The bright and colorful lights of the holiday often makes us feel inspired. Giving to someone when you’re not asked often makes us feel warm inside. When your favorite holiday tune comes on the radio it often makes us feel joyful. Whether you’re admiring your Christmas tree, or walking through downtown to see the street lamps wrapped in lights, or singing along to your favorite song, the magic of the holidays can be felt.
Christmas lights, though they can be troublesome to put up sometimes…it always seems to be worth the trouble. Giving anything, even if you don’t feel you can give much, is always worth it because it will make a difference to someone. The holiday season is all about spending time with family and friends, and giving. Here’s some tips on how to do it all!
Go Light-Seeing
Get in the car and drive around your neighborhood to see the decorations they’ve put up. Remember to check to see if your town or a city near you has a Christmas light show or display! If you live somewhere remote and this may not work for you, spend some time looking at photos of Christmas Town USA.
Disconnect to Connect
For some fun family time, sit around the Christmas tree and play a board game or two. This should get everyone off their phones and engaged with the present moment. If you want to have something a bit bigger than that, invite friends and neighbors over to enjoy the season with you over some cheese and crackers to spread holiday cheer.
Give More
Giving is a strong foundation of the holiday season whether it is buying and sending a gift, making something homemade, or sharing a smile with a stranger. There are many ways to give this holiday season and many are free! Sometimes the most important thing you can give is your time. Consider taking friends and family with you to serve at a soup kitchen, volunteer at an animal shelter, or shoveling the snow from your neighbors walkway.
There are also a number of non-profits an drives tailored specifically for donated clothing items to redistribute to those in need, some request new and unused others do not. Some include Warm Coats Warm Hearts Drive, Goodwill, The Salvation Army, and the Pajama Program.
Christmas Magic
If there are young ones in your life, make reindeer chow to leave out for the reindeer! It’s fun, easy, and keeps the Christmas magic alive. This is a great activity for this holiday season, and could double as a cute addition to a gift!
More ways to spread cheer and Christmas magic are to go caroling, ask Santa for a special message through Portable North Pole, make breakfast as a family or bake cookies and watch your favorite holiday movies!
Give when you can, and surround yourself with the people and things you love most! Wishing you peace, joy, and all the best this holiday season has to offer!
Aly Veo is our fall 2019 University of New Hampshire marketing intern. When she’s not studying or working hard here at GourmetGiftBaskets.com she enjoys running, time spent with family, and is the president of her sorority.