, focus, choose what we welcome into our life, be intentional with our time, to LIVE!

Or not.

Simple as that. Slow living may not be easy, but it IS simple. We know we've been running at waaaaaayyyy beyond our capacity this past year. And this is the low it has brought us to. - This past week I've been thinking about how if THIS is what life is gonna look like (feel like, be like): what's the point?? Seriously. 

So there is some major aeration getting ready to commence here at Ingleside. Our souls desperately need some space to breathe. We have a staycation weekend planned to get some healthy boundaries in place, take stock of relationships that are only sucking the life out of us, get realistic timetables and priority lists down for some of the remaining house projects, identify those things that are like poison in our lives, institute rituals of calm back into our days, revisit things that bring us joy and fill our souls- and make intentional space for them.

But today, my one thing was to re-learn how to sit...and savor. Even if it's for 5 minutes at a time.

Case in point: I grabbed a fresh Honeycrisp apple to take on the run as I got back to my nagging to-do list. One bite, however, stopped me in my tracks to reminded me that we are in the glorious throes of apple season, and never again will these underappreciated stalwarts of the fruit world taste quite as heavenly as they do right now fresh from the tree. 

So I sat down. And did nothing but savor every last bit of that chin-drippingly good apple.

Somehow, that small act of making space in my day to savor, also made space in my mind...in my heart... and in my soul. And the nourishment wasn't just physical. It was full and complete.

What is your one thing? What will you choose to savor today?

To Market, To Market...

One of the greatest perks to living here at Ingleside has been the ability to walk everywhere! It may have been  just the tick on the amenities list that actually tipped the scales in her favor while contemplating the purchase... We found ourselves asking: "How in the world can we NOT live in such a convenient location?" 

We love walking to the grocer, to the coffee shop, to the movies (well, ok, we haven't actually taken advantage of the theatre yet), to the bakery, to the restaurant, to the massage therapist, to the ice cream parlor, to the farmer's market on Saturday mornings...

It's just the best.

And having lived in the country for most of my life, it is the height of luxury to my community-loving soul.

We so enjoy running into friends, making new ones, beginning to establish ourselves as "regulars" at all the local businesses... it's just such an outward way to live, and it's what we'd been hoping to find.

Nice when things don't disappoint, huh?

There's just something about the unhurried act of choosing to walk, and shop, and hang out in your hamlet that says, "I'm open to the possibility of community, to the intersection of lives, to connection." So different from the American par. 

It's refreshing. 

And we're grateful for the opportunity to experience it.

Introspection...

Recently, I was reading THIS article from the blog Becoming Minimalist, and what really resonated with me from it were these few questions toward the end. Questions that take time to uncover the answers to. They require slowing down, stillness, introspection. They require really digging deep and tuning in with your heart and what matters most to you...things we don't typically do often enough. So why not take yourself to a coffee shop, plan a visit to the park with your significant other, or cozy up with some tea in your favorite chair, and spend some time with these questions...

I think you'll be glad you did.

+ Do you speak up when it counts?

+ What do you love to do, but never make time for?

+ In regards to the risks you're afraid of taking, what do you really have to lose?

+ What are you proud of?

+ Do you speak kindly to yourself and to others?

+ Are you living or existing?

+ What impact do you want to leave on the people you love?

Gentle Thoughts Vol. 3

"Can you remember who you were before the world told you who to be?" 

- Danielle LaPorte

Listening Well

Why has it become so difficult to be HEARD?

Perhaps because of my intrinsic draw toward community and sharing life with others, or maybe because I teach exercise classes that focus on mindfulness and being fully present, but one thing that makes my heart sink clear down to my toes is whenever I feel like someone isn't actually listening to me. It's akin to a good hard kick in the gut. And ya'll, I feel like it's getting worse by the day. Don't you?

It may be the email reply that comes back with only one of your three questions answered...for the second time. Or perhaps the people in church who ask "Hi! How are you?" as they keep walking, with no intention of hearing your reply. Maybe it's my husband who is carrying on an intermittent text conversation through the evening hours and then asks questions the next morning that I already gave him answers to the night before. Then there was the vet tech who was asking about Caroline's recent injury, and I mentioned three or four times how she has been favoring her back left leg, but when she went to type up her summary asked, "Is she favoring any of her legs?" *bangs head against wall* All of these examples happened to me just this past week, FYI.

