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Christmas Tree Trimming
Do you remember when the Christmas
season was less of a hassle and more of a joyous time
spent with family and friends? Back in the day, families
just seemed to have enough time to sit back and enjoy
the holiday season. Today, on the other hand, many people
get harried, rushed and basically stressed out during
the Christmas holiday. There just seems to be no time
to enjoy any of life's simple pleasures when there is
so much shopping and entertaining to squeeze in during
a short period of time.
Take trimming the tree for instance. As a kid, I can
remember the whole family gathered around the tree,
Christmas music blaring in the background, warm home-baked
cookies and cool milk in our tummies, as each of us
took a turn to place our most precious and beloved ornaments
on the tree. And when we got done trimming our Christmas
tree, we loaded up and went to Grandma's and started
the whole thing over. It was a time of being together,
a time of love, laughter and celebration that the whole
family slowed down to enjoy and appreciate.
Now, fast forward… I'm not going to say how many years;
that would be too revealing. Let's just say to today.
In many households the act of trimming the tree has
evolved into more of a hectic holiday task than a chance
to enjoy and celebrate the season. I've even heard many
moan and groan about having to put up the Christmas
tree when they got home from work. If this is the way
things are at your house around the holidays, maybe
you should think about hosting a tree trimming party
to recapture that holiday spirit.
A Christmas tree trimming party can turn what was once
viewed as a tedious chore into a joyous holiday gathering
with your closest friends and loved ones. All you need
is a tree, decorations, a few appetizers and your favorite
people.
Here's how you can host a tree trimming party at your
home during this Christmas season.
· Invitations. With so many competing functions to attend,
even your closest relatives can forget an event if you
only invite them informally. By sending out invitations,
you can formally invite your closest family and friends
and give them the sense that this is something worth
attending. Invitations do not have to be expensive.
You can pick up simple cookie-cutter invitations at
the dollar store or party supply store. You can also
print invitations up on your computer.
· Ornaments. Ask each of your guests to bring an inexpensive
or homemade ornament to hang on your tree. In years
to come, when you unpack these ornaments, you will be
reminded of the special people who attended your tree
trimming party and the memories that you created.
· Appetizers. While you do not need to plan a lavish
banquet to serve your guests, you should serve a wide
variety of appetizers which include hot and cold entrees
and a little bit of the sweet stuff. If you have family
members or friends who are health conscious or follow
specific diets, keep them in mind also while you're
preparing the menu.
· Setup. Place beverages and appetizers on several tables
or counters, in a room separate from the tree, in a
way that guests can flow freely around the buffet to
choose their favorite munchies. Nobody likes to have
to fight or squeeze their way through a tight crowd
to refill their drink or get a little something to nibble
on. The same thing goes for the "tree trimming room."
Place ornaments openly on tables so that guests can
move about freely and their special touch to the tree
at will. Also make sure that there is plenty of space
for guests to mingle and move throughout the house.
As you can see, a tree trimming party can be a great
way to get a holiday chore done while enjoying precious
time with your family and friends in a casual atmosphere.
If you do not want to host a Christmas tree trimming
party in your home every year, you can pass the torch
on to other family members so that you can trim a tree
at a different home each year but still get to spend
quality time together.
About the author:
By Adam Lenk For more christmas tips and articles visit
http://www.christmasvisions.com
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