Keeping the Happy in the Holidays

I admin a local parenting group and recently asked members of the group to share tips, tricks, and ideas for helping parents get through the holidays with a smile. I’m happy to say, the group came up with some great ideas to help parents, writers, and anyone who finds themselves stressing out during the hustle and bustle of the holidays. I wish I could tell you firsthand how I smile and laugh my way through the end of the calendar year, but admittedly…I’m a hot mess and I’m counting on these tips and tricks to help make me a little more hot and a little less mess (if you know what I mean…wink wink).

1) Make time for nothingness – you could go without sleep the entire month of December and still not run out of things to do. There will always be one more cookie to frost, corner to clean, dress to iron, paragraph to proof, gift to buy, etc… but if you spend every waking moment being busy, you’ll completely miss out on the fun. There’s nothing wrong with popping up some popcorn and watching a Hallmark Christmas Movie. Whether you have someone to watch it with or not, putting your feet up will be as enjoyable for your body as it is for your soul. Give yourself permission to do nothing and try to do this at least once a week.

2) Say no – this is tough, isn’t it? You’ve got deadlines, people counting on you, holiday parties, fundraisers, food to prepare, outfits to buy, things to make, cards to send, and the list goes on (and on and on). Did you realize that no one is going to die if you don’t send Christmas cards this year? In fact, a phone call may be a little more personal and more appreciated. It’s okay to simply attend the Advent luncheon instead of being on the planning committee or the cleanup crew. You may just have to ask cousin Gertrude or Auntie Alice to make the peanut butter balls this year or purchase the cookies instead of spending an entire weekend baking them (and if you take them out of the store container and put them on a pretty plate, it can be our little secret…people will think you spent hours slaving in the kitchen).

3) Ask for help – yes you Superwoman! It’s fine to take off your cape and hand it to someone else for a few hours. Your neighbor would love to help the kiddos wrap Christmas presents and the local shop owner can help you pick out just the right teacher’s gifts. I have a girlfriend who puts together teacher gift baskets and she’s happy to take my check and drop off gorgeous season gift baskets. Your spouse, neighbor, friend, relative would be quite happy to lend a hand. Sometimes it’s a great way for them to spread holiday cheer while helping reduce your stress. Don’t be ashamed to spend that free time writing, drinking coffee, jotting down ideas in your journal, or taking a bubble bath. You deserve it!

What are some things you’ve done in the past to help reduce some of the holiday stress in your life? What works? What does NOT work? Share your ideas as I’m sure they’ll be of value to others!

Happy Holidays from our family to yours and may your New Year be as fabulous as you are!

Crystal is a church musician, babywearing mama, business owner, active journaler, writer and blogger, Blog Tour Manager with WOW! Women on Writing, Publicist with Dream of Things Publishing, as well as a dairy farmer. She lives in Reedsville, Wisconsin with her husband, four young children (Carmen 8, Andre 7, Breccan 2, and Delphine 9 months), two dogs, two rabbits, four little piggies, a handful of cats and kittens, and over 230 Holsteins.

You can find Crystal blogging and reviewing books, baby carriers, cloth diapers, and all sorts of other stuff at:http://bringonlemons.blogspot.com/
and here: http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/

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3 comments happiness holiday, happiness tips, happy holiday, happy tips, holiday, holiday stress, holiday tips, nothingness, seasonal stress, seasonal writing, take a break, time for nothing

5 Tips to Maximize Your Summer Writing

Take advantage of nice weather to invigorate
your writing this summer.
Photo credit | EKHumphrey

I live near the beach, so out-of-town guests start showing up on our doorstep at the change of the season and as the water warms. Generally, amidst the hubbub, I can have some difficulties keeping a writing or reading schedule. 

