Regaining the Christmas spirit...

[Miss Neecerie]

I was all Christmassy....and inspired and festive.

But after spending a week sitting with my ill mother in hospital (she is home now and recovering fairly well from surgery),and then a weekend caring for her at her house, I have lost it.

I have no festive in me.....just want to wallow and do nothing.

Help! and ideas how to regain Christmassy spirit please?

 

[Miss Brill]

Best wishes to your mother. I think the best way to get in the spirit is by listening to Christmas music. I have music channels on the TV & I get 2 Christmas music channels, so I've been listening to that the last week or so and I'm getting very merry, even though I don't like being merry.

 

[Mike in Seattle]

I hope your mom's on the mend and the worst of whatever the situation was is over. Caring for an ill loved one can be very, very draining. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your mom.

As for getting into the holiday spirit, I put on the Christmas music or some Christmas movies, and usually doing some gift-wrapping and shopping helps. Another thing that usually gets me out of a funk like that is going to a local store or shopping center with a "giving tree" - where you find cards filled out by or for children or elderly who are needy - and doing a little "Secret Santa" shopping. Doing things like that usually hammers home to me that I have a lot to be thankful for, and things could be worse, and what I'm doing will bring a little happiness to someone at Christmas who might otherwise do without.

 

[Trixie]

Sorry about your mom. I hope she recovers well.

In addition to Christmas movies & music, I'd recommend going anywhere that smells like Christmas trees! Even if it's just the Rite Aid parking lot or Target garden section! That smell brightens most days. Also, if you know anyone with a dog...go hang out with them! They're not Christmasy but they're sure fun!

 

[Miss 1929]

Watch "It's a Wonderful Life"

With someone who's never seen it!
I hope it gets better Miss N, I am having a $%^#&* lousy day myself and am in a Bah! Humbug! kind of mood as well.

 

[CanadaDoll]

Best wishes to your mom for a speedy recovery, and to you, caring for an ill parent is hard work and very draining, I've had close friends need to undertake this labour of love.

Sit in front of a roaring fireplace, with spiced cider, and watch A Christmas Carol! I personally love the muppet version, it's silly and tons of fun, or Disney!
Bake Christmas cookies, do some decorating, sing carols in the car, and house.
Take a nice bath, if you can get the Lush Pud bath bomb use that one, it's nice and Christmassy and spicy smelling, it's very warming and relaxing.

I recently got in the mood by doing a Santa letter for the niece and nephew of an aquaintance at work, it was a really nice little crafty thing. Maybe make some snowflake decorations for your house or tree.

I hope you feel better soon Miss N

 

[KilroyCD]

I can relate...

First, let me say that I hope your mother recovers well, and I hope her medical problem(s) are behind her. Having a mother with ongoing serious medical issues that were brought on by many, many years of smoking, I can certainly relate to what you have been going through.
I have a problem getting into the holiday spirit because of having been in retail management for over twenty years prior to my current job. A retail management position can mean many long hard hours spent at work during the holiday season, with time off being at a premium. That, coupled with the huge amount of merchandise returns beginning that day after Christmas really tends to wear you down after a while. It's amazing how many people don't understand why an item might be out of stock the day after Christmas, and are angry because of it. It's mind-boggling. It got to the point where I dreaded the holiday season. Now, despite being out of that situation for almost eight years, I still find it difficult to get into the spirit. I can honestly say I'm not really into it yet this year. We're a week away from Christmas, and although my tree is up, it is not yet decorated. Maybe I'll get into the spirit once I decorate the tree or start gift wrapping. We'll see...

 

[carter]

I wish a bunch of us could be there to cheer you up and give you a hand decorating. A nice tree with all the trimmings and friends around would certainly brighten up my Christmas. I love it when all the kids and relatives are here and we watch Holiday In and White Christmas together.

I hope your mother is improving and will be able to enjoy Christmas as well. No knowing if you have siblings, it's easy to say that decorating your mother's home and sending Christmas cards for her might help. If you could do this with siblings or friends, it might help get the Christmas spirit jump-started again.

There are lots of good suggestions. I hope some of them are helpful and that you and your mother have a Merry Christmas.

 

[FedoraGent]

An offer...

Neecerie,

My idea is right along line with the other Loungers. Being that you're so close in Pas, Magneto and I would enjoy having you over for dinner. We could watch Christmas movies, drink egg nog and if you want help us decorate our tree...which I need to go and buy. With the madness these last couple of weeks, we have no decorations up and it just isn't feeling like Christmas...so...let's celebrate! Let us know.

FG.

P.S. Magneto has been toying with the idea of making her own egg nog because I accidentally bought a bunch of eggs not knowing that she bought some too. So, another plus...home made egg nog!

 

[PADDY]

Happy Xmas Denise...

Thinking Christmassey thoughts for you over here

 

[M Tatterscratch]

I was all Christmassy....and inspired and festive.

But after spending a week sitting with my ill mother in hospital (she is home now and recovering fairly well from surgery),and then a weekend caring for her at her house, I have lost it.

I have no festive in me.....just want to wallow and do nothing.

Help! and ideas how to regain Christmassy spirit please?

Gosh, Ms. Neecerie, that's tough. Reversing roles with one's parents as caretaker does exact a toll on the inner child, alas. Doctor Christmas would say the cure lies in three little syllables:

Nat. King. Cole.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaxDGfA7evA

Just turn the monitor off. Or don't and don't tell anyone.

Best wishes and happy holidays to you and your Mum,

T.

P.S. - Gee, what a nice thing to do, FedoraGent!

 

[Ada Veen]

Hope your mum gets well soon.

