christmas

it's my favorite month of every year! reason being that it's the month yours truly was born (december babies rocks!), mom & gf @ yeen's birthday, the extra long leaves and not to forget; CHRISTMAS! i just love love it. even though we're not celebrating it but don't we just love the atmosphere; the colour of red, white & green, huge christmas trees, ornaments, presents, fake snow, santa claus & santarina wannabes, sounds of jingle bells and not to forget DISCOUNTS! (ka-ching ka-ching!) *grin*

some says that christmas is about giving. no doubt giving and receiving are in the minds of many. hence, i believe that christmas is one of the time that you will need to be extra nice. :) if you're one of those who's celebrating it, here's some tips on how to embrace the true meaning of christmas :

Donating to a Shelter
Have your children go through through their toys and clothes. Let them put aside the things they have not used in over six months, that are in good working condition when it comes to toys, and have no stains when it comes to clothes. Make a trip to a local shelter to donate your belongings. Your children will love the fact that have helped children less fortunate than them.

Homemade Keepsakes
If you cannot visit a relative that lives far away this year, consider creating a family video "visit" from your family to send to them. You could put anything on the video that you want. Some ideas would be to act out a family play of the Nativity Scene. Have everyone say hello and tell something really cool they did this past year. Be creative.

Volunteer Appreciation
Bake cookies for your local firehouse or police station. Prepare baked goods for the nurses and doctors at a local hospital. People sure like to feel appreciated for the hard work they do, and you have the perfect opportunity at Christmastime to let them know that your family thanks them.

Giving to Charity
Make a new tradition of donating money to a charity. It doesn't have to be much, just what you can give.

Classroom Gift Giving
Instead of trying make gifts for all the kids in the class, or come up with something that you "think" your child's teacher might like, consider giving a class gift of a hardbound reference book, a new computer program, or an aquarium. You might also consider asking other families to pitch in and buy a field trip for the class to take. If everyone puts in just a little, it adds up over 24 or so students!

Read more at Suite101: Christmas: Give the Gift of Giving: Make Holiday Traditions for Your Family to Share