Traditions - New and Old

The holiday season is upon us. At this time of year, our calendars fill up quickly, and sometimes we run out of time to do those things that mean the most. 
These tips can help you stay on track this holiday season and make your holidays as meaningful as possible.  

Get Organized. Take time before the holidays officially arrive to make lists of what you'd like to accomplish during the holiday season. Number every item according to its importance, and then prioritize the most important items on the list. Sit down with a calendar as you do this. Items that occur only on specific days (like attendance at a holiday parade, for example) should be noted on the calendar. This makes it easier to space out your activities and hopefully get to everything you want to do this season.

Start New Traditions. Sometimes we say good-bye to old traditions to welcome new ones. These low-cost traditions make the holidays special for everyone in the family. 

Holiday Movie Night. It seems like everybody has favorite holiday movies at home. Do you watch yours? Take time one night in December to watch your favorite holiday movies back to back. Make popcorn, drink hot chocolate and curl up on the couch with a blanket.

Drink Wassail. Wassail is a hot apple drink that some people serve throughout the cold winter. To make wassail for yourself, combine natural apple juice, two cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, allspice and some cranberry juice into a crock pot. Finally, poke an orange with several cloves and place the orange into the apple juice. Turn the crock pot on low and leave it to sit until the apple juice is steaming. This is a wonderful drink to have with loved ones at special dinners.

Burn A Yule Log.  Yule logs are a tradition that go back hundreds of years. In the past, yule logs consisted of an entire tree, or portions of a tree that was burned for several nights in December. The ashes from one log were saved to burn with the next year's log. You can make your own yule log ritual in whatever way you want. Consider decorating and then burning a special log in your fireplace, or think about burning a log and then making wishes into the fire. 

View Holiday Lights. Some people light up the outside of their house at the holidays. Walking or driving around to see the pretty yard decorations is an excellent way to spend time together outside. This is something that many people enjoy doing on week nights after dinner, once traffic has died down for the day.

Sleep Under the Holiday Lights. Sleep in your living room on the first night you put up a holiday tree with lights. This is a beautiful way to enjoy the decorations. Make a bed on the floor with blankets, pillows and cots, then tell each other stories as you fall asleep in the beautiful glow of the tree.

At the end of the season, write down the things you did this year that were successful. Next year, you'll have a list to serve as your road map as you plan your holiday season.