Tuesday, December 6, 2016

A Different Way to Celebrate December

You may have heard me mention jenn (she likes lowercase) around these parts before.  She's the only blogger buddy that I know and am friends with in real life, or as the kids say it "irl".  Like, we've shared a meal in person kind of friend.  (Not that I wouldn't be happy to do so with many others of you...there's just this thing called an ocean that separates most of us.)  In fact, I've known her since before the world of blogging...way before.  We shared the same homeroom from 9th through 12th grade. 

She created this super clever, creative, fun scavenger hunt of sorts that helps put some positivity, goodness, and kindness out into the world.  Here's a recap of her November adventures.  She's doing the same for December.  I know, I know.  Decembers are crazy busy for all of us.  But, I'm going to try to squeeze a few of these activities into my month.  Why don't you join us?


December 1, 2016

it's ten this time because a) time, b) money and c) it's my bloggy and i can if i want to. mental floss compiled a list of fourteen days to celebrate in december. i'm using some but not all because of the aforementioned reasons. if you choose to blog about this, photos are required, but they don't have to be selfies (see reason c). you can do them in any order you'd like. they do not have to be tied to their day. you've until december thirty-first to complete this thing.

one. december first. national pie day. also national eat a red apple day. buy, or if you're feeling especially awesome, bake an apple pie and take it to the servers of a favored restaurant. they bring you food and drink at your beck and call. be sweet and bring them some treats.

two. december second. national salesperson's day. i've done more than my share of time in retail hell. i know how dreaded this time of year is for the gals behind the counter. when you're out shopping for those special gifts, ask an associate what a good pick-me-up would be. what can you do to put a bright spot in her day? chances are good it'll be a simple as a cup of starbucks or, in the case of one of my manager friends, a route forty-four diet coke from sonic with hardly any ice in it.

three. december fifth. bathtub party day. things are about to crazy, yeah? or maybe they've done so already? all the shopping and the baking and the trimming of the tree... treat yourself to a time out. snag a favored scented shower gel from bath and body works (or wherever you go for that stuff... i'm partial to bodycology's white gardenia, which can be found at the grocery store for like four bucks), pour a glass of wine, put on some music or listen to a bit of an audio book you've been dying to read but haven't had the time. give yourself a blessed hour. your family will probably thank you for it.

four. december sixth. st. nicholas day. surely you know a nick or a nicholas (or maybe a nicole?). take some time out of your day to send a special note to that person. 'tis the season...

five. december tenth. nobel prize day. here's a list of the laureates in literature. choose one and share a line or two from a work you admire.

six. december twelfth. poinsettia day. pick up one of these gorgeous creations and take it to a friend you've not seen in some time.

seven. december thirteenth. national cocoa day. take a breather from the christmas shopping. treat yourself to a cup of hot chocolate.

eight. december fifteenth. cat herders day. surely you know someone who's got one too many cats in his or her house. and surely those cats are wreaking havoc on the christmas decor. find a cute cat card and send it their way. they may be needing the reminder of why they love the things right about then.

nine. december twenty-first. winter solstice day. the longest night of the year. the hardest time of the year for some. there are those who are grieving. there are those who are in the throes of some pretty wicked depression, and this time of year is NEVER good for them. find a way to bring them some warmth, to shed some light. check with your local service organizations and see what you can do to help those in need. take some flowers to a senior living facility. treat a friend who may be grieving to lunch or a movie. or just sit with them for a while. listen.

ten. december twenty-eighth. national card playing day. we spend so much time on our phones or sitting at computers being "sociable". try getting a group of friends together for a game of hearts or spades, uno, skip-bo or phase ten. turn the television off. sit at a table and enjoy each other. have a game night. unwind.

21 comments:

  1. love you, lady. you're a gem. :]

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  2. I don't know how related this is to the topic at hand, but summer solstices are MUCH harder for me (usually when my husband is away). This past summer (and the one last year and then 4 years ago when he was deployed) was never-ending. I'd rather have a long night than a long day.

    I like the idea of having a list that's not necessarily Christmas related to check off this month!

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    1. i can see how that solstice would be harder for you. that would be a heck of a long day. i hope he'll be with you this coming year.

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  3. December 13 is my daughter's birthday. I think that I shall also celebrate, for her, national hot chocolate day. She will like that.

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    1. with extra marshmallows. :] happy birthday to her.

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  4. This is so fun! We celebrate St. Nicholas day in our house - the girls put shoes outside their bedroom door and he leaves a book for them. It was a tradition in my house growing up too :) So their books arrived from St. Nicholas this morning! :)
    National card playing day definitely sounds do-able! I like the nobel prize day too!

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    1. i like that tradition.

      my great uncle is a monk, and when he entered the monastery and was in the process of confirming his choice to devote himself to that life, he had to choose a new name. he chose nicholas, after that saint. so we celebrate his feast day (december sixth) and his birthday, like their both is days. :]

      i'm glad you think it's fun. i do try.

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  5. What a fun idea! I love it especially the card playing day with friends. My husband, sister & youngest actually did that on Thanksgiving, we sat at the table & played Sorry. :)

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    1. i love that game! my nephew loves it, too. so long as he's winning. he's kind of like me...

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  6. I love this! I adore Christmas, but after a while it all gets pretty exhausting! So, I love having some kindness/cheer to spread along the way! So, thank you!

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  7. Bathtub party day... who knew!
    I'm all about card playing day. I'm always up for a good game.

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  8. How fun! I like hot chocolate day and cat herder's day made me laugh. Max doesn't wreak havoc on my Christmas decorations. Oh wait. I don't decorate (celebrate elsewhere, not a grinch!). Otherwise, I'd need like 20 cards. LOL!

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    1. thanks tanya. i enjoyed a cup of hot cocoa today actually. was a nice treat.

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  9. This is a great list! I appreciate that you can do them in any order - of course I've ticked off the chocolate related one without even knowing this list existed :) Uno was the game of my childhood I think!

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    1. thanks, rachel. yeah, i figured making people stick to the days might be too much of a challenge.

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  10. Great idea. I'm going to try it.

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  11. This post is lovely. I love the giving nature that it promotes and it makes me happy to know that people out there are so willing to give during this time of year.

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    1. thanks, kimmi. that's how it should be, though, yeah? i saw on facebook the other day, a blogger was bashing the generosity others had exhibited toward her: neighbors gave her kids' toys for christmas; someone ahead of her in line bought her family's dinner at a restaurant. she's all, give to the RIGHT people, those who are in need. and i'm like, just give. period. someone wanted to be nice to you. take the kindness, and say thank you. you get what you give, so if you are giving, you have to be able to receive, as well. i get what she's saying, but... someone bought your meal, so you can use that money that you would've spent on dinner and give in the way you'd prefer people give.

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