Christmas Countdown Ideas to Dazzle During the Holidays

You know how people get crazy and seem all wackadoo during the holidays?!  I was one of them.  A man in a car cut me off and I screamed, "What the f**k!"  Well, polish up Mom of the Year trophy (again) because my daughter was in the car and asked me what I yelled.  Of course I told her the truth, "What a schmuck!"  

I write this blog post as much for me as for anyone who needs to sparkle yourself up so you can dazzle during the holi-daze.  We have to fill up our cup in order to have it runneth over.

12 Days of Christmas Countdown, inspired by Dr. Oz The Good LIfe magazine.:
 

1.    Sugar lips – Makes me think of my favorite karaoke song.  I sing badly, so awful that people shush me in church.  But sweetie, I can belt out the tune, "Pour Some Sugar on Me."  Now you can pour it all over your lips.  For those mistletoe moments, we want them to be velvet soft.  Gently massage this brown sugar scrub on your pucker, and lick off lips.  2 tsp brown sugar, 1/2 tsp olive oil, 2 tsp honey.

2.    Take an email vacation day – set automatic reply to feel the peace and joy.  

3.    Tinsel nail polish.  Pretty for the holidays.  This brand is great because you can do it yourself and mistakes don’t show.  The color is Gilty Party by Sally Hansen!  Woo hoo!

4.     BYOT – Bring Your Own Tree by making a Christmas tree for your desk from cuttings and a cup/vase.

5.    “Christmas Spirit” drinkie makes for a jolly time.  Cocktail or Mocktail.  I actually start mixing it up on Thanksgiving because it is sooooo good. Thank you Emily Mazzella for the recipe.

    

4 cups chilled cranberry juice

     2 cups orange juice

     2 cups vodka

     2 tablespoons of sugar

     2 tablespoons Quantro

     1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

     1/4 tsp ground allspice

     1/8 tsp nutmeg

6.    Sparkle powder yourself before every shopping trip or wrapping session.  Available at Victoria's Secret.

7.    Smiling’s my favorite.  Watch the movie ELF to get out of a cotton-headed-ninny-muggings mood.

8.    Drink out of crazy straws, candy cane style.
  http://store.krazystraws.com/product/603X-07.html

9.    Glitter Flowers – spray flowers with glitter spray from Michael's.  http://www.michaelsfloralsupply.com/glitterspray.html

10. Holiday Jam with Pandora.  Pick your song and get a whole playlist in same genre.  http://www.pandora.com/

11. Best Scent Ever.  Make your home smell sweet without baking.  1 cup cranberries, sliced orange peel, 1 tbsp cloves, 3 cinnamon sticks, 2 cups water into saucepan and simmer for 30 minutes.

12.  Sit on Santa’s lap and BELIEVE that good things are coming your way!  For more fun, watch my Pop Up Comedy Quest For Xmas Cheer.  http://youtu.be/5G2Iml-t8UM

Happy Holidays!

Cyndy 

Quest for Christmas Cheer

Here's my Pop Up Comedy Quest for Christmas Cheer. 

Happy Holidays!

3 Tips to Beat the Holi-daze

An appreciation for elf culture is important during this season. "I just like to smile, smiling's my favorite."  Love the movie Elf!  Buddy beams joy.  The holidays are supposed to be a happy time but all too often they can leave you frazzled and exhausted.  When your schedule starts to stress you out, whoop it up with these three tips.

• Feeling Overwhelmed?  Take a short break to wrap presents.  Performing monotonous task can actually boost creativity and problem solving skills, according to study from UC Santa Barbara.  Could explain why I clean the house when I am mad.  

• On a tight budget?  Make the holidays about GIVING with a visit to a soup kitchen or nursing home.  Volunteering releases a trigger of feel good hormones.  Match your volunteer skills with a worthy cause at volunteermatch.org.

•   Grumpy, Scrooge-like?  You are not the only one who falls in a funk at the "most wonderful time of the year."  It’s the expectations.  Write a letter of gratitude or count blessing to rewire the brain's pleasure circuits. (Family Circle Dec 2013)  

BONUS MOST IMPORTANT TIP OF ALL:  MAKE FUN! Think "how can I CREATE some FUN" at a time when you are in the full throws of Stressmas?  Be your own best funmaker.   Here's a site that delivers a quick fun-fix in tune with the holidays.  Create an elfie!  Go to elfie.me, upload a photo, put on some antlers, and viola!

Coming next week:
Pop Up Comedy Video - Quest For Christmas Cheer where I visit the dump, talk with my exterminator, and sit on Santa's lap.