by Colleen Langenfeld
Copyright (c) 2003
http://www.paintedgold.com
The holiday season is fast approaching! Are you
looking forward to the festivities, symbolism and glow of the holidays
or are you secretly dreading this busy time of the year?
Here are five simple suggestions to help you keep
the holy and the happy in your holidays.
- Plan early. Always wanted to see a special
concert during the holiday season? Treat friends to a popular
restaurant? Organize the toy drive at work? Planning your holiday
season early allows you to make it the memorable season it was
meant to be.
- Set limits. Doing this step alone will bring
you more peace this year. Grab a sheet of paper and while you
are sitting in front of your favorite TV show or waiting for dinner
to cook, write down the three most important activities you'd
like to get done this holiday season. If you feel compelled to
list more, do so, and then number your list in order of importance
to you. The top three items are your goal; these items matter
greatly to you and deserve your best attention.
- Help others. No matter what your faith, helping
others is the cornerstone of the holiday season. Joy is the reward
for the giver, so ask yourself where you can be of the most help
this year. Give of your time in a soup kitchen, volunteer to deliver
meals and a smile to folk who are homebound, collect corporate
donations, throw a party for your kids' teachers at school. You
will receive far more than you give.
- Include the kids. Traditions are great, but
sometimes we find ourselves going through the motions instead
of honoring the memories of holidays past. Asking your children
what they think would add quality to your family's holiday celebrations
gets everyone musing about the true meaning of the season.
- Stick to a budget. If you find yourself attaching
fun to spending money, well...you know the problem with that.
In fact, some families make a game of seeing how LITTLE they can
spend through the holidays. In order to avoid a financial hangover
in the new year, now is the time to set a spending limit and stick
to it.
All of these suggestions speak of quality vs.
quantity in your celebration of this holy time of year. Pick one
or two tonight and get started on your family's most memorable holiday
season ever!
Credit:
Colleen Langenfeld delivers deals, tips and creative resources to
working moms who want the most out of their homes, families and
careers at http://www.paintedgold.com
. Sign up for our free newsletter and get an online Creativity Toolkit
as our gift to you!
Related
Information:
NBA
Benefit Provider - Hickory
Farms®
NBA
Resource Article - Make
It a Family Holiday
NBA
Resource Article - Ho
Ho Ho, to the Emergency Room Don't Go
Reprint of this article does not constitute an
endorsement by the National Business Association; the article is
for informational purposes for our members and viewers of our Web
site.
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