Have a Merry Sober Christmas! A special Masterclass episode packed full of tips and advice to navigate the festive season without booze!
Have a Merry Sober Christmas
WB x
Showing posts with label sober christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sober christmas. Show all posts
Friday, 23 November 2018
Friday, 22 December 2017
Friday, 15 December 2017
Monday, 20 November 2017
The Unholy Trinity
"Every time you click "confirm purchase", another Fuck it Fairy gets her wings"
The Unholy Trinity
WB x
The Unholy Trinity
WB x
Friday, 17 November 2017
Saturday, 24 December 2016
Saturday, 17 December 2016
Thursday, 8 December 2016
Ten Things I would like to tell my Boss about Quitting Booze
If you haven't got a Boss - insert "anyone who can affect my life or cash flow"
Ten Things I would like to tell my Boss about Quitting Booze
WBx
Ten Things I would like to tell my Boss about Quitting Booze
WBx
Tuesday, 6 December 2016
Tis The Season....
Jingle Bells all the way.....but if you are not feeling the festive love yet, check out my new post, and maybe download my super-sparkly Guide to Hangover Free Hols with bells on!
Tis the Season
WB xx
Tis the Season
WB xx
Thursday, 1 December 2016
Sunday, 27 December 2015
Home and Sober for Christmas
Our low-key Charlie Brown Christmas turned into quite the party! Our relaxed celebrations around a campfire attracted more members of the family, friends and neighbours.
The gazebo was packed, people wandered in and out the house, we had a huge pot of Seafood Chowder on the go all day long, and people turned up with armfuls of food.
But very little booze!
My sister-in law surprised me with a basketful of " British goodies" - a DVD of "Last of the Summer Wine", a British newspaper, jars of marmalade......and tea.
Let's have a "spot of tea" she said in a terrible fake British accent....
So that's exactly what we all did. I had pots of tea and coffee, and hot chocolate all day long.
And everyone seemed really happy.
Zero Booze. Optimum Happiness. And a little touch of home.
I hope you all had a lovely Christmas too!
WB xx
The gazebo was packed, people wandered in and out the house, we had a huge pot of Seafood Chowder on the go all day long, and people turned up with armfuls of food.
But very little booze!
My sister-in law surprised me with a basketful of " British goodies" - a DVD of "Last of the Summer Wine", a British newspaper, jars of marmalade......and tea.
Let's have a "spot of tea" she said in a terrible fake British accent....
So that's exactly what we all did. I had pots of tea and coffee, and hot chocolate all day long.
And everyone seemed really happy.
Zero Booze. Optimum Happiness. And a little touch of home.
I hope you all had a lovely Christmas too!
WB xx
Thursday, 24 December 2015
Let's Put Down This Burden....
Carrying around stress, is like struggling with heavy awkward plastic shopping bags after the last dash around the store on Christmas Eve. You know, the cheap plastic bags that stretch and cut into your hands. You are constantly worried that they will split, and you'll have to pick up all the contents that spill over the parking lot. You try to carry them in different ways, lug them in your arms, or try and divide the weight evenly between two hands, but it's still a struggle.
It's a huge relief when you can put them down.
That's how I felt, carrying the burden of alcohol around with me. Every Day.
It was a relief to put it down. To rub away the red marks, the grooves on my soul.
I can't wish anyone a better Christmas Gift, than the relief of that burden.
Have a Happy Sober Christmas,
WBxxx
It's a huge relief when you can put them down.
That's how I felt, carrying the burden of alcohol around with me. Every Day.
It was a relief to put it down. To rub away the red marks, the grooves on my soul.
I can't wish anyone a better Christmas Gift, than the relief of that burden.
Have a Happy Sober Christmas,
WBxxx
Tuesday, 22 December 2015
Let's Put the "Fun" back into Dys-fun-ctional...
Ah, family. They can really fuck you up.
Especially around Christmas time.
I'm reading so many blogs where the main worries are :
The fact is, it's easier to deal with social gatherings, if you are not emotionally connected with the people. At work functions, there are a myriad of reasons why you are sober, and there is no real pressure to explain.
When you are in your own home or at in-laws, and the expectation is that Christmas will be exactly the same as every other year, it's harder to say "I'm not drinking" without all the awkward questions. Friends or colleagues may just raise an eyebrow, and be too polite to ask probing questions....but your mum doesn't have the boundary of politeness.
Your concern may be that you are "worrying" people. That they will be concerned. And you might feel that it's not fair to do this at Christmas.
You may be worried about pressure, or sabotage.
You may be worried that you are the dysfunctional member of the family who is fucking up the whole proceedings by choosing not to drink a particular beverage.
Maybe take a second to read that last sentence.
Because that is what is all boils down to. You are just choosing to drink a different beverage.
You know what IS dysfunctional?
Remember waking up at 3.00am in the morning, after a blackout the night before, Christmas Day as a blur, the house a mess....feeling full of shame and self-loathing? Remember trying to navigate Boxing Day, with a head that feels like a lump of lead being pounded by a hammer, trying to stuff down carbs and water to quell the acid in your stomach?