In the social media world, I've seen this showing up so much lately. People write a very clear informational sales post: including size, condition, age, price, etc... Then two or three people comment instantly below asking: what size is this? What price are you asking? When, if they would have just thoroughly read the original post, they would have clearly found the answers they were looking for. Or on Instagram when somebody comments "This is awesome!!" on a post that was actually about your dog dying.

Is this the ultimate disrespect?? Is it telling people, "I don't care enough about this interaction to be here present in it...you're not worth the energy it takes to listen."

But what has caused this epidemic? Why can't we listen well anymore?

Though by no means a professional, I feel that much of this decline has come through the transient one-sided-ness that characterizes present-day social interaction. You can easily see whatever people are in the mood to share (whenever it's convenient for you) by choosing to click open Facebook, Instagram, Periscope, Snapchat, etc.. - BUT you have no obligation to interact with the conversation they've started, so you consequently have no vested interest and therefore no reason to fully be present in it - i.e. really hearing/registering what they say. In fact, if it bores you, you just click along to the next post in your feed... AmIRight???

This learned way of interacting seems to be subtly teaching us how to be pretty darn rotten friends/neighbors/professionals/etc., and, zoom out a bit: people whose brains don't know how to "land". Constantly hovering, ever looking for the next thing, the next post, constant distraction, entertainment, darting to and fro like ADD riddled hummingbirds.

Sure, maybe that's a strong concept. But think about how comfortable you are with truly being present in any given moment. Can you go out on a date, and happily leave your phone at home (or in the car)? Can you put your iPad away, open the windows and do nothing but listen to the rain? Can you do something fun or make something cute, and not have the urge to 'Gram it?

 If you know us, you know that answering "no" to any of the questions in the last paragraph is the antithesis of slow living - a lifestyle we are passionate about bringing awareness toward. Living slow simply means the practice of being fully present in each of these moments we've been given. It means savoring life.

It means listening well. 

Do I think social media is from the devil? Hello! Of course not. I actually think it can be an impetus for wonderful things! But I do think we can all learn to be more present in social media just as we can in real life. To comment, not just "like", to reach out when someone felt vulnerable enough to share their heart, to encourage, to engage with real life friends IN real life about what they've recently posted.

 To listen (not just skim and click).

Can one person start a listening revolution? Doubtful. 

But I can hope that today you heard...and that you'll share this message with others who will hear.

I can hope that tonight as you go home to your family or roommates, and tomorrow as you walk through your day, you will learn to "un-plug" sometimes so that you can plug-in to those relationships and interactions and let the people that cross your path know that they are worth the effort of listening to.

____________________

Travel | The Forest of Dean

A visit to the steam room on an overnight stay at an airport hotel in London brought us in contact with a kindly gentleman who grew up in the Cotswolds (one of our destinations this trip). He asked about our plans, and we asked his advice upon the subject of visiting The Forest of Dean if the weather held. One of his favorite places to visit growing up was Symonds Yat in the forest, and boy are we glad we spent a day exploring this natural wonderland that was just starting to be kissed by the colors of fall! Come along with us, won't you?

Why, yes, there was a Tea Room in the middle of nowhere in a national forest - because...England. And their flat white and gluten free carrot cake was just what we needed after a few miles hike!

The hand ferry that took you 'cross the river to get to the parking area.

Waste Not, Want Not

Recently, I've been trying to be more aware of our consumption level (and consequent waste) of food. Though over-buying has never been a problem for us (thanks to never having a pantry or large fridge/freezer), there are still things I find myself regularly throwing away that, with a little extra thought, could be used/consumed/enjoyed and we would consequently be getting the most thorough bang for our food budget buck each week.

It seems that this sort of thinking really comes back to mindfulness...a large pillar in the slow living lifestyle. When we finish with what a recipe requires, we seem to mentally conclude that we're "done" with an ingredient, don't we? Any leftovers are just waste or excess. But they don't have to be!

