Bust Holiday Stress!
July 31, 2007
The holidays will be here before you know it. Clear the way for greater joy, love and meaning this year by "busting" these sources of holiday stress:
1. TOO MUCH TO DO IN TOO LITTLE TIME
This week, set holiday priorities with your family. Discuss what traditions to keep, which to discard, and which new traditions to try.
Make a holiday to-do list NOW and create a realistic schedule for when to accomplish each item.
Avoid overscheduling.
Ask family members for help with holiday tasks.
2. LONG LINES IN STORES
Shop via catalog or Internet, and avoid stores on weekends.
If you’re shopping with small children, take along snacks, books, toys or other items to make waiting in line more pleasant. Or, if you’re sufficiently uninhibited, sing a holiday song with your child.
If you’re shopping alone, use waiting time to relax and and center yourself with meditation or prayer. Try directing your attention to your breathing at your belly. Or practice observing the people around you through the eyes of compassion, without judging. Give thanks or pray for healing, peace, or other concerns close to your heart.
3. DIFFICULT RELATIVES
Create Warm Memories with Holiday Traditions
July 30, 2007
I remember just a handful of the Christmas presents I received as a child: My first Barbie doll with her skinny black sequined gown. My soft, pink Pat-a-Burp doll. The microscope I got in second grade.
But I have many, many memories of our holiday traditions. The lovely aromas of holiday ethnic food. Riding the South Shore train into Chicago to visit the “real” Santa. Using a paintbrush to decorate sugar cookies with colored frosting. Setting up our manger scene.
Traditions add so much joy to the holidays. Traditions give a child a sense of belonging and identity. They strengthen bonds across generations and live long in memory.
A family rich in traditions has a powerful antidote to commercialism. The more focused you are on pleasures that cost little or nothing, the more all the gifts tend to stay in their appropriate place.
Best of all, many traditions are perfectly suited to today’s busy families. Here are a few favorites:
SIMPLE PLEASURES
Light candles at dinnertime. If December mornings are dark where you live, light candles at breakfast, too.
Take an evening stroll or car ride to look at Christmas lights.
Alternatives for Business Travelers
July 29, 2007
“I’m coming home. I’ve been away too long. Been away so long. I’m coming home” ? Ian Thomas, in Coming Home
I still recall my road warrior days. It seemed like every other week, I was hopping on a plane for Orlando or Vancouver or Palm Springs or Washington or Chicago or Toronto.
It might not be Rome, Paris, and Monte Carlo, but Washington, Toronto and Orlando are pretty classy places. I went to crucial meetings. I was an important person. I was a frequent flyer.
However, after a while, all the towns begin to look the same. One airport hotel looks amazingly like another. Surely the taxi driver in Washington and the taxi in Orlando were twins separated at birth. I was yearning to just stay put. I had had enough of hotels and restaurants
Traveling sounds glamorous until you have to do it over and over and over. Especially when you have a family, you want to spend some time at home between the episodes of jet lag. Comfort becomes a much bigger deal, and you want every place to feel like home.
You just can’t do that in a hotel. Not in a Marriott. Not in a Sheraton. Not in a Hilton.
Saint Nick to Santa, the MOST extreme makeover?
July 29, 2007
It’s the holiday season, and the first thing that comes to so many minds is presents, and who better to deliver these presents than Jolly Saint Nick himself. Chris Cringle, Saint Nicholas, Santa Claus, etc. etc. But who is this roly poly elf that sneaks around the living room each year? Where did he come from? And -watch out kids- is he real!? In this article you’ll see how Santa went from thin and worshiped to pudgy and present-giving.
The first Europeans brought with them to the new World Saint Nicholas, and Columbus even named a Haitian port for the saint in 1492. Even the city now known as Jacksonville, Florida, was once known as Saint Nicholas Ferry. However, during the sixteenth century, there was a protestant reformation which took a low liking to saints. Although everyone tried to get rid of Saint Nick-related activity and custom, only the English traditions of Christmas were permanently altered. Since so many common people still liked Saint Nick, ‘he’ continued to place nuts, apples and sweets in any shoes left on the hearth, windowsill, or beside a bed.
Happy New Year for 2005
July 28, 2007
It is 7:45 a.m. in Port Moody, British Columbia Canada, and the first day of a new year. I have just started up my computer and I am waiting for the kettle to boil for my morning tea. I look past my window to a scene that is painted on a back drop of silent night not yet melding into daylight.
I am looking for change, for something different than it was last night something that screams out at me "this it is 2005." There is the flickering light across the bay that was winking at me last night. The ocean below my window is tearing itself from the beach drawing itself back into its body as it has done twice a day for centuries. Seagulls fly aimlessly around in circles watching for an opportunity at breakfast. Covering the cool earth and trees beneath it, fresh blankets of snow on the hills remain as they were last night.
