Spreading the Holiday Cheer Advent Calendar

When I was a kid, at the beginning of December, my mom would pin an advent calendar on the wall for my brother and I. At first, we were happy to open the little doors and see pictures of elves or animals holding presents, until one year when some distant relative send us one with chocolate inside and then after that, pictures just didn't cut it. We had to have a chocolate advent calendar every year. If the chocolate behind the 24th door of December seemed bigger than the others, we would argue about who would get the odd numbered doors and who would get the even numbered doors. I don't remember how we settled that dilemma , but I do remember running out of bed in my pajamas when it was my turn to open the little door.

For the past few years, as I grow older and wiser, (the wiser part might be an illusion...) I take a moment before the holiday frenzy starts to remember what's really important to me during this special time of year. This year, I decided to sew an advent calendar, put little 'treats' in each pocket for the boy and my husband, but also reminders of how to spread good holiday cheer. Here are the 24 cheers I came up with. Hope you enjoy them.

1. Tradition Day. Share your favorite memories of Christmas with others. Start or revive a holiday tradition for yourself and your family. My favorite is making Lussekatters for St-Lucia Day on December 13th. Watch for a post about soon.

2.  Rethink Giving Day! Before doing more holiday shopping, think about what you already have; books, games, toys, clothes, jewelry, magazines etc...and think about people who would like to receive a gently used gift.

3. Cheerful Budget Day. Set an amount for holiday spending which feels comfortable for you. Make a list of people you want to give gifts to and research the cost of these gifts before you go out to shop. Set aside a portion of this budget for special food and libations too.

4. Charity Day. Choose a way to share your resources this holiday season. Maybe it's not volunteering at a soup kitchen handing out plates of mashed potatoes, maybe it's just popping a coin in an expired meter for someone. Do what makes sense to you even if it appears to be a small gesture. It all counts.

5. Smile Day! Use your smile to spread good cheer today.

6. Happy Friend Day. Call a friend you haven't talked to in a while and wish them Happy Holidays.

7. Listening Day. Instead of contributing to a conversation by giving your two-cents or talking about an experience you've had, contribute by being super curious, asking lots of questions or just plain listening.

8. Neighbor Day! When the weather gets bad, we all cozy up in our homes and don't see our neighbors as much. Make a point to connect with a neighbor today. Give them a call, knock on their door, make extra food and share or leave a small gift at their door.

9. Story Day. Find one of your favorite books, place a note or a Christmas card inside saying something like: "Hi there stranger! Hope you enjoy this book as much as I did. Happy Holidays!" and leave it somewhere for someone to find.

10.  Hug Day! Give someone a hug, not a quick squeeze, a nice long hug as if this person was going away for a long, long time.

11. Quiet Day. Seek quiet moments throughout your day. Create them for yourself; two seconds in the car before starting the motor, reading in bed before sleep, watching the weather through a window, taking a walk outside etc...

12. Red and Green Day. Get in the holiday spirit by wearing red or green today.

13.  Spread the Fruit Day! Staff rooms are notoriously bad for the waistline during the holidays.  Resist the temptation of another "treat" by stuffing fruit in your bag before you leave for work. Take extra for others.

14.  Someone you know hasn't heard you say "I love you" in a long time. Find or call that person and tell them. If you haven't told them in a long time or ever, they might be a bit shocked or weirded out, but don't worry about it. They'll get over it and love you back for it!

15. Make space for your new socks and underwear day! Throw away all your lonely socks and questionable underwear; what a way to get ready for the new year!

16. After You Day! Let people pass in front of you today. In front of your car, in front of you in line-ups, through doorways, on the bus for a seat etc...

17.  Give a Man a Compliment Day!  Men in your family, friends, co-workers even men you don't know.

18. Coffee Day! Bring a coffee to someone who looks like they might need a boost.

19. Rewrap Day. Use your creative self to find ways to wrap your gifts by reusing what you might already have on hand. Look around a home and at the office and collect materials. The internet if full of ideas and tutorials so take a look here or here or here.

20. Service Day! Imagine being in the shoes of the people who give you service today; mail workers, cashiers, bus drivers, store keepers etc. Give them a big smile, a big thank you, a card or a small gift.

21. Do Less Day. It's easy to get caught up in the holiday frenzy, even if you have your zen on, so to slow things down, take things off your to-do list. Ask yourself if each task is really necessary and if you can do without it. Scratch things off the list with pleasure.

