How to keep your New Year's Resolutions... Greek Style.

A new year is coming again! A time for reminiscing, reflecting, and looking forward to a fresh new start, and of course with that comes... new year's resolutions!

How many times have you made new year's resolutions to just have broken them weeks later or even on the same day? Statistics show that most new year's resolutions are broken after 6 weeks actually. And do you know what the top 5 new year's resolutions usually are?

5) Stay fit and healthy

4) Enjoy life to the fullest

3) Spend less, save more

2) Get organised

1) Lose weight

 

Well if you wanted some tips on how to keep your resolutions - Greek Style, then I am here to help! Keep reading for more...

* So to lose weight... first of all, if you are living with your mother - move out. That's right, and not down the road so she can still bring you food every day, I mean out... way out! This way you can then refuse the delicious fried, juicy meat and yummy sweets that are always on tap in a Greek house, and try and cook your own things and actually be able to stop eating when you are full - this is possible despite what yiayia thinks, honest! Also, keep moving! You don't need to cruise at 10mph in your Mercedes just to visit the shops, walk re.

 

* Wanna get organised? Contradictorary to the previous resolution, get your mama/yiayia to help you. Ever notice how chores are just always miraculously 'done' in a Greek house? This is not the gift of a magic Greek woman, even though that's what they like you to believe... it's down to sheer organisation. This has been honed after years of torture from the mother in law. Break them down and get them to feed you their pearls of wisdom! I suggest making the most of the mornings - when the world is asleep you can get your stuff done and then have the rest of the day to do your thang!

 * Need motivation to work out? Go to a gym where other fit Greeks are notorious for attending. You will look forward to your trips to check out the local talent and when you see that the girl next to you has better guns than you do, you will be inclined to pump that iron even harder.

 
* Need to save that cash? A tough one if you're Greek. You can't be a tsinkounis (stingy git) or you'll never live that title down... the only option is to work even harder and earn more money - whilst not spending more than usual, though! Also, maybe think twice before forking out hundreds on that basket of flower heads just to throw them whilst at the bouzoukia... #JustSaying

 * Want ideas for enjoying life to the fullest? That one should be easy to keep if you are surrounded by like minded, fun Greeks! No one can party and enjoy life like a Greek!

What are some of your new year's resolutions? Any tips for keeping them? Happy 2013 my Typical Greeks and hope all your dreams come true!

Merry Greek Christmas 2012!

Merry Greek Christmas everyone!

I hope you are all having an amazing day! No doubt you are stuffing your bellies full of all the recent animals that the men in the family have spent weeks hunting in preparation for the feast,as well as all the Greek treats that the women have spent hours working on too!

If you want more Greek Christmas light reading, then check out the post from last year HERE!

Looking forward to a few days of leftovers (if that's even possible in your household!) Hopefully you managed to dodge the kids table or any 'pressure talks' like getting asked by the skinniest person on the table if you are sure you have eaten enough... eh skase re kai fae!

Then of course, we have the new years events next week which I'm looking forward to; I want that coin this year...!

Hope you all are having a fantastic day, Καλά Χριστούγεννα!

Last Minute Christmas Shopping for Greeks!

I've said it before and I'll say it again; Greeks are late. So if you haven't organised your Christmas shopping by now, then why not get something now for those special Greeks (and honorary Greeks!) in your life?

Here are some suggestions in case you need some 'Greek-spiration'. (Click on the pictures to take you to where you can get them!):

Do you know of any Greeks in your life who are sick of having to be told to be quiet when they're on the phone? Save them the trouble with this cool phone case (comes in different models too!)

How about a way of explaining to the '3eni' that you're not actually late, you're just running on "Greek Time" (comes in lots of different products too!):

Does your little doggie get picked on for being so chubby? Maybe this will help? 

Or what about for the souvla maker of the house? Or the baby of the house? (Same thing lol)

  

What about for someone doing their thing to expand the Greek community?

Or how about a nice tree ornament or keyring for yiayia and pappou?

  

Who in the office is Greek and proud that would like one of these?

  

I hope you like these! This is only just a selection of what is available! I also hope some of these have given you some inspiration of gifts or stocking fillers to get the Greeks/Greek wannabe's in your life! 

Click HERE to see even more!

Have a really happy Christmas!!!!!!

How to survive a Greek Christmas

Christmas is such a fun time of year: imagine a sparkling Christmas tree with the family around the table calmly eating and enjoying the nice food whilst wearing cracker party hats... Well, except if you're at a Greek Christmas party that is! (You probably know by now that the words "family" and "calm" don't belong in the same sentence).

If you're having a Greek Christmas this year, I'm going to offer you some tips to surviving it and what to be prepared for!

1) Arrive a few hours late. The food won't be ready when they say it will be and the hosts may still be cleaning as well as cooking and you can't come before the house has been vacuumed; that will cause great shame upon them!

2) Take your shoes off. Don't you dare get mud on their freshly cleaned carpet or polished floor...

3) Compliment how amazing the house is looking and how delicious the food smells.

4) Greet everyone excitedly while all talking at each other at the same time loudly and of course, kissing everyone's cheeks. If a thea (aunt) wants to squeeze your cheeks as well, just let her... it brings her joy and hopefully she might slip you some cash later for being her favourite! (Yes, Greeks have favourites, shhh).

5) If you're a woman, offer to help the hostess. Your offer will be rejected as the hosts don't want to appear they can't handle it, so you have to be just as stubborn and help anyway. A good 'nikokira' (housewife) will help around the house, and any woman who is lazing around will be noticed.

6) If you're under the age of 21, single, or are a mother with a baby, you may well get placed on the "kiddie table"... The family will then expect the older "kids" to babysit for the rest of the night while they get hammered.

7) Be prepared for what I like to call "pressure talks". This is where your family will proceed to make things really awkward for you asking you when you are going to get married, or when are you going to make another baby. Just tell them "soon" then fire a question back at them which will likely send them off on a rant. Good questions are anything that involve them being able to gossip for a while! "So I hear Eleni from the supermarket was seen with Alex the barber the other day...."

8) The food is going to be phenomenal; no doubt about it, so enjoy it. Greeks are pushy though and will have made enough food for 10 servings each just so they can keep forcing food down your neck for hours on end. Yes it's going to hurt but I don't care how full you get, you don't ever reject food when it is offered to you, it is just not worth the argument and the anorexic comments that will proceed. Just eat. Alternatively, eat really slowly so your plate is always full and you may get left alone for a while!

9) The predictability of gifts yet still managing to act surprised and overjoyed is an art that takes years to master, but try getting good at it. Yiayia loves to hear how you adore those knitted booties she made you, again, even though they are normally made for newborn babies...

10) The goodbye... It's late, everyone's drunk and have been dancing the Vareto until the small hours of the morning. You're exhausted and looking forward to getting into bed with your full belly. You're excited to see that people are getting up and putting their coats on! You're at the front door kissing everyone and saying goodbye, then a small conversation starts and before you know it, it has taken an hour to stop?! To save standing around in your coat and scarf by the front door for an hour, I suggest just lighting up a cigar and dealing another round of 'kounka' and make some money gambling while everyone does their goodbyes!

So there you have it, 10 top tips to surviving a Greek Christmas! What are some of your top tips? Καλά Χριστούγεννα everyone!