Friday
10 Christmas Survival Tips For The Newly Divorced
I cannot think of Christmas without a vision of family. What if you are alone this Christmas? Not only do you not have your spouse but you don’t have your kids? The first thing I need to tell you is you are not alone; 50% of marriages split up and there are often kids in that mix. Either you or your ex has to be without their children on Christmas Eve or Christmas.
When you are newly divorced or separated this can feel like an overwhelming loss. Hauling out the ornaments and decorations may bring a flood of memories. It is common to ask yourself if the divorce or separation was necessary. Could you have worked through it? This ambiguity is heightened when you go to the mall and see couples hand in hand. You begin to wonder if you could have done something differently to make it work. Remembering the good times makes you more likely to feel depressed when you are newly divorced. Feeling sorry for yourself won’t make the situation go away.
There are things you can do to make this Christmas less heartbreaking and give you a deeper sense of gratitude. Children are barometers for parents, and if they see a parent unhappy it will make them feel sad. Don’t make your kids suffer your loneliness in your first Christmas without them. Make a plan now, and Christmas Eve will be a bit less painful.
1. Think out of the box. You don’t need to have the same traditions you had when you were married. If you are alone it is an opportunity to start over and do what really matters to you.
2. Make a plan to call your children at a particular time. Negotiate with your ex regarding what time would be good so as not to interfere with their holiday plans (the more you support your ex in being a good parent, the better chance your children have of growing up to be confident, well-adjusted people).
3. Invite family or friends over for Christmas Eve. The more you focus on serving others the deeper meaning Christmas will have for you.
4. If your kids are going to be gone for two or three days and you cannot bear being in the house alone, plan a short trip. Instead of buying gifts no one needs, splurge on a short trip you always wanted to take. People are very friendly this time of year, and most likely you will not have to struggle to make friends.
5. Allow yourself to do whatever you could not do when the kids were with you. Take a hot bath, or stay up and read until 3 a.m.
6. Watch a movie that makes you feel uplifted.
7. Do something creative. Maybe a room in the house needs to be painted. You are alone, and no one said that you cannot decorate or fix up the house on Christmas Eve. Make it your own holiday, and do what takes your mind off your loneliness.
8. Remember that divorce shatters both partners’ self esteem. This is not a good time to be looking for Mr. or Mrs. Right. Much wiser to call an old friend and ask them if they can listen for a while.
9. Write your story. The more people can write about their thoughts and feelings the quicker they can work through them and gain understanding. Who knows, you may be creating a best seller.
10. Light a candle, turn on soft music and pray. You are a spiritual being having a human experience and this part of being a human is painful.
Most people are afraid of being alone. For many the fear keeps them trapped in broken relationships and broken families. If your marriage didn’t work out, and you do find yourself alone at Christmas, celebrate the fact that you aren’t trapped in a marriage that was broken. Look to tomorrow, believe in the lessons you learned today. You're going to be okay.
Labels: Christmas, Cool, Story
# posted by Dany @ 2:59 AM
Tuesday
A Christmastime Love Story
Christmastime always transformed me.
It made my heart expand in my chest, placing me in perpetual rapture for at least two months out of the year. I was inevitably intoxicated by the twinkling lights, the smell of cookies baking, our family's annual trip to the tattered Christmas display at Fountains of Wayne.
But riding the subway while donning a Santa suit required a certain extra something… an un-self-consciousness that allowed you to pretend that everything was business as usual, despite the fact that you were wearing a dirndl made out of a Christmas tree skirt from the dollar store. I didn't really have that something, but I was trying to pull it off as best I could. It helped that I wasn't alone. Somehow, I had talked my boyfriend into joining me.
Our relationship had never been boring. After meeting on Friendster (of all places) two years earlier, I immediately began dragging him along to a series of Moroccan restaurants, dive bars, and techno clubs I was reviewing for a forthcoming nightlife guide. It was my only source of income, but he didn't seem to mind. He told his friends that I made life exciting. Later on in our relationship, he submitted further, dutifully attending cuddle parties and sexy soirees with me, and even trying out a handcuff set and various vibrating toys—and participating in an associated photo shoot—for Women's Health magazine. He may not have been completely comfortable, but he always tried to keep an open mind.
