My Retail Reality....By Thinking of My Favorite Things I Kept from becoming the Grinch this Christmas....

My son made this for me for Christmas....It's has a few of my favorite things....My Cat...Flowers from my garden...The snow covered mountains...A soft blanket....And my daughters buttery popcorn.
I love it, and it made me think....I did it, I did not become a grumpy Grinch at Christmas.  I enjoyed the season despite the stress of working in a retail store. I survived lines that were too long, multiple call outs, being pulled in 5 different directions, shifts changes that are crazy, working without breaks or lunches, and computers breaking down.. without coming home and being grumpy and cranky with my family.
Christmas came and I had a wonderful day with my family and got this beautiful present.
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas too.
G.G

# I'm not ready for Christmas....But I'm ready for Christ.....

The question of the week is "Are you ready for Christmas?"  And I am totally not ready for Christmas this year.  Here is our tree that finally had lights put on it late Sunday night.   It has been up since December 12th, but my husband had to go to New Jersey to visit his father who has been ill, and so nothing got done with it since then.  Basically because I know my husband has to put the lights on himself or he gets all stressed out. I left the tree for him.  I think visiting a sick family member and keeping the peace with decorating are more important than a decorated tree.  I did tell the kids who are teens that they could decorate the tree yesterday and they chose not too.

We do have one ornament on the tree...This little owl I bought to tease the cat.  She has tried to attack it a few times.

The stockings are hung, but I have yet to wrap any presents.  Christmas eve I think my job will be to wrap things,  I'm hoping I'll have the energy and enough wrapping paper.
I have not sent all my Christmas cards out...I have not baked the cookies, I did eat all the peanut butter cups that were supposed be part of the cookies...
So if you ask if I'm ready for Christmas....The answer is no....But in thinking about it...I am ready for Christ.
If Christ knocked on my door....I would be able to stop and visit...I would be ready to listen to him and not worry if my house looked good enough or not.
I'm ready to begin a new year, to focus on learning more about my Savior and becoming closer to him...I am ready to be a "Mary" instead of a busy "Martha".  I'm looking forward to building up the people I work with, and caring for my family and friends.  I'm ready to go to the Temple often and to find ways to spread peace and Joy.
So I may not be ready for Christmas this year....But I know I'm ready for Christ....And isn't that really what matters?
G.G.
He Is The Gift  #Share the Gift

Christmas Days 10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20..... Boy I've been busy this week

I can say even with my crazy retail job, I have not become the Grinch yet!  Sorry to not have posted for a whole week, but I'm in the midst of crazy shift work, plus I have a horrible head cold on top of it all. But I've been thinking of my favorite Christmas things each day.
Day 10....I like looking at decorated Christmas trees....Mine is still not decorated.

Day 11...I like the colors red and white for Christmas....I actually have a lot of red and white decorations around the house this year.  I like this Penguin tree.
Day 12...I love listening to funny Christmas Songs...our favorite ones this year are "The Straight No Chasers"  12 days of Christmas and the Nutcracker

Day 13....I like wrapping Christmas presents with my helper.

Day 14...I like sending and receiving Christmas cards...Though haven't received many this year and mine are going out a little late due to my helper.

Day 15...Going to the city and seeing the lights with my family...even with moody teenagers!

Day 16...I like shopping for Christmas presents...though this year some won't be getting here on time!
Day 17...I like all the special meals that they make for us at work, baked potato bar, pizza night....
Day 18....I like being able to help people find the special gift they are looking for...I found something that one of the employees was looking for and that was great.
Day 19...I was happy I had the Christmas program Sunday off, I got to hear lots of great Christmas music and my son sang in the choir too!
Day 20...I love getting homemade goodies...We got lots of yummy bread this year!

The Christmas lights were beautiful this year in down town Salt Lake City.... The Macy's store had window displays made all of candy too.
Hope you are all surviving that last few days of Christmas shopping !
G.G.

My Retail Therapy: Days 4,5,6,7,8,and 9

When you work retail and you hear the song "It's the most wonderful time of the year" play you just want to laugh.  Oh the week I've had, I never in my life would think of cursing at strangers but boy Christmas seems to bring the bad language out. I think people forget that everyone is out trying to buy those special items, it does not matter what time you go shopping you will end up in a line.  But I've been doing really well I have not felt an inner "Grinch" wanting to come out yet.  When those customers leave I think of my list, of my favorite holiday things....
#4.. Singing Christmas Hymns at Church.  That is always a favorite with me.
#5.. Helping others, I gave a friend of my son's a ride home and found a persons lost purse (Pocketbook).
#6. The letter my son is writing as Santa's Elf for English class that will be given to a 2nd grader.
#7. Driving home by some awesome Christmas displays...If you live by Draper Utah you need to see the Draper Park Christmas light display it is so beautiful.
#8. Memories of Christmas past...I've seen a lot of toys I bought for my kids when they were young I'm so tempted to buy some little silly thing for each of them.  We had the craziest conversation about playing Candy Land the other night.

