Vanya Wryter Consulting Services

Tag: holidays

  • What Is Your Dream Chocolate Bar? Why Chocolate Feels So Comforting and Irresistible

    What Is Your Dream Chocolate Bar? Why Chocolate Feels So Comforting and Irresistible

    Daily writing prompt
    Describe your dream chocolate bar.
    View all responses

    You close your eyes and imagine the perfect bite. And then you feel it soft on your tongue – it begins to melt, silky and smooth. Your dream chocolate bar is more than just a sweet treat—it’s an escape. It might be a blend of dark and milk chocolate with a whisper of sea salt, a caramel core, and maybe a sprinkle of crushed hazelnuts. Or maybe it’s simpler—classic, creamy, and most importantly, nostalgic. It’s your comfort in edible form. But of all the types of chocolate, what is your dream chocolate bar? Let’s find out.

    Chocolate appeals to so many people because it taps into more than just your taste buds. It’s emotion, memory, and chemistry rolled into one! Chocolate is an indulgence. According to a 2024 Statista survey, Hershey’s, Kit Kat, Reese’s, Snickers, and Twix are tied as America’s favorites. Maybe one of yours is on this list?

    When you taste chocolate, you’re tasting relaxation. That smooth, rich sensation on your tongue tells your brain that everything will be okay. After a stressful day or after receiving bad news, you might have turned to chocolate as your consolation because your body knows it works with a sort of calming peace.

    It’s also tied to your memories. Halloween nights, running house to house with a pillowcase full of mini bars. Christmas stockings crammed with foil-wrapped Santas. Valentine’s Day hearts, filled with ganache or caramel. And Easter, when had to make the important decision of eating the bunny ears first or butt first. 

    When you were younger, chocolate was part of the wonder of holidays, of family, of celebration. Now, even as an adult, you feel that nostalgia with every bite. Dessert after a nice meal still ends best with something chocolatey. It signals the day closing on a good note.

    But there’s more to it than cravings. Chocolate has deep cultural roots. The first mass-produced chocolate bar, Chocolat Délicieux à Manger, appeared in 1847. Since then, chocolate has gone from a rare luxury to an everyday delight. You eat it for pleasure. For comfort. For a moment of indulgence in a busy world.

    So what’s your dream chocolate bar? It’s your story in sugar, cream, and cocoa. Whether it’s a gooey Reese’s, a crispy Kit Kat, or a silly decision of ears vs tail—it’s more than food. It’s therapy. It’s memory. It’s fun.

  • Santa’s Top Skills Revealed

    Santa’s Top Skills Revealed

    This interesting and timely article dropped into my mailbox: a blog about the soft skills needed to run Santa’s worldwide business. Soft skills are skills such as leadership, active listening, critical thinking, and multitasking.

    Here are just some of the highlights from the longer article about what skills Santa uses to run his global gift operation.

    Leadership skills: he directs talented elves and a herd of magical reindeer and coordinates with families during one night of operations.

    Multitasking skills: Santa can’t miss that one deadline per year, so he has a lot to coordinate, from tuning up the sleigh to reading all the gift lists and managing the toy shop.

    Active listening skills: Santa listens carefully to all the children so he gets the details for their wish lists right, and he asks questions when needed for the best interaction possible. He pays attention to body language and the way the child is feeling.

    Santa possesses many soft skills that are needed to run such an important gift operation.

    For more about these skills, check out the original article.

  • A Visit With A Friend

    A Visit With A Friend

    Daily writing prompt
    If you didn’t need sleep, what would you do with all the extra time?
    View all responses

    Dear Friend,

    Thank you for letting me stay at your home for the past month. It was my first time in the big city and my first time away from home! I loved all the dessert places you took me to. The cookies and hot chocolate were wonderful. As with all good things, though, my time here has come to an end and it’s time to go home now that it’s winter and the holidays are approaching.

    Back home, no one sleeps at this time of year. The factory and workshop are open, and everyone works 24/7. It’s an important month! We are busy making toys. Millions upon millions of toys. We have the most advanced technology tracking all children and what toys they requested so that we can make them. I don’t know how we managed to get all those orders done on time before we had computers! I’m needed back home where I can help!

    During the weeks before Christmas, my job is to read letters from children and reply to them. We get thousands of letters! Then, on Christmas Eve, I help Santa load the toys on the sleigh. Then, on Christmas morning, we breathe a high sigh of relief for a job well done when Santa returns.

    This is what life is like at home at this time of year. I’m looking forward to going back. Next year, I hope to visit you again!