Now, he was standing beside me, wearing a full Santa suit courtesy of Party City, clutching a hat and fake beard in his fist, and staring pointedly at his spat-clad sneakers. This time, we were trying out Santacon, an annual dawn-to-dark mass gathering that celebrated spontaneity, ingenuity, and riotous holiday cheer. Creative costuming? All-day drinking? Christmas? I couldn't help but want to be involved. We arrived at our destination by 10 a.m. and, by 10:15, there were hundreds of us gathered in a park just within the Brooklyn city limits. It was at this time that the great, lumbering machine that was Santacon headed for the Brooklyn Bridge. Michael and I allowed ourselves to be swept up in the oversized scale of it all, staring around like a couple of hicks as we headed into Manhattan en masse. It was about 11 a.m. when we all crowded into South Street Seaport, taking over a pub on the third floor of the mall. We were cold and windburned, and smooshed ourselves eagerly—shoulder to shoulder—into all available seats. We simultaneously angled for the bartender's attention and introduced ourselves around, trying to down our beers before the word came to move on.
We stormed the financial district next, gathering on the steps of the New York Stock Exchange and bellowing out raunchy holiday lyrics for the onlookers. Looking at Michael mid-holler, I thought that I had never seen him happier.
We eventually relinquished our hold on the NYSE and continued on, in search of our next beer. We spread out in scraggly groups along the sidewalks, heading uptown. The side streets beckoned with their benches and charmingly placed lampposts, and Michael kept begging me to stop for a moment and enjoy the scenery. I, however, was loath to exit the predominately red current, afraid that we would lose the trail (though how anyone could possibly lose track of hundreds of Santas is now beyond me).
Michael finally gave up and pulled closer. "You're making this difficult," he said, "so I'll just have to do this while we're walking. Would you be my Mrs. Claus?"
I looked up at him with my nostrils flared, sure he was joking.
He stuck a hand down his Santa pants—which he was practically swimming in—and dug deep, trying to find the pocket of his sweatpants. When his hand finally reemerged, he was holding a jewelry box that was immediately familiar to me, pale gray and velvet. He struggled out of his oversized Santa gloves and opened the box that contained my great-grandmother's engagement ring. "Would you be my Mrs. Claus?" he repeated, completely earnest.
If I had thought that the magnitude of Santacon could not be matched, I was wrong. At that moment, the event—and its hundreds of participants—receded until there was only the two of us. He walked along beside me, still holding the ring box and waiting for my answer.
Considering all that he had subjected himself to over the past couple of years—and all in the name of love—how could I turn him down?
Feeling both exhilarated and slightly drunk, I found myself saying yes to the scariest thing of all.
Labels: Christmas, sexy, Story
# posted by Dany @ 2:16 AM
Tips Treat: 10 tips to decorate a Christmas tree
1. Putting Lights:
Lights are the focus of Christmas decoration, so the best way to start and make your tree look appealing is making use of lights. The tree shines in shades like gold, white and blue. You can also go with all one color or have a contrasting multicolored effect.
Lights are the focus of Christmas decoration, so the best way to start and make your tree look appealing is making use of lights. The tree shines in shades like gold, white and blue. You can also go with all one color or have a contrasting multicolored effect.
2. Ribbons:
Ribbons are one of the oldest ways to accentuate the Christmas decoration, and a great alternative to tinsel. Colorful and bold patterned ribbons can be twisted around for one-of-its-kind look. In addition, ribbons on tree garlands and pearls also makes for the look. French-wire ribbon is considered to be the best, as it can be bent and twisted into shape.
Ribbons are one of the oldest ways to accentuate the Christmas decoration, and a great alternative to tinsel. Colorful and bold patterned ribbons can be twisted around for one-of-its-kind look. In addition, ribbons on tree garlands and pearls also makes for the look. French-wire ribbon is considered to be the best, as it can be bent and twisted into shape.
3. Choose a theme:
The best way to go about it is to opt for the decoration scheme, as it makes the style statement for your decoration. You can choose color themes like gold, silver, red or pink or you can style the tree after traditions too such as the German style tree the Victorian style tree etc.