Home Exchange
July 27, 2007
Have you ever wanted to travel to far away places and live like a native but somehow there never seems to be quite enough money to get you there? Well have you ever thought of Home or House exchange holidays? It’s the vacation with a difference, because you find the dream destination and all you have to book is your flight. You stay in the house exchange family house and usually have the use of their car also and they in turn stay in your home and have the use of your facilities. If you like the sound of this then visit www.homeisaway.com for your one stop Home or House exchange holiday vacation.
You can visit http://www.homeisaway.com and you will not only find your dream destination in Australia, New Zealand, United States of America, European destinations such as France, Spain, England, Scotland, Bulgaria, Netherlands etc. but you can also book your flights, car hire and insurance and find information on guide books, maps and language courses ? it’s a one stop shop.
St Valentines Day, Festival of the Matchmakers
July 26, 2007
There are as many as eight possible Valentines Day origins and the three most likely contenders were all early church martyrs.
However, before the Christian Saints, the day started as a festival to honour Juno, Queen of the Roman deities. Juno was sister and consort of Jupiter, mother of Mars, and one of the most important of the Roman pantheon. She had many duties, each with an associated title, as a protector of the Roman people she was Juno Regina, advisor to those about to marry as Juno Moneta and as goddess of Roman women and childbirth, Juno Lucina. From her title “Juno Moneta” we get the word “money” because the Roman mint was built close to one of her temples. For most Romans she was a protector of women as the goddess of marriage, fertility and all aspects of pregnancy and childbirth
Her day was 14 February and the following day was the Feast of Lupercalia.
Lupercalia began at the Ides of February. Members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, would gather at the sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa. The priests would then sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification.
How to Create an Irresistible Valentine?s Day Centerpiece
July 25, 2007
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner which of course makes us think of love, romance and of course flowers! It seems this special day wouldn’t be complete without them. Flowers touch our souls and brighten our spirits which is why they have remained a popular choice for "lovebirds" all over the world!
Depending on your mood and the flowers you pick, you can make this arrangement whimsical or elegant, so gather what you need and let’s get started!
Supplies:
- Store bought heart shaped basket (about 4 inches deep)
- Florist foam
- Plastic lining
- Flowers - at least two varieties
- Larger flowers (all same color) such as carnations or roses for center and filler flowers for accent
Follow these simple steps to create your own Valentine’s Day Centerpiece:
Timeshare Presentations: Scams or Opportunities
July 24, 2007
Timeshare presentations are tricky animals. They can either be an excellent method of obtaining expensive vacations for nothing more than a couple of hours of your time or they can turn into pricey burdens on your budget. Depending on your approach, timeshare presentations can either work for you or against you - the trick is making it worth your time.
Many travelers find themselves in a budget situation where they have more time than money. Before you plan your next vacation, seek out timeshare presentations in the area. Often, these companies offer hefty incentives for attending their presentations. These incentives can range from free nights at luxury resorts to expensive electronics or gift certificates. Many families choose to attend these presentations to offset the cost of expensive attractions, such as Walt Disney World theme parks or Universal Studios. Quite often, timeshare companies entice attendants into their presentation with free or deeply discounted attraction tickets. Others choose to take long weekends at luxury resorts, often within driving distance of their homes. When choosing timeshare incentives that deal with free or discounted hotels or resorts, think carefully about your proximity to the property. If the gift is four nights at a Caribbean resort in exchange for sitting through a timeshare presentation and you live in New England, the freebie may not be worth your while. However, evaluate your need or want based on your desired vacation spots. If you are planning a vacation to Hawaii, then the presentation that offers a free weekend in a beach-front hotel may prove quite interesting.
12 Things That Make Life Worthwhile!
July 24, 2007
Happy New Year! Around the world, this is a time of renewal, celebration of new opportunities, and great optimism. Please accept our best wishes for a year of peace, joy, and success.
And, note that any time of year is a great time to re-commit to the things that are most important. Our highest values and our dearest aspirations need constant attention, constant renewal, and constant reinforcement. Life has a way of distracting us. We get busy, and we forget who we are and what we truly want for ourselves and our loved ones.
In the spirit of friendly reminder, here are “12 Things That Make Life Worthwhile”.
1. Take time to dream ? it hitches your soul to the stars.
2. Take time to work ? it is the price of success.
3. Take time to think ? it is the source of power.
4. Take time to play ? it is the secret of youth.
5. Take time to read ? it is the foundation of knowledge.
6. Take time to worship ? it is the highway of reverence and washes the dust of earth from our eyes.
