Craft an ornament to remember this Christmas. Make the ornament from yarn, felt, or paper, and decorate it with photos or small souvenirs from the past year. Make it a tradition to create an ornament with your loved ones each Christmas.
Positively Purging-I welcome your feedbacks in the comments and your likes and passing the real life wisdom on to others as I embark on this new venture of “positively purging“, as I know each of these pieces represents something…
My dilemma is about Christmas cards. I am separated from my husband of 25 years, and while it’s mostly amicable, I feel disingenuous including him on the card this year. Our divorce will be final less than a month after Christmas. I am also going back to my maiden name so I thought it might be a good way to announce that as well. We share four children (and a cat) who I’d like to include. Any ideas on wording that is classy or funny to express this new family identity that doesn’t skew weird or inappropriate?
– I’d Still Like to Wish You a Merry Christmas
Dear Merry Christmas: Hmm, this was an interesting challenge. Perhaps something like “There’s a new name, and a new family arrangement, but the warm wishes are the same.”
Or you could lean into a seasonal motif: “This holiday, we’re moving into a new season of life, so you’ll see a different name on the return address but know that my love for you lasts year-round.”
Or funny: “Is it regifting when Santa brings you your maiden name for Christmas?” Perhaps follow that last one up with a sincere sentence or two to reassure folks that everyone is happy and healthy.
There’s also a simple solution of taking a photo of yourself with your kids and cat, signing it with your maiden name, and letting people infer or speak to you directly if they want more information. There are some who advise against announcing divorces in holiday greetings because divorce can be sad. However, it’s your card and your life and you don’t have to hide it. Holiday cards and letters often encompass the full breadth of what goes on in a year – love, loss, and all the rest. So, if you want to share it, do.
Make a holiday playlist before starting any Christmas activities. Play the songs in the background as you decorate your home, bake cookies, or look at your neighborhood’s lights.
Positively Purging-I welcome your feedbacks in the comments and your likes and passing the real life wisdom on to others as I embark on this new venture of “positively purging“, as I know each of these pieces represents something…
Be pretty if you can, be witty if you must but be gracious if it kills you. – Elise de Wolfe
Positively Purging-I welcome your feedbacks in the comments and your likes and passing the real life wisdom on to others as I embark on this new venture of “positively purging“, as I know each of these pieces represents something…
I just can’t come to grips with the new style phone etiquette where you send a direct question or comment to someone (texts mainly, or emails, messenger, etc.) and it seems now optional to answer or respond, or at best get a “liked…” or a smiley face wearing sunglasses in reply.
My communications are important, take thoughtful effort to compose and like in the old days, you’re supposed to call the person back. I’m not talking about silly status posts on Instagram; this is two-way conversation and so many people interpret a texting response as optional!
Is it just me or is this an epidemic that is killing courtesy and good manners in modern society? What should I do, fire my friends and family? It’s tempting.– Text Back
Dear Text Back: Well, I wouldn’t go so far as to label it an epidemic. But it’s true that texting etiquette – and texting practices in general – can lead to miscommunication and frustration. Because it’s relatively new, at least in comparison to the telephone or, say, writing letters, we’re still iterating on it as a culture.
All that to say, don’t fire your friends and family. If you want a text back about sometime specific, include that request in the text. Or consider having a broader conversation with friends and family about how you’d like to communicate. It’s good to ask for what we want. They may not always be willing or able to comply, but they won’t know this is something you’d like unless you tell them.
And, when all else fails, just don’t text. If you have something to say, you can initiate the phone call, thereby sidestepping any emojis.
Real Life of an MSW 