Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Are You Going To Be Bored For the Holidays?


Before I had kids as an adult I really didn’t have anything exciting I did for the Holidays. I’d either stay home in the apartment I shared with other college students or I’d try to scramble up something to do so I wouldn’t be home alone.

Now I have a few single friends who are in the same boat. Here are some things I figured out over my years of trying to entertain myself for Christmas.

VOLUNTEER

I know it sounds corny, but this time of year is the best time to volunteer. People are so nice and grateful to have a hand. You don’t have to go sign up for any organization, you can create your own elf like good deed. Like taking food to the elderly in your community. Or cooking for a friend or several that have nowhere to go on Christmas. Lastly, I used to volunteer at the soup kitchen and help with gathering donations for the women’s shelter.

TRAVEL

Believe it or not this is the busiest time to travel. Now, my family travels for the holidays. You know what else? Other friends of ours meet us with extended family at various locations and we have a wonderful time. Not only that, but there are a lot of other people that travel this time of year. We’ve met a ton of them and spread good cheer by saying hello. Most times we’ve met life long friends on these travel adventures.

GO TO TRENDY CHRISTMAS PARTY or HAVE ONE YOURSELF

This is the time of year for cheer. So throw a party! For everyone of all ages. I loved my Aunt’s Christmas parties growing up. All of the sisters would donate gifts for the kids. We’d play games in the basement while the grownups partied upstairs. Usually an older teen would coordinate our fun games like hide and get the present.

TAKE SOMEONE UP ON THEIR INVITATION

Go on! Do it! Go to your friend’s house that invited you. People love to see you just as much as you’d like to see them. So take them up on their invite.

All in all the holidays can be a great excuse to make someone smile. Even yourself, if you explore new things to do each year, you just may…make your very own Holiday tradition.

5 comments:

Debra Baseden said...

Yes, if you can think of it as getting together/helping out, that JUST so happens to be around Christmas, then maybe it won't be so overwhelming. BUT--how do you deal with that sticky topic of presents??

S.A. Larsenッ said...

LM - this is a great life post. Wonderful. Volunteering is a awesome. People think that giving of their time during the holidays will take away from themselves. It's the total opposite.

Beth said...

We usually travel for holidays too and it's great. Last year we went to Chicago, but we met a lot of Canadians staying in the hotel. Talking to them about Canada (we've never been) and their experiences was a lot of fun!
beth-project52.blogspot.com

LM Preston said...

I usually bake cookies or do fudge for presents. I dress of the candy like presents and everyone asks me about it weeks before the holidays. It's easy, cheap and fun to make.

When I was single it was the only gift I could afford for people, and now it's the only one they ask for :-D

Maria Zannini said...

Sadly, I can't remember the last time I was bored over the holidays. LOL.

One thing we used to do regularly was invite one or more people who didn't have family and didn't have anywhere to go for the holidays.

They were so glad to be invited nobody made any cracks about my cooking. :)