Here are five of my favorite tips for writers trying to wring the most out of the summer months in between fun summer activities:

1. Take a class in real life. The Internet is great in that we can access some great classes and teachers, even during the summer months. But explore local community colleges or art centers. Often they have some great short-term classes to take. A real-life class gets you out of the house, away from the computer, and keeps you engaged in writing.
2. Attend a neighborhood conference. It’s not a big commitment, but a nearby weekend conference can help you keep pen to paper. Conferences help us feel energized and many university writing programs have summer workshops, which give you access to top writers. Because it is close by, you can select workshops to attend, without committing for the entire weekend (unless you have the time!).
3. Create a summer club. The other nine months of the year, my kids and I have school activities that crop up during the week and prevent me from making regular writing plans. (It’s amazing how often conference nights crop up unannounced until the day of!) During the summer months, there are no school distractions for the kids, so I can start reclaiming some of the time for myself to spend with my local friends. We can create a short reading club—pick one book, but set up a handful of evening meetings throughout the summer. It doesn’t fit everyone’s schedule, but it’s a nice way to have a goal and socialize. (This also works with writing clubs, using short, manageable goals.)
4. Wake up 15-30 minutes earlier. This can be a tough one to do since we’re apparently a nation of sleep-deprived folks. I know! But one thing that I can never get enough of during the summer is waking up earlier than I normally would, grabbing a warm drink, and finding a peaceful spot outside to enjoy the sounds of morning awakening. Even though you may need to focus on breakfasts and getting out the door in a little while, spending the quiet time writing will help you start your day off well and feeling productive.
5. Enjoy the outdoors! Sure, you will be away from your computer and writing if you are running around outside. But you’ll also find that the more you can get out and enjoy a change of scenery and get some exercise, your creative juices will flow all that much easier. So take advantage of the nice weather. Your writing will be right where you left it when you get back and you’ll feel better. And your writing will feel better.

Elizabeth King Humphrey is a writer, editor, and writing coach. She will be teaching a writing class -- in real life -- this summer and is excited about the opportunity. (See number one above!)

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1 comment class, conference, Elizabeth King Humphrey, seasonal writing, starting a book club, summer

Write In Season

Winter. Spring. Summer. Fall. Story ideas are fresh 'in season.'

You've probably read the advice that most writers live by: pitch an article at least six months ahead of time. And for the most part, that's good advice to live by.

But it also got me thinking.

Why do I need to think about Christmas in July when I can be thinking about Fourth of July or BBQ and picnics or my birthday (wait, it isn't a national holiday) in July?

And now that August is here, why can't I be thinking about back-to-school ideas and football games and...

You get the point.

If you don't, here it is: why not be gathering ideas when an event or holiday is 'in season'? The idea is fresh in your mind, waiting to be fleshed out. If you're organized, you've been snapping pictures and gathering additional research for the idea. It makes perfect sense if you think about it. Here's an example.

Where I live - and most likely, it's the same where you reside - summertime means small-town festivals and community celebrations. One major trend I've noticed at all of these events is food. Some offer local, home-grown fare. A lot incorporate a cooking contest - rib-fests seem to be extremely popular here in the Beef State - and they draw a lot of people from outside the community.

I've been accumulating a list of the best food contests and have marketable piece, along with photos, ready to submit to local and regional publications when it's time to submit summer story pitches.

Okay, need another example? We take a lot of family pictures during the holidays. I mean A LOT. Last January, I was working on an article procrastinating and flipping through the digital photo album of 100+ images. Inspiration struck! We have a large family; 57 if everyone is at the gathering, ranging in age from 2 to 80-something. Organizing the family photo session isn't easy! So, I assembled a list of 5 tips for organizing holiday family photos, including ideas for pictures that show more than rows of people in ugly Christmas sweaters.

Catching on? All right. One more idea. Back to school isn't a holiday, but it is an economic impact no matter where you live. In fact, the U.S. Census Bureau reports that in 2011 (last year data is available), $7.7 million was spent at family clothing stores during August, the back-to-school boon. And that's just clothing! Don't forget about shoes and school supplies and computers.

While fashion may change, basic school supplies don't. Why not plan a back-to-school shopping trip and turn it into an article? I did! My pitch is different though. It's the b-2-s bonanza for teachers. That sets my article apart from others that may be pitched.

While it's generally true that a writer needs to pitch a story proposal in advance, it's never too early to generate story ideas.

Especially when a story is in season.

by LuAnn Schindler. To read more of LuAnn's work, visit her website. She'd like to thank her grandsons for always providing photo  and story material, as seen above. 

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4 comments article ideas, article writing, develop ideas, generating new ideas, LuAnn Schindler, seasonal writing, write in season, write stories in season