Tag: New Year’s Eve

Posted in New Year

Lessons Learned

Posted on by D. Parker

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2017/12/31/lessons-learned-goodbye-2017/We love new things:
New clothes,
new cars,
new houses,
new furniture,
new phones,
new years,
new friends,
new babies (that seems redundant, they can’t be old babies).
“New” gives us illusions of hope,
a new beginning…there can’t be an old beginning, it’s all new.
https://yadadarcyyada.com/2017/12/31/lessons-learned-goodbye-2017/

I used to make New Year’s Resolutions about: losing weight, learning something different, appreciating others more, working harder, exercising more, etc., you know, the usual, but it rarely worked. Why?https://yadadarcyyada.com/2017/12/31/lessons-learned-goodbye-2017/

1. Goals should be specific.
‘Lose weight’ is too vague, I’m probably losing weight while typing this, but I’ve made certain promises to chocolate and I always keep my word…small, specific, and significant steps (more later).

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2017/12/31/lessons-learned-goodbye-2017/

2. Write it down! Or make a visual representation of what you what to happen – pictures out of magazines or books (not the ones from the library), the internet, or if you have the ability, draw your goals yourself. Don’t forget, visit your goals often, revise them if necessary, re-imagine, and see where you want to be.https://yadadarcyyada.com/2017/12/31/lessons-learned-goodbye-2017/

3. Watch out for ironic or self-defeating.
You know, trying to do a digital detox with an app on your smartphone (huh?).
Starting your diet by eating all the junk food in your house to avoid future temptations.
In a sense, common sense is the only sense that makes sense.

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2017/12/31/lessons-learned-goodbye-2017/

4. Prioritize.
One goal at a time. Reaching for all your goals at once puts all out of reach. Whether you start with the easiest or hardest, choose one, then move on to the next.

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2017/12/31/lessons-learned-goodbye-2017/

5. Don’t try for weird resolutions, like become rich and famous, it’s too broad and if you get it, you might not like it. Being broke and obscure doesn’t make you less, unless you let it. Celebrate yourself.

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2017/12/31/lessons-learned-goodbye-2017/

 6. New isn’t always better.
New shoes can pinch and cause blisters.
New movies often don’t live up to classics.
Babies keep you awake at night.
New cars smell and get recalled (if they don’t turn into a blazing inferno first).
New friends can’t relive good times with you, like family or old friends can…
Old isn’t always bad.
Make sure you’re not changing good things or fixing something that isn’t broken.
Maybe you don’t need fixing, maybe a few tweaks here and there will do the trick.

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2017/12/31/lessons-learned-goodbye-2017/

7. Be kind.
It’s easy to find fault, place blame, easy to get cranky and rude with ludicrous or ignorant people, easy to argue, fuss, and fight, but where does it get you?
Why swim in snark infested waters when you can float (they all float)…
Wouldn’t you rather lift someone up than knock them down (it’s better exercise too).
Why break a heart when you can heal it?
https://yadadarcyyada.com/2017/12/31/lessons-learned-goodbye-2017/

My resolutions? Don’t worry (it’s passive and gives us excuses not to do!!!). As I say goodbye to another birthday https://yadadarcyyada.com/2016/12/15/the-cats-pajamas-birthday-party/ https://yadadarcyyada.com/2017/12/31/lessons-learned-goodbye-2017/and another year, my New Year’s Resolutions are simple: Do my best and enjoy; I tried it last year and so far, I like the results https://yadadarcyyada.com/2017/01/06/im-not-inclined-to-resign-to-maturity/

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2017/12/31/lessons-learned-goodbye-2017/

Happy New Year! Wishing everyone a wonder-filled 2018 ! I’ll go back to wondering if it’s ever going to warm up!https://yadadarcyyada.com/2017/12/31/lessons-learned-goodbye-2017/

Advertisement
Posted in Cats, Christmas, Cooking, Holidays

How To Get Away With Christmas

Posted on by D. Parker

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/11/22/how-to-get-away-with-christmas/Christmas is a time of cheer…right?

Yet during the
holiday season
we’re bombarded
with images of
social wealth.

Everything from: Family dinners, parties, drinks with friends, hugging, skating in pairs, walking together looking at lights, Secret Santa and gift exchanges, spontaneous snowballs fights, eating roasted chestnuts, and of course, people running into the arms of loved ones at airports…

But what if those things aren’t in your life?
The social media holiday barrage, Christmas FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), anticipointment (trademark?), Facebook, Instagram, TV, Google+, Twitter, MySpace (kidding, just wanted to see if you were paying attention) – all bursting with shiny images of happy people enjoying the holidays together. It can be overwhelming yet it’s only a day, like any other.

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/11/22/how-to-get-away-with-christmas/

So if you find yourself less-than-surrounded by family and friends during the holidays, try to:

1. Marathon your way through the season, which apparently now begins in July with brief visits from other holidays. Don’t limit yourself to Christmassy stuff…be glad you’re not invited to a Game of Thrones Christmas party; see who survived (Christmas) on The Walking Dead; try to figure out what they’re cooking on Breaking Bad; or catch up with Mrs. Brown’s Boys (Dear Santa, I can explain…). Soon it will be January (sorry, I skipped ahead, was I wrong in assuming you don’t have anyone for New Year’s Eve either?), then you’ll have a few weeks to recover before the Valentine’s Day trauma begins, maybe.

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/11/22/how-to-get-away-with-christmas/

2. Gently ‘add’ yourself to someone else’s Christmas or add someone to yours.

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/11/22/how-to-get-away-with-christmas/
3. Find dating sites/apps and go on a holiday dating spree. Eggnog your way through stories about his/her ex, mom, ex’s mom, work, football, baseball, hockey, fashion, cars…Who knows, maybe you’ll find a Christmas miracle.

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/11/22/how-to-get-away-with-christmas/

4. Adjust your expectations. Social media is one long high school reunion. Everyone is wearing their best outfit, just lost weight, and sharing only highlights of their life.

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/11/22/how-to-get-away-with-christmas/
5. Read, write, blog, sing, bake, work, clean, declutter, exercise, sleep, go to a movie…flashback to the 70s – dance, wear turtlenecks, bellbottoms, ponchos, and go see Star Wars (or not). It’s all good.

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/11/22/how-to-get-away-with-christmas/

6. Have a Single Christmas Party (not for singles, just you, be your own party).

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/11/22/how-to-get-away-with-christmas/
7. Ignore the season, the gaudy decorations, the commercialism, multiple Santas in multiple malls (unless you work there, try to stay out of the malls altogether) and create a Michael-Bublé-Bing-Crosby-Burl-Ives-free #safespace.

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/11/22/how-to-get-away-with-christmas/
8. Start a new tradition with yourself or others, hopefully one that doesn’t involve eating your feelings (and don’t forget legal).

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/11/22/how-to-get-away-with-christmas/
9. Help others this season – the best way to keep your mind off your problems is to help others with their problems.

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/11/22/how-to-get-away-with-christmas/
10. Under no circumstances drink too heavily, that could lead to calling, texting, or emailing an ex, or watching other people having family time, especially through their windows. Though oddly specific, it’s good advice.

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/11/22/how-to-get-away-with-christmas/
It’s not about what you have, what you get, or even who you’re with, this season is about anything being possible.

Want to know how to get away with Christmas? Simple, enjoy the season and each day, not the way everyone tells you is enjoyable, but the way you enjoy it.

I triple dog dare you.

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/11/22/how-to-get-away-with-christmas/