Warm and Cozy (and Not Christmassy)

It is possible to be warm and cozy this time of year, and yet not be too Christmassy?  Some of us might already be burnt out on the holiday.  But warm and cozy are still nice, right?

So whether you are in full-Christmas mode, or ready to move on, here are some ways I keep myself all snuggly happy and let any Christmas expectations go.

Nice Music

This is the perfect time of year for soft, quiet music during the day and in the evening.  It doesn’t have to be Christmas carols or soft jazz by any means.  Finding relaxing tunes and beautiful accompanying scenes are kind of my hobby these days.

I play the videos on my television and it fills the entire house with sound and sight that are comforting.

Here is my latest:

I especially love listening to this when I do my morning stretches to ease into the day. The soft nature sounds in the background make my kitties happy too!

Scheduling Short Get-Togethers

Not every holiday get-together has to be a production.  This holiday season has been perfect with a smattering of small activities that got me out with friends but didn’t require much dress up or long commutes.

Here is some of what has worked:

• Attending concerts – everyone dresses casually for concerts these days.  So no dress up.  And other than the commute time, maybe an hour or two is the time commitment. Anyone want to take a guess on who is on the guitar?
• Casual happy hour with girlfriends – no gifts, no glitter.  Just old-fashioned conversation and a lot of laughs and catching up.
• Enjoying nature
  • Our local park has hosted a few activities and it’s been great getting out for an hour and so and checking them out.
  • We placed our hummingbird feeders close to our window and we love watching who comes to dine at the buffet.
  • I added a light blanket to my outdoor sofa to sit out and watch the sunset for a few minutes in the evenings.
• Regular exercise – I’ll bet you never saw that coming, did you?  Ha!  You knew it.  When I wasn’t attending a fitness class this season, I was riding my bike or taking a walk.
• Using the slow cooker – lots of low-fuss meals including soup, chili, pot roast.  Every time that slow cooker gets used means less time in the kitchen and more time with a book (and a kitty).

And here is what I’ve NOT done that has worked:

• Entertaining, cooking, cleaning and grocery shopping – I AM going to commit to hosting a bit more in our home next year though it’s been minimal this season.
• Christmas shopping – I was able to get everything on my list by cyber Monday and poof, just like that I was done.  Every bit of promotional email that came my way got deleted each day with barely a glance.
• Setting expectations – long ago I found it best to set no grand expectations.  Hoping for your loved ones (or-not-so-loved) to behave in a certain way or even show up can be disappointing.  Sickness, travel delays, etc. can set us all up for disappointment, anxiety, even depression. So this is a perfect time to say, “Que sera, sera.”
• Eating sugar – I’m not going to say an errant homemade cookie didn’t make its way into my mouth this month, but more and more, eating sugar really increases my pain and inflammation.  Putting goodies in the freezer to parse out over time is the best way to occasionally treat myself without paying a huge price.

Holiday Wrap Up

Next time we chat, Christmas will be a memory and we’ll be looking forward to the New Year.  In whatever way you are choosing to spend this time, my prayers are with you and I thank you for spending this small part of your day with me.