You & Your Family Brighten the holidays
by giving and sharing –
12 ways to find your meaning of the season
When was the last time you truly embraced the holidays? If you can’t remember, maybe it’s time to relax, take a deep breath, and enjoy!
This is most likely your busiest time of the whole year. There are gifts to buy, school programs to attend, parties to host, cookies to bake, and year-end reports to file at the office. Regardless of your personal beliefs, you know the holidays aren’t just about racing from one mall to another.
So before the holidays get completely out of hand, take some time to think about what makes the season special and how it can mean even more. By giving to others, taking time to be with your loved ones, and sharing your blessings, this holiday will be one you’ll always remember and one you’ll always want to repeat.
Here are 12 ways to brighten the holidays:
1 Open two holiday accounts. If you have a special account at a bank or credit union that is earmarked for the holidays, start a second one. This time next year, you will have extra dollars to spend on charitable causes such as buying and decorating a holiday tree for a children’s center, nursing home, or hospital.
2 Purchase greeting cards and stamps. Visit a nursing home with your friends and help the residents address the cards to their long-distance families and friends.
3 Find a family who will be missing a relative this holiday. Use your extra frequent flyer miles to help bring that person home.
4 Take a turn ringing the bell for the Salvation Army.
5 Start a tradition of watching It’s A Wonderful Life, A Charlie Brown Christmas, White Christmas, or Scrooge as a family.
6 Encourage your children to share their good fortune by giving toys they’ve outgrown to a local charity.
7 Take time to donate blood. That hour can help save a life.
8 Send personal notes to friends, family, and coworkers who have touched your life in a special way, thanking them for their patience, kindness, and support.
9 Adopt a family. Join with your fellow employees and, rather than exchanging gifts, buy a holiday dinner for a family in need. Use Royal Neighbors’ Magazine Yellow Pages discount program to order magazine subscriptions for each child in the family.
10 When you’re traveling “over the river and through the woods,” with your family, pass the time sharing what you’re thankful for. It’s a great reminder of the season.
11 Mail cards. Join with your Royal Neighbors chapter and get a list of military personnel in your area who will be away from home during the holidays. Send them cards of appreciation.
12 Rather than giving your best friend another sweater as a gift, make a donation to a worthy cause in her name.
Make the most of your holidays
Here are a few helpful ideas to make your holidays more enjoyable.
- Make several meals at once and freeze them. Then eat from your freezer during the busy December evenings.
- Making a list and checking it twice? Shop online and take advantage of the many free shipping offers. Try shopping for your holiday gifts at www.overstock.com.
- Order stamps online to avoid the post office lines.
- Calendars get booked up quickly at this time of year. Send a “save-the-date” e-mail to friends and follow up with the actual invitation.
- If you will be contributing to several meals with family and friends, draft a menu plan/calendar. For each meal, list the item you’re making and the time, date, and location of the dinner.
- Make a list before you go to the mall or the grocery store.
- Instead of expensive wrapping paper, use brown parcel paper and brighten it up with your own special decorative touches such as pine cones, sprigs of holly, colorful ribbons, and glitter.
- Do the essential cleaning before your company comes and save the major clean-up for after the holidays. Remember that everyone will be busy having fun and won’t be noticing a little dust.
- Want to find out more about holidays such as Chanukah and Kwanzaa and many more? Try www.holidays.net.
- Kids (and kids at heart!) will have online fun here: www.northpole.com.
- Learn more on the Web about holidays by visiting www.allthingschristmas.com.
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Make a contribution to the RNA Foundation this holiday season. You’ll help support worthy causes and get a tax deduction, too! Send donations to 230 16th Street, Rock Island, IL 61201-8645.
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