Chronic Pain Holiday Tips

Good post Linds, this time of year can be so stressful trying to get it all done.

Pace yourself, try to shop as much as possible in one area instead of driving to 50 different places, set a side an hour or so each night to wrap a few gifts so that you are not wrapping it all the night before Christmas, eat balanced meals, limit the sweets, make a schedule & stick to it, by that I mean designate a day to make candy, cookies or whatever you make special, break it up into a couple of days if you have to. If possible get with friends or family members & share the baking. My DIL, her mom, & I designate a day to make all of our cookies, with 3 of us doing it, we can knock it out pretty quick.

Susie

Ohhhh I can't think of any additional points. Susie got all I was thinking about. Lol

Only additional point is try not to over spend as well. During the holiday season, we tend to spend a lot more sometimes. Don't over eat as well especially when you go to parties or Christmas dinners. Don't starve as well. (Sometimes we may starve to save room for food when we go to dinner, etc.).

I think overall we have to plan beforehand to make things easier.

UA

Our family passes around our wish lists.
Everyone had at least 3 stores listed where they want gift cards.
My gift cards are going to be $20 bills.

I already bought a few pop-up cards as these entertain the little ones for weeks ..

If there is the forecasted snow on the ground when I wake in a few hours I will not do any shopping trips this week because tomorrow is only open day this week.. I have appointments on other days - and these always leave me exhausted. And I have not yet bought anyone anything (except grandkids)

Before I was injured, I purchased gifts through out the year as I did my usually shopping trips so I had a chest w/ gifts for birthdays as well as Christmas. Feeling bad for so long - low energy too - I really do not have any enthusiasum - no decorations out either.

Sigh.

Linds & UA I did the marathon wrapping on Christmas Eve & would be up till 4 in the morning trying to finish. That meant being exhausted on Christmas Day which I hated. Finally, I decided I had enough of that & started wrapping a few in the evenings & it worked.

I like to shop at night too, but remember do not go alone take someone with you. Purse snatching & robbery is at its peak this time of year. I remind my girls to not go shopping after dark alone.

Susie

Vickie,

I started the same things, after learning the hard way. The "cost" of trying to accommodate by giving up "my chair" made my body angry with me for days afterwards.... No can do.

The wrapping became too much so I started using those bags at the dollar store with coloured tissue paper. They even sell pretty boxes.

Pace yourself, and be kind...give yourself permission to take breaks....



M.

Who would have thought 5 hr of sleep would make such a difference.?? . feel like my thinking is so much clearer than when I checked in here before bed. Body isn't up to shopping though. Thinking of financing a shopping trip for other family members - have not thought up a suitable bribe yet though. ; )

Thanks for the good ideas others posted - 'specially Liked Vickie's reminders about taking care of ourselves. !!

At least 10 yr ago I purchased a set of sturdily-made nesting gift boxes that my whole family uses every year.

My bin of gift bags, wraps & bows.contains many that are older than the grandkids, who are learning to NOT tear up the gift bags.. we always wrap some presents in tissue to open first so they have a ball with ripping into those !!

Recently I read that most gift wrap materials are NOT suitable to be recycled which made me even more grateful that my parents taught me this 'way of life'.

Many years ago I was married.. my husband's family was 'old money' & the grandkids awoke Christmas morning to a literal mountain of kids that they were encouraged to rip open as fast as they could while 'screaming with joy'.

Mounds of gift wrap was as high as the gifts.

Happily the kids grew up into pretty nice people despite the constant spoiling !!

heallth issues due to my father's time in 'the war' took us from middle class to poverty when I was a youngster. I still remember special holidays - My mom & dad were Santa's helpers & cut down hand me down clothes for both me & my doll (1 doll!), built doll furniture, etc. We were together & were happy.

As a single parent, in every sense of the word, I was frugal -
one year I brought home a large box lid & we drew a tree on it.. kids grumbled but I told them they could each give up those fancy 'sneakers' & I would use that money to go buy a tree.
They decided to draw the tree.
We strung popcorn, taped garland on - had a great time fixing it up!
(Btw saw someone on a talk show this week, suggest doing this)

The next year, finances were better, I bought a huge tree - they choose it ..
what a pain it was to bring home, put up, decorate, keep watered, vacuum up needles, etc.
They never wanted another one.

Point is, ask your family what they want & if you cannot handle it, assign the responsibility to someone specifically!!

My grandkids can decorate my metal ornament hanger tree anyway they want & they love being able to be hands on.

That is what I try to make our holidays be - good memories.

Happy holidays - thanks for sharing !!

Amen Sophia! I'll never go ever again in my LIFE! LoL. I was down for the count the next two days!

You guys have great ideas!

Another one that SL.some shared yesterday was to make sure you lock or hide hour medications during family gatherings. No one wants to assume the worse of their family but it happens.

Another gal said to be prepared to fail... We set goals and want to try so hard to make them come true that we beat ourselves up if we can't do something (like shopping or wrapping all the gifts) so she said to plan that something might go wrong and that's okay!

I swear I will never sled again! Did I mention that?
Linds

Amen to all the above! Not easy to remember at this time of year, with bright lights and intense music everywhere we go, telling us that we have to whip ourselves into a frenzy or we're not "in the spirit." I have a hard time not getting drawn into all that. It's exhausting, even if I'm not actually doing that much!

I really like your story, Diane. What a close family you must be. It made me think of my kids' childhood, how they'd always amaze me by creating something beautiful out of ordinary objects :) Thank you.

Debbie