The best way to go about it is to opt for the decoration scheme, as it makes the style statement for your decoration. You can choose color themes like gold, silver, red or pink or you can style the tree after traditions too such as the German style tree the Victorian style tree etc.
4. Pine cone decorations:
Baubles have always been the mark of the decoration. So, apart from using different colored baubles, there are different ornaments that you can think of going for. Pine cones are the sober and sophisticated way to add glittering to the tree. Metallic spray paints like silver and gold highlight the different textures of pine cones, and also adds luster to them.
Baubles have always been the mark of the decoration. So, apart from using different colored baubles, there are different ornaments that you can think of going for. Pine cones are the sober and sophisticated way to add glittering to the tree. Metallic spray paints like silver and gold highlight the different textures of pine cones, and also adds luster to them.
5. Other ornamental decorations:
Apart from the usual ornaments, large angels or violins in gold or white also makes a great decoration ideas. Arrange them on alternating branches and in a straight row down the tree for a better look.
Apart from the usual ornaments, large angels or violins in gold or white also makes a great decoration ideas. Arrange them on alternating branches and in a straight row down the tree for a better look.
6. Jingle bells, and Santa:
Without the jingle bell, stockings and Santa Christmas is just so incomplete. Adorn the trees with the red and white themed decoration with the bells and Santa hanging around. Also, do not forget to add the snowflakes and the stockings to your superfestive decoration idea.
Without the jingle bell, stockings and Santa Christmas is just so incomplete. Adorn the trees with the red and white themed decoration with the bells and Santa hanging around. Also, do not forget to add the snowflakes and the stockings to your superfestive decoration idea.
7. Blue-and-Gold Christmas Tree:
A combination of blue and golden is catching up fast for the decoration. A striking gold-and-blue color scheme enhances the overall look. The golden ribbon with the blue baubles is the simplest and elegant way to decorate a tree.
A combination of blue and golden is catching up fast for the decoration. A striking gold-and-blue color scheme enhances the overall look. The golden ribbon with the blue baubles is the simplest and elegant way to decorate a tree.
8. The Moon and the Stars:
Celebrate the holiday season with the heavenly blessings of moon and stars. Make use of stars and moons for the entire decoration.
Celebrate the holiday season with the heavenly blessings of moon and stars. Make use of stars and moons for the entire decoration.
9. White Christmas:
Of course, Christmas often brings the white season with it, so a white Christmas is a good idea to go about. The white tree looks just like feather. Golden ornaments are the best way to decorate it, however rich blue also adds to the grace.
Of course, Christmas often brings the white season with it, so a white Christmas is a good idea to go about. The white tree looks just like feather. Golden ornaments are the best way to decorate it, however rich blue also adds to the grace.
10. Final touch:
Decorating the Christmas tree is ultimately all about proportion. So, it is important that you don’t forget to crown the tree with a star, or an angel or any other ornaments that best suits your decoration.
Decorating the Christmas tree is ultimately all about proportion. So, it is important that you don’t forget to crown the tree with a star, or an angel or any other ornaments that best suits your decoration.
Labels: Christmas, Cool, Interesting
# posted by Dany @ 12:53 AM
Monday
Bizarre Christmas Traditions
Christmastime is here. We all have our own holiday traditions – in my family we watch a Christmas movie on Christmas Eve and stuff our faces. Your family might do something different. Shoot, you might even be from another country, where there are what seem (to us) like some pretty wacky traditions. Some you might like to try…some you might want to skip.
El Caganer – The Great Defecator
His name is El Caganer. He’s a figurine for your nativity scene. He’s a red-capped peasant, or a monk, or another type of figure (nowadays you can buy them of famous people). You place him a little bit away from the rest of the figures in your nativity scene. Because he’s crapping. Yep. El Caganer translates to “the great defecator” in Catalonian. It’s not sacrilegious – the “fertilizer” means the year will yield a good harvest. If not, it’s a heck of a conversation piece.
