Carol Schulte

Get your /BRĀV/ on

Merry Christmas

May you enjoy a moment of awe and wonder…

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Photo by Gareth Harper on Unsplash

Happy Friday!

Awe and wonder.

That is exactly what I felt looking into the cutest, innocent, most precious eyes of baby Harris.

I’m a proud Auntie once again!

My Dad and I flew out to Calgary as soon as we caught word things were happening with my sister, landing an hour after the newest member of our family arrived into the world. 

And he is simply perfect. 

There is just something about holding and cuddling with a newborn baby…
The innocence. The softness. The scent.

I know babies are born every second in every corner in every part of the world, but that doesn’t take away from the miracle that is in each and every birth.

It is indeed magical and a miracle. 

And it got me thinking; that is exactly what this time of year is all about. 

So regardless of what you believe, what you celebrate (or not) I hope you take a moment or two to experience the magic and the miracle of the holiday season.

Amongst the shopping, the wrapping, the cooking, the baking;
the entertaining, the decorating and the holiday pie making…

May you experience a moment of awe and wonder. 

In fact, may you experience many special moments.

Adopting from a previous blog I shared around this time of year, instead of 12 days of Christmas, I wish you 12 moments of Christmas:

May you enjoy a moment of joy. 

Real joy… when your heart is smiling. When time stops.

May you enjoy a moment of laughter. 

Catch yourself next time mid-laughter. Milk it. Indulge in it. Laugh until your cheeks hurt. 

May you enjoy a moment of gratitude.

There is always something to be thankful for. Choose one thing you are especially grateful for. Inhale it in.

May you enjoy a moment of connection.

Allow yourself to be fully in somebody’s presence. Engage. Really see them, and let them see you.

May you enjoy a moment of peace.

Perhaps in silence, perhaps amidst the noise. Take a breath, and be still. If only for a moment.

May you enjoy a moment of love. 

Maybe in giving, maybe in receiving. Experience a moment where love exists. Allow it to make your heart sing.

May you enjoy a moment of fun.

Whether planned, or unplanned, ensure you bask in a moment of full-on fun. I dare you.  (perhaps you’ll need to borrow your friends’ or sisters’ kids like I did! Nothing is more fun than playtime with Auntie Carol!)

May you enjoy a moment of reflection. 

‘Tis also the time of year to look back on all that has transpired over this past year (or even this past week!) and look forward to all there is to come.

May you enjoy a moment of excitement.

Whether experiencing the season through the eyes of a curious child, or putting yourself back there (I still kick my legs under my sheets every Christmas morning in sheer excitement! You’re never too old!), invite yourself to feel what it’s like to get truly excited. 

May you enjoy a moment of giving.

It doesn’t have to be all about gifts at this time of year. You can give with your heart through your time, your words, your thoughtful acts, your presence.

May you enjoy a moment of presence.

Amidst all that’s going on, take a moment to just be. Notice the world around you, notice your feet planted firmly on the ground, notice your heart pumping. 

May you enjoy a moment of awe and wonder.

There really is so much to be in awe and wonder of at this time of year. Whether looking into the eyes of a newborn baby, watching the lights sparkle, or watching the world go by, take a moment to notice and appreciate just how wonderful a feeling awe and wonder is. 

No need to force any moments… I only encourage you to be open to invite some moments in, and indulge in how they make you feel.

Nothing to do, simply to be this holiday season. 

‘Tis the season for… moments. May you experience lots of special moments, enjoy lots of special moments, make the season count. 

(And then please share some of these moments in the comments below! I want to share in them with you.) 

Wishing you and yours an awe and wonder-filled season!

 

Feel the love, share the love, celebrate the love this holiday season…

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Feel the love, share the love, celebrate the love this holiday season…

Happy Friday!

And moreover, happy two days before Christmas!

There’s something special about arriving at the airport when you know you have someone there to greet you.

