Merry Christmas

Christmas Eve is finally upon us.    

You’ve completed your shopping...sent out your cards, smiled each time you received a greeting from a long lost friend and you’re ready to experience the true magic of Christmas.

My Christmas wish for you is that you take time to sit back, watch your family and friends enjoying one another and capture a “snapshot” to hold in your heart for years to come. Cherish loved ones with whom you spend the holidays – you don’t know how long they will be here for you to love. 

Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Night!

10 Favorite Things to Receive at Christmas

So, we’ve covered my favorite things to give, but here are some of my personal favorite gifts that I’ve received at Christmas.   Let’s do this one Letterman Style…

My Top 10 favorite things to receive at Christmas are:

10.  Food – not like baskets of food – actual food that someone makes for me. Let’s see, there’s Nancy’s famous stuffed peppers and delicious Date nut bread. And, of course, there’s Carols’ Beef Jerky. Don’t forget Shirley’s Peppermint candy or my Aunt Cora’s cookies. YUMMY!!!!

9.  Wine, Vodka or Champagne. Any great bottle of wine works for me. Give me a great Cabernet or Bordeaux and I am one happy person! My former assistant Gina has found some interesting vodkas...Have you heard of Grass Vodka?!  My daughter-in-law Cheryl gave us Moët Chandon champagne with our names on the bottle in Swarovski Crystal. 

8. Speaking of Cheryl, let’s add her crazy unusual gifts to this list. Of course, I always get fabulous gifts, too – but she can find the most bizarre items in the world.  I’m sure she goes to the As Seen on TV store and figures only I would enjoy the “Ahh Bra,” the Strap Convertor or the Shake Weight. Don’t forget my favorite, “The Twisty Towel.”

7. Cards – I love to send cards, so one of my favorite gifts was a basket filled with really pretty cards. Loved getting and using it!

6. Massage Certificates – I could spend my life having massages!!!

5. Omaha Steaks – the Private Reserve. OMG…best steaks in the WORLD!

4.  New Electronic “stuff” that Jamie programs and gets ready for me.  I love my Kindle and I love my iPhone, but don’t ever ask me to program any of it.

3. Many years ago, my first mink Coat from my husband. I saw him bring in a box, so I sneaked in the closet and put my hand in the box. I felt something “weird” and thought, “oh my gosh, he got me some cheap fur trimmed coat!” Boy, was I pleasantly surprised.

2.  Niccie – anything with photos of her…anything she has made or anything she has personally picked out for me. It doesn’t matter what it is; I love it.

1. While my husband has given me jewelry, cars and many fabulous gifts, my favorite was my first tiny gold and diamond butterfly necklace. He had been in Vietnam for 18 months, and wanted to make up for all the holidays he had missed. He did so by filling our soon-to-be den with wrapped up gifts for every occasion he had missed in the appropriate wrapping paper.  Of course, there was lingerie for Valentine’s Day, a bottle of wine for my birthday (I’d just turned 21) and my beautiful butterfly necklace. My jewelry may have gotten larger over the years, but nothing will ever be as meaningful as that necklace.  Thank you, Walter.

Most Heartfelt Christmas

It was December 23 and I received a call in my office from my sister. My mother wasn’t feeling well and she had just taken her to the doctor. I asked her if everything was okay.

“Not really,” she said with an eerie calmness in her voice. “Mom has a tumor the size of a grapefruit on her colon.”

I asked, “Is it cancer?”

“Yes,” she said. “She’s going to be operated on tomorrow and it doesn’t look good.”

I hung up the phone, fell to my knees and screamed at the top of my lungs. I looked straight up to heaven and said, “God, you cannot take my Mother. I won’t let you. I swear, if Mother dies, I will become a Satan worshipper.”

Okay, so this wasn’t exactly the smartest move on my part – you know, threatening   God is not too bright.

Anyway, we all went to my Parent’s house that evening and of course we were devastated. My incredible mother could see the pain in the faces of her girls. She gave us her “look” and said, “Girl’s, I want to talk to you.”.

She sat us in her tiny TV room (her alone domain) and said, “OK stop this and stop it now. First of all, you’re all walking around her like you’re at a funeral – I’m not dead yet. And listen very carefully, I’ve had a great life. I’m 69 years old and have no regret. Remember, if something happens to me tomorrow, I know you will all cry. But understand, that if I die before my children and my children die before their children then we will be blessed. That, my daughters, is the circle of life.”