Kiviak – Dig Up the Dead Bird
Hiding Your Brooms
Bad witches and evil spirits could exist here as well as Norway. Norway takes preventative measures on Christmas Eve, when evil baddies and baddie witches might try to make off with your brooms. Hide all your brooms! Apparently, Christmas Eve is a prime broom-joyriding time in Norway. It could be here, too!
Kallikantzaroi & Pig Jaw Protection
Similarly, in Greece there is a need to ward off bad spirits. Kallikantzaroi are evil spirits that live deep inside the earth most of the year, but wreak havoc on Greek homes over the Christmas holiday. There are lots of ways to ward off these pests, which are described differently at every turn. Some say they look like people, some say they look like very tall things that wear metal shoes. I happen to like the description that says they have monkey arms and red eyes and are covered in fur. Just hang a pig jaw inside the chimney to keep them from coming down it.
Skating to Church
On a lighter note, the capital city of Venezuela has a neat tradition. The streets in Caracas are closed off in order to allow churchgoers to get there by roller-skate. Nothing like getting a little cardio in before a church service.
Stirring the Pudding
Pudding is very important in the Christmas traditions of Great Britain. If you make the pudding right, it can bring you luck as well. Legend has it if you mix your pudding in a clockwise direction and make a wish the wish will come true. Just make sure everyone in the family gets a whirl – it’s rude to keep all the wishes for yourself.
Lose a Shoe, Gain a Man
Tired of being single? If you’re a woman you can do this simple Christmas Eve tradition from the Czech Republic. Just go outside in the daytime, stand with your back to your door, and toss one of your shoes over your shoulder. If it lands with the toe facing the door, it means you’ll get married within the year. If you aren’t tired of being single try it anyway. If the heel faces the door then you’re in luck!
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?
If luck is what you’re seeking, you should take a hint from the folks in Portugal. The ‘consoda’ feast takes place Christmas Day. You set extra places at your dinner table for the souls of the dead. Offer them food and they will bring you luck throughout the year.
Don’t Throw Out That Horse Skull Just Yet…
Or, if you’re looking to make some extra cash you can follow this old tradition from Wales called the Mari Lwyd (Venerable Mary). It’s easy. Just find a horse skull, because you’ll need that. Also, make yourself a horsehair sheet (maybe out of the salvaged hair of the horse you get the skull from) because you’ll need that, too. Get yourself some mummers and a bucket. Now, go out about the town covered in the horsehair sheet holding the horse’s head up on a pike. Make the horse’s skeletal mouth bite people you meet in the street. If it “bites” them, they have to pay a fine. Put the money in the bucket. At the end you have a bucket of money, or a horse head on a pike in a very uncomfortable place.
Poop Log
Both of the top two bizarre Christmas traditions come from Catalonia, Spain. The first is a tradition that is fun for the whole family. Get a log. Hollow out the log. Put a face on the log, and some arms and legs. Make it look like a reindeer or a dog or something. Start “feeding” the log on December 8th. It should be full of candy and toys and stuff by Christmas. Then, beat the log (or “Caga Tio”) until he “poops” out all the goodies. If the stuff won’t come out, there is a song you can sing. It translates to “Poop log, poop turron, hazelnuts and cottage cheese, if you don’t poop well, I’ll hit you with a stick, poop log!”
Labels: Christmas, Funny, Interesting
# posted by Dany @ 1:33 AM
Thursday
Ancient Christmas Post Cards and Christmas Paintings for Art Lovers
Here is a bunch of ancient Xmas Post Cards and some Old-Fashioned Christmas Paintings and Christmas Pictures for Art Lovers this Christmas holiday.
"Xmas" used on a Christmas postcard, 1910
Christmas morning 1894 by Carl Larsson
Under the Christmas Tree by Franz Skarbina 1892
Weihnachtsmarkt Berlin 1892
A Christmas Party by George Henry Durrie, 1852
Christmas Eve 1904 by Carl Larsson
A Winter's Day by Paul Gustave Fischer
The Shortening Winter's Day by David Farquarson
The meeting of the magi
The Shepherds Adoration of the new-born baby Jesus
The Angel by Edward Burne-Jones
Brita as 'Iduna' by Carl Larsson
Labels: Art, Christmas, Interesting
# posted by Dany @ 2:36 AM
Tuesday
Fast and Easy Decorating Ideas for Christmas
Deck the halls super fast with these decorating ideas for Christmas
Short on time and decorating ideas for Christmas? If so, worry no more! Here are some great ideas for your Christmas decorating that you can do in a snap. Use these ideas to quickly transform your home and give it instant holiday cheer!
