Well, here we are again.  First couple of weeks of December done.  Holidays in full swing.  To Do lists hopefully getting shorter and shorter or abandoned entirely.  After all, at some point you just have to say enough is enough, right?  Otherwise you miss it all by racing to the finish line.

I still have some wrapping up (and wrapping!) to do but I’m trying to invoke my “Word of the Year” every time I start to feel that familiar holiday panic over demands on my time, energy and resources. I’ve used the word “Ease” as a guiding principle throughout 2015 and though it’s not been a particularly easy year, invoking “ease” when called upon made a real difference. Even if a situation was challenging, just thinking that I wanted to tackle it with “ease” has helped me take a step back, analyze what needed to be done and try (not always, but mostly) to calmly take in the moment. Of course, the word “ease” also nudged me to simplify some things in my life and not obsess about what didn’t get done.  Helpful practices both.

If you are interested in setting some intentions for next year by choosing a single word for direction you might want to work through some of these exercises provided by London photographer and writer Susannah Conway.  Her free five-day Find Your Word course started today.

Hope you’re well, finding some sparkle in your life and taking everything in stride.  Wishing you peace as you ease on down the road toward’s the New Year.

Every year for Christmas my eight siblings and their spouses draw names for gift giving around a particular theme.  Some years the themes have been practical – “emergency supplies” or “favorite cooking tools,” for example. Other years we’ve shopped for entertainment items like an Oscar-winning movie from the year the recipient graduated from high school–which is how “Young Frankenstein” came into my video library.

The past few years we’ve all been traveling to family weddings as the next generation grows up and starts their own little Loosli-related families.  So this year we decided that the theme would be “Planes, Trains & Automobiles” and the gifts would be travel related. Thinking about things that make travel easier and enjoyable for me, I came up with a list of possible gift ideas for our designated recipients—my baby brother Aaron and my oldest brother Brian’s wife Karen. I’m sharing it here, in case you also have someone on your list who likes or needs to travel.

1. A Personalized Packing List. Years ago I created a few packing list spreadsheets based on how I travel.  Basically they fall into a few simple categories—hot or cool weather and weekend or weeklong travel. (Even if I’ll be on the road for multiple weeks, I’ve found a week’s worth of clothes will likely suffice with some strategic laundry maneuvers.) These lists keep me from reinventing the wheel every time I travel and get me out the door with all the essentials. Possible gift: Packing advice book wrapped in your own packing list template and/or a packing app.

2. Travel Bags. I have suitcases in 3 sizes–a true carry-on, a possible carry-on if I squish everything in really tightly and pray the zipper holds, and a larger suitcase that I know I’ll check.

My “personal item” carry on is usually a lightweight Le Sport Sac tote.  Into that tote I’ll throw one or two smaller bags with travel essentials.  The first one is a smaller multi-zipper Le Sport Sac cosmetic bag that carries an old iPod—to save my phone battery—some lipstick, lotion and hand sanitizer.  The second comes along on longer trips and includes a sleep mask, earplugs and a flashlight.  The small bags are always packed, ready to go. I’m thinking this might be a good gift for Karen who is always so organized. Possible Gift: A small colorful bag packed with in-flight essentials.

3. Paper Goods. I keep travel documents, itineraries and pertinent sections of guidebooks (I still prefer a paper copy) in transparent plastic envelopes, one per city/country, to make getting around easier if I’m a little jet-lagged or just disoriented. These folders also store paper ephemera—entrance tickets, brochures, etc.—to review when I’m back home. I also make sure I have a Moleskine notebook on hand to to capture some impressions or contact info. Possible Gift:  Clear plastic envelopes and a Moleskine notebook.

4. Travel Books. I love guidebooks and always pack relevant sections in my travel folders (see above.) But my favorite way to prep for a trip or enhance my time there is to read a novel set where I’ll be traveling.  Some of my best leads for new-to-me books have been found in the literature section of the Rough Guide travel guides. Possible gift: A specific guidebook or novel if I know where the person is traveling or an Amazon gift card with a note designating its purpose.

5. Destination Gift Certificates. As regular readers know, I tend to track down needlework shops wherever I go.  Though I travel to discover new things and places, sometimes it’s nice to drop in to a familiar setting and see how it’s different elsewhere—for example, the cheery yarn shop I visited in remote Oxapampa, Peru last January.

These gifts take a little more research.  For example, my brother Aaron owns a Cold Stone Creamery franchise.  We just spent time together in San Diego at a nephew’s wedding and I noted that he enjoyed checking out the competition at a local ice cream shop near our vacation rental. So I’m thinking a gift certificate to a top-ranked creamery in Las Vegas—our next family wedding destination–might be just the ticket.  Possible Gift: a gift certificate to a restaurant or specialty shop in a city you know your recipient will travel in the next year.

6. Cold Hard (and usually very welcome) Cash.  Years ago when our young family did a home exchange in London, my in-laws gave us a generous cash gift and told us it was to be used for any entrance fees to museums or sights so we wouldn’t forgo opportunities because we were pinching our pennies. Even though we’d saved a tremendous amount by doing a home swap, we were still stretching to afford air fare.  Their gift allowed us to happily explore London without worrying so much about the cost. Possible Gift: A fancy/humorous card and some greenbacks.

