Christmas; The Most Stressful Time of the Year (PB)

 

 

The most wonderful time of the year is quickly approaching again, but with all that Christmas happiness, there is also a lot of stress. It's not uncommon for people to be worried about getting the perfect gift for a family member or friend during Christmas time. Recently my mom and I have been talking about our own Christmas stressors, after this conversation, I decided to share our opinion on different Christmas stressors with you: 

1. The Perfect Gift: 

For many, getting the perfect gift for everyone on Christmas is a must. Some people will even do to extraordinary lengths (of both time and money) to buy someone the PERFECT gift. One thing I confided to my mom is not knowing what to get her for Christmas. She's my mom, after all, she does a lot for our family and I wanted to make sure that she was going to have a great Christmas, and somewhere along the line having a great Christmas depended solely on giving her the perfect gift.  

After I told my mom this, she actually laughed at me. She told me that I had Christmas backwards if I thought gifts had anything to do with having a good Christmas she told me, "Christmas is about spending time with loved ones, not about giving or receiving the perfect or most expensive gift."   

Of course, being the mother that she is, she was completely right. Christmas doesn’t depend on getting gifts at all actually. In our family we do so much for each other all year round that worrying about a great gift for one day out of an enormous waste of time and energy.  

2. The Best Memories: 

My mom said another one of her stresses around this time of year was making the best memories so we would be able to cherish this Christmas forever. After a little bit of thought, my mom and I came to the conclusion that the best memories come when least expected; you can plan something as priceless as the time that our Christmas Eve party fell apart and we had to eat at the Chinese Buffet like they do in the Christmas Story. Although it wasn’t funny then, now its hilarious! And it’s a Christmas dinner we will all cherish! 

 

3. People Pleasing: 

After having this conversation for a while, my mom and I asked my grandma how she felt about Christmas stressors and she said her biggest stressor during this time of the year would be trying to make everyone happy. She said it can be stressful to plan the Christmas Eve party (She still doesn’t find the Chinese Buffet incident of 2008 very funny) while entertaining her brothers, sisters, cousins, nieces, nephews, children and grandchildren. She wants to make it perfect, and she's always afraid to disappoint the family if its not.   

After discussing this for a while, my mom reminded us that family is the most important thing during the Christmas season, and that as long as we have each other, the Christmas party could never be terrible or disappointing. She also reminded us that perfection is impossible, and sometimes we just have to trust that things will work out okay (and that we won't be eating a not-so-traditional Chinese Christmas diner.)  

 

I hope that while reading this you have relived yourself of some of your Christmas stressors and that you can have a very merry, and stress-free holiday season (and that you don’t end up at the Chinese Buffet!)  

 

Thanksgiving PB

Thanksgiving. This word means many things to different people. For some its warm turkey and grandma’s homemade stuffing. For others it’s all about football. And for some still it’s about getting their Black-Friday on early. For me, Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday, but not for any of the reasons I’ve already listed.

Thanksgiving, to me, means spending a day with my family and being thankful for all of the things I have, like a kind family who enjoys getting together and eating homemade food, playing games, sharing pictures and memories, making more memories, exchanging early Christmas gifts, late birthday gifts, advent calendars for the littlest cousins and sometimes the older ones too, we laugh at our burnt yams and our dry mashed potatoes because those aren’t the important things, then when the snow takes out the TV, we laugh at that too, because it’s not as important spending time together, nobody ever leaves early for shopping, because we have all that we need right there, together at the table for one day of thanksgiving and family.

It disappoints me to think of how forgotten Thanksgiving has become in our culture. I'm ashamed to think of the stores that open at 5 o’clock on thanksgiving with early-bird specials for Black Friday shoppers. Not only are they dragging families out of their homes to get the “best deal” on what’s going to be “the only availability” for some Christmas gifts, but they keep employees away from their families as well.

This year, I want to encourage others to think more about being thankful for simple things like family, friends, and good health. Then maybe carry all of this thankfulness into the Christmas season, as well as the New Year.

 

 

Slipping, Slideing, and Skidding

It’s that time of year again, when the snow and ice make driving a danger for even the most experienced drivers. Seeing as I got my permit just 5 months ago, this will be my first time ever driving on the slippery sleety and sometimes snowy roads, and you could say I'm rather nervous, and I assume most of my peers are as well.

In theme of the quickly coming wintery driving, I decided to write my blog this week about the dangers of driving in the snow and the precautions everyone should take to drive safe. And if you feel that winter driving isn’t a big deal, several studies have shown that 70 percent of winter accidents are automobile related and that your are 36 percent* more likely to have an accident in January compared to July, so it’s important that we all take the proper precautions while driving during this jolly season.

The first step to safe driving is vehicle maintenance. Check tires, get your car maintenance when it needs it, don’t let the little squeaks go unchecked, and get your oil changed regularly.