Add instant holiday cheer by making an arrangement the focal point of each room. In your living room and family room, place festive arrangements on your coffee tables and mantles. In the dining room, use an arrangement on your table and sideboard.
Believe it or not, you can probably make stunning arrangements with items you already have around your home. At the very least, you'll most likely only have to supplement with a few items.
Believe it or not, you can probably make stunning arrangements with items you already have around your home. At the very least, you'll most likely only have to supplement with a few items.
already have around your home. At the very least, you'll most likely only have to supplement with a few items.
Check out these beautiful table arrangements and get Christmas decorating ideas from them. By using trays, vases, ribbon and ornaments you already own, you can combine these items to make stunning displays.
Candles
Check out these beautiful table arrangements and get Christmas decorating ideas from them. By using trays, vases, ribbon and ornaments you already own, you can combine these items to make stunning displays.
Candles
Candles are cheap. That's why they play such an important part in your instant Christmas decorating plan. Take this quick and easy decoration for example. All you need is a tray, some fresh cranberries you get at the grocery store, and some inexpensive votives. Voila! Instant decoration.
Or, simply replace the tapers you have in your home with gold, silver, cranberry red, or forest green to add the holiday feeling to your rooms. Take all your pillar candles, arrange them on a table, add greenery and a bow, maybe a pinecone or two, and you're set.
Bows
Bows always dress up decorations, arrangements, and candles. Buy some wired ribbon for easy box making and decorate vases, candlesticks, and throw pillows .
Greenery
Greenery is free and easy to get. If you live in the city, take a country drive and carry along a pair of wire snips. Collect branches from cedar and fir trees, magnolias or holly bushes - whatever is available in your part of the country.
Now, take this greenery home and decorate! Lay greenery on your tables, mantles, and windowsills. Add in a bow, a candle, or Christmas ornaments to complete the look.
Ornaments
Or, simply replace the tapers you have in your home with gold, silver, cranberry red, or forest green to add the holiday feeling to your rooms. Take all your pillar candles, arrange them on a table, add greenery and a bow, maybe a pinecone or two, and you're set.
Bows
Bows always dress up decorations, arrangements, and candles. Buy some wired ribbon for easy box making and decorate vases, candlesticks, and throw pillows .
Greenery
Greenery is free and easy to get. If you live in the city, take a country drive and carry along a pair of wire snips. Collect branches from cedar and fir trees, magnolias or holly bushes - whatever is available in your part of the country.
Now, take this greenery home and decorate! Lay greenery on your tables, mantles, and windowsills. Add in a bow, a candle, or Christmas ornaments to complete the look.
Ornaments
Don't think for one moment that Christmas ornaments are just for trees. If you're like most people, you have more ornaments than will fit on your tree. Use these extras or buy boxes of inexpensive, 'plain' ornaments at a discount store for Christmas decorations.
You can jazz up the ornaments with some glitter or ribbon and then use them to decorate your home. Instead of candles, group your candlesticks together and place an ornament on top of each.
You can jazz up the ornaments with some glitter or ribbon and then use them to decorate your home. Instead of candles, group your candlesticks together and place an ornament on top of each.
Hang ornaments with different lengths of ribbon in doorways, in stairwells or from chandeliers. Fill baskets with ornaments or lay them in greenery.
You see! You have most of the materials used in these Christmas decorating ideas. Start searching and rooting through cabinets, storage sheds, and closets and gather supplies. Then, get to work making and creating some of these decorating ideas for Christmas.
You see! You have most of the materials used in these Christmas decorating ideas. Start searching and rooting through cabinets, storage sheds, and closets and gather supplies. Then, get to work making and creating some of these decorating ideas for Christmas.
Labels: Christmas, Cool, Events, Interesting
# posted by Dany @ 2:03 AM
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