Bon Voyage!

I love the early days of December when everything seems possible, don’t you?

The Christmas carols that irritated me in stores two weeks ago seem festive now.   Spending time in the kitchen making artful cookies is creative fun. Dressing up to go out with friends feels like a treat. And I’m confidant that somehow all that shopping and present wrapping will happen eventually – falalalala!

As the season progresses and things inevitably don’t go as planned, I’ll try to remember that the best Decembers are usually the ones where I’ve spent more time observing and less time orchestrating.  Planning is important but I’m merrier when I focus on priorities not perfection.

Lighting up my house is pretty much at the top of my seasonal decorating list. So I’m looking forward to picking out a tree for our new place this weekend—tall and skinny should do the trick—and experimenting with outdoor light hooks specifically designed for flat roofs (rare in this land of peaked-roof Victorians.)

In the next few weeks we’ll be setting up a “glamping” tent to help house all our kids when they come home for Christmas.  I’ll share that temporary guest room with you as it evolves, but in the meantime here are some other things that lit up my early December:

A year later, some thoughts on Frozen – an animated musical that left me cold but took the world by storm.

A year end best book list from Maris Kreizman, the wit behind Slaughterhouse 90210.

What I’m giving my girlfriends this year–lavender shortbread wreaths, a “fancy” cookie that’s easy to make, beautiful and tasty.

Some journaling exercises for reflecting back through the year from photographer and blogger Susannah Conway.

And now, just for fun (and my brother Joel) – a new Christmas classic by the Killers and Jimmy Kimmel : “Joel, the Lump of Coal.”

Happy Weekend All!

At a recent gathering a friend mentioned how much she was anticipating Christmas and another responded that as a child she could hardly sleep because of the anticipation.  I remember feeling that way as a kid, but as a grownup it’s easy to become more anxious than excited about Christmas.  I still lose sleep, but now it’s over my own Santa duties.

The holidays tend to amplify that old Martha/Mary conundrum.  I’d like to immerse myself in the magic of the season, but frankly, someone’s got to hang the holly and bake the Buche de Noel.  And though I like doing those things, there’s just a lot of Things To Do. So I’ve found that I’m at my most merry and bright when I approach my Martha tasks with a little Mary perspective.

For example, I’ve winnowed my Christmas card list to friends and family that I genuinely want to stay in touch with–even if it’s just this one time of year–and as I assemble our cards (this year’s, above, from Minted) I try to slow down and recall good times together.

When the crowds get too hustle-bustley, I envision all the shoppers thinking about how to make others happy. I also think of all the craftspeople hoping their work finds a receptive audience.

Tree-trimming is not for the faint of heart or feeble of backs, but the pairing of woodsy greens with sparkling lights seems like a manifestation of the divine and our house feels blessed when the tree is shining. So I consider putting up the tree a gift of love to my family, the friends we host and, most especially, to me.

With Christmas Day a week away, I’m jettisoning non-essential Martha projects (which helps me sleep better) and anticipating the mystical Mary moments that might manifest each day.  Today, I’ll look for them as I wrap and bake and prep for my kids’ arrivals (starting tomorrow!) I’ll also think fondly of old friends as I track down missing addresses to send off the last few cards. You see, my inner Martha and Mary both like very much to keep in touch.

Woah.  My busy week got busier last week with an unexpected death in the family—my Uncle Bob, patriarch of the Cool California Cousin branch of the Loosli clan, passed away and I needed to make my way to Newport Beach for his funeral.  I had a lovely time with those CCCs and my mom and other relatives reminiscing about funny, frugal Uncle Bob but I missed telling you about a delightful holiday event at Filoli.  For those who’ve never been there, Filoli is a grand country estate thirty miles south of San Francisco.  The house is beautiful and the grounds lovely and once a year the entire place is turned into a well-curated gift shop.  Something Uncle Bob would not have enjoyed, but many of you might have, so I’m sorry I didn’t point it out before the Holiday Traditions at Filoli was over.  But next year I’ll try to let you know in advance so you can take your twice-checked lists with you. In the meantime, here’s what you missed.

The Filoli mansion in winter.

Including the winter garden.

Beautifully decorated Christmas trees wait inside.

Kitchen kitsch.

Manly men stuff.

Pillows!

I took this one from Coral & Tusk home with me. You can’t see it here, but the penguin holds a cute little stuffed crab in his belly.

Foxes on pretty mantels.

And polar bears too.

Bulbs.

Potted plants.

Fragrant bay leaf wreaths (one of these came home with me, also).

Chatting with the grounds own beekeeper about Filoli honey.

Meeting nice volunteers in silly hats and socks.  This is the time and place to pull out all your Christmas finery.

The prices were quite reasonable–Uncle Bob would like that–and the cause is good (this is a fundraiser for Filoli). Put this on your calendar for next year. I already have.