Making Holidays More Meaningful

This year I’m taking my own advice about holiday planning:

1) I’m focusing in on three qualities I want, not thirty. They are:

• Togetherness
• Gratitude, and
• Fun

2) I’m buying fewer gifts and spending money on “together time” instead. We’re taking a (surprise) family trip to a southern vacation destination. We’ll spend time in nature watching the manatees graze and going fishing. And we’ll enjoy a little Disney magic with our kids. (Please *don’t* tell them about this trip! It’s totally  top-secret and I’m buzzing with excitement about this fun surprise.) Even if you can’t plan a vacation, you can choose to spend money on tickets to a play or local ski resort. Bonus: No added clutter when you give the gift of together time.

3) I’m sending Thank You cards to friends and colleagues who’ve supported me (and my work) in 2012. And I’m enclosing a favorite holiday recipe or a handmade gift. Gratitude nurtures both the giver and the receiver: The more I give, the fuller I feel.

4) Hubby and I agreed to forgo gifts this year and spend our money on a really good digital camera. We’ll use it to capture all the fun memories we’ll make this holiday season and in the years to come. And we’ll share our pics with friends and family — win, win, win.

5) I’m hosting a “Festive, Not Frazzled” giveaway next week, from December 10-15. Five lucky moms will win copies of Detachment Parenting:33 Ways to Keep Your Cool When Kids Melt Down, along with a Philosophy 3-in-1 shower gel and lip shine duo stocking stuffer. (Because happier holidays start with a tips and tricks for creating a feeling of quiet calm). Check the Facebook fan page next week to enter.

You’ll find loads of other ideas for making holidays more meaningful in these recent articles: Have a Haiku Holiday, The Gift of Fond Memories, and Gifts Money Can’t Buy. I hope they’ll help you to create a little magic in your own kingdom.

How will you make fond family memories this season? Share your secrets in the comments.

Image © Ann Schorr | Dreamstime.com