On Wednesday evening I came through the arrival gates to see both my sisters welcoming me… we’re a pretty cheesy family but I also kinda love it!

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Then today we were back, and I got to be part of the welcome committee this time as the first members of our overseas family arrived… all in preparation for the family wedding in a week!

While waiting, I had the pleasure of watching numerous reunions take place…. sisters and brothers and parents and children, grandparents being rushed to by their grandchildren; boyfriends and girlfriends embracing.

(I imagined the Love Actually soundtrack playing in the background…!)

And I realized, that is what this time of year is all about.

Surrounding yourself with your loved ones. Experiencing real human connection.

 

This holiday season,

Amongst the shopping and the wrapping and the cooking and the baking,

the entertaining, the decorating, and the holiday pie making…

I hope you take some time to feel the love, share the love, and celebrate the love all around you.

 

Whatever that looks like to you, enjoy this special season with those that matter most.

And may you end 2016 feeling the love, and enter into 2017 ready for more!

To you and yours, wishing you a very merry and joyous holiday season…

And if you didn’t get a chance to see our holiday card yet, check it out here:

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Carol - high res

25 small ways to have BIG fun over the holidays!

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Happy Friday!

And greetings from St. Anne’s Spa! (As you’re reading this I’m enjoying a mini girls getaway ~ and BOY am I excited to lounge in my robe and simply indulge in girl time, and hopefully in the hot tub!…)

As exciting as this time of year can be, as I wrote about last week, it’s also a time our to-do lists can easily take on a life of their own!

It’s time to take a step back and reconnect with what this season is all about.

Now I’m all about small, do-able, fun activities that can make a big difference. For you, and for others.

And so, seeing as how we’re now knee deep into the festive season, (those of us celebrating Christmas – it’s only 10 days out! Ca-RAZY!), I feel it’s time to have a little fun.

Here are 25 ways you can easily add a little bit of merry to your holiday season, and/or bring a little joy to others.

 

  1. Make a snow angel
  2. Donate to your local food bank
  3. Send yourself a Christmas Card (why not?!?) and then give your postman (or postwoman!) a card while you’re at it
  4. Get a sparkly festive manicure
  5. Shovel a neighbour’s driveway or sidewalk
  6. Buy yourself a poinsettia
  7. Invent a Christmas Cocktail
  8. Spend a day in your robe and just do nothing
  9. Buy coffee for the person behind you in line
  10. Go to the movies to watch a vintage holiday classic
  11. Learn a Christmas tune on the ukulele or the nose flute (talk to me if you’ve never heard of the nose flute, and I’ll introduce you to my good friend David Gouthro, who also happens to be the founder of the Vancouver Nose Flute Ensemble!)
  12. Buy a festive and comfy fleece onesie
  13. Go to a fancy store, and try on a ridiculously expensive fuzzy, furry item… just ‘cause!
  14. Go to your local Children’s Hospital and enjoy some meaningful visits
  15. Buy chocolates for an old teacher, a mentor, or yourself
  16. Build a Snowman
  17. Go ice skating
  18. Put on a pair of reindeer antlers and walk around town as if all is normal. Maybe even make some ‘neeeiigh’ sounds
  19. Indulge in an obnoxiously large and fancy hot chocolate or other holiday beverage (I’m talking like Venti Pumpkin Spiced Egg Nog Gingerbread Latte styles!)
  20. Bond with a stranger turned friend (like Officer Mark Woo, see pic above!)
  21. Treat yourself to a mini spa getaway, with your girlfriends or on your own!
  22. Bake cookies
  23. Make a holiday craft (I always found reindeer candy canes the easiest!)
  24. Get a few friends or neighbours together and go Christmas Caroling
  25. Crank up the Christmas tunes while driving, while cooking, or whenever… and get into them!

 

There you have it. What one item will YOU commit to doing this week? And this list is NOT exhaustive… so if you have some ideas to add, share them below!

