Christmas Eve. The holiday is almost here. Not much left to be done — if you are a true planner.

Most of us have trouble being that organised, especially when the expectations for the perfect holiday are sky-high. When we fall short, it’s then that the frustration/depression trap opens right up and we fall into it.

So here is a bit of Christmas solace. Remind yourself that you have done the very best that you could do — under your circumstances — and don’t listen to any complaints about gifts being not quite what someone wanted.

Now is a time for your family to enjoy being together, to celebrate being happily alive. What will you do for these four days once all the wrapping paper is scattered about?

• Make and enjoy eggnog, dark n’ stormies, rum swizzle: you know how to concoct these; no recipes needed.

• Homemade Orangina: half orange juice and half soda water. Less sugar and more nutritious than the 15 teaspoons of sugar found in one can of orange soda.

• Jump up nutritional smoothie: 1 cup of plain, full-fat yoghurt, 1 cup of vanilla soy milk (or regular milk), 4 ounces of unsweetened protein powder, 2 tablespoons of sugar or sugar substitute equivalent, 1 banana, 4 cups of semi-frozen mixed fruit or berries. Blend well. Can be eaten on the spot or frozen in small plastic cups.

Libations are wonderful but we can’t indulge the entire time. Sure, you will probably feel as if you’ve had more than enough of feasting this holiday, but children don’t think that way.

Communal cooking is fun, free-spirited, and provides them with great feelings of accomplishment.

• Fudge: We made the old-fashioned, easy kind for years as kids — terrible mess and all. Use evaporated milk if you must, we did and it’s great stuff. Remember, you don’t need a candy thermometer; our grannies didn’t own such “fancy” kitchen items: allrecipes.com/recipe/9420/old-fashioned-chocolate-fudge/

• Coconut ginger cake candy: Another vivid childhood memory — hot, chewy and sweet at the same time, each piece coloured pink or blue. Ladies would sell these on Front Street. Try this recipe but use unsweetened packaged coconut — you might not have a coconut tree in your backyard! The ginger is the best part: eatjamaican.com/recipes/Jamaican-coconut-drops-recipe2.html

• Pretzels: Kids and adults love twisting these up. Get your yeast in a vacuum pack from Hunt’s Food & Supplies Ltd or buy a smaller amount in glass jars. Share with friends; it keeps forever in the freezer: allrecipes.com/recipe/24272/buttery-soft-pretzels/

• Homemade pizza. Better than bought and more fun — let everyone get their hands sticky / floury kneading it up. Use that cheap rat cheese — grated — instead of mozzarella. Put anything you want on them.

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/homemade-pizza

• Cassava: the tradition lives on in a cumulative family effort. You’ve all got your family’s sacred recipe, so I won’t post ours until next year.

What’s more uplifting to the spirit than music? Especially over the Christmas holidays, it soothes the soul.

• YouTube: There are hundreds of concerts that are free to watch and enjoy. For the nostalgic among us: Queen, ABBA, the Beach Boys, Rolling Stones, anything you are interested in is there but don’t forget Christmas concerts at your church. These can be spectacularly wonderful, with talented vocalists and musicians lending their enthusiasm and love of music to elevate your mood and spiritual existence.

Still searching for something to do?

• Puzzles, board games, cards and chess: the traditional games still hold interest to the young among us. They teach them to think, to reason, to figure out the big picture instead of staying locked into smartphones and the whole day.

• Go for a walk: Tour Dockyard, see the newly restored sections of the Railway Trail.

• Read a book: The Open Library is a click away: openlibrary.org. Millions of books are yours for the borrowing.

Christmas and the holiday season can be an extraordinary time. Get away from the feeling that everything to make you and your family happy must come wrapped in a box. Use your imagination. Organise collaborative celebrations experiencing simple things, together. This is what it is about. You, your family, your friends — together. Alive and well. Love to you all. Merry Christmas.