Santa’s Tips for Celebrating an Ideal Christmas

Christmas is approaching.  It’s déj vu all over again as we face the prospect of endless shopping trips for perfect presents and food for feasts.  We will make the annual pilgrimage to our attics, climbing rickety ladders retrieving ornaments, strands of burned out lights, and ceramic Santas.  Garland and gifts gradually take over guest rooms.  We will watch Miracle on 34^th Street for the 34^th time up to our elbows in cookie dough and wrapping paper. We often spend money we don’t have in pursuit of an ideal nestled into our memories leftover from Christmases past.  Now, let me be quick to add, I LOVE CHRISTMAS.  When I contemplated converting to Judaism in my former marriage, I was perfectly willing to celebrate Rosh Hashanah and spend the day fasting in quiet contemplation on Yom Kippur.  However, giving up Christmas was out of the question. But, this year, why not try envisioning a different kind of holiday, one that might not feel as harried.  Perhaps we just need a reminder to help us escape from the stress and schedules and re-discover the playful side of this colorful holiday.

“Santa’s 12 Tips for an Ideal Christmas” can help serve as that reminder.  Go to www.idealizms.com to check out these Christmas cards with tips from Santa to help make the holiday season more enjoyable.  Cards such as, “Breathe” features Santa seated in a lotus position on a yoga matt, and “Color Your Christmas” with Santa draped in colorful Christmas lights, are designed to inspire your holiday season.  Interior reads, “Hope Your Holiday is Ideal”.

Santa’s Tip- Toast Yourself for Living Through the Past Year

 The final piece in my “Santa’s 12 Tips for an Ideal Christmas” series is called, “Toast Yourself for Living Through the Past Year”. This whimsical art piece features Santa Claus with grapes dangling from his hat, a wine bottle and glass in hand, and a corkscrew tucked into his belt. Santa’s tip-Toast yourself for living through one of the worst economic years in memory. To see more in this series go to http://tinyurl.com/ydjde88.

Silly Rabbit, toys aren’t just for kids!

“Ask for Toys” is one in a series of clay sculptures entitled, “Santa’s 12 Tips for an Ideal Christmas”. This whimsical art piece features Santa strumming his brand new guitar as his new set of golf clubs await their first swing. Santa’s tip- don’t let the kids get all the toys; as for a few for yourself. To see more in this series go to http://tinyurl.com/ydjde88.

Pause Amid the Christmas Chaos

This is day ten of “Santa’s 12 Tips for Celebrating an Ideal Christmas.” These are a series of clay sculptures I created which have been made into Christmas cards. To see them, go to http://tinyurl.com/ydjde88.

 Today’s tip is “Enjoy Your Family”. This piece features Santa and Mrs. Claus arm in arm, exchanging holiday presents. Santa’s tip- pause amid the Christmas chaos and spend precious time with those you love.

Santa Yogi Will Help you Breathe through the Season

 “Breathe” is one in a series of clay sculptures entitled, “Santa’s 12 Tips for an Ideal Christmas”. This whimsical art piece features Santa Claus seated in a lotus position on a yoga mat. Santa’s tip- relax and breathe in the midst of the frenzy and festivities of the season. To see more in this series go to http://tinyurl.com/ydjde88.

Santa’s #8 Seasonal Tip- Give to Others

 #8 in my “Santa’s 12 tips for Celebrating an Ideal Christmas” series is, “Give to Others”. The sculpture (see below) features Santa Claus distributing presents from his gift bag. Santa’s tip- let generosity be your guide during this holiday season.

A Christmas Catalog to Inspire your Spirit

 I am really excited to be a part of a wonderful holiday catalog called the Spirit of the Season Catalog. This online catalog offers gifts in the following categories: art, inspiration, jewelry, books, and seasonal items like my “Santa’s 12 Tips for an Ideal Christmas” cards. Check it out at http://tinyurl.com/yeja516

Santa’s Tip #6, “Sing at the top of your Lungs”

Day 6 in “Santa’s 12 Tips for Celebrating an Ideal Christmas” is, “Sing Holiday Songs” (see image below for a visual on this tip). This whimsical sculpture features Santa, head thrown back, warbling a favorite Christmas carol. 

This series is about “ideally living” during the holidays. Nostalgia is an element of ideally living. Regardless of whether your childhood was a happy one, there were those moments of excited anticipation as you counted down the days until Santa’s arrival. You can recapture some of those sweet memories by singing familiar favorites like “Jingle Bells” or “Joy to the World”. Go ahead, lose the grown up in you, with all those pesky responsibilities, throw your head back, and with all that childhood gusto, sing “Oh Christmas Tree” at the top of your lungs. (It will make you feel much better about the season.) Go to http://tinyurl.com/ydjde88 to see more of Santa’s 12 tips for an Ideal Christmas.

 

Santa’s Tips for an Ideal Vacation

Day four of “Santa’s 12 Tips for an Ideal Christmas” is, “Go On Vacation”. This piece features Santa in a tourist mode, complete with camera, luggage suggesting an island destination, and, what everyone needs during an island vacation-a surfboard. Santa’s suggestion implied in this vignette is- Use the holiday season as an excuse to take a much needed vacation..now that’s an ideal Christmas present.

Color Your Christmas

 Dreading those holiday hassles? While there is so much to enjoy during the holidays – kids coming home, the colorful sights and delicious smells of the season, the anticipation – it can get overwhelming. Today begins 12 days of blog posts featuring my “Santa’s 12 Tips for an Ideal Christmas”. These are clay sculptures I created which have been made into Christmas cards. Go to http://tinyurl.com/ydjde8 to see the sculptures and cards.

The name of my little art company is ideaLizms. ideaLizms inspires and encourages people to live their lives creatively and with fun. So why shouldn’t the holidays be celebrated in the same way?

The first of Santa’s 12 tips (see image below) is called, “Color Your Christmas” and features Santa Claus draped in colorful Christmas Lights, the message being, keep the color and delight in the holiday season.  

 Hope your holiday this year is “ideal”.