S: Is for Sleep

The Christmas season is a time of sheer and utter exhaustion. This season I spent twenty days out in the freezing elements. Four days deadly sick with the stomach flu and I still managed to write for three publications, shop for gifts, send cards, bake cookies and eat my fill. Last night my body gave out. Why do we put ourselves through this fast grinding pace, this olympics of bodily endurance? For the love of the season, thats why! Christmas despite this is still my most favorite time of the year. This year we got snow. Despite the economic melt down store still decorated, trees were still adorned and love and good will still filled the air. It is a time we step out side ourselves and give to others, even when we know it will put a strain on our budget. I spent yesterday cleaning my room and clearing out my closet to give to those who don't have as much. It helps me start the new year fresh and spread the love even further. Last night after a filling meal I crashed until this afternoon. Now it is time to give to myself. We forget that during this season. It is not a selfish kind of thought but one of the simplest and most forgotten. For if we do not give to ourselves we are of no use to others and that is a F.A.C.T.

So like the saying goes and to all a good night!

T: Is for thoughts at Christmas

As 2.1 billion Christians in our world prepare to celebrate the birth of the most famous baby in history, I hope that all children find a place in our hearts and at our tables of plenty. At a time when the gap between rich and poor in our nation and the world is at its widest, an economic chasm driven by the greed of a few has jeopardized the lives and economic security of us all. I hope we will all raise a mighty voice to reset our nation’s moral and economic compass.

God help us to end poverty in our time:

The poverty of a child with too little to eat and no place to sleep, no air, sunlight and space to breathe.

The poverty of knowing a child suffers and not knowing what to do or how to get help because you don’t have a car or health insurance.

The poverty of working your fingers to the bone every day taking care of someone else’s children and neglecting your own, and still not being able to pay your bills.

The poverty of having a job that does not let you afford a stable place to live and being terrified you’ll become homeless.

The poverty of losing your job because you cannot find reliable child care or transportation to work.

The poverty of working all your life caring for others and having to start all over again caring for the grandchildren you love.

The poverty of having too much and sharing too little and having the burden of nothing to carry.

The poverty of convenient deaf, dumb and blindness leading to indifference to others.

The poverty of believing in nothing, standing for nothing, sharing nothing, sacrificing nothing, struggling for nothing.

The poverty of greed for more and more and more, ignoring, blaming and exploiting the needy, and taking from the weak to please the strong.

The poverty of fear that keeps you from doing the thing you think is right.
The poverty of despair and cynicism.

God help us end poverty in our time and make it a F.A.C.T.

C: Is for Comfort and Joy

Gift #24 comes from the heart. It is the gift we can give all year long and it is more precious than cash.

Gift #24: The gift of time: Spending time, quality time is the greatest gift we can give each other. In this frenzied world just giving of ourselves is the most treasured commodity. I have friends this year I haven't seen in months. My schedule, their schedules, inconvenience of area, you name it has kept us apart. Kids miss their parents because of work and parents have missed their kids plays, concerts, games and growing because they have been trying to provide. Sometimes we lose out on life because we are trying to hard to get ahead or in this time and age just keeping our heads above water.

I wish for all of you the gift of each other and that is a F.A.C.T.

Merry Christmas

A: Is for Art where we live

We live in a city where art is at our doorsteps gift #23 is the gift that culture brings.

Gift #23: Museums: First there's the Met: Until February 16th the Italian Renaissance is celebrating love and marriage. Approximately 150 objects, which date from about 1400 to the mid-sixteenth century, range from exquisite examples of maiolica and jewelry given as gifts to couples to marriage portraits and paintings that extol sensual love and fecundity, such as the Metropolitan’s Venus and Cupid by the great Venetian artist Lorenzo Lotto. The exhibition also includes some of the rarest and most significant pieces of Renaissance glassware, cassone panels, birth trays, and drawings and prints of amorous subjects.

At the MoMA Van Gogh's Colors of the Night takes precedence until January 5th. This exhibition presents new insight into Van Gogh's depictions of night landscapes, interior scenes, and the effects of both gaslight and natural light on their surroundings. Representing all periods of the artist's career, the exhibition comprises of over two dozen works of superlative quality—several of which have never been seen together, even though they were very clearly conceived with each other in mind.

The Natural History Museum celebrates Darwin's ideas and their impact for his 200th birthday in 2009. Discover the man and the revolutionary theory that changed our understanding of the world. See incredible, revealing and rare exhibits, some on display for the first time. For this you have until April 19th but if you want handmade crafts or want to ice skate in this beautiful surrounding you have until January 4th and the 19th.

This column could go on but it is the season where there is so much to do and so little time but maybe a stroll through one of these will ease the stress and that is a F.A.C.T.

F: Is for Fabulous Treats

Gifts 21 and 22 are sure to have you looking your best for the new year.

Gift 21: Nail Polishes from Dashing Diva: Roll over OPI Dashing Diva has introduced 4 new shades called The Manhattan Collection. The Red Carpet, East Village, NYPD Blue and Central Park After Dark, added to their over 100 shades, there is something for every mood, fashion statement and occasion, day or night. After all, the city never sleeps! Plus, in time for the New Year, Dashing Diva is celebrating the ongoing metallic trend in nail polish by launching two new holiday colors. These sparkling polishes of gold and silver shimmer are ideal for all skin tones and illuminate the season to spark that party mood! Try A Silver Lining or Golden Opportunity and tell me if this doesn't get you in the mood. Priced at $7.99 this is truly the perfect stocking stuffer. Dashing Diva nail polish is available at all Dashing Diva locations plus www.dashingdiva.com.

Gift 22: Facials from Completely Bare: Heralded as the miracle facial, the completely bare EpiFacial emits intense pulsed light over multiple wavelengths. Unlike a laser, the controlled pulsed light targets different skin levels, allowing the technician to focus on specific skin layers, while at the same time giving the entire face a complete resurfacing. The EpiFacial treats nearly every facial imperfection and is an option for men and women who wish to repair skin damage and reduce the signs of aging without invasive procedures. Finally there is one treatment to answer all of your skincare needs. Completely bare is known for being a hair removal spa as luxurious as it is professional. Openning a new location down on Bond street VIP clients and savvy shoppers know to slip past the retail section and down a secret passageway leading to three treatment rooms in the completely bare spa. Accessible only to those in the know, the hidden spa offers completely bare’s signature treatment options include Permanent Hair Removal, completely bare’s signature waxes, completely bare with a flair the Couture Collection and their ever popular Age Eraser, LED Light Facials. Completely bare's locations are at: 304 South County Road, Palm Beach 561.837.9595; 103 Fifth Ave, NYC; 764 Madison Ave; NYC, Barney’s New York; 12 Chase Road, Scarsdale, NY and now 25 Bond Street in New York City.

It is important to treat ourselves and the trick is knowing where and that is a F.A.C.T.