31 Gifts ~ Day Eleven

Day Eleven: Surprises

 

Giving and getting surprises are so much fun, aren’t they?  Just like the anticipation of waiting until Christmas morning for that special someone to open their gifts ~ and for you to open yours.  To see the joy on that person’s face when first spying a coveted item.  Why not throw those in throughout the holiday season ~ from Halloween through New Year's!?  Better yet, let's practice this all year long!!

 

We have a friend, a pilot, who brought us our favorite cheese & caramel popcorn from Chicago ~ a special item that we would buy during our trips to Chicago for our anniversary and we cannot get in Denver.  My mom saw Jess’s Facebook post “hint” and called me on the phone to tell her what it was all about!  HA! 

 

It's just like the Pay It Forward campaign we have all heard about: buy a coffee for the person behind you in line.  How about a burger at lunch?  Maybe a cookie for a sweet treat?

 

Just because, I sent each of my sisters a $5 Dunkin Donuts giftcard.  We don't exchange birthday or holiday gifts, but I wanted to give them something that has meaning to the three of us.  They live near one another in Florida (where they were born and raised) and I get down there to visit about once a year.  Chris and I introduced them to coffee drinking at DD over the years!  On my last visit in the summer, my sister, Kelley, would bring me coffee either on her way to work or when she was making the run for everyone at her workplace!!! 

 

Chris and I don't often exchange gifts for the holidays, either.  We like to get a little something for one another throughout the year.  When we find something the other has been looking for or see an inexpensive item that we know the other would love!!! 

 

Don’t wait until the calendar declares a holiday to get someone a little something.  If we are just wanting to surprise them for the sheer joy of doing so, that's when the thought really counts!!  It’s a win-win!!

31 Gifts ~ Day Ten

Day Ten: Reindeer games

 

Well, sort of.  Sledding, ice skating, snowball fights, snowmobiling, skiing ~ whatever winter activity you loved as a child, do yourself a favor, step back in time and play for a day!  Grab the kids, the nieces & nephews, the cousins, the neighbors ~ make it a group outing!  Don’t worry if you aren’t good at it or stress about any soreness later (that’s what ibuprofen is for!!), just let go and have fun!

“Enjoy the childhood joys of winter.”

(my Dove Dark Chocolate wrapper yesterday!!)

31 Gifts ~ Day Nine

In honor of my aunt's birthday today...

 

Day Nine: At Home-Spa Day

 

Find all of your favorite bath goodies, nail polishes, face products and wine (or, my favorite, mimosas)!! 

 

Soak in your tub with Epsom salts and a few drops of essential oil.  Light a candle, play some soft music ~ just relax, even add more hot water if you want to linger longer. 

 

Make sure to lather moisturizer, post-toweling off, to help with the winter dryness; skin is our largest organ and we have to honor it. 

 

Now, wash your face and apply a mask: deep-pore cleansing, moisturizing, exfoliating…whatever your skincare needs. 

 

While your mask is doing its thing, take a quick 10-20 minutes to read, write a letter, massage your feet, remove your old nailpolish.  Finish with your other skincare favorites, like: a toner, anti-aging serum, chemical peel, moisturizer (ALWAYS!!). 

 

Onto your hands & feet, file your nails, push back your cuticles and polish away!   Kick back with another beverage!  Maybe put some cucumber slices on your eyes!!

 

A whole spa experience, complete with vino, in your very own home!!!

 

All together, "AAAAhhhhhhhh!"

31 Gifts ~ Day Eight

Day Eight:  The Future Generation

 

The children, who will one day run the world, need our love, guidance, wisdom and playfulness. 

 

While I do not have any children of my own, I am lucky to be Aunt Jennie to a gaggle of nieces, nephews and great-nephews!  From our oldest, Amber (now a mom herself),  to our youngest, Romi (who celebrates her first Christmas this year), I have the joy of watching each grow into a uniquely awesome individual!!  Thanks to the internet and Facebook, I can see pictures of many of them, as we only live near one at this time.  And no matter their ages, when I hear one of them say “Aunt Jennie” it always makes my heart melt! 

 

If you are someone who gives gifts for the holidays, perhaps you can select something educational, informative, challenging for the kids on your list.  Books, puzzles, counting games, for example.

 

"Tell me and I forget.  Teach me and I remember.  Involve me and I learn." ~ Benjamin Franklin

 

"You cannot open a book without learning something." ~ Confucius

 

 

31 Gifts ~ Day Seven

Day Seven: Comic Relief

 

On those days when it is so cold you don’t want to go outside, unless you have to, or you just need a few hours to decompress from all the hubbub, pop yourself some popcorn and pick out one of your favorite funny holiday movies, like: National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Christmas with the Kranks, Home for the Holidays, Elf.  You can get out of your own way, while also being reminded that tho there be stressful times with family and friends, other shoppers & travelers, in the end, we have to laugh, smile and know we are making memories amid the chaos. 

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine. — Proverbs 17:22

 

Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine. — Lord Byron

 

As soap is to the body, so laughter is to the soul. – A Jewish Proverb

 

Cancer is probably the most unfunny thing in the world, but I’m a comedian, and even cancer couldn’t stop me from seeing the humor in what I went through. — Gilda Radner

 

From there to here, from here to there, funny things are everywhere. — Dr. Seuss

31 Gifts ~ Day Six

Day Six: Health & Wellness

 



 

We should move our bodies, at least, 30 minutes each day.  Take a walk, go for a jog or run, hit your gym to lift weights and/or take your favorite group class.  Exercise will keep you vibrant, strong, energized.  It will help you ward off sickness (the flu and colds tend to be shared like unwanted gifts during winter, right?!).  It beats the winter blues, blahs and bah-humbugs.  Exercise nourishes your body, your mind, your spirit and will fortify you for the harried days.  Doing just this one thing everyday for yourself is, in my humble opinion, the greatest gift you can give yourself for a life of joy, wellness, vitality and longevity!

31 Gifts ~ Day Five

Day Five: Advent Calendars

 

 

I LOVE them!  I buy an inexpensive one each year, you know with the cheap chocolates inside.  But the feeling I get opening each numbered day takes me back to my childhood ~ one of my aunts made the cousins our own advent calendars: a piece of ribbon (maybe felt) to which was tied 25 peppermint candies.  Mine hung on my bedroom door knob and I was always so anxious for the next day to remove another candy. 

 

There are some really creative ideas circling the “interwebs”!  I’m sure you can enter “advent calendar” in Pinterest to find a plethora of inspiration!  It's not too late to make one for this year.  And maybe make a few extra to give as gifts next year! 

 

In our holiday totes, I did find one that a friend gave me a couple years ago...after I bought one.  So, I have to remind myself, next year, that I just need to buy 25 "gifts" to place in my fancy advent calendar!!!  Yay!!!

 

For me, it’s not the prize, but the process and the nostalgic connection.