Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Is your Christmas list longer than a James Clavell novel? It may include everyone, from your fourth-degree cousins to your best friend’s pet, but does your list include you? Amid the holiday frenzy, sometimes we get so caught up with giving that by the time the season rolls by, we’re more stressed than at any other time of the year.

Moreover, many businesses steel themselves for the holiday impact and workdays seem longer and busier. Bottom line is, there may be someone whom you neglected all year and forgot to put on that Christmas list: yourself.

Don’t feel guilty; you also deserve happy holidays. Believe me, if indulge yourself even for a bit, you’ll be able to spread the holiday cheer more joyfully. After you try these stress-slamming, endorphin-rushing treats below P 200, you’d be so glad, you could wait at the end of any really, really long cashier line – and still be smiling!

1. Have an hour-long Thai massage. A personal favorite, a Thai massage differs from other types of massage because it’s usually dry and it involves a lot of stretching and twisting, which feels divine on tense, wrought-up muscles. You’ll discover muscles you never knew you had. My favorite place for a Thai massage is at Nuat Thai (along AS Fortuna Street, Mandaue City; other branches are around Cebu City), which offers an hour for only P 150. It’s blissful!

2. Exercise. Exercise gets your blood pumping, making you look and feel better instantly. Christmas is also the time when elder relatives might say to you, “Wow, ni-tambok lagi ka, Dai/Dong!” But then again, they probably say that at every party. Prevent déjà vu and speed up your metabolism with cardio exercises. Take up belly-dancing classes at Cebu City Sports Complex (afternoons, at P 50 per session). You’ll find yourself coming back for more!

3. Reinvent yourself; get a new look. It could be as simple as changing your hair part or as dramatic as changing your hair color. Get a trendy, runway-ready haircut at Bench Fix Salon (Ayala Center Cebu, P 185 for a haircut). After my appointment there, I felt renewed with awesome asymmetrical bangs (the choppy look is all the rage these days)! Going from frumpy to fabulous is a great gift to your self-esteem this Christmas.

4. Tantalize your tastebuds. Take on culinary adventures and eat at places you haven’t ventured before. Eat what you’d like, in moderation. One way to cut down your servings is to share your food. People would be very willing to help you out! Try half a dozen sylvannas from Brownies Unlimited (SM City Cebu). They’re tagged at P 23 and they taste like heaven in every bite! Yum!

5. Attend a Mass at church. Count your blessings and thank God for all of them. If you had had a rough year, go and implore His divine providence. You’ll realize that every cloud has a silver lining, and that you’re really blessed, after all. That’s priceless.

Enjoy the holidays!

(Writer’s note: Prices indicated are accurate as of writing time. They are for reference purposes and are not final and binding upon the enterprises therein.)