This week, when I was doing some prep cooking for the coming days, I was really mindful of what was in our refrigerator, and a) what I could do to make it most easily consumed, and b) what I could do to make the best use of the ingredients I bought. Here are a few of my findings:

One of the most-wasted fruits I buy are strawberries. We like strawberries, they just come in a larger package than most fruit, require some prep work, and often by the time we get to the last 4 or 5, they are bruised, mushy, and not consumable. So this week, as soon as I got home from the market I soaked my berries in the vinegar-water solution we use, rinsed them thoroughly, topped and sliced them, and placed them in a glass container to store in the fridge. This makes them easy to see, instantly grabbable and ready-to-use for a snack, to top some yogurt and granola for breakfast, to eat with a little fresh whipped cream for dessert, whatever! The result: we went through the entire box of strawberries with zero waste this week. Win!

Another thing I wanted to tackle was the little bits and bobs left over from recipes...mainly citrus (lemons and limes) and fresh herbs. I use these, forget about them, and then find what's left in the back of a drawer weeks later having died a slow and lonely death. - So this week, as I was making a spring pea soup requiring fresh mint, I used the several sprigs I needed from the package (can't wait to have my own herb garden again!!) and dropped the remaining sprig to two into a pitcher of water in the fridge. Incidentally, I was also cutting up a cucumber for a kale salad, and snuck a few slices of that into the pitcher too. A recipe that called for half of a lemon obligingly donated the other half to our infusion, and the result: we've been enjoying some deliciously refreshing cucumber/mint/lemon water for the last few days with no bits and bobs going to waste!

Bananas: these guys can be rather unpredictable in their ripening habits. Sometimes I find myself with a whole bunch of very ripe, quickly darkening fruit. When that happens, I often peel and freeze them to use later for smoothies - the riper, the better!

Kale is another sometimes-forgotten bottom-drawer-dweller. I'll use what I need for a salad, and then the last bit I didn't use will languish away into eternity. So now what I'm trying to do is to just wash it ALL at the same time. Use what I need for my salad, and then tear the rest into moderate stem-less pieces, dry thoroughly, and store in a paper towel ready to grab for smoothie use. Somehow, having it already washed, and de-stemmed makes all the difference. Plus knowing it's there ready for me keeps it on my radar throughout the week.

Have you found little tips and tricks that helps you use up all your food and leaves you with a cleared out fridge at the end of the week all ready for a fresh filling from the farmer's market? Please share them in the comments!

It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood!

One of THE absolute best thing about our transient home downtown, has been our neighbors.

We always craved community life while we lived at Windy Poplars (which was located in a country neighborhood where people lived because they wanted to be left alone). In our romantical minds, we had visions of finding a fabulous apartment complex where everybody knew everybody, and regularly hung out after work... That's how things are when you live in communal housing, right? Obviously, my husband and I had never done this before... But as we shared that idealistic hope with friends, they would share story after story of how they never even met the people who lived on either side of them during their years of apartment tenant-ing. 

Moving ahead with trepidation: we find our floft (loft+flat = floft in case you're new to the game), move in, and meet a couple neighbors right off the bat who seem potentially friendly during the move-in process...And some who don't.

Our hopes lifted ever-so-slightly-ish.

A few weeks go by, and once we'd settled in and collected enough chairs for company, we decided to host a Hot Cider Social and take a stab at blindly inviting the people who live behind the doors of the "Back Alley" - the length of our hall has maybe 8 doors or so, and 6 of us have our own entrances, so we don't necessarily run into each other coming and going inside the building. Jesse's cautiously optimistic that maybe 2 will show. I had zero expectations. A day of crickets went by, but then lo and behold the RSVPs start rolling in! Nearly every.single.neighbor. came by for a bit during that open-house style social, and most of them were meeting each other for the first time (even though some have lived here for years! What??!). We've gotten together with many of them often since then...some for dessert, some for wine, some for tea, some for dinner, some to celebrate, some for conversation on the terrace... It's been such a gift getting to know these people!

Nothing makes my heart happier than a neighbor popping in wearing socks and sweats to share some snacks and what's been going on lately in their life - or a neighbor knocking on the door on their way home from work excited to tell us about their new job offer - or a neighbors girl's day complete with manis and face masks - one bringing over a DVD they thought we would enjoy - or many tea times full of relaxed newsy put-your-feet-up chat - or one texting to borrow a blow dryer - another to borrow some fresh lemon - or one bringing over some stew to share that came out extra yummy... 

We just adore our neighbors, are so thankful to find that community in apartment complexes CAN exist, and already feel a little tinge of sadness that we all won't be living here on the back alley together forever!

"I went to the woods..."

