If you’re like most Americans, you’re probably too busy to create the perfect Martha Stewart holiday atmosphere in your home. In fact, you might barely have enough time to grab some last-minute gifts and tack some stockings on the mantel.
If you’re short on time, create an instant holiday spirit in six steps:
1. Wear red. Everyone will say you “look festive.”
2. Trick your nose:
a. Instead of slaving for hours in the kitchen, you can fill the house with the smells of scrumptious home cooking with scented candles in cinnamon, nutmeg, or vanilla.
b. You can also skip the Christmas tree fiasco and buy strong-smelling wreaths and pine-scented oils. (Hang some lights around the windows, and your house will fill warm and enchanting.)
c. Bake a small batch of cookies (cut the recipe in half) – or make a loaf of gingerbread (from the box) – just for the smell.
3. Start a holiday tradition – but keep it casual. Have an ugly sweater party with your friends at a local hangout, and try to outdo each other with your hideous Goodwill finds. If you’re feeling ambitious, add a White Elephant Gift exchange – it’s the ultimate low-maintenance holiday tradition.
4. Stop expecting everything to be perfect, and start enjoying what you have. It sounds simplistic, but it’s actually difficult to do. Take a deep moment to breathe deeply. Look around yourself and notice the things that you are thankful for.
Posted by marykblalock 