#9.  Going to Christmas Concerts.  My Son's Concert was wonderful tonight and the great thing was they did it twice so families could come at different times if needed.  So I got to listen to it twice and it was just wonderful.  They had the choir, orchestra, Band, Jazz band, Wind symphony and most of all it was all Christmas Songs...My favorite Christmas songs!  What a wonderful night!
Well what are some of your favorite things??
G.G.

# Throw Back Thursday.... The Hunt for the Perfect Christmas tree

Every year the weekend after Thanksgiving my family went on the great Christmas tree hunt.
When we visited with my children we also went out to find the perfect Christmas tree.

My parents always looked for a tall fat tree... I think my kids found a perfect one here.  I really like short fat trees.

Sometimes the little kids get lost in the tree forest.  I think my mom just found the lost Christmas tree hunter.
One year she not only got lost, but she also sunk down to her knees in mud...

Once the perfect tree is picked, Dad cuts it down and we help carry it to the car.  Sometimes depending on which farm you go to you also get a ride in a wagon.  And there are treats like hot apple cider and donuts.
I really hope that this year my husband will take me and the kids along to pick our Christmas tree.  I'm not sure why he feels he has to go out and pick it on his own.  I would really like to be a part of that.  And I'm hoping for a Short, Fat, Tree. 
G.G.

My Retail Therapy: Day 3 The opening song to A Charlie Brown Christmas....

One of my favorite things about Christmas is listening to the Charlie Brown Christmas songs.  They even play some of them where I work.  I love the opening song "Christmas Time is Here"

When I was young you had to wait to watch this show.  You couldn't buy video's or play it on your computer.  I think that made it special.  Now you can own the video and watch it over and over, but having to wait for it, and being home with your family on that special night was great.
What is something about the Christmas season that you like?
Someone told me yesterday that I need to try Chocolate Oranges.  Think I might buy one tomorrow.
G.G

My Retail Therapy: What I like about Christmas day 2

Yesterday I had to repeat a few times Cinnamon Scented Pine Cones at work....As people wanted to complain that they were not being helped fast enough, and somehow we were to blame for their sore back and feet..Or that we knew about this and had purposely made the lines long...

Today it is "Life Savers" candy books.  This brings me back to 3rd grade.  We had a live Christmas tree in the class room.  We all picked one students name from a hat that we would buy a present for.  The teacher gave us all these Life Saver Candy books as part of her present to us.  It was so much fun.  I don't think they even have "Christmas" parties in schools anymore, and a real Christmas tree I think that would not be allowed either.  So I have to say I'm thankful for my childhood memories.

I'm bringing the boxes of candy into work, I give out little "Life Saver" treats to employees that come in on their day off, or stay late because someone else is running late.  They are my "Life Savers"  Because without them I'd have a lot more tired and cranky people yelling at me about lines.  Believe me we understand about the lines, we don't want people waiting in them, but we can't control the fact that people call out, or are late or all the other things that create lines during the holidays.  Our legs and backs are sore too, our brains are a bit tired from working longer shifts and having fewer days off.  So please be a little more patience with the retail worker this holiday season.
G.G.

My Retail Therapy: Taking time each day to think of something I like about the Christmas Season

So the crazy holiday season is upon us, and for those working in retail it can become a time of stress and a time where you begin to really hate Christmas.  Why you ask?  Because even though all the songs say it is the most wonderful time of the year.... It can be a time when customers are cranky, and impatient and rude.  Everyone is out to get that special gift, and yet they don't want to wait in lines, they don't want to hear you don't have what they are looking for, and they don't want to be reminded that they are spending way more than they want to.
  I at first was not going to do any type of Christmas celebrating, I was heading into this Christmas season in great Grinch fashion.  I wanted to not have a commercial Christmas.  But that is not fair to my children or husband.  So what to do?  How can I get through this time of year without becoming the Grinch?
I've decided for the next 24 days to focus on the things that I love about Christmas.  And to share that with you.  Of course with my crazy work schedule I may not get to blog everyday.  But I'm going to try.
     So today one of my favorite things about the Christmas season is cinnamon scented pine cones.  I love walking into the grocery store and smelling these pine cones.  That is just pure happiness in a box for me.
Please share with  me one thing that you love about the Christmas season.  We did this at work one night and it was fun.
G.G.