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, 

to front only the essential facts of life, 

and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, 

and not, when I came to die, discover that I had 

not lived."

Henry David Thoreau

How to Eat Well Through The Holidays

So this past week, my husband and I had a sudden and urgent craving for vegetables. Like a: "GIVEMEALLTHEGREENTHINGSNOWORIWILLDIE!" kind of craving. We all know how the holidays are... Add in the birthday week of a foodie, and there has been a whole lotta yummy junk goin' on up in here.

And we're feelin' it.

Based on the response I got from my recent post on Facebook (if other people found it really difficult to eat well during the holidays), ya'll are "feelin' it" too! Indulging a bit is a part of the whole culture of the holidays, but too much of a good thing can have you feeling tired, irritable, lethargic, and sick.

While there's no magic wand I can wave to make all of the traditional holiday foods healthful foods, here are a few things that we do to make sure it's not all sugared-gravied-buttered-refined-processed-laden fuel (can we even call that fuel?) that we're giving our poor bodies to run off of for the month of December.

-ONE-

Buy plenty of easy-to-eat (no prep required) veggies and have them washed and ready to grab in your fridge or on your counter when the munchies come a-callin'. 

Examples might be: snow peas/snap peas, baby carrots, pre-cut broccoli and cauliflower florets, pre-cut pepper rings. - You may not normally spring for the slightly more expensive variety of these foods, but during the holidays, anything we can do to a) cut our workload and b) make it easy to eat well is worth it's weight in gold!

-TWO-

Be the one to bring a fruit or veggie tray to holiday pot-lucks. 

That way you'll know there will be some healthful options available, and fill your plate with them, so there's only room left for a cookie or two!

-THREE-

Make veggie-filled meals when you eat at home. 

One of the easiest ways to get those veggies in (and their needed fiber), is to make a soup laden with them. Make a huge pot, and then freeze some for later, or eat off it for several days! This week I made some easy chicken/mushroom/kale soup, and some rutabaga/onion/cabbage stew. Both keep well for ages!

-FOUR-

Prepare some healthy sides one afternoon that you can draw from throughout the week. 

This week I made a large batch of lima beans (no salt, no butter), a double batch of rustic ratatouille, and roasted some cauliflower to toss with dried apricots, mustard, curry, and a little evoo. Another fresh idea is making a large kale salad, which will stay fresh for days! One of our favorites is kale/pomegranate/pecans/blue cheese with a simple aged balsamic drizzle. Sides might not seem like a big deal, but often, when we're busy, I'll make a main dish (meat), but not take the extra time to make some vegetables to go with. When I'm too frazzled to even cook, and end up grabbing some BBQ or a burger to bring home, again, I've got some healthful sides all set to accompany. Or for lunch - if I'm grabbing a sandwich, I'll throw some limas and cauli on the plate along with it. Any way we can easily up the daily vegetable intake, is a good way.

-FIVE-

Green smoothies. 

There are some days when I just need something ALIVE! But it's winter. In the mid-Atlantic. And nothing fresh is very tasty right now. - So I'll dive into my stores of frozen fruit and veggies, and whip up a nice green smoothie. *Remember when you add greens to a smoothie, that you should also add a source of fat to the mix (yogurt, milk, or nut butter all work well) to help your body absorb the vitamin K.

-SIX-

Use a food prep service. 

There are two levels of this little gem that I utilize during the busy seasons of life (I now don't know how I'd survive with food sensitivities and the desire to eat clean without them!). One is a subscription delivery service that is essentially a mise en place. You pick your recipes, and a week later the ingredients arrive on your doorstep in perfectly portioned containers complete with step-by-step instructions. Each meal takes only 30-45 minutes to actually cook, and we've been quite pleased with the complex flavors we've found in the well-developed recipes! I have used: Marley Spoon, Blue Apron, Plated, and Hello Fresh - and would recommend them all (Should I do a comparison post on all of these one day?).

For $40 off a 3-meal box from Hello Fresh CLICK HERE (I think that makes your box $20-ish)

If you'd like to try a FREE box from Blue Apron (I only have 2 available - for new customers), send me your e-mail address, and I'll hook you up!

