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Christmas Stress Prevention Plan It's never too early to begin getting ready for next Christmas. Use this playful stress prevention plan to eliminate gremlin havoc and have your best-ever Christmas Day dinner party.
Now that you have covered the ground rules of the gremlin elimination game, it's time to get motivated. A little reminder - lighthearted terminology is used throughout the plan in the interest of stress prevention. See Glossary of Terms. Read the true stories of how gremlins caused havoc for others and allow your own stories to propel you into action. At the bottom of each page you will be guided to your next steps. The Gremlin of Christmas Gifts Gremlin Havoc Story Three weeks before Christmas, not even one major Christmas gift had been bought. I had no idea of what to buy for my friends and family. I began asking people what they wanted for Christmas. Some friends were specific, some were not. There wasn't much time left now to even go shopping, but I squeezed it in around the office Christmas party, and other festive events that I wished to attend. My partner's choir group concert one evening the following week. My regular evening classes and meetings were still on. My best friend was having her annual pot luck dinner the week before Christmas. So many things to do, and just not enough time. What would I cancel? Who's feelings would be hurt? And, the stores - even more crowded now. The stress of Christmas was building. Gremlin Stress Prevention Begin early bird Christmas shopping now. Great sales occur in January - spend wisely now to avoid big spending in the future. Time is on your side. Wander through the stores, with hawk eyes, looking for stocking stuffers, or that perfect gift for your special friend. Don't know what to buy for whom? Allow your intuition to kick in. Then obey it. Gifts will suddenly appear with someone's name on it. Pick it up immediately. Trust your intuition. Gremlin Havoc Story Gifts are being opened on Christmas morning. A gift from my out-of-town sister is calling my name. Excitement is building as I carefully remove the beautiful wrapping. The decorative wrapping has been removed. Bubble plastic remains to be shed, but something doesn't feel right. It's a plate, but it's broken. How disappointing. It is a beautiful plate that completes my set of six. I know that my sister orders from catalogs and in this case, the plate may have come directly from the manufacturer. Gremlin Stress Prevention Catalog shopping works for many people. That style of shopping has been around for eons. If it appeals to you, do some research and find out which catalogs work best for your friends. Ask what types of gifts they have purchased; the condition of gifts when received; the best time to order to ensure you have them before Christmas, and in good condition. The Gremlin of Gifts for Hosts/Hostesses Gremlin Havoc Story Invitations begin coming in for holiday events. One just received by email is for a lunch with the girls, tomorrow at noon. My calendar shows a morning appointment that I must keep. I am free to attend at noon. I call and accept the invitation. Then, a little tremor hits me in the pit of my stomach. A gift for my hostess. What will I get her? Flowers? Wine? They are easy to pick up on the run. Anything will do, so long as I do not arrive empty handed. I wish I had something a little more unique than flowers or wine. Gremlin Stress Prevention Throughout the year be on the alert for unique gifts for hosts of special events. If you find one you really love, consider purchasing lots of them. Begin now, shop and stash them away. When the invitations arrive, its fun, and very satisfying, to shop in your own closet for the appropriate gift. The Gremlin of Tree and House Decorating Gremlin Havoc Story It is the week before Christmas. The tree is proudly standing, waiting to be decorated. I haul out boxes and bags of decorations and set them beside the tree. A sudden distraction draws me out of the room for a few minutes. When I return the tree is already partially decorated, by well-meaning and excited family members, before the lights are strung. So up they go now, quickly, weaving them in and around the hanging decorations, with just a little bit of regret. Oh look! One of the strings of lights dates way back to Grandma's childhood. How lovely is that! There, that's done. I plug in the lights (you already know where this is going). One whole string is out - dead, or so it appears. It's Grandma's string. Then I remember, if one light is burned out the whole string is rendered useless. Gremlin Havoc Story Tree ornaments are being removed from their wrappers, and hung on the tree. A few broken ones are discovered. Not enough hooks to hang the bulbs. Improvise. Where did those garbage bag ties go? Now for the icicles, not many left from last year. The poor tree is practically naked. Time is running out! Gremlin Havoc Story Two weeks before Christmas I usually display beautiful scented candles, special bathroom hand towels and soaps, festive little cloths for end tables, hand-made wreaths for front and back doors, and for over the fireplace. And, of course, Christmas stockings? Where are they? In the linen closet? Under the counter in the bathroom? In the basement - in which dark corner? In the Christmas decoration box? I search through the house, pull out whatever I can find and make do. So little time! Gremlin Stress Prevention Now is the time to check your entire inventory of tree and home decorations, Christmas cards and invitations, paper doilies, wrapping paper and accessories. The best sales occur right after Boxing Day, and early in January. If possible store them altogether in one place in the house. Personalize your checklist for early bird shopping. You might even get it all in one trip, but if not, don't worry. Remember, time is still on your side.
How many gremlins can you eliminate this month?
Note: To Do Lists can only be accessed from their corresponding monthly pages. To return to this page use the arrow in upper left corner of your browser window, or click on the link at the bottom of the page. Gremlin Havoc and Stress Prevention: January, February, March-August, September, October, November, December, Successfully Aborted Gremlin Report Christmas Day Character Roles and Assigned Tasks From January Christmas Stress Prevention to Last Christmas? What Stress? From January Christmas Stress Prevention Plan to Planning A Christmas Party
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