I spent two years caring for my grandmother and a lot of the time she drove me crazy. What I used to do was (if your mother is well enough) get her talking about times past. She tended to enjoy it and I felt good for cheering her up and, of course, loved to glean info on the golden age!

You could try and get your mother to reminisce about past christmasses and tell stories from your childhood. You then get to feel great for being such a good daughter and cheering your mother up, instant christmas spirit! If she's too ill to talk for too long, you could spend an hour digging out the old christmas photos and showing them to her, and telling her your own christmas memories. You'll feel like you're the angel on top of the christmas tree!

 

[LocktownDog]

Or ... don't force it. If you're not in the spirit this year, so what? You're not the only one. Savor the humbuggedness! :rage:

Richard

 

[Twitch]

I spent a couple Christmases with my Mom in that situation, one while I was recovering from cancer treatment and keeping an eye on her.

The fact is that you may not be able to get into gear again. It may depend on how your Mom feels about the holidays. My Mom was not a big holiday fan so a couple years I played the time down.

The great thing is that time passes and all things change and heal. There will be other times to be festive and happy.

One thing you could do if your family had relatively decent Christmases past is sit down with the family album and you Mom and talk about those bygone days cheerfully and perhaps you'll both feel warm and fuzzy again....without the aid of eggnog.

 

[FedoraGent]

Nat. King. Cole.

mmmmhmmmm! Ah, the Chestnut song...

FG.

Nat. King. Cole.

 

[Helen Troy]

I hope both things will get better for you and your mom. Many great suggestions here, I would also reccomend reading Dickens "A Christmas Carol". Or, less traditionally, Terry Pratchets "Hogfather". (That allways make me laugh and feel the christmas spirit at the same time.) Have a nice christmas drink with the reading. If you are tired of egg nog, I would reccomend this. It smells and taste christmassy. (A little like gl?ªhwine.)

Bisp:
4,5 cups of water
1,6 cups of blackcurrant syrup
0,5 pounds of sugar
1 bottle of red wine
juice of two lemons
juice of 4 oranges
zest of one lemon

Put water, blackcurrant syrup and sugar to a boil. Wash the lemons, peel the zest and squize lemons and oranges. Add red wine, orangjuice and lemonjuice to the mixture. Keeep hot, but don`t let it boil. Add lemon zest right before serving.

 

[FedoraGent]

Sounds good...

I hope both things will get better for you and your mom. Many great suggestions here, I would also reccomend reading Dickens "A Christmas Carol". Or, less traditionally, Terry Pratchets "Hogfather". (That allways make me laugh and feel the christmas spirit at the same time.) Have a nice christmas drink with the reading. If you are tired of egg nog, I would reccomend this. It smells and taste christmassy. (A little like gl?ªhwine.)

Bisp:
4,5 cups of water
1,6 cups of blackcurrant syrup
0,5 pounds of sugar
1 bottle of red wine
juice of two lemons
juice of 4 oranges
zest of one lemon

Put water, blackcurrant syrup and sugar to a boil. Wash the lemons, peel the zest and squize lemons and oranges. Add red wine, orangjuice and lemonjuice to the mixture. Keeep hot, but don`t let it boil. Add lemon zest right before serving.

Wow that sounds good, if she does come over to have dinner with us...I'll make that too!

FG.

 

[Miss Neecerie]

I hope both things will get better for you and your mom. Many great suggestions here, I would also reccomend reading Dickens "A Christmas Carol". Or, less traditionally, Terry Pratchets "Hogfather". (That allways make me laugh and feel the christmas spirit at the same time.) Have a nice christmas drink with the reading. If you are tired of egg nog, I would reccomend this. It smells and taste christmassy. (A little like gl?ªhwine.)

Bisp:
4,5 cups of water
1,6 cups of blackcurrant syrup
0,5 pounds of sugar
1 bottle of red wine
juice of two lemons
juice of 4 oranges
zest of one lemon

Put water, blackcurrant syrup and sugar to a boil. Wash the lemons, peel the zest and squize lemons and oranges. Add red wine, orangjuice and lemonjuice to the mixture. Keeep hot, but don`t let it boil. Add lemon zest right before serving.

You won me over with the blackcurrant....the not-so-secret way to my heart is blackcurrant....well that and irn-bru...but that would taste awful hot....lol

 

[Joie DeVive]

Sorry to hear about your Mom. I sure hope she's on the mend, and I will keep your family in my prayers.

As for holiday spirit, if that mulled wine recipe hasn't done it, I second bath products of the season. I've read that the sense of smell is the one most connected to memory, so if you can use happy holiday scents from your past, it might just do the trick.
I've seen bath products out there in everything from peppermint, to vanilla, to gingerbread, to cranberry. But if bath products aren't your thing, a scented candle might be better. I know my Mom's hollyberry candle always takes me right back to childhood. I think I saw some small scented candles for around a dollar at Michael's.
Of course if you really want to get your nose working, baking is another way to go, but that actually entails work, which can be a killjoy if you aren't into baking. So, maybe not.....

I hope some of that was useful. Take care of yourself.

Joie

 

[sweetfrancaise]

You won me over with the blackcurrant....the not-so-secret way to my heart is blackcurrant....well that and irn-bru...but that would taste awful hot....lol

Ack! Irn-Bru! That's the one thing I don't understand about the Scots. My best friend drinks it like water.

But, as for regaining that lost Christmas spirit, something I couldn't find last year, go grab a friend and some great Christmas albums and go out looking at the lights. There are some amazing house displays this year, and those lights are awfully cheery!

Best wishes for your mum.