The time has come to rest up for the holidays!

I don't know about you, but one of our house rules is that there is no tension, arguing, running around or nervous preparations on 25 December.

Although I try to thoroughly prepare and pick up everything on time, I sometimes forget something or things just don't work out the way I wanted. Situations like this can make me really angry, but they're no reason to ruin my day.

It's not the end of the world if the pudding is cracked, if the Christmas tree is a bit crooked or if the gift wrappings aren't perfect. I simply won't let it spoil my mood if the previously arranged guest visits turn out differently than planned. All that counts is for the holiday to be spent in a truly festive mood so I can devote all my attention to friends, family and resting in the last few days of the year.

This obviously takes a lot of patience and composure, but I can muster some extra energy for all of this:

Deep and sufficient sleep is the most important factor. Don't forget that while busying yourself in the kitchen, you can feel full just from all the scents in the air: don't skip meals to save up for the feasts.

Of course, relaxing doesn't come easily for everyone, but temple balms and essential oils can be a great help. The latter play a big role in our house during the Christmas period since I love my Christmas cottage-shaped vaporizer and use it to get us in the mood over the endless, quaint, intimate evenings.

I wish you all a Peaceful, Merry Christmas!

Andrea Varga-Darabos
Soap Fairy