Christmas Stress Prevention Plan
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The Gremlin of Missing or Broken Kitchen Utensils
Gremlin Havoc Story Timing is crucial! We are in the final hour before dinner. It’s time to open a couple of cans of cranberry sauce, since I didn’t have time to make them.
I plug in the electric can opener. It’s broken! Now what! I dig around in a few kitchen drawers for the manual can opener.
It’s gone missing! Horrors!
Gremlin Havoc Story
Gift opening and brunch in the morning ran longer than expected. With way too many distractions, the turkey went into the oven 2 hours late. A quick decision was made to cook it at 450 degrees for the whole time.
It’s time to take the turkey out of the oven for carving. What a beautiful looking bird, all nicely browned, lots of drippings to make the gravy.
WAIT! Is the turkey really cooked enough? Does a leg wiggle loosely in its socket? Do the juices run clear?
Where is the meat thermometer? Oh no! Gone missing, or never had one. All the vegetables are cooked and keeping warm in the oven.
Gremlin Stress Prevention
Conduct a thorough search in your house for missing kitchen utensils, or, consider them permanently missing, and purchase new and better ones. Repair, or replace the broken items and small appliances.
If your old beloveds show up after you have purchased new ones, no worries! You now have a gift or a stocking stuffer for next Christmas. Now isn’t that easy? One can never have too many meat thermometers.
Stress prevention now ensures a gremlin-free Christmas and more fun for you.
The Gremlin of Christmas Trees
Gremlin Havoc Story
Out we go to buy a Christmas tree. This is a fun family event that we look forward to every year. Or not! We are usually in a hurry, but then who isn’t?
We find the perfect tree, bring it home and stand back admiring our choice. It just needs a few branches cut off at the bottom so it will fit it into the stand. Now, where on earth did we put that saw? We don’t have a saw!
My husband rushes out and picks one up at the corner Dollar store. Wow! That was cheap! Back to the tree.
On the first attempt to saw off one of the branches, the friggin saw breaks, a finger nearly goes missing, but not quite.
It is bad enough, though, to require emergency care at the closest hospital. A few hours later, with several stitches and a bandaged up hand, the source of all this pain and trouble is still waiting for its trim. The branches still have to be cut off. And, so little time!
Gremlin Stress Prevention
Take stock of your tools. Purchase whatever is missing. Replace all Dollar Store bought items with good quality items, for safety’s sake. Make sure everything in your tool kit, and/or your very well organized workshop, is in top notch condition.
The Gremlin of Christmas Tree Removal
Gremlin Havoc Story
This one is actually my own personal experience. Christmas and New Year’s celebrations had come and gone.
Reluctantly I decided to take the tree down. By the time all the lights and decorations were removed the branches were almost bare. It reminded me of Charlie Brown’s tree.
Most of its needles were lying on the floor and some had even been scattered throughout the house, thanks to our two cats. No problem!
My husband carried the tree out while I vacuumed. Suddenly with a loud thud the vacuum cleaner quit. Now what? Check the bag. It’s OK, not too full yet. Check the hose – oh dear! A big clump of tree needles combined with icicles, dust bunnies and a variety of unpleasant looking what-nots were jammed up in there, just out of reach, of course.
Gremlin Stress Prevention
Place your fresh tree, in its stand, in the middle of a large white sheet. Then fold the white sheet back up under the tree, leaving the stand open for its regular watering. Gifts can be stacked on the snowy white sheet and you have a great traditional look.
Or, if you prefer a more elegant look, you can place a lovely velvet festive cloth over top of the sheet.
When it’s time to remove your tree, open up the sheet, lift the tree out of the stand and move the stand out of the way. Wrap the sheet up around tree and carry, or drag it in the sheet, out of the house.
Sweep the few remaining needles into a dust pan rather than risking damage to your vacuum cleaner.
Time to take action now in the interest of stress prevention and your happiness. Go ahead now, have fun and remember to stay present...
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