Creating Comfort and Joy for Christmas

This Christmas will be different than most any of us will remember. Between the pandemic, politics and restrictions preventing us from celebrating the way we want or normally would, how can we find comfort and joy for the holidays?

Well, one way to find comfort and joy this Christmas is to celebrate the holiday’s meaning while drowning out all the negativity in the news. Besides Christmas orginating from Christ’s birthday, what does Christmas mean to you? Answering this question will allow you to do all the things you would normally do but in a new way — with simple pleasures.

Plan Ahead

For instance, plan your meal, get your gifts, partake in religious services if you choose, all online. Take commonsensical precautions regarding the pandemic by using the three “w’s” — watch your distance from others, wear a mask in public places and wash your hands. This means avoid crowds, shop online, get grocery shopping services like Shipt or Instacart to shop for you, order groceries directly online for Whole Foods through Amazon Prime, if you have this membership, or directly through other grocery stores using their delivery service or order in advance and pickup from the store. If you want to streamline the time it takes to make a meal AND help small business, particularly restaurants, then order prepared foods online for their delivery or contactless pickup.

This takes care of the items for your meal but you still have to cook it — unless it’s already prepared food. In the DC area, we have Neighborhood Provisions, which we’ve mentioned and supported via our social media. The Neighborhood Restaurant Group managed over 20 restaurants in DC, Northern Virginia and Maryland. When the pandemic hit and lockdowns were on the horizon, this group didn’t miss a beat. They pivoted to offer takeout meals across the region with their most popular restaurants’ recipes shared among their locations for pickup and delivery. Soon after, they started pantry items, where butter, milk and even toilet paper could be ordered.

This effort kept many of their workers employed and their restaurants “opened” in a new way until the pandemic resides. We can’t thank them enough and order a lot through them. Check you local restaurants and for similar services in your area and know that you’re helping them in your patronage. Helping others is just one part of the Christmas giving spirit that brings joyful rewards to you in the process.

Considering you might have the immediate members of your household for Christmas, you could also have other guests but you should have room to maintain social distance, possibly have your meal outside under heaters or open windows inside for circulation. Here are some Casart Accessory items to help with the effort: insulated drink containers, serving trays, comforters, and blankets, among other items.

If you cannot have multiple family members or gather with friends, consider video calls. You can plan and coordinate these with participants in advance providing a link and a time for everyone to login. If you can’t be with the ones you love, at least seeing and chatting with them will help ease the distance.

Comfort

Thinking of the details of the day. How do you want it to go? If you want it to go simply and smoothly, then try to get things done in advance with food prep and table setup and decorations. Consider the meal itself, don’t stress yourself out, go with simple, classic, comfort food. This provides the nostalgia from previous good memories of Christmas. Plus, just the smell of holiday food brings a comforting, calming sensibility.

Bake and decorate cookies with family members. Package and drop off some to friends. Give as gifts. Have hot chocolate while cozying up on the couch to watch a good holiday movie. There are so many to find from years ago that are available with technology to watch today. Play classic games, cards, and everyone can get on the fun doing puzzles.

Take a break from tech, get outside, walk in nature, enjoy a campfire and the stars. Simple pleasures provide plenty of satisfaction. Bring those images indoors to celebrate all year round.

Joy

Decorate — surround yourself with the ambiance of Christmas, enhanced by the active things like above that create comfort and joy. Put up lights. Decorate a tree early. Make it an event and have household members participate. Play festive music. Put down phones and do something together. Create memories with the communal experience of a shared Christmas ambiance. Try our removable wallpaper with DIY ways for decorating.

Give a Gift Card for Casart wallcovering, so others can decorate as they want as well.

Don’t forget to do something for yourself too. Create a place, nook or setting that brings you joy, living life to its fullest. Relax in the peaceful calm of decompressing. Try a Casart removable wallcovering in Shells from the Sea Life Collection.

Since washing your hands is a fundamental practice to stay safe from catching coronavirus. We can all use a little luxury with the type of soap we use. We love this handmade, most moisturizing soap with serene scents from Oak Lane Soap Works. We use it full body shower and baths as well as hand soap. We just bought a bunch for Christmas gifts, knowing it to can help a local small business. Give gifts and treat yourself — OLSW also has other specialty items to peruse.

Having a slower pace will help you appreciate this Christmas more than before.

Read our other Christmas holiday posts for more inspirational ideas.

We wish you a merry Christmas with comfort and joy for the season. Happy Holidays!