Top Tips for Intentional Holidays

Staying on track and keeping the holidays stress-free can be really challenging, but it’s not impossible. Here are our top five ways to keep the holidays intentional.

Unplug.

It can be tempting to distract the little ones with an ipad, or to do a little last-minute Amazon shopping on your phone, but the holidays are about togetherness! Unplugging is hard, we know it, but it pays off in the connections you’ll get to make, and it could become a tradition!

Volunteer.

The holiday season is all about giving. Take a day off from your busy schedule to help out at a soup kitchen, a toy drive, or at your local hospital! Tons of volunteer opportunities pop up during the winter, and it’s a really wonderful way to make a difference in your community, cultivate a little gratitude for what you have, and to brighten someone’s day when they need it the most. 

Travel Green

Traveling for the holidays? Consider taking an extra day off to travel by bus, or by train! Flying is hard on the environment, and the last thing you want weighing on you during the holidays is your carbon footprint! If you need to fly, you can buy carbon offsets  to keep your travel plans earth-friendly!

Quality Over Quantity.

Rethink your gift-giving this year! Everyone loves to see a big pile of presents, but many people end up with an awful lot of useless items after the holidays. Go for gifts that mean a lot: a custom-framed photo, a signed copy of a favorite book, or the gift of some quality time together. It’s more fun to think of that kind of gift, and they’re well-recieved, too!

Make Space.

We like to start the holiday season with a little dose of minimalism. Take some intentional time to clear out your closets, declutter your bookshelves, and to finally (finally!!) go through that bin of junk under the bed. It does double-duty: you can donate your unused items while making room for new gifts! Win-win!