30 Ways to Enjoy the Holiday Season
It seems like as soon as we take off our Halloween costumes, we fast forward into the holiday season. Before you know it, all of the relatives will be gathered around the holiday table. While this time of year is supposed to be joyful and fun, many people feel like pulling the covers over their heads until the New Year.
Remember when you were a kid and you counted the days until Christmas or Hanukah? Your eyes lit up as you drove through beautifully decorated neighborhoods. You couldn’t wait to open your gifts. You really felt that the holiday season was magical. As we grow older and the responsibilities pile on, we begin to view the holidays as work; more items on the to-do list. We feel like we don’t have the time, the money or the energy to enjoy the holiday season that we once loved. Much of the holiday stress comes from our own expectations and attitudes; expecting perfection, wanting to please everyone, overspending and not knowing when or how to say no.
Take a moment to remember what’s important; family, giving, love, peace and joy. The gifts you buy can never replace time spent with loved ones. So, instead of spending hours in lines or on the computer searching for the “perfect” gifts, spend your time with the ones you love instead. Maybe it will help bring some magic back to the season. It’s easy to forget that what makes holidays so special for our kids are not the things, but the love we share.
Here are some simple ways to have fun with your family and spread the spirit of the season. This isn’t a to-do list. Just pick a few you like and do them because you want to.
30 Ways to Enjoy the Holiday Season
1. Watch your favorite holiday movie with a cup of hot chocolate
2. Pick a couple holiday crafts to do with your kids (or for yourself!)
3. Write down one thing you’re grateful for every day and put it in a jar so you can pull one out on days you’re feeling overwhelmed
4. Eat your favorite foods at your holiday celebration without feeling guilty; just don’t overindulge every day
5. Make cutout cookies and decorate them with your family; even the littlest ones can participate somehow.
6. Make a gingerbread house
7. Share your favorite holiday tradition and create a new one just for your family
8. If there’s snow, make a snowman
9. Put down the camera/phone for a few minutes and experience the moment
10.Throw some spare change in the Salvation Army red kettles
11.Smile – it might make someone’s day and it helps you feel better too
12.Volunteer to help those who are less fortunate
13.Get off of Facebook for the weekend
14.If you have a friend who doesn’t have family nearby, include them during the holidays
15.Get a family photo taken – even if your hair isn’t perfect or you didn’t lose the extra pounds
16.Encourage your children to give back by helping them find a charity that is meaningful to them and have them donate from their piggy bank. Even if it’s only $1.00, it teaches them generosity and compassion.
17.Involve your kids in holiday preparation; let them help bake and decorate
18.If you celebrate Christmas, give your child an ornament every year that represents something they like or accomplished that year. When they get older, the memories will flood back each year when they hang them on their tree.
19.Go ice skating
20.Watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade
21.Go browse a local holiday market just for fun
22.Write a letter to your children that reminds them of some of their milestones for that year and how proud you are of them
23.Send cards, but don’t beat yourself up if you run out of time
24.Incorporate a unique holiday tradition from another culture
25.Buy less “stuff” and give something meaningful instead
26.Have a pajama party – everyone gets new pajamas and relaxes for the evening with a movie or a game
27.Help your child shop for a gift or make one
28.Make paper snowflakes
29.Get coloring books and crayons or colored pencils for your family and color; it’s a proven way to be mindful
30.Go look at holiday displays in store windows