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Happy Holler Days
“Like all the best families, we have our share of eccentricities, of impetuous and wayward youngsters, and of family disagreements.” (Queen Elizabeth II) The sidewalks are lit with bright candy canes, sparkling snowflakes, and big, red bows. You see petite, red berries under a blanket of frost, and there seem to be smells of the […]
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Podcast #46 — The Hopes and Fears of All the Years
In this week’s episode of “You Must Chill” Hal and John discuss the way our expectations of the “perfect” holiday often create a sense of disappointment. Some say the solution is to give up any kind of expectation altogether. Others say this is impossible. But what role does the Advent theme of Hope play in […]
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Simply ScreamFree Holidays
As we approach my favorite time of year, I want to give a little encouragement to those who are committed to living a ScreamFree life during the holiday season. Here it is: If you wish to be happy, keep it simple. By this I don’t mean to preach to you about spending less money this […]
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Everybody Hurts
“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” (Ian Maclaren) This is a good thought in general, but it takes on special meaning this time of year — especially when it comes to dealing with family. Life is hard for all of us. The holiday season doesn’t lessen any of our responsibilities; […]
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ICYMI — 17
Because last week ended with the dreaded day known as “Black Friday” I chose not to post my usual list of links to things I found while looking around the internets. Still, there are plenty of things out there worthy of your time. For example, this Time Magazine article helps parents understand why our kids […]
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Fun Ways to Cultivate Gratitude
If you’re looking for some fun and creative ideas to increase gratitude in your home, you’re in luck! These are simple ideas, but can be as elaborate as you want. If you’re the really crafty type, go all out. If not, no problem. Remember that the main idea is to cultivate gratitude and see all […]
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How to Have a Very Merry ScreamFree Christmas….Sort Of.
With Christmas only a few days away I thought it would be a great idea to give you a guide on how to stay calm during the time of year when all is supposed to be merry and bright. With holiday parties and family gatherings on your agenda sometimes we run into situations where we […]
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The Grinch That Stole Mommy
Originally posted December 1, 2009 By: Jenny Runkel Avoiding the Grinch spirit at Christmas and embracing the real spirit of the season. I hate the Christmas season. Ok, maybe hate is too strong a word. That’s the problem with being a writer. Everyone pays really close attention to your words and if you’re not careful, […]
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Holiday Survival Guide Part II
By Hal Runkel Originally published October 9, 2009 Now that you have read Part I and you’ve sucessfully regained your calm, you can put the following structures in place to create the kind of holiday you’ll be happy to remember. 1. Slow Down We learned this one from our daughter Hannah when she was about […]
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Holiday Survival Guide Part I
Tuesday, December 11, 2012 By: Hal Runkel Do more than just “make it through” another holiday season. Originally published on October 9, 2009. When Andy Williams sang the lyric, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year”, he must have been joking. What with presents to buy, parties to attend, and cheer to spread, we often […]