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 Holiday Hints
Simple Truths for Authentic Living ~ December 2009 |
Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time.
~ Laura Ingalls Wilder
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Greetings!
"...'Tis the Season!"
For many moms, 'tis the season for tensions to rise, for stress to creep into our homes, our lives (our shoulders and neck) as we attempt to juggle a sleigh-full of opportunities that come our way.
Before things get too crazy, let's take a minute to come up with a plan. First, we need to get back to the basics. Let's start with a few questions:
- What does this holiday mean to you and your family?
- What are the memories you'd like to create?
- ...the feelings you'd like to experience? (awe and wonder? excitement and fun? reverence and respect?)
- ...the message you'd like your children to receive? (the holidays are about...family? giving and receiving? loving others? remembering things you're thankful for?)
Let your answers become your focal point. Resolve to make commitments based on your holiday wishes. In the next section you'll find a list of holiday traditions. Choose one or two that support your holiday goals. As for all the other opportunities that don't match up? See ya.
Be the gatekeeper, the tough guy (girl), or whatever it takes to keep your holiday happenings in sync with your hopes and dreams.
May your holidays be filled with Peace, Joy & Love ~
Teresa Drake
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Holiday Traditions
create cherished memories while also strengthening your family relationships.
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Here are suggestions for easy, fun and frugal traditions you can initiate with your little ones right now:
1. Baking Holiday Cookies (hello, Pillsbury!) 2. Read one holiday story each day, starting December 1st. (hello, community library!) For those of you with a collection of holiday books that rivals a library, let your little ones mark the passage of time as the tall stack of books dwindles day by day. Can't get to the library? Click here for online stories. 3. Snap a picture of the kids in front of the tree (or the snowman, fireplace, etc.) every year. It's fun to see how they change over time. 4. Enjoy the holiday lights from the warmth of your car, as you tour surrounding neighborhoods or community holiday lights displays. Be sure to bring some candy canes and hot cocoa in sippy cups. 5. "Celebrate" with sparkling cider or grape juice in special glasses. Plastic champagne glasses make this especially fun; just remember they spill easily -- maybe use white grape juice. 6. And those homely, er, hand-crafted, decorations your kids create? Display them every year...it's nostalgia at its very best, plus it's humbling for kids when they grow into aloof teenagers. 7. Donate food, clothes or toys. Have your children pick items from your cupboard (or the store) and deliver the goods to a local shelter or food bank. Bonus point: Ask if your children can place your donations on the shelf. |
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You, Too, Can Be an
Artsy-Craftsy Mom!
Some moms revel in this time of
year as they indulge their creative skills, working alongside side
their children, cranking out crafts and hand-made gifts faster than
Santa's elves.
If
you're missing those artistic genes, "crafting" with your children can
test your patience and leave you battling your inner control freak
rather than enjoying the moment. And, it can be enjoyable. Really. With
a little planning and some simple projects, you too, can be an
artsy-craftsy mom.
Below you'll find simple craft ideas that are easy and cheap. Just click on the individual photos for directions. Voila!
Still not confident you can do it? The next option, my favorite, is the arts-and-crafts short-cut. Purchase ready-to-make craft kits (no-brainers) from Michael's Arts & Crafts or OrientalTrading.com.Regardless of the path you take, these reminder tips will make it easier for the craft-challenged in all of us: - Set aside enough time to complete the project.
- Prep for the project (all the cutting, sorting, etc.) before bringing your little artist to the table.
- Feel free to "gently guide" your child, but let her make the craft her way. Remember, it's the experience, not the end product that counts (unless you're Martha Stewart).
- Praise your child for his efforts, despite the fact his creation may not resemble anything...at all. And, yes, you must display this, too. But maybe, if it's really, uh, unsightly, it might somehow get lost...
If all this STILL seems overwhelming, don't feel too bad. That's what preschools are for!
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Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.
~ Hamilton Wright Mabie
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