Christy Rost Unlocks the Secret to Comfort & Joy this Holiday Season with WellnessMats
December is a very special time of year. The holidays bring the joy of sumptuous food, dazzling décor, and the joy of being with friends and family. But as we all know, for every bright Christmas tree and memorable table setting, there’s a lot of thought, preparation and work that go into creating an environment resplendent with Holiday Joy. Add to that the shopping, wrapping, and mailing, and we can all use a little pampering! I adore decorating, entertaining, baking and preparing for the holidays, especially at Swan’s Nest – our 1898 historic Colorado mountain home - and it’s important that I can do so in comfort.
This year, I received the gift of comfort from WellnessMats. The soft, supportive mats from their Estates Collection are not only a beautiful addition to my Swan’s Nest kitchen, but they’ve become my constant holiday companion. Whether I’m standing at the kitchen counter making cookies, stirring a sauce on the stove, kneeling on the floor arranging Christmas greenery or wrapping gifts, I’m able to celebrate the season in comfort. And at the end of a busy day, I feel that comfort standing on my Oasis Vanity Mat as well. Earlier this month, I prepared festive treats for one of my favorite holidays, St. Nicholas Day, which is December 6. If you’ve followed my personal blog “Notes from Swan’s Nest,” you know I love the thrill of surprising friends and neighbors with small gifts from my kitchen. This traditional European holiday provides the perfect opportunity to spread some love. One of my favorite St. Nicholas Day gifts was the white felt mittens I quickly stitched together with red yarn, filled with homemade gingerbread men, and secretly tied to neighbors’ doorknobs. This and other simple gifts embrace the spirit of generosity in a no-fuss way and bring heartfelt joy throughout the Christmas season to those who are dear.
That is the theme of my holiday efforts: Comfort and Joy. When I think of what embodies comfort and joy, I envision freshly baked cookies tucked into cellophane bags tied with ribbon, ready to share with friends, our postal carrier, and the delivery drivers who come to our door several times each week; welcoming guests into our home for a holiday meal or celebration; giving gifts from the heart; and, of course, WellnessMats.
As I tie shiny ribbons, decorate wreaths and garlands with fragrant fir boughs, bake irresistible cookies and desserts, or set the table with Christmas china and my grandmother’s silver, I enjoy the comfort under my feet. But, what also excites me is that when I’m not using my WellnessMats, they serve as another stunning piece of my home décor. The elegant pattern, and the shimmering color inspired by silver leaf, catch the eye and blend seamlessly with my decorating style of relaxed elegance. It’s more than just a mat, it’s a unique and important element that ties the room together.
The joy I receive from the breathtaking beauty of the mountains, trees festooned with hundreds of twinkling lights, wrapping gifts, creating exquisite holiday meals, decorating the tree, and ‘decking the halls,’ combined with the comfort and bliss of a WellnessMat, creates in me that sense of comfort and joy we all seek this time of year. And even though you can’t see it, my WellnessMat is under my feet during every cookbook and magazine photo session, and when I cook on A Home for Christy Rost: Thanksgiving, broadcast each November on your PBS and Create television stations.
Christy Rost is a lifestyle authority, author of three cookbooks, and a public television chef on PBS and Create TV stations nationwide. For recipes and entertaining how-to’s, please visit her website at christy@christyrost.com or follow her on Facebook and Twitter @ChristyRost.
