Every December my emotions go all Jekyll and Hyde. The lights on the Christmas tree? I smile every time I walk past them. The Christmas list that never seems to end? My blood pressure rises just thinking about it. I flip-flop between the joy of the season and the pressure it brings.
When I started blogging ten years ago, I posted one-minute vacations throughout the month of December. They were little reminders to chill out, take a deep breath, and enjoy the Christmas season. Today seems like the perfect time to do just that.
Sit back, grab a cup of coffee, cocoa, tea, or Mountain Dew, and let's enjoy a break together!
Have a little snack, too! I love treats to nibble on...
Are you cold? Need a cozy blanket to wrap up in?
We're going to go one step farther. It's time to daydream. I like to play a little game called If I Had a Day Off for Myself...
If I had an entire day off and could only spend it being completely selfish, what would I do?
My thoughts in no particular order:
- Watch Christmas cooking shows in my pajamas and drink coffee and eat blueberry breakfast cake (recipe is HERE, and it's delicious!).
- Read a Christmas classic. I fell in love with Miracle on 34th Street by Valentine Davies when I was in high school. (A few weeks ago, I read A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens for the first time!)
- Catch up with my friends.
- Read Luke chapter two and compare my whiny self to Mary when she's on her way to Bethlehem. Joseph is GLAD he didn't have to deal with me. "My back hurts. The baby kicked my rib. I'm STARVING! What is the point of this census??"
- Take a long nap.
- Buy a box of chocolates for myself and eat all the ones I like.
- Listen to my favorite Christmas music.
- Browse the aisles of our local drug store for new nail polish (I recently stopped chewing my nails by giving myself manicures once a week).
- Catch up on all the Hallmark Christmas movies I've recorded.
- Dream of a tropical vacation.
- Order a pizza with my favorite toppings.
- Buy a decadent coffee drink and walk around a light display with my hubby.
This entire list is so simple. As I read through it, I realize I can do all of these things throughout December. I don't need a day off!
Write your own list and find ways to slip the items into your days. Sometimes the most meaningful holidays happen when we take time to do simple things that feed our souls.
Okay, your turn!
If you had an entire day off and you could only spend it being completely selfish, what would you do?
Have a delightful week!
***
Are some mistakes beyond redemption?
When former NFL
star, Chase McGill, invites Courtney Trudesta, the widow of his
former teammate, to spend Christmas with him and his son in Lake Endwell,
he simply wants to repay her for the weekly letters she sent while he
was in prison. He didn't expect
to fall for her.
Chase regrets his
past and knows it will take more than sugarplums and wishful thinking to heal
Courtney's lonely heart. But with a dose of small-town charm and plenty of
Christmas cheer, they might have a second chance at happiness...with each
other.
***
Jill's Latest Love Inspired (October 2018):
A nanny at
Christmastime…
Will
she find love in this Wyoming Cowboys novel?
Six weeks on a ranch
caring for quadruplets—aspiring nurse Ainsley Draper’s prepared for a busy
Christmas. When the children’s handsome uncle opens the door, her task gets
extra complicated. Marshall Graham is upholding his promise to look after his
twin sister, the babies’ mom. But as family loyalty clashes with new love, will
the perfect present include a future with Ainsley?
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