22.  Spread Gratitude Day. Write or make a mental note of everything and everyone you are grateful for. Share it with others and they too will be reminded of all that they are grateful for.

23. Holiday Planner Appreciation Day. Someone you know has been running around, preparing the holidays to make them special;  someone is shopping, decorating, menu planning and cooking. It might be you, your spouse, a friend or a family member. Take a moment to thank them for their effort.

24.  Turn off the House Lights Day! Spend some time in the glow of your Christmas tree, light a fire or candles.

Sock Monkey Advent Calendar

Advent Calendar Treats

There are a zillion ways to make your own advent calendar, just take a look on Pinterest or you can buy one made of 24 little paper boxes at Ikea and fill them yourself with chocolates, little toys, snacks, love notes etc... Happy Advent!

Living Your Values

Puppet show on the drive to Rio de Janeiro

It's been just over 2 years since my son was born and I've been a stay-at-home mom. People ask me all the time when I'll be going back to work, like staying at home couldn't possibly satisfy me completely. The thing is, I'm really good at being a stay-at-home mom. I am infinitely blessed that our slightly tight budget still allows me to take this fabulous unpaid job.  It's by far the most emotionally and physically demanding job I've ever had, but less stressful and free of office politics and mean gossip.  It utilizes many of my strengths and incorporates my values.

Years ago I wrote a list of activities that I enjoyed as my younger self like doing art and making forts. (see list below) Then I wrote out the reasons why I liked doing those activities. Certain words kept popping up, indicating my values.

• Being creative
• Being with people
• Learning and doing something new
• Fun
• Adventure
• Being thrifty 
• Moving my body and being outside

These values define who I am and have not changed since my childhood. As a stay-at-home mom, I am constantly using my creativity and my sense of fun and adventure to entertain, care, invent, imagine, feed, teach, and love my family. Would I be as happy as a stay-at-home mom is my values were expertise, travel, career advancement, or making money? Maybe, but it seems to me that I'm suited for this job, even if the hours are long. When am I going back to work? What do you mean? I am at work! and it suits me!

If you're interested in rediscovering some of your values, take a look at what I wrote below to get started. If you often have urges to run away to a tropical island to write a book or sell all your belongings to travel the world, it's usually because you're not able to incorporate your values in your life enough. I once had a cubicle job alone in a box with a computer. Every day I would cry all the way to work. 4 months later, I quit. None of my values were being met.

Take a quiet moment and have fun discovering yours!

Childhood

Drawing and Painting, Arts and Crafts:

I like colors.

I can give it away to someone and they are happy.

I made something nice that didn’t exist before.

It looks nice. Sometimes it tells a funny story.

I can be creative. It’s attractive.

I’m away from my own thoughts

Playing with my Barbie:

I make costumes for her out of remnants.

I like to comb her hair in different ways.

I play pretend that she has adventures and she meets Ken.

I can play Barbie with my friends and we invent scenarios together.

It’s creative. It’s playful and fun.

Hanging out with mom:

We cook together

We sew clothes for the summer

We go to Madame Pas Cher and pick out clothes

We sing songs

We have arts and crafts projects and I give them to Jim

We prepare for Holidays together

We go outside and play

It’s fun. We are creative together. There’s a sense of adventure.

Making forts

We use our imagination and build cool towers and tunnels

Making the fort is more interesting than the end product

We invent stories about our fort

We build something new.

Playing Lego

We use our imagination to build cool things

We can take it apart and start over.

Every project turns out different.

Playing games

We can play board games and have fun

We make up our own games and rules and then try out different ways to make the game more fun.

It’s fun. We are creative together.

Camping

We can be outside and enjoy nature

We learn new sports like canoeing and skiing

We can swim and eat yummy food

We sing songs and make a fire

We learn new things

I move my body. I am in nature. I’m learning.

Spending time at my cousins

We have fun building forts

We invent games to play

We swim in the pool and ride our bikes

We are outside and the weather is nice

My aunts and uncles are funny and nice and cook yummy food for us

It’s so much fun. I feel part of a group.

Visiting Grandmaman and Grandpapa

We get to travel

We visit them and they are so nice

We eat food we don’t normally get to eat

Grandmaman lets me help with her cooking

She gives me presents.

