I am sure it was the annual turkey handprints in preschool that started it all, but for some reason, fall always brings out the creative side in me. While most people are running to Starbucks for a pumpkin spice latte, I am heading to Hobby Lobby and planning a fall “crafternoon.”
Now, if you have an image of beautiful hand-painted pumpkins or stunning homemade wreaths, you would be wrong. Usually, it is something as simple as putting together mulling spices or sticking succulents in a pumpkin. Regardless of the difficulty, or the questionable final result, I find that creating something puts me in the mood for the fall holidays and, maybe more importantly, helps me relax a little.
As the holidays approach, so does the holiday stress. There is so much to do on top of all the regular parenting to-dos, and somehow we are supposed to feel “thankful” through all of it. Don’t get me wrong. There has never been a moment when I have not been incredibly grateful for the blessing of being a parent. But there are certainly moments when we parents wish we had a few extra hands—or a few additional hours in the day!
Rebecca Hastings shares some of those all-too-familiar “ugh” moments in her feature, A Parent’s (Dream) Gratitude List. They are moments we can all relate to, along with some sweet reminders of how we might look at those frustrations a little differently.
As if the holiday to-do list isn’t enough to push our limits, some families also face the tricky question of who will spend which holiday with whom. Trying to divide time between grandparents, in-laws, extended family, and traditions can sometimes lead to hurt feelings and added stress. If that sounds familiar, be sure to read The Holiday Tug-of-War by Shannon Dean. She shares some practical ideas that may help make holiday scheduling a little smoother and leave more time for actually enjoying the people we are trying so hard to make time for.
And speaking of enjoying the holiday season, have we got a list of local holiday events for you! Each year, we publish our annual 20, filled with tree lightings, Santa sightings, parades, performances and so much more. You are sure to find plenty of activities to help your family kick off the holiday season, start a new tradition, and make some wonderful memories together.
But before we start pulling out our calendars and making yet another to-do list, I want to take a moment to say a truly heartfelt thank you to all of you. Every day I sit down to work, I have the incredible privilege of celebrating this amazing community. We get to celebrate our local schools and the wonderful work they do. We get to showcase the huge variety of resources available to area families. We get to spotlight local businesses that are such an important part of our economy and share the fun events happening right here at home.
And most importantly, we get to walk alongside one another on this beautiful, sometimes exhausting, often messy, and incredibly rewarding journey of parenthood. You encourage and motivate our team, and you make what we do a pleasure. For that, and for so much more, THANK YOU!
Wishing you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving and a holiday season filled with a little less stress, a lot of wonderful memories…and maybe even a fall crafternoon or two.
