This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Gallo Family Vineyards. All opinions are 100% mine.
We pack a lot into the months of November and December. Between the holiday parties, house decorating, baking, and inclement weather, something is bound to go wrong somewhere down the line. Thankfully most holiday mishaps are small, but occasionally holiday disasters will come up that will make you say words that definitely put you on Santa’s naughty list.
THE BAKE SALE IS TOMORROW???
As if you don’t have enough to do this time of year, there is inevitably some kind of bake sale/fundraiser/holiday party at your kids’ school that your kid forgot to tell you about until the night before. Don’t panic. Run to the grocery store and buy a big tube of refrigerated sugar cookie dough, a can of vanilla frosting, and some sprinkles. Slice that log of dough into circles, and bake according to the package directions. Transfer the cookies to a wire cooling rack, and pop the opened can of frosting in the microwave until it’s pourable. Pour the frosting over the cookies. Make sure you have a cookie sheet or foil or something under them to catch the overflow. While the frosting is still melty, top them with sprinkles. Bam. Festive homemade (hey, you made them at home!) cookies that taste really freakin’ spectacular.
WE’RE SUPPOSED TO BRING GIFTS TO THIS THING?
Tonight’s holiday party has been on your calendar for weeks, but somehow you only found out about the gift exchange this afternoon. Rewind to earlier in the season when you were very, very smart and planned ahead for just such an occasion. You aren’t even breaking a sweat because you made a few batches of scented body scrub, and kept them stashed away to use as emergency gifts. They have a long shelf life, they’re one-size-fits-all, and they are already packaged and ready to gift. You’re so smart!
AND THE TREE JUST FELL OVER
You’ve just finished adding lights, garland, and ornaments to your beautiful tree. You stand back to admire your work and notice that the tree has a bit of a Leaning Tower of Pisa thing going on. Wait, is the lean actually… getting worse? Is it… And the tree just fell over. This has actually happened to me, and it is a huge pain in the keister. Even if nobody in your home was injured in the fall, chances are that your tree decorations weren’t so lucky. If you have a real tree that was sitting in water, turn off the breaker to the outlet the tree lights are plugged into — no one wants to get electrocuted on Christmas. Clean up any water that spilled with old towels, if needed. Next, put on shoes; you are going to have broken glass on the floor. Carefully stand the mangled tree upright, determine what caused the fall (tree stand, bunched up tree skirt, etc), and fix it. Carefully pick up any unbroken decorations and move them to a safe place. Clean up any broken glass or ornaments with a broom and dustpan and a piece of bread. If you are very lucky, you might be able to rearrange the ornaments so the tree looks right again, but odds are good that you will need to start decorating from scratch. I feel your pain.
SURE, YOU CAN BRING YOUR BOSS OVER FOR A DRINK… IN HALF AN HOUR
I don’t know about you, but my house looks like a tornado hit it for most of the month of December. My friends don’t expect a spotless house when they come over, but a visit from the boss demands some tidying gets done. Check out the 15 minute power clean routine I use when I have unexpected guests on the way.
YOU GET THE FLU! AND YOU GET THE FLU! EVERYBODY GETS THE FLU!
Ugh. There is not much you can do about a nasty bout of the stomach flu except stock up on bananas, toast, and bleach wipes. My family got hit hard one year, and, while we were feeling better by Christmas Day, we had no food in the house for a celebratory dinner. Most grocery stores and restaurants are closed on the 25th, but drug stores tend to still be open. In these dire circumstances, a drug store frozen pizza might have to take the place of the roast goose and figgy pudding.
Yes, the holidays can be full of stress and anxiety, but they are also a beautiful time of year to count your blessings. One of my favorite things to do in December is to sneak downstairs after everyone else is asleep, pour myself a glass of Merlot, and enjoy the quiet by the light of the tree. The busyness of the day makes the peace in the evenings even more lovely.
Learn more about the varietals Gallo Family Vineyard Wines offers on the Gallo Family Vineyards Facebook page and find out where to buy your own bottle.
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