Going Festive All Year 'Round

The holidays are a festive time to deck the house out with special pretty things that are only brought out once a year. The holidays are also a time of celebration and party after party, where we deck ourselves out too in sparkly apparel and jewelry. We may take extra time with our makeup and hair, and perhaps get a pedicure and manicure to complement the new velvet dress we found for a steal. All this attention to detail pays off, as we attend parties rarely looking better than at that moment.

But why don't we take that kind of personal attention for ourselves during the rest of the year? Sure, with the job, kids and life responsibilities the You time is often the first thing to get relegated to storage just like those gem-colored lights. But it is all too easy to keep giving and giving so much of yourself that there's little left for you. It's that whole adage of the well becoming dry. It can not only drive you coo coo it can make you physically ill. And frankly it will also make you less than appealing to be around.

You're on a budget and can't take a night for yourself, you say? Well it's not as if it has to cost much, if anything. It could be as simple as getting the rest of the family out of the house for you to be able to sit with a glass of wine and watch your old favorite movies, or to take a bubble bath while mentally counting the blessings in your life. Maybe it's just the chance to wrap presents while drinking a little too much eggnog.

Self-care is about attention and also about ritual, whether it's a solo date to a film or museum, or starting a coffee-can fund for a luxurious item of clothing to be worn year-round, not just in December. The point is that you give the gift of time and attention to so many people in your life; why not offer the same to yourself?

So if the constant running around starts making you feel stretched then just stop for a little bit; get off of the roller coaster, even if that means the holiday dinner will be takeout instead of the traditional turkey. You as a happy and unharried human will most likely be a far better gift to your family than the latest robot gizmo that will be forgotten or broken in two weeks. Make a date for yourself, get pretty, put on a lovely festive outfit – maybe velvet, sparkly or both, and don't save it for the company party; do it now and do it for you.

Author Emma Bell writes for Coupon Croc. Ready for something sparkly just for you? Look here.