Dear fellow ChronicBabes,
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The holiday season is a powerful time. It trudges up bad memories, and creates amazing new ones. It challenges us to manage our energy and resources, and gives us an excuse to spoil others. It can be tempting to over-indulge, over-spend, and generally over-do everything. And it can be a big blast.

The best gift you can give yourself this season, my dear friends, is Permission To Miss Out (otherwise known as PTMO, a term I coined with my friend Leah a couple years ago during an especially stressful time). 

PTMO means you can hang out at home when you're tired, instead of hitting three holiday open houses in one day. PTMO means you can buy pre-made pie crusts instead of exhausting yourself rolling them out from scratch. PTMO means you can chill out on the sofa one afternoon, instead of wandering the malls with the throngs of shoppers.

Giving yourself Permission To Miss Out is a WONDERFUL gift. I can tell you this from experience: The other night, a good friend hosted a big party that I wanted to go to SO BADLY. But I had the makings of a migraine, and I had been overworked and stressed the entire week before. I gave myself PTMO and stayed home on the couch, hitting the sack early. The result: I woke up the next day energized and refreshed. And Babes, I needed that. I heard the party was awesome and that I was missed, but I know there are more great parties in my future.

Another example from my holiday experience: I love real Christmas trees. As a Buddhist, for me, the holiday isn't as much about spiritual concerns as it is a sensory thrill. But I don't relish transporting a real tree without a car, and a real tree is expensive and messy. Plus, my apartment is teeny tiny! So a couple years ago I gave myself PTMO: No real tree, but instead a pre-lit fake tree from Target (above). I overload it with every ornament I love (pacing myself over a couple days, 'natch) and you know what? It's just as great as a real tree. Better, even, because when the season is over I just stash it in the closet for next year. This little fake has payed for itself a few times over.

Babes, give yourself a little PTMO this holiday season. You don't have to do it ALL...I recommend doing just enough to make it special and memorable. Then you kick off the new year refreshed, AWAP (as well as possible), and ready to make it awesome. Deal? Deal! 

P.S.: My birthday is next week, December 14. Want to give me the best gift ever? Take great care of yourself on that day...and embrace your ChronicBabe side big-time! I'll be taking the day off, and will relish the knowledge that there are thousands of kickass ChronicBabes running around out there. AND: Consider taking a little of your holiday spending budget and giving a gift to charity. Charity Navigator will help you make the most of even the smallest donation. THANKS! 

XO,


Editrix Jenni

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