Style Magazine - December 2022
What’s your favorite holiday tradition? Growing up, I had a lot of them. My parents’ annual gingerbread house party where friends, family, and neighbors would fill our house with cheer as we decorated the edible abodes with brightly colored candy; hiking through Snowy Peaks to hunt down the perfect pine tree, followed by a fireside cup of the farm’s complimentary cocoa; and waking up Christmas morning to a half-eaten plate of cookies and carrots, seeing my stocking stuffed to the brim (with practical things like socks and scrunchies!), and unwrapping presents in PJs before devouring a big brunch. Yep, Christmas as a kid was pretty magical. As an adult, some of the magic has certainly slipped away. But now, with offspring of my own, my family's forming new traditions and recreating the ones above in hopes that my kiddos' Christmas memories are just as merry and bright. Whatever season of life you’re in—empty nester, new parent, pet parent, etc.—I can assure you that this issue is full of festive ways to celebrate the actual season. If you’re like me and don’t start Christmas shopping till it’s almost too late, fret not. Our “Holiday Gift Guide” (page 68) has ideas for everyone on your list—cool kids, furry friends, fashionistas, foodies, homebodies, and self-care seekers. The best part? All 50+ finds are sold at mom-and-pop places or made by area artisans. Empty your Amazon cart and #ShopLocal this year. Side note: Most of the featured businesses offer online shopping and free delivery, too. Considering sugar and spice is a big part of what makes Christmas nice, I encourage you to check out “Make it Merry” (page 94), featuring home-based bakers’ most-requested recipes to sweeten the season. Bring out the butter, pull out the parchment paper, and dedicate one full (preferably rainy) day to baking things like coffee-glazed molasses cookies and pecan-topped toffee. The finished products make for a perfect present, too! Finally, in “Making Spirits Bright” (page 90), local mixologists share their top winter warmers, including our cover cocktail, “Bad Santa,” whose ingredients include some of my favorite things (coffee, candy canes, and Irish cream). Gather with your booze-loving buddies, turn up the Christmas tunes, and toast to the most wonderful time of the year. Cheers!
What’s your favorite holiday tradition? Growing up, I had a lot of them. My parents’ annual gingerbread house party where friends, family, and neighbors would fill our house with cheer as we decorated the edible abodes with brightly colored candy; hiking through Snowy Peaks to hunt down the perfect pine tree, followed by a fireside cup of the farm’s complimentary cocoa; and waking up Christmas morning to a half-eaten plate of cookies and carrots, seeing my stocking stuffed to the brim (with practical things like socks and scrunchies!), and unwrapping presents in PJs before devouring a big brunch. Yep, Christmas as a kid was pretty magical.
As an adult, some of the magic has certainly slipped away. But now, with offspring of my own, my family's forming new traditions and recreating the ones above in hopes that my kiddos' Christmas memories are just as merry and bright.
Whatever season of life you’re in—empty nester, new parent, pet parent, etc.—I can assure you that this issue is full of festive ways to celebrate the actual season.
If you’re like me and don’t start Christmas shopping till it’s almost too late, fret not. Our “Holiday Gift Guide” (page 68) has ideas for everyone on your list—cool kids, furry friends, fashionistas, foodies, homebodies, and self-care seekers. The best part? All 50+ finds are sold at mom-and-pop places or made by area artisans. Empty your Amazon cart and #ShopLocal this year. Side note: Most of the featured businesses offer online shopping and free delivery, too.
Considering sugar and spice is a big part of what makes Christmas nice, I encourage you to check out “Make it Merry” (page 94), featuring home-based bakers’ most-requested recipes to sweeten the season. Bring out the butter, pull out the parchment paper, and dedicate one full (preferably rainy) day to baking things like coffee-glazed molasses cookies and pecan-topped toffee. The finished products make for a perfect present, too!
Finally, in “Making Spirits Bright” (page 90), local mixologists share their top winter warmers, including our cover cocktail, “Bad Santa,” whose ingredients include some of my favorite things (coffee, candy canes, and Irish cream). Gather with your booze-loving buddies, turn up the Christmas tunes, and toast to the most wonderful time of the year. Cheers!
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
| health & wellness |<br />
ME, MYSELF, & I<br />
7 Challenges<br />
Simple Self-Care<br />
by CAITLIN MCCULLOCH<br />
Self-care has always been an important<br />
component to mental health, yet many of us<br />
take care of everyone but ourselves. We asked<br />
local experts how to implement “me time” into<br />
our modern day lives. Here are a few ideas<br />
to get inspired—challenge yourself to try<br />
one that feels right for you!<br />
1<br />
TAKE ACTION WITH AFFIRMATIONS<br />
“Write a positive statement for something you<br />
would like to change and say it 10-20 times a day for one<br />
week until it's memorized. The next week, write a new<br />
one and repeat the process. What you think is how you<br />
feel. Change your thoughts, and you will change [your<br />
life].” Therese Sorrentino, LMFT, theresesorrentinomft.<br />
com<br />
2<br />
LOVE YOURSELF<br />
“Accept the truth that you will never eliminate<br />
the sabotaging part of yourself (I’m too lazy; I don’t<br />
have time; I’m not good at this stuff; Other people are<br />
more important, etc.). Instead, say to yourself, “Even<br />
though I’m stressed and failing at self-care, I can totally<br />
love myself for where I am in this moment. I can fill my<br />
heart with love right now…presently.” Make more space<br />
in your heart by expanding your chest or imagining the<br />
feeling of opening. Actively being loving toward yourself<br />
automatically becomes easier and more available for you.<br />
Start slow, expect small results, and believe you’re building a<br />
steady core of self-care reliance you’ll benefit from.” Jenifer<br />
Novak Landers, Life Coach, fullyexpressedpotential.com<br />
3<br />
BE PERFECTLY IMPERFECT<br />
“Perfectionism is exhausting, not to mention<br />
impossible to obtain. When nothing less than perfect is<br />
the goal, we end up feeling like a failure every time. If<br />
you struggle with perfectionism, try exposing yourself<br />
to being perfectly imperfect. Challenge yourself to wear<br />
mismatched socks, pick your favorite nail polish color<br />
instead of what’s in fashion, or donate something from<br />
your closet that doesn’t reflect who you truly are.” Holly<br />
Spotts, PsyD, fullcupwellness.com<br />
Photo © khosrork - stock.adobe.com.<br />
40 stylemg.com | DECEMBER <strong>2022</strong> | /stylemediagroup /stylemediagroup /stylemediagroup /stylemags
Change language