Merry Christmas from Breaking Even Communications! We hope you enjoy this “Yule Blog,” maybe even more than an actual Yule log. “Yule Blog” combines holiday cheer and the internet in a festive mashup-and you won’t have the sugar crash afterwards. In 2015, I noticed a lot of holiday joy being spread online. Here are a few of my favorite things from this year:
“It came without ribbons, it came without tags, it came without packages, boxes and bags!”- The Grinch, probably talking about finding holiday joy online.
Besides the obvious fact that you can do most of your shopping online (even from local people), another perk is getting ideas for what to buy everyone on your list. Some people use Amazon’s Wish List as an easy way to exchange Christmas lists. Others simply share the URLs for what it is they want (I did this for a pair of running shoes last year but it turned into a flow chart based on color availability, so it didn’t simplify the process). The internet certainly has been a game-changer for the structure of a Christmas list:
Kids are probably my favorite part of the holiday season. Generally speaking, they still have that awe and wide-eyed wonder that reminds us to stop and appreciate the little things. More often than not, they remind us what the true spirit of the holiday is all about. This video from UP T.V. shows what happens when a child is asked to choose a gift for himself or his family- every time, the child chooses a gift for his family. One kid explained “LEGOs don’t matter, your family matters.” It’s a truly heartwarming video.
A little goodwill can go a long way. It’s amazing to see people rising to calls for help during the holiday season, which are easier to share with the help of social media. The example below is just one of many that I’ve seen go by in the past month (and the Bangor Police Department is notorious for their acts of goodwill and epic social media presence). There’s also the story of an 8 year old girl who lost her family in a fire two years ago, who only asked for Christmas cards this year. Thanks to social media, she received over 300,000 letters and about 3,000 packages (including a teddy bear from a boy in Hong Kong).
On the lighter side of holidays and the internet, Elf on the Shelf has returned again this year to our Facebook newsfeeds. Although I have mixed feelings about the whole tradition, I will say that Busy Philipps nails it. Check out her Instagram for more amazing elf ideas- no idea how she comes up with these elaborate scenes:
Then, there’s this Craiglist ad for a Human Elf on the Shelf, offering to sit around your holiday party and “stare emptily at your guests.” The man behind the ad recently came forward and admitted it was just a prank, which he’d forgotten about until people started requesting his services. Who knew there was a market for this stuff?
Another holiday tradition that I have a lukewarm attitude about are Christmas cards. These can be a joy or a pain, depending on how you approach them. This family has taken them to the next level, dedicating 13 years of Christmas cards to be intentionally awkward. If you’re going to commit to a tradition, it might as well be one you can all enjoy, after all!
And of course, what’s a holiday without a good Pinterest fail? My Christmas cookies are notoriously terrible (fortunately I don’t share with anyone), and that’s without trying to follow anything I’ve pinned. In fact, we make them terrible on purpose because it makes us laugh. I’m always impressed with the things my real adult friends concoct via Pinterest!
Franken-Cookies- and this is before decorating.