Blog Classic: Aug. 22, 2009
I remember, when I was young, walking into a craft store in August and being confused about why it looked like Christmas in there. My mom explained that it was because crafters need to start months ahead to make decorations and gifts. Those of us with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome need to approach the holiday season the same way, so we can get through it with the least possible impact on our health.
I know, planning is tough and it's easy to get overwhelmed at the beginning and never get anywhere with it. Left to my own devices, I'm sure it would have taken me a couple of decades to figure out how to weather the holidays well, but thanks to a woman who visited my forum and shared her survival plan with us, I've gotten the through last few years much better. I adapted her post into an article so we call all benefit from the wisdom learned from nearly 2 decades of fibromyalgia. Part of the plan is to start in September, so here it is:
What helps you get through the holidays, or other busy times? What have you learned NOT to do? Help us all learn by leaving a comment below!
Learn more or join the conversation!
NEWSLETTER | FORUM | BIO | TWITTER
Suggested Reading:
Photo © Richard Drury/Getty Images
Oh my,
,,
I got so stressed last year for Thanksgiveing I wasn’t sure I was going to get threw it. I do the family Thanksgiveings since our father and his wife passed in 05 and 06, my 2 Brothers decided I do this event, I am greatfull for my electric rotiserie, and skillet, I put my ham in the rotiserie first even the day before then slice it up and put it in my eletric skillet on warm that day,I do the Turkey eirlie so I can take it off the bones and put it in an aluminim pan to keep warm in the oven. I try to do my prep cooking as soon as I can without it being to eirlie, Pies can be done a week ahead and froze, diceing and sliceing and the great ziplock bags are a big help too.
I always ask that everyone bring something so all I make are just the meats and pies and a few outher things. We also use the good divided paper plates and plastic cups, so all that needs done are the silverware and pots and pans, also disposible aluminem pans help with clean up rinse and put in the recycler
Even though I did as little as I could and streched the cooking and prep out I still was down in pain for 2 weeks after words.
Don’t be afraid to start your Christmas cards early. (Of course this means that you shopped and got them last year or get them as soon as they hit the market). I like to use a stamp with green ink that says Merry Christmas so I go ahead and stamp as many cards as I will be sending in Sep or Oct, or whenever the mood and the energy level is there. I may even address the envelopes. Then as the season draws near, I express sentiments in batches of 5 or 10 at a time and before you know it, they are all finished and ready to mail by the first of Dec or even the end of Nov! I love Christmas cards and refuse to let that go but if necessary you could plan on having one of the stores take your picture and mass producing already signed photo cards. Then all you have to do is address the envelopes and again, do that in batches of 5-10 at a time and soon those will be ready to mail!
Also, if you just don’t have the energy to decorate with a big tree, and can’t afford to have it decorated by someone else, then just settle for a small tree or be creative and decorate a tree plant with just lights, etc. Lose the guilt and enjoy unigue holidays instead of hours of duplicating traditions.
Being in Canada our Thanksgiving is in Oct. We are always invited to one of our family members places for dinner and we just bring a dish which my husband makes.
For Christmas I start shopping really early. I do the shopping and hubby wraps everything and does the house decorating. I can’t work so for money to buy my husband a gift I bake shortbread cakes and sell them to friends and neighbors. I make over $200 a year.
I like to make some of my gifts. Last year I made my parents a knitted afghan. People really do appreciate homemade gifts.
The most important thing is the house doesn’t have to be perfect. Christmas is a time to celebrate Jesus’ birth and be with family and friends, not to impress people with decorating and gifts. Relax and enjoy.
Thank God for my grown daughter. Once I got sick, not counting all the years that Mom did it all and was sick. (or so that they knew I was sick according to my doctor) Then my daughter took over all the holiday cooking. Usually she just ask me to do the potato salad. My family is funny they like my potato salad hot. So I just buy the chopped potatoes in the freezer section. They say country hash browns. So the day of all I have to do is boil them and the eggs. I have hubby that mixes it all up. So there is my Thanksgiving and Christmas.
It has been six years since i was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, but i now know that i was battling the disease for many years before that. Over this time i have been forced by my health and my energy level to simplify Christmas and Thanksgiving tremendously. Where once i would decorate 4 little trees in my two bedroom apartment, i now only do one, and often don’t make it to the locker room in the basement to retrieve the ornaments..some years i decorate with jewelry or artificial flowers..whatever is handy…my two grown kids have never seemed to mind as long as there is the smell of turkey or chicken in the air and my stuffing, which i make ahead of time….it is important to remember your limitations and to know how sick you will feel after pushing yourself too hard. Be fair to yourselves and delegate jobs to others or simply drop them. Being with the ones you love and feeling relatively well is much more important than a fancy feast with an ailing mother….all the best to everyone who suffers with this misunderstood disease.
I purchased a small pre-wired tree some years ago. I decorated it from scratch for a few years. However, since about 2005 I just leave the tree decorated. All I have to do is have my hubby uncover it & carry it up stairs from the basement. I “freshen” the branches, make sure all the lights still work and I’m finished.
If my hubby wants more decorations, I let him have at it. Usually that means garland down the banister from the second floor and a wreath on the door. Then he ties on the Christmas stockings (to the banister) and we’re finished.
I gave up Christmas cards years ago… it just got too expensive.
I cook the meats for T’day & Christmas. The the rest of the family pitches in for everything else.
Peace & blessings.