Yesterday I shared some of the “432 things to do for yourself and others that just might make this the best Christmas ever” from the book, “The Little Book of Christmas Joys” by H. Jackson Brown, Jr., Rosemary Brown, and Kathy Peel. I hope that some of the things I shared got all of us thinking about how we can celebrate Christmas with more meaning and purpose.
Today, I want to add to that list – there are just so many good ideas and thoughts that it is hard to pick and choose which ones to share. There are some that I have edited or inserted my own.
· Begin a family Christmas journal. Write down memories your family shares: events you attend, presents you give and receive, and the inevitable crises that occur. Give this journal of Christmas memories as a gift and then add a page each year.
· Give an anonymous gift of money to someone who has been laid off.
· Start a special collection of Christmas ornaments each year for your children and grandchildren. Add a new one every year.
· Help an elderly neighbor decorate his or her home.
· Remember that the more a toy costs, the more likely kids will want to play with the box it came in.
· At least once in your life, visit New York and take in the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Show and enjoy the skaters and the huge Christmas tree at Rockefeller Plaza.
· Put something Christmassy in every room of your home … including the bathroom.
· Sing at one verse of your family’s favorite Christmas carol between opening each present.
· Keep Christmas music going in the background at home, in the car and at the office. Before too long you will be singing along, enjoying the holidays and lifting the spirit of those around you.
· When you don’t know what to give, give a book. Inscribe it with your name, the occasion, and the date.
· Want to rediscover the child in yourself … then walk through the toy section at one or more of the stores and remember when you played with some of those toys or when you gave some of those toys to your children.
· Be creative with gift-wrapping. Use old maps, the funny papers, posters, the yellow pages.
· Some time during the holidays, go through your closets and box up clothing you haven’t worn in two years. Give away items that are still in good condition.
· Always record the names and addresses in your address book as you receive Christmas cards. That way your list will always be current.
· Take an evening to drive around to see all the decorated houses. Take a thermos of hot chocolate and some special Christmas cookies to enjoy during the drive.
· Create a special Christmas morning breakfast menu and serve it every year.
· Give a “Love Gift” to the special people in your life. A “Love Gift” is something that you will do for them during the next year.
· Help your child or grandchild make red and green paper chains from construction paper. Hang them all over their bedroom as their special decorations for Christmas.
· Reserve a night for the entire family to make homemade ornaments for your tree.
· Park as far away as possible at your local Mall. You need the exercise.
· Save the fronts of your Christ cards and then glue/paste them together the following year to cover one of your doors as a decoration.
· Offer to baby-sit for new parents to give them a chance to do some shopping or just enjoy one of the new movie releases.
· When decorating the tree, nestle photos of past Christmas morning experiences in the branches.
· Walk up to people standing in lines at the Mall and say, “Repeat after me, ‘I’m having fun, I’m having fun …’” and watch their faces and posture change.
· Take some time out to sit in the mall and watch youngsters having their pictures made with Santa while you sip a holiday blend of coffee.
Well, I hope some of these make your Christmas a little more merry and meaningful … one that is filled with joy. The sharing of these ideas will continue tomorrow!
Quote for today: It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air. ~W.T. Ellis
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