It’s not about trying to simply add more to your to-do list, rather offer you a fun little break of sorts, and get re-connected with what this holiday season is all about.

I’ll be honest with you, earlier this week I was having a pretty stressful, not overly productive day. And then I made a new friend at Starbucks, had a festive drink, and it turned my whole day around.

Give it five minutes, and just watch what happens!

Have a FAB time making merry this week!

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P.S. T-5 days until I leave for my Remote Year… EEK!

3 Ways to Avoid Overwhelm (and keep your sanity!) this Holiday Season

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Can you believe it’s DECEMBER already?!? Craziness. Hard to believe, I know. I hope you have your advent calendar up, your candle centerpiece ready, or whatever your holiday traditions are, I hope they are getting underway.

AND, if you haven’t even begun to think about the holiday season yet, THAT’S OKAY TOO!

At this time of year it’s all too easy to get caught up in feeling the need to decorate a la Martha Stewart, or make home-baked goods better than Betty Crocker, or to show up at every holiday party perfectly primped in new frocks like you’re like the biggest socialite on the block (with a bottomless bank account, to boot!)

I don’t know about you, however I am getting anxious just thinking about it!

Isn’t this time of year supposed to be the most peaceful and joyest of all?

In order to ensure you don’t get too caught up in the shoulds and the comparisons, here are 3 ways to avoid overwhelm (and keep your sanity) this holiday season.

 

1. Detach from Expectation.

It’s tough not to have some vision in your head of what the holiday season is supposed to look like. You have your family traditions, your special rituals, your festive festivities.

And, every year it’s not always going to be possible the way you see it in your head, or have experienced previously. And that’s okay.

This year, I’m going to be doing something a bit out of the ordinary over Christmas. I won’t be at home, I won’t be with my sisters, and I won’t be partaking in many of our regular family traditions I have come to know and love.

Yes, I will miss some of it. However, only if I’m attached to certain expectations of what it has been in the past, should be, or could be, will I experience upset.

And so instead, I’m choosing to simply ‘go with the flow.’ Who knows, it may be my best Christmas yet!

Detach from expectation. Don’t kill yourself trying to get all those Christmas cards out and those decorations up on time. Be with what is. And enjoy however this season is meant to unfold.

 

2. Be okay with Saying NO.

It’s a theme that has come up before and will no doubt come up again. You do not have to attend every festive mixer or holiday potluck or eggnog party there is. Not only will you drive yourself crazy trying to be everywhere with everyone every night of the week, chances are likely you’re not even going to enjoy yourself, anyway!

And with respect to anything additional that’s being asked of you, be honest and realistic with yourself. Is that really necessary right now? Is it a priority?

Look at what’s currently on your schedule or your responsibility list. Is there something you can let go of, delegate, or put off?

Be okay with saying NO. And start saying YES to yourself and your real needs.

 

3. Book in some tea time… or rather some ME time!

Book yourself a massage. Or reserve a spot on your fave couch and curl up with a cup of tea or a nice book. Go for a walk. Get your nails done.

Yes, I’m talking about ME time. It’s not overrated. It’s important. And even moreso than ever at this time of year.

And I don’t want you just talking about it. BOOK THAT S#!% in!!! Seriously, if it doesn’t get on your calendar, the chances of it actually happening are slim to none.

I’m pretty excited, a group of girlfriends and I are escaping for a night away at the spa next week… it’s going to be just what the Doctor ordered!

Choose something that relaxes you, makes your heart smile, and that is only for you. And book it in your calendar, like, NOW! Or even better, schedule weekly ‘me’ time and treat it like a serious appointment.

 

It’s an exciting time of year. Or at least that’s what it could be! So let’s ensure it is, and it stays that way.

Want to avoid holiday overwhelm? Detach from expectation. Be okay with saying NO. Book in some ME time. (Click to tweet it out!)

 

Have a FAB week!

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P.S. There’s a new monthly Living BIG challenge up! Wanna join? Check it out HERE.