the Season of Giving
Holidays have become a stressful part of life.
Let’s create a restful and joyful Holiday season
Each year Christmas/Holiday Season starts sooner and sooner. Our Giant Corporations have accelerated the end of the year. Pushing us into the frantic holiday season earlier and earlier, for no one’s benefit, but their own. Halloween and Thanksgiving, 2 important holidays for multiple reasons are steamrolled by the BIG HOLIDAY SALES!!! And we barely have time to rest from our Thanksgiving Feasts before we’re launched into Black Friday, which has now extended (although not maintained its integrity when it comes to the actual discounts you’re getting) to at least 2 weeks, including Cyber “Monday” Week. As a mom, daughter, wife, and small business owner these holiday Rushes affect me in many ways. On one hand, I’m a small business owner and to compete with the big ones I’m “supposed to” have really big sales and special offerings, blast a marketing campaign, all while staying on top of everyday business. As a parent and wife I’m supposed to be enjoying the holidays just sitting back and being with family, but also make sure my family gets the coolest gifts, everything is decorated well, and we continue family traditions all with a big smile and lots of joy. (You better watch out, you better not cry…) But where did all this start and how do we create boundaries around cultural expectations and live the life we want?
This Season of Giving did not start from a Consumerist and Commercialized standpoint. It began with sharing our harvest, preparing for winter as a community, and celebrating and praying together so that we could make it through the long dark winter. Gifting came from a place of abundance and joy. From a grateful heart. now, although we want our giving to come from a grateful heart, we often end up giving as an obligation to meet cultural expectations. It’s culturally amiss when we choose not to or are unable to give gifts. People go into so much debt and stress so much around this time of year to try and keep up with these mismatched expectations. Not to mention the difficulties surrounding family drama or loneliness that are so prevalent right now.
We let our concerns over “Keeping up with the Joneses” put us in a bad position. But there is definitely hope! We can break out of the cycle of consumerism and stop allowing corporations to manipulate our lives. The first step is to find your boundaries. Where are your limits? What can you afford; $, time, and energy-wise? What feels good to give as opposed to feeling like an obligation? Once you’ve figured out what your boundaries are, then you can start being creative. Creativity LOVES boundaries. How amazing of a gift can you make/find for $30?
Here are some ideas for gifting that I like to consider:
Can your family draw names and choose 1 person to gift a nice gift to as opposed to feeling obligated to buy for everyone?
Can you make something?
or Buy an experience?
Can you purchase only from small businesses and only ones you love supporting?
Can you bring a food dish instead?
or Something you’ve grown?
Can your family exchange handmade or vintage items?
Could you volunteer to watch a niece or cousin so the parents can go out on a date? (Make sure to schedule the date as soon as possible, we learned this one the hard way haha)
Can you take the little one to the park or teach them a skill you know?
Maybe you could schedule a house cleaning party for them or create a meal train.
Make something on Canva or other digital editing software (they have tons of free templates and there are plenty of YouTube videos on how to) Just print it out and get a frame from TJMAXX and you have a great personalized gift
Or get a digital download from Etsy
what about starting a book exchange?
learning a hobby together?
Another great idea would be to have each family member take the Love Language Quiz and create a specialized gift just for their specific love language.
To be perfectly honest, quality over quantity matters especially for those of us over 8 years old. My goal with my family is to make the holidays as stress-free as possible, to slow down and enjoy the small moments, and to give from a place of love, joy, and gratitude.
As for the business, I always am so grateful when someone gifts my work. It means the world to me. My heart is full every day from the work I get to do and from the amazing clients I get to share this journey with. If you choose to give a gift card for a pre-paid session I’m so grateful, if you can’t give a full session, I have custom gift cards so you can choose an amount to give, or if none of that works right now you can also take advantage of the referral program. If one of my clients refers someone, you both get 25% off your next session. So that’s just as good! Or bring someone in for a workshop and gift them community support and knowledge. But as I said before, stay within your boundaries and give from a grateful and joyful heart. I hope that your holidays can become a place of rest and celebration, not just a panicked last-minute shopping spree.
With much Love,
Beth