After reading several other websites, it’s suggested that everyone have an emergency kit in their car so drivers are always prepared for the worst. Some of the most important items to have are:

• Spare tire
• Ice scraper
• De-icers
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• Flares
• Jumper cables
• A small shovel
• Blanket
• Extra cloths and sturdy shoes
• Bottled water
• Non-perishable food
• External phone battery
• Band-aids

(check out this link for more tips, some things were added to this list my mom’s personal emergency kit)

Taking care of your car’s tires is also necessary to be able to drive safely during this slippery slidey season. During this cold season, you should check your tire tread and pressure weekly to make sure things are working correctly.

Reduce your speed and increase your following distance. Ice can be hard to spot and slippery roads can make stopping take longer. Drive smart and be alert during hazardous winter weather. Make sure you have good visibility before you start on the road, which means scraping all your windows fully and eliminating the fog build up.

Breaking in the winter can be tricky so always remember:

If your wheels start to skid…

Remain calm and in control

Keep your eyes on where you want to go, not where your skidding car is heading

Don’t hit the brakes hard

Steer into the skid

After your car is back in control, accelerate slowly and smoothly, this will help your car regain grip

(link)

For us new drivers, it’s important to remember to not be ashamed of being nervous about driving in this new obstacle, and that it’s okay to ask someone to drive you when you’re not comfortable behind the wheel. It’s always better to be safe then to try and be a hero.  

Halloween (PB)

 

Halloween was just a few days ago, and I decided to write this blog because Halloween seems to be a holiday that no one appreciates as much as they should. It seems like everyone has decided Halloween is a holiday for kids under the age of 14 and that it was only created to increase the number of obese children. But after doing some research and reflecting on my own Halloween experiences, I’m here to convince you it’s neither of these things.  

Not many people know the history or the origin of Halloween. First, Halloween, originally, All Hallows Eve is the last day on the Celtic calendar, it was originally a pagan holiday that was a day dedicated to honoring the dead. All Hollows Eve dates back over 2000 years making it one of the oldest holidays celebrated today.

All Hallows Eve also marks the end of summer and harvest, so the Druids, a Celtic people, celebrated this holiday by dressing up as witches, ghosts, goblins, and the like to keep from being possessed by the evil spirits that wandered the world on this day. The also left out crops for the spirits as a gifts, many researchers believe that this was the beginning of trick-or-treating. It is believed Halloween came to America through  the Irish immigrants that fled Ireland during the Potato Famine of 1846.

So now that you know more about Halloween, I ask you, why do many Americans feel that it’s a holiday just for children and candy?

For me Halloween is a great opportunity to spend time with friends. Though many people would say I’m too old, I still dress up and go trick-or-treating every year. Why? Because it’s fun! Getting older doesn’t mean you have to give up on having fun, dressing up a little ridiculously, and eating too much candy!  

Treaure Hunting: The Joys of Geocaching

Have you ever wanted to go on a treasure hunt? Do you enjoy the outdoors? Would you like an activity that you and your whole family can do together? Then Geocaching maybe the perfect thing for you!

Geocaching is an activity my mom and I started doing a few years ago after we discovered our mutual enjoyment of hiking and received a handheld GPS for Christmas. Since that time, we have found quite a few caches and even convinced some of our family and friends to take up the hobby as well.

Geocaching is defined as an outdoor treasure hunt where participants use handheld GPS to locate hidden caches. A geocache, or cache, is a container ( some containers are very small like golf balls, others very large, such as a hollowed out tree) that has a login where you sign your pseudonym and can have some type of trinket that you take and replace with a different one.

Aside from all the fun Geocaching is, it can also be really good for you as most geocaches are hidden somewhere in the woods and can be a long walk or hike away. The fresh air is my favorite part of the geocaching adventure and is also really good for your health.

Another amazing part of geocaching is all the time I get to spend with my mom! Sometimes it feels like my mom and I don’t have any time to be together, and it’s fantastic to be able to turn off the cellphones and do some adventuring!

I would suggest that everyone gives Geocaching a try; it can be very fun, healthy, and beautiful, especially in the fall. For those interested, click this link to the Geocaching website my mom and I use sometimes.

Chicken Noodle Soup for the Soul (PB)

There’s nothing more nostalgic than the delicious smell of your grandmothers homemade soup simmering on the stove top, especially if you feel yourself coming down with a cold!

Unfortunately, I have found myself rather under the weather this weekend, and all I can think about is chicken noodle soup! I mean, it is pretty much the international meal for sick people, and whether it’s homemade or Campbells, the medicinal and psychological effects of chicken noodle soup are real.

Many people believe that chicken noodle soup has few physical properties that cause you to feel better, but this is far from the truth. Chicken soup is actually a health food. Chicken is an anti-inflammatory that can help relieve some of the miserable effects of the flu and some colds. Another factor that makes chicken noodle soup so good for you is the broth as it can help keep you hydrated and restore some of the liquids you could have lost while you were sick. The heat from any soup can also clear up congestion that occurs in your sinuses while you're sick.