She had her operation and the doctor felt confident that, despite the size of the tumor, he had gotten it all – what a blessing! It was Christmas Eve and naturally, we had all spent the day at the hospital. My husband, son and I arrived back in Boston around 8:00 PM, but the last thought on our minds was Christmas Eve. 

As we arrived home, the concierge told us that the Maitre d’ from Aujord Hui at the Four Seasons called to see how everything turned out. Living right next door to the Four Seasons certainly made us regulars. Our concierge then told us some gentlemen wanted to drop by briefly to wish us a “Merry Christmas.” Part of me wanted to simply say, “Please tell them we’re not here,” but I didn’t. 

Guess what? It was Steve, the Maitre d’, his assistant Dante and a server named Jeffrey – all armed with platters of food. Christmas Eve Dinner (with all the trimmings) courtesy of these remarkable gentlemen.  

How much better can a Christmas Eve get when you’re given the gift of love AND the gift of having your mother for another 9 years? That Christmas Eve could have been memorable for so many reasons, instead, it will forever be one etched in my brain as one of the best!

Best Gifts to Give at Christmas

I was recently asked about my favorite gifts to give and receive for Christmas. I’d like to share those lists with you, but first let me share some very cute stories.

Before I was married, I bought my Mother a fabulous 3-piece-pajama lounging set – pants, a top and a jacket. (Seems like I was always interested in lingerie.) The jacket came in two lengths – short or to-the-floor. My mother was tiny, so I went with the short one. On Christmas morning, as we unwrapped our gifts, I panicked while opening one of mine – the same gold lame set. I thought for sure I had inadvertently opened my mother’s present. I looked again and my mother was opening her present. Much to our surprise, we got each other the exact same gift, except I received the long jacket. It was apparent we both loved glitz and glamour.

Fast-forward many years.

After a brisk morning walk along the Charles River one early October, I stopped on Newbury Street to get a cappuccino. In one of the store windows, was an incredible life-size leopard shoe chair. It was amazing! Based on the fact that my husband and I got our start selling shoes, dresses and lingerie combined with my love shoes and Walter’s love of buying them for me, I knew I’d found the perfect gift for him. 

Naturally, I bought the chair and asked them to hold it until December when someone from our warehouse could pick it up. On December 24^th, I instructed one of the guys to pick up the chair and bring it to our home.  I then asked our Housekeeper to put the chair in the guest room on the opposite side of the bed – down flat so it was out of sight. Later that evening, I told my son Jamie that I discovered either the best or most ridiculous gift in the world for his father. He took one look at the chair and voted, “ridiculous.” Quote, “Dad is going to hate this.”

I awoke Christmas morning to my husband opening champagne – one of our many holiday traditions. I walked into our living room to hang his Christmas stocking and noticed that Jamie had brought the chair out of the guest room into the living room and had put a sheet over it so my husband couldn’t really tell what is was. 

As I hung the stocking on the piano, I noticed that we had purchased the exact same Christmas stocking for each other – in the shape of a Shoe – and they were from different stores. I was so tickled to know now that he would LOVE my gift.

As he approached the living room, my husband looked at me with a bit of annoyance.  He said, “Why didn’t you come into the kitchen first like you normally do?”  He added, “You’ve really spoiled your surprise,” looking at the covered chair. “What surprise?” I asked. He said, “One of your gifts.” As I looked closer, I realized the bottom of the chair was not covered and it was RED! He pulled back the sheet and there was the same shoe chair, but in red!

As I stood laughing hysterically, Jamie came in and couldn’t believe his eyes. He then brought out my husband’s leopard chair. Yes. We bought each other the same exact chair! We picked it up the same day, from the same place and had actually “hidden” it in the same room – mine behind the bed and his in the bathroom behind the shower.

Jamie simply looked at us both and said, “Well, now I know why you two have been married so long!”

Those two chairs have followed us to Hawaii and, I can assure you, will be with us forever.

So, when you review my lists in the coming weeks, please know the best part of giving and receiving is the Christmas gifting experience. And, these two incredible Christmas gift stories rank high on my list!

