Let's try to relieve some stress this holiday season.
Here are seven easy ways to do just that.
1. Give yourself the gift of time with people you
love. Invite friends and family individually to dinner
instead of buying each a gift. Give the children in your
life "coupons" they can redeem for time you spend
together. You can go to the movies, an art museum,
or the library; you can cook together; you can create
artwork; you can play board games or complete
puzzles.
2. Learn how to use your digital camera. Or,
buy yourself one and learn how to use it. Capture
images you'll want to see again and again. Haven't
you noticed how all those old photos of you that you
once hated are starting to look pretty good?
3. Prepare (or buy at a gourmet food store) comfort
food. Stock up with chicken soup or chicken pot
pie, mac and cheese, and meat loaf. Everyone
appreciates those wonderful meals of our youth, and
you'll give yourself more time to enjoy friends and
family because you won't need to cook dinner each
night.
4. Do at least one generous, giving act.
Ideally, do something that benefits someone less
fortunate. Even small donations count, and time spent
selecting a gift for a child in need may give you the gift
of one of your favorite holiday memories.
5. Shop online. Why fight traffic and weather
and
crowds when you can take care of it all from where
you're sitting right now? You don't even have to get out
of your p.j.'s!
Buy gift cards instead of gifts. Shop at museum
shops.
6. Visit AJF member galleries in person and on
line. Everyone has something special going on
that you'll enjoy seeing. Use the link on the right or go
to our website where you'll find a link to every AJF
member's website, too. For future reference, when
you're on the AJF website home page, look at the
banner on the top, and you'll see the Resources
heading. Click there for links to all AJF member
gallery sites.
7. Remember the wonderful AJF events in 2007.
Members of your AJF Board (Susan Cummins,
Susan Kempin, Pat Rodimer, Jane Shannon, and
Sally von Bargen) are busy planning equally wonderful
times for 2008.
Happy New Year!
Correction: In the last issue of AJFconnection,
Lisa and Scott Cylinder's last name was incorrectly
reported as Carpenter. My apologies!
Jane Shannon,
Editor, AJFconnection
janeshannon@taconic.net