But aside from all of the health benefits of chicken noodle soup, I personally believe it’s the psychological aspects of chicken noodle soup that make it so wonderful.

Just take a minute to imagine the taste of chicken noodle soup when you're not feeling your best…

…The taste of chicken that has been so carefully prepared by your mother. The carrots, celery, and onions that have become soft after being boiled in the sweet chicken broth. The egg noodles that practically dissolve in your mouth on your first spoonful. The warm broth as it seeps down your throat and heats your entire body from the inside out…

I mean, it’s no wonder why it’s called Chicken Soup for the Soul! The soup reminds you of how it feels to be taken care of when you're sick, and it revives memories of eating something so lovingly prepared by a parent!

Whether you're a believer in the miracles of chicken noodle or not, next time you're feeling a cold coming on, sit down to a nice, hot bowl of chicken noodle soup and let it do its thing!

And I think I'm going to go and have some now!

Being the Inspiration (PB)

As most of you already know, tomorrow is the first day of fall which marks the beginning of one of my favorite things: swim season. Though the swim season is always long and busy, swimming is something I love so much that even a week without being in the pool feels like an eternity!  The start of this season has been particularly exciting because one of the coaches on the YMCA swim team suggested starting a program where an older swimmer mentors a younger swimmer.

The idea of mentoring a younger swimmer has got me thinking about the importance of inspiring others. Because of this, I’ve been thinking about all the people who have inspired me in many different aspects of my life, and how I can learn from them to inspire others.

One inspiration of mine, who came to my mind while I was thinking about this blog, is a girl who would probably never consider herself an inspiration. This girl is a section leader in the marching band, and she has taught me so much more than how to be a decent musician. She has taught me the importance of knowing where everything is and where everything needs to be. She has taught me that anything is possible with hard work and dedication. She’s taught me that the best attitude is the calm and collected, especially when faced with a difficult challenge. She’s encouraged me, and told me things will be okay, even when things are looking really bad. From her I’ve learned that things are what you make them, and that having fun and doing things correctly can be done simultaneously.

After thinking about all the things that people who have inspired me have taught me, I’ve realized that inspiring someone is a lot more than just influencing them with few quick words of wisdom. Inspiring someone is when you give them the tools and the encouragement to be the best they can be. Whether it’s mentoring these younger swimmers or helping someone in another way, I want to inspire them. I want to be a role model that helps people be the best they can be.

As a challenge, I want you to think about the different people who have inspired you and made a lasting impression on your life. How can you use what you’ve learned from others to inspire those around you?

Ice Bucket Challenge: Are You Doing the Best Thing For ALS? (SSR)

The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is a viral trend that has been sweeping the world for the past few months, and I’ve heard that the challenge has raised millions of dollars for ALS research and treatment, but I haven’t heard much about what ALS actually is.

Originally, after scrolling through my Facebook feed over the summer, I saw quite a few of my Facebook Friends posting videos of themselves getting drenched in ice water. All of these posts had similar captions; “This is my ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, and I was nominated by soandso and I nominate thisperson”. Honestly, I think I could’ve gone through this social media craze without ever finding out what ALS is!

Fortunately, when my mom and I were nominated, I sat down and did some research about ALS. I learned that ALS, Amyotrophic Lateral Scleroses, also referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. The degeneration of motor neurons stops the brain from having control over muscles in the body; this will eventually lead to paralysis and then death.

A few days after doing my Ice Bucket Challenge I was talking to a woman who had just recently done her own challenge, and she said that even after doing the challenge she didn’t know what ALS was. This got me thinking, do people doing the Ice Bucket Challenge know what they’re even doing the challenge for? So after going through my Facebook feed and searching for more videos on YouTube, I came to the conclusion that a lot of people don’t post what ALS is, or how people can help the organization, or encourage their Friends to raise awareness for ALS.

So my first point in this blog is: how’re we raising awareness for ALS if we aren’t posting what ALS is?

 The Ice Bucket Challenge, in my opinion, has turned into more of a trend then a way to raise awareness. More people are looking up funny Ice Bucket Challenges and Ice Bucket Challenge bloopers than looking up how to help fund ALS research or signs and symptoms of ALS. Now, I'm not writing this blog post to say that everybody that has posted their Ice Bucket Challenge video has gone without describing what ALS is, or doesn’t support ALS or ALS awareness. I’m writing this to encourage more people to do what the challenge was made for, which is of course to raise awareness about ALS, this bring me two my second point in writing this blog…

What’s the best way to support and raise awareness for ALS?

For me the best way to support and raise awareness for ALS was to write this blog, and to remind the people around me what the Ice Bucket Challenge is really about. For you it could be any number of things from raising awareness by posting a description of ALS with your next Ice Bucket Challenge, to donating money, or to going to the ALS Association website [http://www.alsa.org/]and finding out how you can help your community.