Do you really want to feel like that because you were worried that Auntie Betty would be offended if you didn't drink a glass of champagne? Or that you didn't want your sister in law to think you have a problem? (which you do).
That's dysfunctional.
Have a happy, sober Christmas,
WBxx
In a homage to Star Wars, I wrote this blog "There is no TRY"
Especially around Christmas time.
I'm reading so many blogs where the main worries are :
- How to explain that, yes, even at Christmas time you're not having "just one" drink.
- How to do practical things like remove all the alcohol from your house, and still be a gracious host/hostess
- How to deal with the stress of a gathering of people who have little in common except DNA or marriage, without the numbing effects of alcohol.
The fact is, it's easier to deal with social gatherings, if you are not emotionally connected with the people. At work functions, there are a myriad of reasons why you are sober, and there is no real pressure to explain.
When you are in your own home or at in-laws, and the expectation is that Christmas will be exactly the same as every other year, it's harder to say "I'm not drinking" without all the awkward questions. Friends or colleagues may just raise an eyebrow, and be too polite to ask probing questions....but your mum doesn't have the boundary of politeness.
Your concern may be that you are "worrying" people. That they will be concerned. And you might feel that it's not fair to do this at Christmas.
You may be worried about pressure, or sabotage.
You may be worried that you are the dysfunctional member of the family who is fucking up the whole proceedings by choosing not to drink a particular beverage.
Maybe take a second to read that last sentence.
Because that is what is all boils down to. You are just choosing to drink a different beverage.
You know what IS dysfunctional?
- "pretending" to drink wine.
- Giving up your sobriety to make other people - people who are supposed to love you - feel 'better"
- Buying a shitload of alcohol that will be left over and will serve as a "trigger", in the week after Christmas
- Thinking that the "next" social gathering will be easier....there is always a birthday, a anniversary, a celebration that will be "important" and therefore you should push your own sobriety to one side, so that you won't "upset" other people
- Buying some NA beverages like sparkling fake wine/Champagne and NA beer.
- Having zero alcohol in the house apart from one bottle of whisky (husband's) that will remain in the cupboard (not a trigger for me)
- Telling my family members that all they need to bring is what they want to drink.
- Making sure they take leftovers away with them
- Being "firm" that being sober makes me happy, keeps me healthy, and if they really do care about me....don't they want me to be happy and healthy?
- If there is ANY concern, reassuring family members that the concern is misplaced, because life is SO MUCH BETTER when I am not drinking
Remember waking up at 3.00am in the morning, after a blackout the night before, Christmas Day as a blur, the house a mess....feeling full of shame and self-loathing? Remember trying to navigate Boxing Day, with a head that feels like a lump of lead being pounded by a hammer, trying to stuff down carbs and water to quell the acid in your stomach?
Do you really want to feel like that because you were worried that Auntie Betty would be offended if you didn't drink a glass of champagne? Or that you didn't want your sister in law to think you have a problem? (which you do).
That's dysfunctional.
Have a happy, sober Christmas,
WBxx
In a homage to Star Wars, I wrote this blog "There is no TRY"
Thursday, 17 December 2015
Christmas by Stealth....
Christmas is usually a non-event in our house. The absence of children, and also the dysfunction of my husband's family has meant that Christmas Day was just an excuse for me to start drinking earlier and continue longer.
But this year is different.
We have decided to ignore the family feuds. You have decided not to join the "official" family gathering, because my sister-in-law, the hostess, has argued with so many members of the family, that half the family is banned from her house.
So we're having the Elliott Family Charlie Brown Unofficial Christmas.
We're not having turkey. We're having wild salmon barbequed on sticks over an open fire, the traditional native way. We're having seafood chowder, bannock, and mugs of hot chocolate around our campfire.
Yes, under my new gazebo (which will be finished really soon)
Even my stepson, who loathes Christmas, due to too many family arguments over the years has got a little enthusiastic.
I am , by stealth, bringing in decorations, a poinsetta here, some tinsel there.....
My stepdaughter send us a video this morning, of her singing 'I'll be Home for Christmas" at the airport, before she boarded the plane.
It's all coming together. For the first time in years, I am excited.
And the Universe seems to be conspiring with me.
Today it began to snow.
But this year is different.
We have decided to ignore the family feuds. You have decided not to join the "official" family gathering, because my sister-in-law, the hostess, has argued with so many members of the family, that half the family is banned from her house.
So we're having the Elliott Family Charlie Brown Unofficial Christmas.
We're not having turkey. We're having wild salmon barbequed on sticks over an open fire, the traditional native way. We're having seafood chowder, bannock, and mugs of hot chocolate around our campfire.
Yes, under my new gazebo (which will be finished really soon)
Even my stepson, who loathes Christmas, due to too many family arguments over the years has got a little enthusiastic.
I am , by stealth, bringing in decorations, a poinsetta here, some tinsel there.....
My stepdaughter send us a video this morning, of her singing 'I'll be Home for Christmas" at the airport, before she boarded the plane.
It's all coming together. For the first time in years, I am excited.
And the Universe seems to be conspiring with me.
Today it began to snow.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)