Monday, November 15, 2010
It happens every year. The holiday season sneaks up on you. You are minding your own business and enjoying the cool autumn air, the changing of the leaves, and savoring the Halloween candy leftovers. And then overnight things change dramatically. It is Christmas everywhere. It is in all the stor...
Hi, Merely Me. You have some good ideas for keeping things simple. Personally, I've cut down my card-giving list considerably and quit sending them to people from whom I only hear during Christmas without any note or anything.
We do usually have turkey for Thanksgiving and Christmas day and if I'm the one cooking it, I usually roast it the day before, wrap it up tightly in aluminum foil and then just reheat it before serving the next day. I even make the gravy the day before - that used to be one of my most stressful points in the whole dinner, getting that gravy made while everyone stands around waiting for the food. I do whatever I can do ahead of time. I'll be starting my cookie baking soon and sometimes I make the dough ahead of time, especially for cut-outs, and then do the baking the next day or two and then frost them on another day. However, sometimes it's better to just keep going and get it over with!
Another thing I do that helps is try to meet with a friend or two during the holidays for lunch, coffee, a drink - just something a little festive. There's a nice restaurant near my son's apartment that has a great old-fashioned bar and they make the best espresso martinis! They've got great pumpkin soup, too.
On-line shopping - the 8th wonder of the world! I like to do a bunch of it there but I do enjoy going to the stores when it's a little less busy (like, NOT the day after Thanksgiving) and take my time to look around. I think the hardest part is knowing what to get each person. One year, with my in-laws, we just made things for each family or got something inexpensive but thoughtful. In my family, we bring one gift to the get-together that is relevant to a pre-determined theme (food, the color red, etc.) and then shake dice for them. They're wrapped up, so nobody knows what they're getting. (It CAN be a bad thing!)
I hope everyone's holidays are less stressful this year - they can be if we let go of the idea of a "perfect" holiday.
What a fun idea for exchanging gifts. My family has always done the "draw a name" type of pollyanna but I love your idea of using a theme. I think I might give it a try.
Thanks for sharing your ideas with us. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season.
Eileen
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Hey Miss Judy and Eileen!
Yeah that theme idea sounds interesting...what did you end up getting...do you remember?
Mmmm....cookies! I have the extra effort of...when I make cookies for my family...I have to make one batch for my son with the gluten allergy to be gluten free...and then a regular recipe for the rest of us. It gets crazy. I have a dear friend who makes all kinds of cookies and shares them with me...I look forward to it so much because I don't have the time to make so many varieties.
Each year I tell myself I am going to do the Christmas cards...but without help (not naming any names here. :>)) it just becomes too much.
Great to hear your tips and experiences. Wish I had a cookie right now with frosting!
To answer your question, Merely Me, the year we had "red" as a theme, I got a set of silicone bakeware, which was actually something I could use. On the other hand (no pun intended), one of my nephews brought a gift of a big inflated red hand giving the bird-flipping sign - don't remember who got that one, but that's what I mean about it CAN be fun!