7 Thoughtful Things to Do This Christmas Season

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I love to receive gifts. I love to give gifts. But more than anything I like thoughtful gifts that speak volumes without saying a word. Those are the gifts I tend to remember and cherish for a long time, while I will probably forget where that wallet came from. 

The consumer driver industry tells me to make more gift guides and include everyone including your pet. But I want to share with you  ways to give this Christmas season that will cost you close to nothing, except your time.

1. Bake Cookies. You can gather family together for this occasion and enjoy the whole process together. Who wouldn't like to enjoy a warm chocolate chip cookie in a lovely company? Or you can bake different types of cookies and give them as gifts in pretty tins or bags. You can also throw a cookie-exchange party and enjoy everyone's creations, while you only have to bake one. 

2. Volunteer. There are plenty of places where they can use your help during holiday season. For example in our town it may be pregnancy center, hope house or soup kitchen. Donating your time is the most valuable resource because a lot of people get busy this time of year and those in need get overlooked the most. 

3. Babysit. During this time of year, mothers are especially busy, preparing food, buying gifts and receiving out of town guests. A mother may be overwhelmed and stressed out trying to make a perfect Christmas for her family. Don't forget to take some time and volunteer your services even for a few hours. She will appreciate it very much.

4. Visit a Nursing Home. Go to your local nursing home and visit with folks, listen to their stories and sing Christmas carols. They will be glad to see you and it will break  their monotonous routine. Just don't forget to bring cookies - older folks don't care about calories so pile them on. 

5. Give Blood. Donating blood is one of the single most selfless things you can do for others this holiday season (and the rest of the year). Just one pint of blood can save up to three lives. Not everyone is eligible to give blood, so check with your local blood center to see if you can give this generous gift.

6. Pay It Forward. Make some one's day by paying for their coffee at drive-thru or order at restaurant. They may never get a chance to thank you but will be elated at the thought of such kindness. You can even include a note that the waiter can bring to them with Merry Christmas wishes. 

7. Write a Letter. People all over the world are separated from their family during this holiday season. It can get lonely and depressing especially for troops and volunteers overseas. Write them a letter of appreciation and send a box of cookies. It may get there late but nevertheless it will make them feel closer to home. 

Are Meaningful Posts Worth The Trouble?

 

Why do people blog about clothes and what not? Because it's safe. You don't have to put yourself out there (well, just your best looking self) and there isn't much effort that goes into it. Let's face it - fashion blogging is not that hard. You go shopping, buy the best clothes you can (or cannot) possibly afford, wear them (while doing other life activities) and then post pictures of yourself looking fabulous and pretty. Done.

Blogging about meaningful issues and personal feelings is hard. That means a) you have to be honest b) you have open up c) you will probably get hurt. That is why very few people do it. You have to have guts to stand up for what you believe in and don't let other discourage you. On the other hand, why open yourself up for that much hurt? Because there is more to life than clothes, and because life is too short not to do something worthwhile with it.

So for a few minutes I decided to write about insightful, important and even controversial things. Then I was too worried about what other people will say, but then again, I wanted to change the world.

I'm not here to change the world. I'm not here to even change your world, I'm here to do my part and live my life the best I can.

If I  would have told you that I have been going through challenging part of my life personally, it would be an understatement. But you wouldn't know by all those pretty clothes I hide behind. And to me, that just seems fake and hypocritical. But how do we change that without preserving privacy and not leading you on to believe that I'm better than everyone else? Achieving balance in life is the hardest part.

Social media let's us portray only certain parts of lives, making perfection the standard for living. The perfectly staged Instagram pictures and happy-go-lucky Facebook updates lead us to believe that other people have it all together. 

Life is difficult and trying but I want to go through it all and come out on the other side - stronger, better and have gained a lot of wisdom. 

Thank you for stopping by!

On Becoming a Morning Person

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This is me. Well, not really a picture of me but what I'm doing every morning at sunrise. I'm running. Thanks to some friends, and marathon-running sister of mine, who encourage me along.

I've never been a morning person. Since we got married, hubby and I would stay up late and then sleep in until cows came home. It's a little different now - baby wakes up by eight am every morning and one would think that we would change our sleeping habits. But we really haven't been doing a good job going to sleep at a normal time, i.e. before midnight. We would stay up way too late and be exhausted the next morning, hating it every time. 

With the daylight savings time and early sunrise, I feel like I'm loosing precious time by not waking up early enough. However waking up @5:30 am just to be by yourself isn't exactly all that exciting. I hit the snooze button and go right back to sleep. Even if I'm trying to have extra time to do my Bible study, with a cup of tea in hand and half asleep. 

It's just not motivating enough. 

But when a group of us agrees to meet at six am to exercise, it's a totally different story. It's like there is an obligation to go. First, I have to keep my promise to come, and then, I will get all those texts if I don't. Having somewhere to be at a certain time makes the whole thing very official and important.  

Mind you, I only ran a few days but I already like it. I love the quietness of the streets, crisp morning air, and the gorgeous morning sunrise. I push myself to exercise, having some time think and clear my mind. And the half an hour girl talk after the run is so much fun that I would come just for that.

Then I come back early enough to make pancakes from scratch and have prayer time, all before everyone wakes up. 

Now I just can't wait for nap time, because I'm already exhausted even though it's only ten am.

My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. (Psalm 5:3)