28 Ways to Make Sweet Memories This Holiday Season
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Today I was generously gifted a solid 4 hours by my husband to just take off, kidless, to the magical land that is home decor stores. My hopes and aspirations were to fill a cart of the very things my minds eye envisioned to make our home feel more festive and cozy for the holiday season.
No more than 10 seconds after walking into Home Goods, my brain literally shattered and exploded into one hundred globs of brain matter. The amount of STUFF, specifically holiday inspired stuff, in the first twenty paces of the front door was unbelievable and beyond gluttonous.
And this coming from a lover of holiday everything.
After wandering around for 45 minutes, leaving empty handed, I walked into the next home goods store only two storefronts down.
Another 20 minutes of my life…gone. And a headache gained that I did not have when I walked in due to the brain numbing scents around every corner.
Again, I left empty handed and honestly, a bit heavy hearted.
That’s when I saw it…
In the window of this store were multiple posters screaming “Bring Happiness Home”. And it hit me…
I came here searching for some speck of joy that I felt this STUFF would bring me… and all I left with was an empty cart and heavy heart.
Even if I HAD purchased anything, I realized I would not have even come close to touching the level of joy that I carelessly thought I would gain from these silly purchases.
After seeing that sign I actually felt mad. Mad at the lies that we are told constantly. Mad at myself for buying into them unbeknownst to me.
The holiday season is full of opportunity for comfort and joy… and when I truly analyze my deep love for the holiday season, it’s not the decor that brings me joy (although there is a piece of me that believes that still, maybe just a little).
It’s the moments of nurture, comfort, slowing down, generosity, and intention that is abound during the holidays that have me craving this time of year, year after year, and make the season feel so magically delicious.
Here are 28 ideas to get you started toward creating a holiday season full of memory making with those you love.
- snuggle up next to the fire and read holiday stories to your loved ones.
- buy a cup of coffee or cocoa for a complete stranger.
- take your kids to volunteer in a soup kitchen together, or volunteer to wrap presents for Toys for Tots.
- bundle up with blankets and mugs of cocoa, roll your car windows down and drive around to see the holiday lights.
- bake something for all of your neighbors and then hand deliver them.
- sit down to write a personalized letter to a handful of people you love each month just to tell them how much they mean to you.
- make homemade Christmas cards with your kiddos.
- write a holiday letter instead of Christmas cards, and have each person in the family contribute something they learned or loved about the last year.
- decorate a tree with homemade ornaments (and old collected ones, too) while playing childhood holiday song favorites.
- make your own decorations (example: paper snowflakes)
- go cut down your own tree (bonus: start a snowball fight if you have snow!)
- bake and decorate cookies and watch a Christmas movie together all snuggled on the couch.
- pick out a new toy with your kiddos to donate to another child or charity.
- start a family game night tradition.
- create a Christmas morning breakfast tradition (example: these paleo homemade cinnamon rolls).
- go to a Christmas service and relish in the true meaning of what the holiday season is really about, the birth of Jesus (and truly feel the gratitude for the gifts you’ve been given).
- host a holiday “open house” – some ideas: a “cookie and cocoa” party, appetizers and caroling, etc. Invite everyone you know. But keep it simple so you actually enjoy the event yourself.
- make a gingerbread house with your kids.
- go caroling with friends.
- go to local free holiday events (example: the Christmas pageant that plays yearly in our small little town or a holiday parade).
- go ice skating and finish with hot cocoa.
- read a different holiday classic storybook each night before bed in the month of December.
- watch one classic holiday movie a week in the month of December.
- deliver cookies to the local fire station (or hospital staff, or police station, etc).
- go through toys with kids and have them pick out toys they would like to donate to charity.
- Visit a local nursing home with a group of kids to sing carols to the elderly.
- write a letter to Santa together with kids.
- make a “favorite Christmas songs” playlist together.
The holiday season does not need to destroy your budget to make you “happy”. There are so many sweet things you can do on your own, with friends, or as a family that can create lifelong memories…that hardly cost you a thing.
read also: 75 Zero Waste Gift Ideas
What is your favorite holiday tradition that may cost nothing at all? I want to hear all about it 🙂
