Bring the Joy

Hey Party People,

The Holiday season is upon us and I think most people are getting in the spirit earlier than usual. People have their Christmas lights up, trees decorated, and have started their holiday shopping. For me, I usually wouldn’t even be thinking about the holidays until at least December. Normally I’d be excited about a November vacation, away on that vacation, or paying the bills once I got home from that vacation haha. I wouldn’t shift my attention to the holidays until much later, but this year is different.

As we all spend more time at home with our extracurriculars canceled, traveling out of the question, and just fewer things on our schedule, the opportunity to get into the Holiday spirit early is much easier. Anyone else feeling that? Or are you dreading the season ahead? I hope it’s the former.

So what does Christmas mean to you? What do the holidays represent in your family? When you think about it are you immediately stressed, or excited? Does it spark overwhelm or ease? Is this year any different than the rest? Well yes of course this year is different but are you approaching the season any different?

I think we often get so caught up on the material things, and must-do’s around the holidays we forget to actually enjoy it! You know I’m right. Try this with me, take yourself back to when you were a kid, what were your favourite memories? What do you remember being excited about?

For me I LOVED decorating Christmas cookies with my mama. We would spend hours, days even, making all kinds of cutouts, roll outs, munchies, and snacks. I mean hello sugar cookies, shortbread, candied almonds, nuts & bolts, lollipops. I don’t even know who ate all this stuff! I also loved going to pick out our Christmas tree with my dad every year. We would walk around the tree yards and try and find the bushiest one for our home. The smell of fir trees to this day is still one of my favourite and most calming scents and I think it stems from these memories. I also remember how exciting it was to leave cookies out for Santa. With all our homemade goodies we set out a nice little variety and a tall glass of milk to help the jolly guy get through his long night.

Notice how the things I remembered most weren’t the gifts I received, but the memories and experiences I had. I suggest this year, instead of getting riled about hosting, buying gifts, or things that may not be the same as they have been let's focus on the experience we CAN have.

COVID is flexing hard right now over in Calgary, AB, and there is a lot of apprehension and concern around impending restrictions to come. It's possible Christmas may be confined to immediate family and/or your closest cohort. Let’s start to ponder this possibility now so if it does happen, we’re not blindsided or feel like the holidays have been taken away.

What plans, activities, or traditions can you hold on to that will allow you to create memories and still bring you joy? That’s what this time of year should really be about. It's not about the stuff, it's about memories so why not focus on making some damn good memories to finish out this crazy year of 2020. Let’s Bring the Joy!

Need ideas? Let me see here…

1. Holiday Trivia! My sister-in-law has created two trivia nights in the past couple of months. One for Thanksgiving and one for Halloween. We played each differently, but we all laughed at the silly questions and our even sillier responses. It wasn’t about winning it was about doing something fun together.

2. Make that Holiday Playlist. I personally love getting my Christmas feels on and dancing around my apartment or belting out the carols in my car. Have fun with it, play with your kids, sing to your cat, waltz around solo wearing nothing but a Santa hat. Whatever tickles your fancy!

3. Bake Cookies! Make memories and delicious snacks all at the same time, maybe even share your sweet treats with your neighbours or friends.

4. Shop Local! The YYC HoliYAYs is going strong. Say hello to the shop owners, have a conversation, and slow down this season to allow some real connection to take place. Shopping doesn’t have to be a drag or an insane rush. To make it more exciting why not treat yo’self! If you have the means you DESERVE a little something special.

5. Make a snowman, have a snowball fight, go tobogganing We need snow for this one, so hopefully we have a white Christmas on the way!

These ideas literally took me 5 minutes to come up with and there’s also this glorious thing called…the internet. I guarantee there 100’s of ideas out there to keep us entertained. And then, when we’re in between activities, just chill. Yes, do nothing. Enjoy this opportunity we’ve been given for life to slow down. I struggle with this too you guys, but it is a special gift when we allow our worlds just to spin a little more slowly. I know we’re trained to always be in motion, but what if we tried to embrace just a little more stillness. Just a little party people, I bet it’ll do us some good.

So, whatever the next few weeks bring, be ready to celebrate and enjoy the holidays. No one can take away your joy unless you let it. Good days or bad, hard season or not, choose to head into the final month of 2020 with a desire to end it on a high note. That is within your power.

Here’s your party jam for the week! I had this song on repeat this past week, so I have to share it with you now! I’ll hold off on sharing my holiday playlist just a little longer 😉

          YouTube – Lost in the Wild – Walk the Moon

          Spotify - Lost in the Wild – Walk the Moon

With Gratitude,

-S

P.S. Have you heard about my YYC HoliYAYs campaign?! This year I want to spend my time and money in my own city and support the many business owners who have had the deck stacked against them. Follow along, join me, and share your fav spots in town! Follow on Instagram as @theonlysarastepa and follow along with my shopping experience and all the local goodies I find!

Check out the evolving YYC HoliYAYs list here!