Christmas Spirit

It’s easy to get caught up in the pre-Christmas stress where everything becomes a chore: putting up the tree, buying presents for family and trying to fit in all those social occasions.

All year I look forward to this season and then, last week, I wondered why I was feeling so glum. When I scrutinized this feeling it came down to letting everything get on top of me and turning what should have been a fun time of year, into a martyrish occasion.

I decided to change my attitude and lap it all up.

Here is what I love about this season:

# Decorating the tree together while rocking the carols;

# Decking out the rest of the house in bling;

# Dusting off my favourite recipes for neighbours, teachers and friends – watching the kids delightedly skip back from the neighbours, having experienced the joy of giving and not just receiving;

# Watching the kids’ faces as they see their personalised messages from Santa – even my non-believer is still rather taken with this - (www.portablenorthpole.com);

# Attending Christmas in the Park – always a fantastic evening in Whangarei;

# Doing the lights trail on the way home;

# Making Christmas lanterns with the kids’ class;

# Hosting a pot-luck dinner with friends chez moi where we wear and serve only our finest – this is girls-only with Miss Seven waitress and chief photographer;

# Our annual girls night out on the town where you are likely to catch up with people you haven’t seen since the last one;

# Realising I have lots of Fly Buys points from my second home at New World to spend on fun stocking fillers to balance the practical stuff I have already put aside;

# Recycling the kids’ unwanted toys and giving to children who will appreciate them;

# The final, crazy supermarket shop where there is delicious food-galore and catching snippets of fellow shoppers conversations excitedly planning their menus for the big day;

# ‘Accidentally’ being a little heavy-handed with the top-shelf while making the egg-nogg;

# Watching the riveting season finale of Shortland Street as the fairy lights twinkle;

# The town a mass of rouge as the Pohutukawa trees bloom on cue;

# The communal generosity of giving as the Christmas spirit comes to the fore;

# Playing Santa;

# Lapping up the kids’ excitement Christmas morning;

# Drinking the egg nogg;

# Relaxing and unwinding in the company of all the family who have congregated and being thankful they are still with us.