Shaking Things Up this Christmas

Are you struggling with being at home this Christmas without your family and friends? I felt that way a few years ago. The first Christmas of my concussion. It had only been a few months, so I couldn’t handle a lot of anything. Another Christmas I was starting to dread.

That was until my mother-in-love suggested audio books to Michael and I. Michael had grown up listening to them as a child. They would listen to cassette tapes of stories written by C.S. Lewis and Louis L’Amour on their way to a campground in the summer. It had become a fond memory of the family. Some of them still listen to recordings of books to this day.

Unlike Michael’s family, I hadn’t been as familiar with it.  In fact, the only time I had ever listened to an audio book was as a young child. I listened to “Grandpa Time” tell me stories as I went to bed. So, it was a little foreign to me when Mom mentioned it. But considering I had nothing else to do, I thought I’d give it a try.

I was pleasantly surprised. If you’re looking for something to keep you and your family entertained, here’s a great idea. Order the Christmas Pack Vinyl Café by Stuart McLean (https://zunior.com/collections/stuart-mclean-stuart-mclean-full-digital-albums/products/download-new-stuart-mclean-vinyl-cafe-christmas-pack). It is absolutely hilarious and entertaining.

Leave off the house lights and turn on all your Christmas lights. Get yourself a warm drink and a blanket, and sit down on a comfy couch together. Then listen as Stuart fills your imagination with all the craziness of Dave and Morley’s family Christmas shenanigans.

I take my own advice this year in slowing down. We all had a very slow and different spring this year. Life seemed to pick back up in the summer and then got back to crazy busy this fall. But, as we approach the holidays, lets remember what we enjoyed about the slower pace this spring. Let’s appreciate time with family, even if it’s back online. Get creative and shake things up this holiday season. Try new activities that aren’t as fast paced. Here are some tips:

• Listen to a podcast or audio book like the Vinyl Café
• Learn a new dance or make one up
• Reenact some of the Christmas story or another story that you like
• Watch a Christmas movie that you haven’t seen before
• Call someone that you haven’t talked to in years
• Do a puzzle
• Try painting or a craft
• Bake something new
• Buy and give a gift to someone you don’t know
• Shovel your neighbourhood’s driveways
• Go sledding (be a kid again)
• Go for a walk in the park and take in the winter wonderland (dress accordingly)
• Spread Christmas out. Find something special or new to do each day from Christmas Eve to New Year’s
• Make a list of everything you can think of that you’re thankful for
• Make a list of people needing prayer & spend time each day going through it. Remember, you’re taking more time
• Read the Christmas story from the various books in the Bible that reference it (Isaiah, Matthew, Luke, John)

My parents never let us say that we were bored growing up. We had plenty of toys and things to do to entertain ourselves. We had friends in the neighbourhood. We really didn’t have an excuse. It used to annoy me when they said that, but now I’m so grateful that they did. I had to get creative as a child. I think it helps me now as well. There’s very rarely a moment that I’m lost in what to do. There’s always something.

Don’t let yourself get stuck in having a bored, lonely, “Blue Christmas” this year. Find ways to get creative and make new memories. You might just surprise yourself and have one of the best Christmas’ yet.