Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!
The melody runs through my head as I stumble sleepily from bed and glance out my window. The stark flat clouds peaking through the open slates of my shades suggest I’m in another place. I’m envisioning white beautiful fluff gently flowing from the sky for me to roll into a snowman or engage with the neighbors in playful powdery fights.
As I stare outside at the palms and birds of paradise, I sigh at the image I romantically created in my head. But soon I pay homage to the sun as the clouds move over for his mighty presence and delicious warmth.
Though the chilly nights might make for snuggle bunnies under the covers (watch for those August/September babies!), blizzards and ice storms in these parts are left to late night raids in the refrigerator.
It is five more days until Christmas, and this weekend is the day to truly put those sneakers on for marathon shopping. Many of my friends are diligent online shoppers and have gathered all their gifts with a shift, click and snap of their wrist, but the need to touch an object and connect with its core value keeps me grounded and running the mall circuit, oohing and aweing at all the wonderful items.
I tend to shop for me in the sense that everything must have some form of healthy benefit either for the mind, body or soul. Books herald high on my list by engaging the reader in imagination, stimulating the neocortex with words and sparking the brain to a reality born from scanning printed pages, scrolling through a Nook or sounding out from an audio book.
Our own Barnes and Nobles here at Fashion Island has wonderful literature as well as “gotta-reads” with the latest from Koontz, Clancy and King waiting to make it under a Christmas tree.
Check out our own Indy book reviewer Edie Crabtree’s Under Cover column for an impeccable selection of books you can wrap up and honestly feel good about giving. From my own collection and favorite right now, “The Complete Holistic Dog Book: Home Health Care for our Canine Companions” by Jan Allegretti and Katy Sommers, D.V.M.
The human body needs it’s pampering too, so gift certificates for deep tissue massages, facials and manicure/pedicures top the list in treating the body right.
Or maybe a nice activeware outfit from Lorna Jane (bring in your old clean workout clothes and receive a discount) that goes well with a yoga or zumba class gift certificate. But let’s not forget what goes in the body.
Gift wrapping a Vitamix juicer to uncle Joe or a food dehydrator to cousin Erika let’s them know you not only love them but value their health as well. Sometimes prompting anyone to health might only take a gift card from a local Nektar juice bar where fruit and vegetable juices are spun in a blender, ready in seconds and can help with a healthy New Year’s resolution.
And what about the soul? Is there one special gift that hits this mark? All gifts bestowed in good will and harmony benefit the soul.
Judith Orloff (“The Art of Soulful Giving”) describes gift giving to be a “transfer of energy from one person to the next.” By choosing an object, wrapping it along with a card and presenting it, energy is imbued in the act. When the receiver reads the card, unwraps the gift, the energy of the giver is unleashed and these “vibes” continue to permeate when the gift is used or displayed.
So no matter what object given, it is actually love that wraps the gift into its special holiday nature and spreads the true meaning of Christmas everywhere.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Gina can be reached at [email protected].