The second level is utilizing local food prep services that have meals already prepared for you(either cooked, or ready-to-cook). Many of these are locally sourced, organic, allergen conscious, and use clean whole ingredients. - A MUCH better option than usual take-out. Two such services in the Roanoke Valley are:

FPS Roanoke

They focus on simple choose-your-protein/choose your starch/choose your vegetable-meals. Well proportioned, and un-sauced, but with pleasant seasoning blends added. While not gourmet, these are straightforward healthful options at a great price. If you like your food simple, and you want to eat healthy (or follow portion control for some of the more popular diets - south beach, 21 day fix, paleo, etc.), this is a fabulous choice for you. Their customer service is top notch. Bonus: they deliver.

M&K Food Shop

We adore Myles and Karen (the "M" and the "K" behind the magic) and the delicious, innovative food they create. Every couple of weeks their menu changes, and is a la carte. They offer a few entree options (with starch/meat/veg), many individual course options (twice baked potatoes, quiches, stuffed mushrooms, stuffed meat, quinoa patties, etc....), soup and salads by weight/size, and desserts that are all to die for. This has been one of the most allergen-friendly places in town since the day they opened, and I love having SO MANY wonderful options as a gluten free customer every time we go there. Disclaimer: this is more in the category of gourmet comfort food, but there are always veggie and lighter options available. Bonus: they deliver too :-).

I hope these tips help you cruise on through the holidays eating well, and come out the other end on January 2nd not feeling desperately like a detox is in order! Do you have more tips for staying on the healthy train during this time of the year? Please share them in the comments!

Birthday Wishes

My birthday was Sunday. Marked by another candle on the cake/cards/calls/texts from family and friends, and the most wonderful weekend of celebration executed to perfection by my husband.

One aspect of birthday merry-making that, while a part of my life for several years now, really gave me pause for reflection and gratitude this year, was the long line of well-wishes from my Facebook friends. So many of those (you) dear people I'm not actively in touch with anymore (the definition of a "Facebook friend" I suppose), but seeing the messages roll in from around the world - every year starting with my sweet Chemistry compadre Rachel now in Cambodia, moving through Europe and the beautiful souls I've had the pleasure of meeting there, then finally to the United States when dawn breaks on the east coast, the parade of wishes this year really seemed to trace a sort of map of my life up to this point. Bringing to mind so many happy memories, activities, trips, jobs, hobbies, and friendships as I scrolled down my wall.

Friends I've known since the day I was born, my first babysitter's son who was like a brother when I was young, dear friends from my quizzing years, fellow bunheads (ballerinas ;-)), my first youth pastor, choir friends, singing school friends, blog friends, blog friends-turned-real-life-friends, piano students, piano student's parents, stamping customers, photography clients, photography peers, fellow creatives I have collaborated with, exercise clients, our old mail lady, the guy we bought our Patty from, and of course many other friends and family of the dear and everyday variety! Each of you have been a piece that makes up the quilt of my life. And I am so grateful for you.

And even more grateful that you took a moment out of your incredibly busy Decembers (ask any December baby, we sure get the short end of the birthday stick!), to write a wish on the wall of someone you knew...maybe a very long time ago, maybe for only a few short months, maybe we've never even met in person, but your notes meant so very much - each and every one - and helped to make my birthday weekend a joy-filled celebration!

Thank you.

Roanoke VA FREE Christmas Musical Events 2016

December 4th | 7:00pm | Cave Spring United Methodist Church

Moravian Love Feast | www.cavespringumc.org

December 9th | 11:00am | Cave Spring UMC

Lunch with Lowe and Friends featuring Ronn Lowe and Julie Hickcox | www.cavespringumc.org

December 11th | 6:00pm | Raleigh Court Presbyterian

Handel's Messiah | www.rcpres.org

December 13th | 7:30pm | St. Andrew's Catholic

St. Lucia Concert | www.standrewsroanoke.org

December 18th | 5:00pm | St. Mark's Lutheran

Carols by Candlelight | www.stmarkslutheran-roanoke.org

Slow Days

Slow Living

By nature of the label, such a lifestyle is rather...unusual. Nearly every response I receive to the question of, "How are you doing?" starts with the now-expected, "busy". It's just how life IS these days...isn't it?

Busy.

But at the end of your life, will those "busy" days be what flood you with feelings of accomplishment and satisfaction? Of a life well lived?

