THE DAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS......AND BEYOND

It's the day before Christmas and I sit just thinking. I am not sure what I think about more, the past or the future.

The past Christmases flood my head. How fast time flies and all the good memories I had of Christmas as a kid. I remember waiting in our bedrooms until dad had coffee and mom had the polaroid camera. The excitement was more than I could bare. I never forgot entering the living room frantically looking for that special gift from Santa and the overflowing stockings on the mantel. The one thing I remember most is the burning of Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls because we forgot they were in the oven. it happened every year and we would laugh every time. You'd think we would have bought mom a timer for Christmas.

The future Christmases come to mind as to how my excitement has shifted now that I am older. The days before Christmas seem to be the most exciting. Helping people this year gives me greater joy than I could have imagined. Watching others be excited and happy and knowing that you had a part in it. I now think how can I do even more for people in the coming years. The possibilities are endless.

The big day comes so fast and seems to end so abruptly that you almost have to fight to not be sad moments after the last package has been ripped open.

So, to keep my engine running, to keep my excitement high I literally make plans. I make goals for the new year. I don't call them resolutions, but more like motivations. The things you can do in the new year are endless in today's times. Here are some of my exciting ideas for the new year.

1. Merchandise: Do I want more hats. Do I want different shirts. How can i market them better and should I give away most of them as prizes.
2. Cooking Show: How can I cook dishes that are more related to the times of the year. Do I do a picnic food summer series where it's everything from cold fried chicken to potato salad. How about doing another Romantic Dinner for Valentines.
3. Health: how can I stay motivated to walk, do a sport, stay active. Do I start playing tennis with Jack jr. Should Tammy and I start bowling again. How about just walking while listening to audiobooks.
4. Eating Better: I need to continue researching foods and eating habits. I can't wait until February so I can see my cholesterol results from abstaining from all meat but poultry and fish. Should I abstain from starch for 4 months and see how that affects me?
5. Family: I should implement Sunday dinners. Every Sunday night the family sits at the table (not TV trays) and eats a traditional dinner with no music or TV in the background. We just share stories and enjoy each other's company.
6. Outdoors: Should I commit to a gardening video series and seriously do a garden. Do I just do a bunch of tomato plants to start? some cucumbers? maybe lettuce?
7. Others: Do I start working closer with a food facility in feeding the hungry?

These are just a few things that get me excited about the new year and keeps me going. It keeps the January blues away. Think about learning how to do stuff off of Youtube videos. Think about
learning a new language. Make a goal or two and try something new. That is what keeps life exciting.

So what are your thoughts this day before Christmas? What does 2014 have in store for you?

The Day After Christmas

Even though you now have a bunch of new toys, the day after Christmas comes with a lot of mixed feelings. Jack Jr. even commented with a little sadness that it was all over and "now what?"

Some people are sad. Some people are depressed. Some people are glad it's over because they don't celebrate the holidays or they don't like holidays due to some unfortunate incident in the past. Whatever it is that you are feeling, there are a million others feeling the same way.

We build up the excitement so high that you have to come down from it at some point. My advice to you is look ahead. I don't mean look ahead as in a new years resolution. Those never come true. I mean look ahead to anything that excites you. let me give you MY LOOK AHEAD list and maybe it can help you make yours.

1. Playing with all my new video games.
2. New Year's Eve with family, games and food
3. Football Playoffs / Superbowl
4. Thinking up new cooking show ideas for next year.
5. Jack Jr going back to school
6. Going through the house getting rid of the old and making room for the new. 
7. Getting my tax return 
8. Getting my sauces into Walmart
9. Making more "F as in Frank" videos with my brother

Everyone needs a look ahead list. We all need something to work toward or to be excited about, even if it's something that is a year away.

So how does the day after Christmas make you feel? How do you handle it? What is on your LOOK AHEAD list.

What do I want for Christmas 2012

What do I want for Christmas

1. Facebook to allow us to delete & edit from the mobile app. 

2. For Youtube to give me profanity filters for video comments. 

2. Rock music to make a comeback. 

3. Non profits to have CEO salary caps

4. A "delete all text messages button" on the iPhone. 

5. Nintendo to realize they should just become a software company like SEGA. 

6. All future mass murdering gunmen start off by taking their own life, FIRST. 

7. Jerry Jones to stop running the COWBOYS ....... Into the ground. 

8. For all unions to go away so manufacturing can return to the USA. 

9. Education system to be destroyed and rebuilt from the ground up. 

10. For Kmart, sears, best buy, blackberry and groupon to go under and for the return of hostess, gumby, the unit (TVshow), $2/gal for gas and a funny Saturday night live. 

Please add your Christmas present wish to this list in the comment section.