The yuletide fever that has now well and truly gripped the nation has shoppers descending on the high street to grab the latest deals on gifts, clothing and decorations. The consumerism that has taken over the festive season has made many lose sight of what is most important. Yes, Christmas is a time for giving gifts, splashing out a little and enjoying yourself. However, it’s also a time to spend quality moments with our nearest and dearest, make contact with people we haven’t seen for ages and enjoy the simplicity some fresh prawns by the beach. Harnessing the Christmas spirit isn’t about buying the most extravagant Christmas tree you can lay your hands on, it’s about reflecting on the past year and giving thanks.
Giving Your Time
Rather than purchasing your little darling a PlayStation 4 and not seeing your offspring for the remainder of the festive season after he has locked himself away in his room to play the latest soccer game, think about giving your time instead. That’s not to say he or she won’t have gifts to unwrap on Christmas morning, but you won’t be busying yourself hunting for the most lucrative and sought after faddy presents to give them. Make some time during the school holidays to take them to the beach, get out on the harbour or partake in some Christmas craft activities with them, taking inspiration from handsonaswegrow.com. There’s nothing better than engaging the kids with Christmas and listening to old festive classics while wrapping presents for the family or going to look at the David Jones windows.
Get Outdoors
There’s nothing better on Christmas morning than getting up early and hitting the water for a swim. Feeling the cool ocean on a balmy morning, watching the sunrise over the sea and enjoying some quiet time before the festivities begin in earnest can be so beneficial. Giving you perspective, you’ll feel refreshed and invigorated to get the ham into the over, prepare the mangos and salads and set up in a comfy place to have a food coma until venturing back into the kitchen for yet more ham. You don’t have to spend a fortune on Christmas activities sitting on the verandah, listening to the kookaburras and magpies and spotting the odd wallaby making a b-line for the veggie patch.
Travel
While the thought of spending your Christmas in some far-flung destination halfway across the globe may sound exciting, it’s also expensive and could see you missing out on time with the family. Instead, use your time to make a road trip to see those relatives you haven’t seen for a while. Extending the olive branch can reconnect you to parts of the family your kids haven’t had the pleasure of knowing. If money is tight and long distance travel seems out of the question, spend some time reassessing your finances. You can head to a site like debtconsolidation.loans to see if merging your debt into one monthly repayment can free up some of your money. You never know, you may be able to take a winter road trip across the country after all.
Christmas is a time to eat, drink and be merry, but it’s also a time to show goodwill to all men (and women) and scale back the expensive facade of the festive season to discover the true essence of Christmas.