    With much love,

    Sammi Elf

  • 3 Tips to Increase Your Productivity

    3 Tips to Increase Your Productivity

    Repost

    Working when it’s a holiday is tough. (Canada Day was July 1 and Independence Day is July 4) Your family and friends have invited you to join their plans but you must spend a few hours at the computer to meet an urgent deadline. Work can be fun if you enjoy it; a real pain if you don’t. 

    If you’re working from home and trying to ignore distractions, (and if you’re not working and just attempting to be productive at your personal goals), try these tips to stay productive, regardless of the day of the week.

    1 Set Goals

    Before you begin your workday, set your goals. Ask yourself what must be done today and what could be done today if you have the time. 

    Work backward, calculating the number of hours you plan to work and estimating the number of hours you need for the critical tasks. If you still have time left, add the tasks that would be nice to complete. 

    For example, if you plan to work X hours, estimate how long it will take you to complete the mandatory tasks. Then decide what tasks you could work on if you still have some time left.

    After prioritizing these tasks, complete the most urgent or difficult one first. Make a checklist of your tasks for the day, and cross off each task as you complete it. It’s a great feeling to see your list shrink as your day progresses.

    If you’re a freelancer or business owner, your goal for Saturday or Sunday might be to catch up on less important tasks. It’s a peaceful time to clear out some paperwork or catch up on the accounting you didn’t have time for during the week.

    2 Time Blocking

    Okay, you’ve decided on a list of what you want to complete by the end of your work day. Next, you want to block time for working productively.

    Estimate how much time it takes to complete a task. Then focus on working in short spurts. You might want to set a timer to mark when 15 to 30 minutes have passed. Or, you might want to work in long time blocks of one hour, although shorter periods are better for focused concentration.

    After a short block of time has passed, take a brief break. Stretch, walk around or sip on your favorite work beverage. If you work in long time blocks, take a longer break.

    Set boundaries for communication and socialization, especially if you live with others. Have a way to signal to family or roommates when it’s your office hours. For example, close your home office door. When it’s break time, open the door so they know that’s their time to speak with you or spend time with you.

    If you have coworkers who also work, even on the weekends, you can also time block. If answering messages and emails distracts you from your task, wait until your task is complete before answering messages. If you don’t have time to complete a work request, tell your coworker when you will be completing the task.

    Most importantly, when it is time to work, use that block of time productively. Focus on your work and turn off all distractions. Listen to music if it helps to keep you focused. Tell your furry coworker friend they can work next to you as long as they don’t sit on the keyboard (which cats sometimes do).   

    3 Prioritize Health

    Time blocking can greatly increase your productivity. Just as important to your productivity is including habits to improve your mental and physical health.

    Working on a stat or national holiday can already be challenging if everyone you know has time off. This type of work schedule can affect your mental health if you want to break free and join whatever your family is doing.

    But since you’re committed to the work day, commit yourself to setting boundaries. Decide on blocks of time when you can have a quick chat with your family during a work break. Make plans for later in the day so you’ll have something to look forward to.

    If you live alone, chat with your friends during your work breaks. Take advantage of support systems that you find on social media. 

    People who freelance or run a business reach out to online communities so they can share their challenges and struggles. This network is especially important if your friends aren’t business owners and constantly ask why you’re working on the weekend or a stat/national holiday.

    In addition to social support, look after your body. When you work from home, it’s easy to hunch over a computer and stare at a screen for hours. It’s not healthy for your back or eyes. 

    During a break, stretch, get a cup of tea or coffee, and walk around. Take in your surroundings. Chat with your plant, cat, bird, or dog about what you’re working on. Sometimes you’ll have a breakthrough while you brainstorm, and you’ll work out what was stumping you about your work task.

    Key Takeaways

    If you’re working from home this weekend, you can improve your focus and productivity with careful planning. First, set your goals, then use time blocking to ensure that you achieve them. Third, remember to take breaks and rest to keep your body and mind healthy.

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  • Happy Easter Weekend

    Happy Easter Weekend

    Happy Easter to all who celebrate!

    I’ve found some interesting facts about Easter from the internet. I’m sharing them here because I find them interesting.

    • Most people start with eating the ears of chocolate bunnies. Second choice is the feet, followed by the tail as the third choice.
    • Easter and Halloween compete for the highest candy sales.
    • Many people prefer their chocolate eggs to be filled with caramel, peanut butter, or chocolate ganache, rather than hollow or solid chocolate.
    • Early egg dyes were made using natural materials, such as flower petals, juices, onion peels, and tree bark.
    • Easter (the name) seems to be connected with Anglo-Saxon goddess Eostre. Her symbols were the hare and the egg.
    • The concept of the Easter bunny giving eggs and candies traces its origin in Germany.
    • The first recorded use of decorated Easter eggs was in the 13th century.
    • Eggs are a symbol of new life and rebirth,