As much as I’d love to keep the holly jolly at bay at least until I can see my vacation days on the horizon, I went to the mall the day after Halloween and Feliz Navidad was blasting on the Muzak. My remedy for the early yule-tide cheer is to make sure it’s on your terms. Instead of letting the holidays gain on you until you’re a full-on Scrooge, slide into them slowly with a few small measures around the house. Have a look at what I do to ring in the holidays my way.
1. Light a candle Religious affiliations aside, some of us consider the tree to be the ultimate sign that the holidays are upon us. I go home to Florida for the holidays, so buying a tree isn’t exactly practical. It’s expensive and my cat will likely pull it down on himself, crushing ornaments… it’s happened before. However, the smell of a tree and of the holidays in general is just too good to pass up. There are tons of holiday scents out there, some very sweet like cookies (not my favorite), some crisp and green like a tree, some like chestnuts on an open fire. A couple of my favorites are:
Bath & Body Works Henri Bendel New York Firewood Scented Candle 9.4 oz, $26.00 from Amazon
I call this a “mandle.” It smells so manly and warm, it’s a perfect way to get into the indoor season, sans fireplace.
This stuff smells exactly like a fir tree. It’s yummy. Just put it in your tea-light oil burner and let ‘er rip.
2. Decorate… yourself You don’t have to resort to the ugly sweaters just yet. How about painting your nails for the season, say a snowy glitter or an evergreen or royal blue shade of festivity for your fingers? (Can we get a Menorah manicure, please?)
SEPHORA by OPI Four Piece Full Size Nail Colour Set, $28.00 from Sephora
OPI Dating A Royal, from Amazon
And by the way, if you haven’t looked at the OPI Muppets line, it’s fabulous.
3. Music… on your terms” Feliz Navidad” doesn’t make its way to my stereo, um, ever. My preference around the holidays is Jazzy holiday music. Yep, those cheesy looking albums being sold at places like Bed, Bath & Beyond, they’re really understated and charming. Pick your seasonal songs according to your taste and wrap presents in your comfortable level of winter cheer. They’re usually pretty inexpensive, and by now they’re everywhere from iTunes to Starbucks.
Verve Presents: Very Best of Christmas Jazz, $11.98 from Amazon
Those are my picks to get into the holidays at your own pace.
What do you do to make sure the holidays don’t build up like a snow drift on your back?
guest
I’m sort of immune to getting angry about early Christmas carols because of being in choir. We literally started preparing for the holiday season in August.
I absolutely love Christmas music and the whole holiday season in general, though. Actually, the only time of the year that I really don’t like is that awkward spot of time right after Christmas.
guest
Buy gifts and cards early.
When I manage to do that… things work out better.