Holiday Happiness

Here we are again – the floats made their way through Manhattan, every city has lit it’s version of the Rockefeller Center Tree, your husband and children are in the holiday spirit and Christmas Carols are playing all day on the radio.  While everyone seems to be enjoying the Holiday Season, you on the other hand are thinking, “How am I ever going to get this all done – I am a stress case!”

Ah, and we’ve found ourselves in the middle of our annual HIT challenge. You remember right? The Holiday Insanity Test – it started right before Thanksgiving and will haunt you straight through ‘til the week after New Year’s.

I’m here to remind you, “what you say is what you hear and what you hear is what you believe.” So, if you’re thinking about being stressed and miserable, you will be! This isn’t Halloween, so don’t be a wicked witch and you’re far too beautiful to be Bonita the Bah-Humbug babe. It’s the time of year to have fun, enjoy your loved ones and of course, for Christians – a time to celebrate the birth of Christ.

So, how can you transform this Season of Stress into Holiday Happiness and master the HIT? I will help you.

I’ve developed a simple plan – a perfect diet to eliminate stress, unhappiness and frustration. Just remember the Triple V Diet – Vitamins, Vodka & Valium.

Just kidding – it’s not the solution (but a little Vodka won’t hurt).

Stress-free Holiday living is simple if you follow the same guidelines you do to enjoy everyday life (I’ve even tossed in a few gift giving ideas as well!):

·        Create your goals – what will help YOU really ENJOY the holidays?

·        Get organized and create a plan. (Sound familiar)

·        Steal a page from the holiday’s best multi-tasker…Make a list and check it twice!

o       Is it a NEED or a WANT? Review the list and eliminate the unnecessary.

o       INSERT YOUR REALITY CHECK HERE – can you really accomplish everything on your list? Have you added in “fun” activities?

·        Abandon the Super Woman Syndrome. Look for shortcuts – give a gift from the heart – most people appreciate it more!

o       Instead of buying gifts for everyone in the family, suggest picking names and buying one more meaningful gift.

o       Instead of buying an expensive platter, spend a day with your family at a paint-your-own-pottery place and create the next family heirloom.

o       Volunteer your time to someone on your list with those “good for one” coupons. (Dog sitting, an organization or friend therapy session)

·        When you’re shopping, set a budget, stick to it and be creative!

o       A Movie Package – DVDs, Popcorn & Movie Tickets.

o       Online ½ price deals – Groupon, Radio ½ off Fridays, etc.

o       Free Shipping Offers – don't wait ‘til it’s too late!

·        Spend time having fun with your family.

o       Does it really matter what your Gingerbread House looks like if you all had fun making it?

For years it was a tradition in which my son Jamie and I made Gingerbread houses. Our frosting and window decorations were exquisite! Each year, our creations became more and more spectacular until one year; I rushed and “messed up” the frosting. Well, that’s the “glue” that holds the whole thing together – not this time. I grew more frustrated and annoyed with each decoration that fell off and as we watched things crumble one-by-one, Jamie and I burst out laughing. We don’t like to quit, so we tried another approach and used Elmer’s Glue. It was, of course, completely inedible, but one our prettiest ever! The best part about that year’s masterpiece is that, to this day, it still brings fond memories of joy and lots of laughter both of us. It’s probably one of our favorite Christmas stories.

So for my final piece of advice…don’t forget your holiday KISS

Keep It Simple Sweetie!

• Don’t redecorate the whole house – there’s no time.
• Don’t create false expectations – forget the losing 10 lbs by Christmas, laser hair removal joining the Peace Corps and becoming an Olympian – there’s no time!
• Christmas Dinner? Ask everyone to bring something they love or find a grocery market with a fully prepared meal for a reasonable price.
• Create a Gift Wrap Theme – make it simple and get it done! One year, I used the comic section of the paper and used bright ribbon.
• Hire yourself a college “elf” who needs money and will wrap (or run errands) for a great price!

Holiday Cheer comes with organization, discipline and a great plan (if you stick to it!) Come to think of it success in everything we do has those same three components. We women set the tone for the household – if you’re enjoying yourself, so too will everyone else. So, let’s make a pact to take a deep breathe and pass this year’s HIT with flying colors. And if you’re feeling overwhelmed, well there’s always that Vodka Martini!