Christmas… the True Reason for the Season

During this holiday season it’s easy to get wrapped-up (no pun intended) in the parties and long to-do lists. Think about it. Starting December 1^st, we only have 25 days or about 600 hours to decorate, shop, celebrate, and be merry. And, on the 26^th day, we clean-up and get ready for a new year. Phew… I need a glass of wine or a cup of eggnog (to stay in the holiday spirit of course) just thinking about it. With all of this on our plates, it’s easy to forget what and why we are celebrating. So, take a quick breather from the demands of your day and consider the true reason behind the season.

~It is More Blessed to Give Than to Receive. A key element at the heart and soul of Christmas is giving. Raise your hand if you’ve spent much of the past few days trapesing around town – and searching the internet – for those perfect gifts. However, this is also the time of year to consider those who are less fortunate and cannot afford to put food on their table, much less buy gifts for loved ones.  Consider other types of giving this year; adopt a child and their Christmas wish list from an Angel Tree, pay for someone’s order in the drive through line, send Christmas cards or care packages to our service men and women, many of whom will not be with their loved ones this holiday. For the past few years, I’ve made it a point to deliver baked goods to employees at our local post office, dry cleaners and bank, to name a few. It doesn’t have to be big or expensive; it is truly the through that counts. Just seeing the smiles and surprise on people’s faces is a gift that lasts in my visual memory bank all year long.   

~A Time to Celebrate and Be Close to Family and Friends. Speaking of gifts, some of my most fond and treasured memories are the presence of friends and family around a warm cozy fire or dinner table. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanza, the emphasis of each of these holidays is to gather and spend time together celebrating your holiday’s traditions. This is a special time of year that can create incredible memories and remind us to cherish our loved ones. I particularly enjoy sharing old family stories and looking through photos from Christmas’ past.

            ~Our Traditions. What makes this time of year so unique are the multitude of holidays celebrated within its 31 days. Each holiday has its own distinct traditions that make it stand apart from the rest – whether it be lighting the candles on the Menorah during Hanukkah, attending a Christmas Eve church service to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, distributing goods to the less fortunate on Boxing Day or celebrating the seven principles of Nguzo Saba by lighting a candle on each day of Kwanzaa, we all have family traditions that are passed down to each generation. Our Christmas Eve is spent at church with a buffet dinner following at home. As a child, we were allowed to open one gift of our parents’ choosing that night followed by an early rise Christmas Day to see what wish-list gifts Santa left on the fireplace hearth for my brother, John, and me. Oh, and we were always quite curious to see if Santa ate all the cookies we carefully set out for him on a small plate near our Christmas stockings; did he finish the milk too? Now that we have a two-year old, I envision the same tradition being played out in our home in the years to come. May we savor and appreciate every second.

Merry Christmas and Blessings for a Wonderful New Year! 

*For Christmas inspirations, recipes, decorations, and gift ideas, please check out our Christmas Pinterest Board.*

Photo Courtesy of: Gayle Record

Making Etiquette Easy: Your Holiday Party Survival Guide

It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is a done deal. In addition to the wonderful memories, the food still lingers on with our refrigerator and freezer filled with leftovers from our feast.  You know what comes next, right? Ding, ding, ding, 10 points for the lady in red.  The holiday party season is about to take off with a vengeance. With a mix of both social and business holiday soirées on the calendar, this season is notorious for being overwhelming, overloaded, and overworked which ultimately takes away from the true meaning of the season.  Here’s all you need to do; take a deep breath, grab a glass of wine (always a good idea in my opinion) and then take a moment to consider this:

 

~Make a Calendar Devoted to Events. It’s so easy to get over-committed during the holidays. Not only are you attending holiday functions, but you are also buying gifts, decorating your home, sending Christmas cards, etc.  The key here is to stay organized.  I cannot function without my lists and my social events calendar.  Being able to break things down on a daily basis helps make things more manageable.  Jotting down specifics in your social and business events calendar such as reminders for host or hostess gifts, securing a baby-sitter, and managing RSVPs in a timely manner is an excellent way to stay on top of the busy weeks ahead. Santa’s got nothing on you baby!

