It’s hard to believe the holidays are right around the corner. I counted today, 53 days until Christmas (insert jaw dropping photo here). Where does the time go? I feel each year time comes and goes faster than expected or even prepared for. And yet, this is the time of year where we tend to hear the desire for slow the most. The time of year where all we really want to do is to sit, relax, reflect and savor those special moments with our family and friends. If only time would get the memo to slow things down a bit, yes?
So what can we do during this season of busy to eliminate stress + feeling frazzled and rushed?
What can we do to create space for what we really want for this holiday season?
Something Aaron and I have learned along the way is simplicity in this season of celebration is best. Less is always more. Setting boundaries so we can actually enjoy spending time with the people we love is a gift. Being prepared is sacred. And using a gift guide for the girls has been the best way to discover what they like and need, while keeping us on budget and focused on what really matters.
The guide below has saved us in years past in many ways and is something that welcomes connection and reflection with our girls.
Something I wish for: I love this part of the list the best because my girls tend to think really hard about what it is they want from Santa. It’s also fun discovering what they really like. At times they can want so much that they don’t even know what they really want, so this is a fun way for them to prioritize all those toys their dreaming about. This year, we’re going to make it extra fun and take them to the Walmart Toy event on November 3! From 1-4 pm Walmart Supercenters across the country will be hosting a toy event for kids of all ages. It will give the girls a chance to explore the hottest toys of the season, snatch Walmart’s new holiday catalogue, create their wish list, share what they wish for with Santa and get a photo with him! In August Kaia and I actually got to attend the Walmart Toy Expo, a partnership we’re thrilled to be a part of, to see all the new toys hitting the market this year. It was fun to see them first had, learn about the toy’s, play with them, hear the vision and message behind each toy and rate them based on our experience. The Walmart Toy event on November 3 will give kids the same chance to explore and discover what they really wish for this year, while having some fun too!
Something I need: This part of the list is all about figuring out what they need most. What I love about this part of their list is it gets them involved in thinking about what it is they really need. With my older girls we start with what we use everyday and ask questions like; Is it working? Does it fit? How is this/that holding up? What would make things easier/help me? and so on… Sometimes discovering what we need involves us to cleanse the things we don’t need and/or use. Which I secretly desire because we usually (always) end up filling a bag up with stuff we can donate and/or gift to someone. This is a good teaching moment for them, especially my girls who have a hard time letting go of things and want to hold onto everything.
Something to wear: Every year my girls get new jammies on Christmas Eve to open and sleep in. They also get something else to wear that they’re in need of. Sometimes it’s a new winter jacket. Sometimes it’s shoes or a sweater. Whatever it is we see a need for regarding their attire in some capacity is put on their list.
Something to read: Gifting a book for our home library. Once again this requires some reflection on their (and my) part as we take a stock in the books we do have to see what kind of books we could use for our home library. As Kaia gets older and has more of a desire to read, it’s been fun to see what books she tends to gravitate towards. It’s also nice to discover the ones that tend to welcome challenge and see where we can find the balance when adding to our collection at home. As for Kendi, she is finding a new love for books now that she is in school. So this year will be fun as we continue to introduce books to her geared towards early readers. And Klo, we are discovering how much she loves books that are interactive, something I know our home library doesn’t have much of.
The holidays are a wonderful time for connection and reflection and having a good excuse for some downtime. This list above has simplified things for us in many ways when it comes gift buying and connects us more with our girls, and what matters most, during the holiday season.
Come see us at the Walmart Supercenter in Roseville for their Wish List event on November 3! We can’t wait to share the excitement with you.
We would love to hear what is on your wish list this year! What are the little ones in your lives wishing for this holiday season?
* Thank you Walmart for sponsoring this post and giving us the opportunity to work with you. And thank you, dear reader, for supporting posts that help support our online space. All opinions are our own.