HEALTHY
LIVING
place in the afternoon, and people
are staying at your house, having a
pre-prepared breakfast casserole
that can easily be put into an oven
as people begin to wake up (coupled
with beverages to everyone’s liking) is
a great way that people can start their
day without tying up your kitchen for
the big meal.
Make sure you make a little extra of
everything for unexpected drop-ins
and last minute additions. The more,
the merrier! (If you’re ready for it.)
Managing the
of the
Chaos
Holiday
Shopping
Buying gifts for
a long list of
people when
most everyone
else is doing the
same thing can
be incredibly
stressful. Stores
are packed, it
seems like most
of the best deals
attract throngs of
people, and there
are often people
that you forgot
to get gifts for
that need to be
taken care of at
the last minute.
These things can
turn the Season
of Giving into
the Season of
season
loved ones to a disorganized, disapMarion E. Wildey
pointing mess that spark more hurt
feelings than delicious dishes.
Planning is the key. How many
There are so many mixed emotions
people are going to be there? Who
and time constraints during the
is going to be responsible for what?
holidays that the good feelings and
Making sure you know who is going
positive vibes are endangered by the
to be there, and everyone knows
chaos. Here are common problems
what they are responsible for will save
that arise, and possible solutions to
a ton of headaches. Of course, planinsure a healthy and happy holiday
ning the meal and being prepared is
season.
crucial as well. Considering people’s
dietary restrictions when planning a
The Big Holiday Meal
meal is a great way to say “I love you
Between coordinating all the family
and I was thinking of you” and will go
and friends (many of whom are travela long way to get everyone into the
ling to be there) and the magnitude of
holiday spirit.
the meal itself things can quickly go
If your big meal is going to take
from being a wonderful gathering of
36
|
WINTER GARDEN MAGAZINE
|
DECEMBER 2016
Anxiety.
There are three keys to avoiding most
of the stress of holiday shopping:
planning, the internet, and avoiding
the busiest times. Having a list of
who you are getting presents for is
a must, but also having a few key
phrases of things they are interested
in can help a great deal, particularly if
you are not as familiar with the distant
relative of friend’s spouse that you
are getting a gift for. A simple e-mail
or text question to someone close to
the future gift recipient will not only
alleviate a lot of the worry about what
to get them, the gift you do end up
giving will be more thoughtful and
show that you thought about the person when acquiring the present.