Ask your parents or grandparents and they will tell
you how they celebrated the holidays in the "good old days".
It was spent sharing
the company of family and friends, having a good meal
and being grateful for what you have. They were right!
You can get into the spirit of the season by personalizing
it and creating your own traditions and rituals. The
most meaningful traditions don't involve spending a
lot of money.
You can create you own by making handmade
gifts, ornaments or cards,
preparing a dish that has been in the family for generations,
or creating a family newsletter together. No one says you can't give homemade
gifts. Making and giving your own gifts can be both
enjoying and satisfying.
Instead of wrapped presents,
you can use jars and have slips of paper promising an
afternoon of reading your child's favorite stories,
cooking lessons or a family day together.
Come up with several ideas for everyone's jars, and
let them pick out slips one at a time on Christmas morning.
You can write a letter telling a loved one how much
you appreciate them.
Read your letter on Christmas day
and let everyone hear how much you care about them. Have
grandparents make a cassette tape with memories of what
life was like when they were young or holiday memories
they cherish.
You can make a set of handmade ornaments and give them
to a family friend or relative. To make ornaments, it
doesn't have to be costly.
If you can sew, try making
stuffed ornaments in the shapes of stars, angels
or trees. Use scrap fabrics to make them or material
from your child's first outfit or christening gown.
If sewing is not your skill, try making paper bag ornaments.
Use a grocery paper bag or butcher paper and trace shapes
from cookie cutters.
Have the kids get into the scene
by coloring them, stuffing each one with cotton and
gluing them shut to let dry.
Some of the best gifts
are made by children. Have them draw or paint a
picture and write a message inside. If you want to spend a little money go to a printing
shop and have your child's pictures printed into holiday
cards. If you have a budding artist in the family (and
everyone does) have your child's picture framed and
give as a gift to grandparents.
Many More Crafty Ideas for Personalizing the Christmas Holiday
They say to win someone's heart is with food,
so why not give a gift of love with baked
goods. Bake some cookies,
breads or dessert and place them in a decorative gift
box with a large bow. Sign a card saying "From our family,
to Yours!" Believe me it will be much appreciated.
One of the newest trends with the advent of technology
is producing a family newsletter to share at Christmas or New Year. Using your computer
to create one is one way you can tell everyone how you
and your family are doing this season by including photos
and sharing your children's milestones.
Get the kids into the project by asking them to contribute
something like a poem, story about themselves or assign
them as family reporters writing an article about a
family member.
You can either post your newsletter online or print
it out and mail it to relatives and friends. They'll
love reading them. Remember it's not how much you spend
that counts but how much love you put into the thought
of others this season. Personalizing the Holiday is something my family has
done since I was a little girl. My parents instilled
in me the spirit of giving from the heart and I am passing
that tradition to my son in hopes that he will carry
it on when he grows up.
Here's wishing you a Happy Holiday!
by Sandra Kuykendall-Lombard © 2003 About the author Sandra Kuykendall-Lombard
lives in Texas with her husband and son. She is a writer,
homeschooler, artist as well as a parent to a special
needs child. As a free-lance writer, her content focuses
on gardening, crafts, relationships and family life.
She maintains a position as a Moderator and Community
Leader at Baby University, an online parenting community.
http://www.babyuniversity.com |