She makes me something that she knitted that I can wear.

I like to go in the garage and look at the hand prints on the walls, I’m scared that the floor will fall through. There’s lots of junk up there and it’s like a treasure.

I like the smell of the town and of the house.

During the holidays, the whole family is there and we sing songs, play games and exchange presents. Everybody is happy.

It’s an adventure. I feel loved.

Adolescence

Sewing

I can create something cool

My friends praise my talent

I look different than everybody else

It’s like a puzzle and I can use different fabrics

I feel pretty in what I make

I can do this with a friend and it’s fun

Photography

I can walk around outside and see things in a different way

I can’t tell how anything will come out until I develop it

I like to experiment in the dark room

Ceramics

I like to play with dirt

It’s creative and I have to concentrate to make it look good.

Something useful comes out in the end

I can be creative, it’s visually attractive. It’s useful.

Halloween

I start thinking about it early and think of all the options

I try to think of a cheap and creative way to make a fantastic costume

I like search around for the materials and putting it all together

I can sew, glue, and draw

I get praise from others when I’m done and I feel proud

It’s fun

I can pretend I am someone else

I can be creative, it’s visually attractive. It’s fun.

Travel

I like to go to new places with friends

It’s fun to organize what we will need to make the trip a success

We can be outside

We can meet new people

We can get to know each other better

We can try new things, like food, activities, sports

We can see new things, nature, cities, architecture

I like to go to thrift stores when I’m traveling

I like to plan fun things to do during our travel, like games and contests

I can be with my friends

I can be free of work and just enjoy

I can go camping

Anticipating something new. Looking for something worth the money. Seeing new things every day. Spending time with others.

Playing Sports

I feel good when I exercise

It’s fun to be with friends

It feels good when we win

I like to go different places to play

I like to learn new sports and get better and better at them

Being part of a group. Moving my body. Feeling alive.

Thrift Stores

I never know what I’m going to find

I have an eye for unusual things

I like to buy cool things and have them in my house

I feel good because I got a good deal and I saved something from the dumpster

I think older things are often more interesting than new things

I like to have different things in my home and people come over and look at them and are interested in them

Sense of adventure. Looking for something unique. Reusing. Like a treasure.

Making Gifts for Others

I like to find interesting things to make gifts with

I like to use my sense of design to make something attractive

I like to use paper and fabric

I built pillows, journals, bed spreads, paintings, painted boxes and suitcases

Every project is different

I like to give to others

I like wrapping gifts creatively

Creative, I can use lots of different materials. I like to give away what I make.

Young Adulthood

Traveling

Planning and reading about new places to go

Driving and not knowing what comes around the bend

Seeing beautiful nature

Meeting new people and seeing how they live their life

Eating new food

Learning new things everyday

Relaxing

Having fun trying new things everyday

Telling others about where I’ve been

Sharing the experience with someone else

Planning and keeping track of the budget

Swimming, camping, hiking

Exploring all the options

Sense of adventure

Looking at new people and things. Looking at scenery, architecture. Listening to new sounds and eating new things. Appreciating nature. Feeling free and without stress.

Hosting Parties

Planning ahead of time an interesting theme

Making decorations and costumes

Planning the food and cooking

Drinking and socializing

Preparing games or playing board games

Making people feel comfortable and happy. Entertaining them.

Taking Classes

Learning something new

Meeting new people

Doing something creative, design, writing, projects, presentations

Being resourceful

Sharing my knowledge with others

Learning something new.

Decorating

Going to thrift stores and decorating my house in different ways

Rearranging furniture

Painting

Sewing cushions and curtains

Making art to go on the walls

Having people over to enjoy a nice meal

Going to garage sales to find what I need

Creative. Thrifty. Color. Texture. Mood.

Imagining myself else where

Teaching

Finding ways to make things fun and instructive at the same time

Laughing

Meeting new people and learning new things from them

Developing curriculum

Being in front of people

Performing

Inventing games and ice-breakers

Leading by example

Generating hope

Helping others

Helping others, sense of accomplishment when someone gets it. Fun

Surprising Others

Collecting interesting data about the world to surprise others

Learning a magic trick

Finding interesting products on the market and buying them as a gift

Making homemade gifts for others

Telling funny jokes

Making people feel good. Smile. Using my creativity.