.The holidays are an investment— in our family, friends, relationships— ourselves. Yet sometimes we don’t always make time for the little things that matter, like those random traditions we grew up with as kids. When life gets busy, we get sidetracked. So this season, I’m giving more of my heart to the holidays! I’m diving into my old childhood rituals, along with some new (and weird) ones i’m creating with Andrew. Here are some reasons you should too!
Positive energy perks
The holidays are like a breath of fresh air...inhale the good, exhale the bad! During this time, we should be focusing our energy on being with family, and make positive memories where we can just be ourselves.
How do you create your warm fuzzies?
Make adventures
Last week, Andrew and I went to find the ugliest, most awkward looking Christmas tree, so we could give the lonely thing a home (poor shrub). We also visited a museum together which was more fun that I thought it would be (Andrew likes museums way more than I do!). Then, we finished the night in the park to gaze at Christmas lights— these always get me excited for the holidays!
You can turn any little adventure into a holiday ritual— one that you can repeat or update every year. Just make it your own!
Family bonding time
We’re all guilty of spending more time on our phones than making eye contact at the dinner table. For the holidays, let’s turn off all our distractions and focus on family.
As cliche as it might sound, one of my favourite family traditions as a kid was running downstairs in my pajamas on Christmas Day to make pancakes with my mom and open presents. But the activity itself wasn’t as important as the act of spending time together.
A peace of mind
With all the craziness of work, shopping, and travel and stuff, it’s nice to slow things down. Our holiday traditions give us those moments of peace to unwind and relax.
They could be simple activities like playing trivia, doing crafts or watching Home Alone (love that movie!). As long as you’re with family, you can’t put a price on memories!
Share some laughs
Laughter keeps the heart healthy. And it’s another good reason to keep up with family holiday traditions—it’s fun!
It could just be you and the folks clowning around at home. You can even record the silliness, like I did with Andrew. Whatever makes everyone happy becomes meaningful (and involve holiday treats).
If you don’t already have some unique family traditions, it’s never too late to start new ones. Your traditions don’t even have to make sense, like at all! Do anything that feels fun or festive —just be together!