I'll venture a guess that for most of us, they will not. Likely, it's just the opposite. It's the slow days. The days that are full of lingering... with that second cup of hot and creamy coffee... between the cozy flannel sheets... over a warm muffin and marmalade... by the fire reading a favorite book -to yourself, or to an eager young audience... along a wooded path drinking in the beautiful intricacies of nature... listening to an angelic chior... comforting a friend in need... snuggling close with the one your heart was made for... penning a note to brighten a day... making memories... dreaming... breathing... loving... 

All things that take time. That require slowing down, and saying "no". Maybe even bucking the system and pursuing a lifestyle that is completely foreign to you right now. But the payoff: 

Peace. Contentment. Connection. Satisfaction. Gratitude. Sweet memories. True investment. Self-Awareness. Finding and living your deepest callings. Loving others well. 

Those things are worth it to me. Worth the challenge of living slow in a fast-paced world. Of using a life well lived as a measuring stick against the decisions we make. Of being intentional and selective so that we're giving our best self to our highest priorites. Of savoring each day, down to the minutia that it holds. 

Of going against the flow.

Savor

Savoring is one of the mantras of my life. 

A motto. A song. A theme.

The holidays, while many things, don't typically seem to lend themselves to savoring. Or at least in our common American renditions of the months of November and December. Rush here, rush there, jam pack your social calendar, eat 3 different holiday meals with various branches of the family, ferry around to daily play practices, bake until you drop, decorate up a storm, frantically shop until your list is all checked off... It can be such an exhausting flurry of (albeit merry) chaos!

But dear one, if you're barely standing come January 2nd, there IS another way! 

Savor.

Give yourself the time to stop and breathe this year. Create traditions that are full of peace and reflection. Learn to say no. Give some things you "always do" a year off, and rotate them back in next year. Instead of attending endless holiday parties, throw a low key event yourself for your closest friends. Maybe something as simple as an open house hot chocolate bar. You'll have the joy of celebrating the season with those near and dear to your heart in the peace and comfort of your own home. And then let yourself off the hook. You don't need to please everybody, OR even come up with an "excuse" for not attending every soiree' you're invited to (preaching to my people pleasing self here...).  - 

Why not allow each family member to choose ONE event they would enjoy most during the holidays. Block off days on your calendar for quiet nights together: sitting in front of the fire reliving memories of Christmases past, looking through old photo albums, watching a holiday movie, addressing/stamping/sealing Christmas cards assembly line style, enjoying carols around the piano...

It's hard. It's intentional. It might feel strange at first. But I've found that it's so, so worth it. 

Because everything you do choose to include in your holiday season will now have some breathing room to peacefully enjoy, to be fully present in, to calmly prepare for...

...to savor. 

 

Holiday Prep 101

Time to hop aboard the holiday train before you find yourself flat on the tracks! Here are a few things you can be working on today (if you haven't already) to help keep the busy (read: stress) at bay over the holiday season:

+ Research some festive holiday events and get them on your calendar NOW for the month of December. Purchase tickets/make reservations if required.
+ Design/order Christmas cards.
+ Compiling mailing list and order holiday stamps.
+ Schedule any social events you would like to host, and send out "save the dates" in the next week.
+ Come up with some festive desserts that fit any special dietary requirements you might have, make them up, and freeze them single-serving-style to bring to holiday social events, so you don't end up feeling completely left out (and consequently depressed) at food-laden functions.
+ Have a brainstorming session with your husband/family about what your ideal Christmas looks like, and then make it happen...even if it can't be right on December 25th.
+ Along the same lines, discuss the entire holiday season with those in your home, and see what their top priorities are. What you think they want, and what they really want, might possibly be two different things!
+ Decide on what family gift giving will look like with extended family this year ASAP.
+ Make up menus and shopping lists for large traditional meals, and shop for the non-perishables a little each week.
+ This week, make a couple double-batches of your dinner, and freeze the second for those busy December nights (soups are GREAT for freezing!).
+ On your next shopping trip, pick up a couple of candles or bottles of wine to use as hostess gifts (and wrap them up immediately when you get home), so you'll never been scrambling at the last minute for one when headed out to a party.
+ Remember to schedule time to decompress into the next couple of months. Whether that looks like family movie night at home with take-out, getting to the gym regularly, two bubble baths a week, meeting a friend for coffee, or scheduling festive mall-walking dates, get it on your calendar NOW! I promise, you'll be glad you did! :-)