Archives for posts with tag: christmas

Have yourself a merry little Christmas …

December 25, 2015 //
0

  

The holiday season comes upon us quicker than we always expect. One minute we are trying to figure out what character we want to be for Halloween and before we know it we are scurrying to make Thanksgiving plans and we have become the last minute shoppers trying to cross everything off our lists. It comes up fast and we see story after story of charitable giving and people without homes attending civic services to make sure everyone is included in the festivities. But we often forget about the people that get lost in between the down and out and the well to do.

There are still people out there dealing with loss and pain for a whole number of reasons. Some have lost loved one, some are losing loved ones, and some are just not able to be with the ones they love over the holidays. They appear normal, they smile, and they may not show their pain.

As you’re rushing around and wrapping your presents, don’t forget to reach out to those in the middle. A phone call, a text, an invite to dinner can make a world of difference to someone.

Also don’t forget to be grateful for what you have, however little, because there is undoubtedly someone out there with less…less to eat, less to unwrap, and less to make them smile. Be thankful when you wake up and have your family around you, that they are not hundreds of miles away, that you don’t have to be away from them for the day.

I had the opportunity to move on to new adventures years ago, but the downside is that it took me a good distance away from friends and family. It was a good choice to go, but it also means that we have to pick and choose the days we get to spend together.

The friends I have made over the years have become life family to me and I’m grateful to have each and every one of them. But even with them, my line of work has often taking me away in the middle of the night, on the weekends, and over the holidays. Fortunately I finally have enough time in where that doesn’t happen too often anymore, but when it does it makes me realized what I have.

So just a quick reminded that when uncle **** and cousin who know who start to drive you crazy, it’s still nice to have family near- by, at least for the day 😉

Tags , , , , , , ,
Categories Family, friends, Relationships, social, Values

Tis the season – 10 tips for being a good guest

November 25, 2015 //
0

  
You’ll read a ton of tips this season teaching you how to be a good host. But people never talk about being a good guest. You probably won’t even appreciate that thought until you begin to host people at your house for a meal, or a weekend, or longer … 

It’s great to have company and to catch up with old friends and family. But hosting takes work, and can take a toll on someone’s sanity with the wrong types of guests. 

  1. Be on time. You can’t control your flights and traffic problems. And no one will mind a few minutes here and there. But if dinner is at 3:00, arriving at 5:30 is unacceptable. 
  2. If you are picky or need certain criteria met. Say so ahead of time or suck it up. Your host wants to cater to you and share what they have. No one likes hearing you ate before coming to dinne or refuse to eat what is being served.
  3. If you’re staying for a couple days, prepare to and offer to entertain yourself for a couple hours or even a day. Go sight seeing, go for a walk, explore the neighborhood. You host may appreciate the moment of downtime to throw in the laundry, clean up the house a bit, or just take a breath. 
  4. Do some research ahead of time and have a few ideas of things you like to do or see. There is nothing harder than trying to guess what will make people happy or keep their interest. Different people have different ideas of fun.
  5. Offer to help the host but also accept being the guest. Don’t take over their house – allow the host to host you. 
  6. Don’t treat the house like your home, but treat it like their home. No need for you to be rearranging how they keep things or to allow kids to “explore” every room. 
  7. Don’t come empty handed. If you can’t cook, bring a bottle of wine or buy an appetizer. (I personally always bring one bottle of red and one bottle of white – can’t go wrong). 
  8. Take note at how they keep their house. Leave the bathroom relatively like you found it. If you found wet towels laying on the floor, then it’s probably cool with them if you do it 😉 
  9. Read the crowd. If everyone else has left or gone to bed, check with the host and see if it’s time to go.
  10. Don’t forget to return the favor. Don’t always be the guest. Offer to to be the host once in a while – and hope your guest have read this article too! 
Tags , , , , , , ,
Categories current event, Family, friends, social, Travel