~Handling Multiple Events in One Night. Speaking of Santa, if he can visit every home in the world in one night, then so can you. However, this notion does depend on the type of function to which you’ve committed. If one of your parties is a seated meal, then I suggest you only commit to one event that night since this type of evening entails numerous courses and some major planning by the host well in advance. It would be quite rude to leave in the middle of the meal to attend another event.  When choosing between two parties, I recommend attending the party for which you were invited first, out of courtesy. Now, if you have two parties that are both come and go, divide your time and conquer.  An hour at each event is acceptable. Whatever you do, make sure you don’t seem uninterested or rushed at the night’s first event as it can be very obvious to other guests, and more importantly the host.

~Thanking the Holiday Hostess With The Mostess. In following the Christmas spirit of giving, I always recommend bringing a host or hostess gift, especially if the event is at someone’s home. It is not as important to bring a gift when the party is at a restaurant or other locale, however, it is still a nice and thoughtful gesture. I prefer to give gifts that embody the holiday spirit, but also keep your host in mind as they may have different taste than you do. Items for the home, or an edible or drinkable treat are always a hit.  Whatever you decide, go the extra mile and add some festive wrap or ribbon to the packaging.  Make your sparkle shine brighter, and I can almost guarantee you will be on the party invite list again next year.  

            The holiday season is a wonderful time of year to celebrate with family and friends. Don’t go “all Scrooge” and let the stresses and busyness of the holiday season take away from the true meaning of the season. Enjoy and be grateful for the abundance of holiday parties and invitations.  Translated, this just means that you have a myriad of friends, family and colleagues who enjoy your company, and it’s the one time of year when you get to celebrate the gift of these relationships, whether they are personal or professional. 

*For holiday ideas from decorating to gift ideas, and recipes to gift wrapping, we encourage you to check out our Holiday Pinterest Board for some of our favorite holiday things.* 

Photo Courtesy of ©iStock.com/Shaiith

Tribute to the Fourth of July

         When I think of the Fourth of July, so many sights, sounds and scents come to mind. I instantly smell the heavenly aroma of backyard barbeques shared with family and friends; I recall big, bright, beautiful fireworks lighting up the night sky, and can’t help but hear “America the Beautiful” sung by the legendary Ray Charles play in my head. I could go on and on, but I’m sure you get the picture. While these are all wonderful elements that make this holiday special, I think it is important that we take time to consider why we celebrate the Fourth of July, and reflect on what makes the United States of America such an amazing country. I have compiled a short list of a few things that make me proud to be an American.


        We are a country based on the principles of freedom. 238 years ago, July 4^th, 1776 to be exact, the Continental Congress representing the thirteen colonies, finalized and adopted the Declaration of Independence, which was drafted by Thomas Jefferson. This is a powerful document that has guided our country since its founding. The following line particularly stands out to me and in my opinion serves as the backbone of this country: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” (US 1776) As you can see from this line alone, our country’s foundation was built on the principles of freedom and liberty, by which we are so incredibly blessed and should hold dear.

         Our country is known as the land of opportunity. From the beginning, the United States has been known as the land of possibilities. People have chosen and continue to choose to come to this country because of the promise of the “American Dream.” Our freedoms make this idea a reality because, here in the U.S., we are given the ability to start from nothing and become something great. Blessed with an abundance of natural resources and the freedom for individuals to take advantage of them, people have been able to build their lives through innovation; thus, propelling our country to be the world leader it is today.

        We couldn’t be the home of the free without the help of the brave. Today, we have hundreds of thousands of service men and women who everyday risk their lives to protect us, our basic freedoms, and our democracy. Our history is rich with military endeavors that have served to do just that. There is no better time than Independence Day to thank our veterans and current service members for their sacrifice and bravery. Without them, we could not be the global power we are today.


         Now that you’ve read my list, I challenge you to create one for yourself; share it with others and encourage them to do the same. Holidays are a great time for celebration, but they also are a wonderful time for reflection. If you would like a little more Independence Day inspiration, take a look at our Pinterest Page.

Happy Fourth of July and May God Continue to Bless America!

Photo Courtesy of: Mar Lidia