December Sanity Retreat 2013

December, here we come. I spoke with my sweetie a week ago, decided I didn’t need anything for the holidays and that we’d just find a needy family and gift our holidays that way. And then oh, the sweet seduction of all of the sales that have poured into my inbox since then. All of a sudden I “need” tons of stuff. To think I was all set just a week ago!

The holidays can be a beautiful time of family bonding, celebration and beauty. They can also be an overdoing, overspending, overstressing time of all flavors of excess. For the last 3 years, I’ve been delighted to host the December Sanity Retreat and the July Self-Care Retreat. This is our 6^th retreat! I wish I could say it was altruistic of me to host, but honestly, it’s been wonderful for me to have an extra excuse to focus on self-care and rein in my natural tendency to need to bake (at least) 18 kinds of cookies.

I know how powerful it is for me to focus on self-care, and I imagine it’s similar for most of you, so as a gentle extra nudge, we’re doing 2 giveaways.

Giveaway #1: Let us hear your voice!

Comment on any of our hostesses’ posts on the Sanity Retreat, (they’ll be well marked) and a comment will be chosen at random as the winner.

Prize: a $50 nuts.com gift certificate. they are not sponsoring, I just wanted something with healthy gluten-free, vegan, sugar-free, etc. options. And there’s much more than nuts–many treats and flours, some even nut free. (US/Canada)

Giveaway #2: make the challenge your own!

Blog on your own self-care plans, and a post will be chosen at random as the winner. If you don’t have a blog, contact the hostess of the week and they’ll post for you.

Prize: um, ironing out details–either a gift certificate or a box of self-care books, meditation CDs, chocolate and other fun things from me.

The challenge—post on what you plan to do to make your holidays sane, happy and healthy.  Make it specific!  Not just “I’ll get more sleep”, but “I’ll get at least 7 hours of sleep, 5 days a week”.  Not just “I won’t go crazy making desserts”, but “I’ll make a maximum of XX desserts, and space them out over XX time”.  You know what you need to do to keep this doable, and writing it down will help you get there!

As always, self-care is whatever it means to you. So the December Sanity Challenge can be on whatever YOU need to work on to stay sane during the holiday season:

1. Balancing commitments to others with commitments to yourself
2. Incorporating joyful movement.
3. Creating a happy balance around food
4. Getting enough sleep!
5. Expressing yourself artistically
6. Making wise financial choices
7. Focusing more on living beings than material “stuff”
8. Tending to whatever spiritual or religious commitment touches your heart
9. Whatever else speaks to you along these lines

I’m delighted to be joined by wonderful hostesses with fantastic blogs:

• Kickoff: Gluten Free Goodness (moi)
• Dec 7th Kate of Eat, Recycle, Repeat
• Dec 14th Carrie of Ginger Lemon Girl
• Dec 21^st  Valerie of City Life Eats
• Roundup: Gluten Free Goodness (moi)

I hope you choose to join us, too.  Grab a badge and we’re good to go!

We’ll also be meeting up in our Facebook group for extra encouragement and support. You’re more than welcome to join us there.

Round ups of our past adventures:

• July 2013 http://www.gfgoodness.com/2013/08/15/july-self-care-round-up/
• Dec 2012 http://www.gfgoodness.com/2012/11/23/december-sanity-retreat-2012-join-us/
• July 2012 http://www.gfgoodness.com/2012/06/30/july-self-care-retreat-redux/
• Dec 2011 http://www.gfgoodness.com/2012/01/02/sanity-recap-and-winner/
• July 2011 http://www.gfgoodness.com/2011/07/01/self-care-retreat-for-july/