Count your age by friends, not years. Count your life by smiles, not tears.
CONTINUING THIS WEEK ON HOW CELEBRATING EACH DAY IS GOOD FOR OUR HEALTH? PLUS, THE BOOK TEN-MINUTE RELAXATION FOR MIND AND BODY.
Hello Followers,
Thank Goodness it is Friday!
Today I came across this Christmas tradition.
This is the first time Dan and I have heard of it!
Have you ever heard or even do for Christmas?
It is Christmas Pickles.
If there is a pickle among your snowman, angel, and reindeer ornaments, you’re likely taking part in the American tradition of hiding the green ornament on the tree.
So that the first child to find it wins a gift or gets to open the first present Christmas morning.
The practice’s origins are a bit murky (or should that be briny?), but it is likely it grew from a Woolworths marketing gimmick from the late 1800s.
This is when the retailer received imported German ornaments shaped like a pickle and needed a sales pitch.
I will have to let our daughter know of this tradition, for it would be something she can start with her children.
As we continue to celebrate this holiday season, Dan and I are starting a new series; HOW CELEBRATING EACH DAY IS GOOD FOR OUR HEALTH?
Continuing from yesterday, count your blessings before you count sheep.
Just as you begin your day as a celebration, end it the same way.
By focusing on the good things in your life, you reduce mental stress which contributes to insomnia.
Gladys Bronwyn Stern said, “Silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone.”
Celebrating your life and all that’s in it opens the way for more.
At the very least you’ll sleep better and at the most you’ll lift your own spirits to a new level.
You do not have to wait for an excuse to party.
Go ahead, make some noise!
It’s your life we’re celebrating!
So, today we can celebrate National Ugly Sweater Day!
DECEMBER 16th, Dan, and I thought on continuing this segment with the series with some fun; What is it about December that is so significant during this month?
National Ugly Sweater Day – December 16, 2022
Every third Friday of December (December 16), people all over the nation trade their casual garments for something more festive for National Ugly Sweater Day.
Whether you find a hidden gem to wear, or you make your own, one thing for sure this holiday will certainly have you laughing all day long!
Ugly sweaters have been around for as long as people created a concept of fashion.
They weren’t always made purposefully.
Maybe someone made a mistake in their knitting or tried a new design that didn’t turn out as cool as they thought it would.
However, it wasn’t long before grandmas everywhere were knowingly (maybe while chuckling to themselves) knitting their grandchildren ugly Christmas sweaters complete with baubles and “I love Grandma” lettering.
They knew what they were doing.
However, mass market ugly sweaters made their purposeful debut in the 80s.
Popular character Bill Huxtable on The Cosby Show constantly made fashionistas gasp when he’d come into scene in a gaudy, ugly, yet slightly endearing sweater that he knew was completely outrageous.
In 1989, Chevy Chase added his own twist to the theme as Clark Griswold in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation movie.
It seemed the 90s were eager to get rid of the ugly sweater trend, but it reared its “ugly” head back into public eyes in 21st century Canada.
Two men from Vancouver came up with the idea to throw the first official tacky holiday sweater party to raise money for their friend’s cancer treatment.
The party was a hit, leading the way for similar events to show up all over the northern hemisphere.
Ugly sweater parties went from small holiday get togethers to huge events, sometimes in support of charity.
Today, ugly sweater parties and competitions are one of the highlights of the season, with everyone trying to one-up each other in searching for the most appalling outerwear they can find.
The sweaters have gone from accidentally tacky to purposefully shameless.
The only way this celebration can be more extra was if there was a holiday dedicated to it, oh wait!
There is!
Time is precious and is priceless, so Dan and I will continue each day to pull from a box of 365 inspirational quotes, one quote and share with you.
Today is:
WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS, THERE WILL YOUR HEART BE ALSO.
Today Dan and I will be continuing the book, Ten-Minute Relaxation, For Mind and Body by Jennie Harding.
Whenever you are feeling under pressure, ten minutes is all you need to relax totally, using tools that are always with you; your senses.
This book is packed full of wonderfully simple ideas and exercises for using sight, taste, smell, hearing, and touch and that vital sixth sense of intuition to rebalance your energies and bring you back into harmony with the natural world around you.
Identify your favorite sensory relaxation solutions and combat that stress!
Per Dan and my experience this is another component in keeping ourselves healthy, meditation.
By using your five senses, you can learn to relax in just ten minutes.
CHAPTER 2; THE SENSORY JOURNEY; TOUCH
TOUCH THE ESSENCE OF CARE-
SWITCHING ON THE SENSE
Today, FOOT SELF-MASSAGE SEQUENCE/TEN MINUTE EXERCISE
Spend five minutes on each foot.
Work on the right foot first.
1. Take one teaspoon of the balm and apply it quickly all over the surface of the foot.
Go to yesterday's post for the ingredients.
2. Using the heel of your left hand, the soft pad at the base of the palm. Rub up and down under the arch of your foot several times.
3. Use the same part of the hand to make circles over the heel and under the ball of the foot. These movements feel good. They stretch all the little bones,
4. With one hand on each side, use both your hands to rub the upper surface of the foot.
5. Massage each toe individually from the tip downward, giving each one a little stretch to follow.
6. Finally, use both hands together to stroke the upper and lower surfaces of the foot as the same time. From the tip of the toes toward the ankle and back. Do several times. This really warms the circulation.
Repeat the whole sequence on the left foot.
Foot massage is very calming and soothing to give and receive and has extra benefits. By massaging over the surface of the feet you are giving gentle stimulations to reflex points used in reflexology, which benefits the whole body.
Tomorrow, NECK, AND SHOULDER RELIEF
The PHRASE TO REMEMBER; Health is Wealth.
We stand by this and continue to do daily; walk, meditation, and Qigong.
If you would like to follow with us; hash tag words #walk, #meditation #Qigong on the right of the main blog page.
COUNT YOUR 🧮
Count your age by friends, not years. Count your life by smiles, not tears. #countyourage#byfriends#notyears#years#countyourlife#bysmiles#smiles#nottears#tears
Until Saturday, because there is nothing like the tough times in
life to remind us that we really need to celebrate the good times more.
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