Journal Your Christmas Giveaway

A more sane holiday season? Here in Oz it is so hot for christmas and the cicadas chirrup so loud there is no possible way it could be sane so lets crazy it up all we can! 2 new grandchildren will certainly pump up the hype - I'm really looking forward to it.

I am really planning on enjoying this season with my boyfriend. Keeping things as simple as possible during the busy season. We dated a few years ago and took some time apart and have been very happily back together for 6 months now. I am ready to enjoy this blessed season with the man that is such a blessing to me. God is GOOD!

I am not going to put up as many decorations as I have in the past.

Hopefully it will be more sane because I plan to make a lot of the gifts and the ones I'm buying, I plan to buy early!

Keeping the focus on activities which highlight the real meaning and spirit of Christmas keep me sane. I also do my cards and present buying/making well in advance (having to get gifts etc. to overseas destinations helps keep me focussed on this) I find if I am not rushing around the shops etc. at the last minute I am able to wander around and simply soak up the atmosphere as much or as little as I want!

To keep this holiday season less crazy, I'm going to do less shopping and more making of my gifts. I'm also challenging myself to join in with the December Daily project. Every year I plan to, but things get in the way. So this year I'm going to make the time to join in the fun of documenting December! Thanks for all the inspiration!

Great give away! I was feeling pretty proud of myself since I already had the kids make their lists and I made a list until I was talking with one the moms at school yesterday. She has already written out her Christmas cards, shopped AND wrapped her presents. SHe assured me it was all due to being home with her daughter for an entire week (swine flu). Yikes now I feel low achieving. Help!
Jen

HAPPY FRIGGIN' BIRTHDAY!!

sounds like loads of fun :-) I just love the holidays!!!

Since we find ourselves in a very odd season of life this Christmas, having lost our home and most everything inside to a fire in March, I am going to focus on staying sane by taking it one day at a time. I also plan to look for opportunities, no matter where we are living during the month of December, to make the holiday season special, document those things, and just live in the moment. I want to enjoy it, no matter the circumstances that surround it. That for me, is the ultimate goal.

I cant wait to figure out how I going to pack everything up to go home for Christmas. Seeing snow again and all my family. It will be crazy but it will be the best.

I am planning to de-crazy our holidays by not trying to travel to see everyone, and giving myself permission not to feel guilty about it.
What an awesome giveaway! It sounds like a wonderful class.

ohmygosh!!! ali, thanks for this amazing giveaway!

I plan on just enjoying things as they come and not stressing out about how little time I have with the Christmas season, school and work.

Hi Ali,
This year my Christmas wish is to STOP and be in the moment, we end up rushing from family to family and my kids spend most of Christmas day in the car. This year I hope we can just BE together and enjoy each other.

I've done the journal with Shimelle for the past 3 years and love it. If I win I want to have two of my good friends enroll in the class. Fingers crossed

I am going to try and have my sewing and shopping finished by Dec. 1st. That way I can enjoy the Christmas season.

An extra, planned and intentional focus on the meaning and spirit of Christmas, down to the point of taking a sold week right up to Christmas off together and sharing in the joy. This will mean I have to be extra organized and, as of today, I am up for the challenge!
Thanks for all of the inspiration!
Lyn

i plan on getting started earlier this year. i want to do some charity work this year and get back to the reason for the season.

I think I'd like to give that "embrace imperfection" thing a try! Over the past few years I have had to let a number of things go - I just never let go of the feeling that I'm not doing everything I'm supposed to do!

I am going to try and be present, rather than skipping ahead to what needs to be done next. Present and appreciative.

My mother died just after Christmas 2004 and the following year I found it hard to get the Christmas spirit going. As a consequence Christmas celebrations have been far less frenetic affairs and we have all loved just being together and celebrating the season. I doubt I will ever return to the Big Production Number I used to host and that I was too exhausted to enjoy.

I read a reminder that stated, "If you were to quit your job, they would find a replacement within days and life would go on. If you were to die, your family would feel the void forever." My investment in life is my family. I don't want to miss out.

I hope to make our Christmas more sane by being more prepared. i started shopping just after Christmas last year and have kept a gift journal of what I have bought so that I don't overspend my budget but can complete my shopping and wrapping early.
Decorating will start this weekend with a small bit each weekend until the tree goes up-then I can relax and enjoy the festive feel of my home!

This year we are not traveling anywhere for the holidays. That always makes things saner. I also begin planning ahead with lists of preparations and gifts and make a lot of the things we give.
I am really excited about this giveaway. I would love to do Shimelle's class but cannot afford the expense right now.