Christmas Planning (?) and Thrive in Five Day 5

What day is it anyway?  Life gets crazy sometimes, doesn't it?

Man - yesterday I didn't get to all the Thrive in Five action steps.... it was a BUSY day.  I had an errand with my husband - and, from where we live, any 'errand' has a minimum travel time of an hour and a half.   This one was an hour and a half away - so by the time you factor in travel time, appointment time, lunch and two small stops (that meant we didn't have to come in TODAY), we spent the day out and called it a DATE!  Hey - we've been married for 20 years... ANY time we can carve out together is called a date :-)  I am blessed.

*****Christmas Planning*****

Okay - so the Christmas stuff is put away.. (or is it?)  At least, it's mostly on its way.  Except for the poinsettias.... what do we DO with those after Christmas, anyway?  They live on and remind us that Jesus was born and true Christmas is NOT over :-)

You've breathed a huge sigh of relief - I mean, Christmas was fun - but intense and pretty time-consuming.   Even at its best, we are ready for a rest when it is over.... for reasons that range from overeating... to crazy relatives.. to juggling schedules.. to figuring out gifts.  I mean it's hard enough to find a gift for Uncle Joe without all the attendant worry of.. should I even GIVE a gift to him?  Does he want a gift?  Is he bringing one for me?  What if he doesn't LIKE (this thing I think I am going to give)... and on and on and on....

Whew!

Well... now that the dust has settled and you are pretty much back to routine, this is a GOOD time to stop for a minute and reflect.

How could Christmas be a better experience for me and my family?

What did I (and my family) enjoy the most during the season?  What did we enjoy the least?  ASK your family this one, they might surprise you :-)


What do we want to make sure we repeat next year (or avoid)?

What can I put on my calendar TODAY that will make next holiday season a better experience?  (I pack all my cards & Advent stuff in my Halloween decorating box so I find them early enough to do something with them!)

Two sites that I like for Christmas fun:
 www.flylady.net  (for simplifying and organizing)

www.christmasorganizing.com (for a million and one ideas)


and..... one more thing....  Valentines Day is a month away... How do you want to celebrate that?  NOW is the time to get moving if you need some ideas on how to make sure that YOU have a good NO DRAMA day where you feel loved :-)


*****Thrive in Five Update*****

Okay...still hanging in here....

So.. today I have a day at home and will work on the program.  I did crawl out of bed to walk the dog but only made it a half mile.... the wind was whipping something fierce.  I have to keep reminding myself that I am still healing from the dumb kamikaze deer incident a few months ago.  As long as my shoulders ache.... I have to remember to slow down.  NOT make excuses, but be smart.  That said - my shoulder pain is NOT what keeps me from WALKing :-)  That would be an excuse.  The weather is supposed to warm up a bit today so I will get more walking in later.

One of Hannah's action steps today is to plan out a month of menus.... yikes!  I am not very good at this BUT am working on a personal pantry challenge anyway.. so am going to compromise.   I am planning  a list of potential meals and will keep track of what they are and what we eat for the month.  The point (I think) is to be aware of what I am eating and stay in charge of what goes in my mouth :-)  At a minimum, I will have a month of menus to add to my arsenal for another day.

Another tip that may help with menu stuff - I DO have the habit of preparing a soup/stew, a casserole and cut veggies on the weekends.  Also I often THINK up a meat/veggie meal to have ready to fix.... that carries me through most of the week if you count leftovers.  I did create an easy way to come up with ideas by rotating what my family likes if you are interested.... just let me know!