Gifting Trends of Time, Talent, and Treasure

Written By: Sandi MacCalla, Founder - LifeSkills Academy ~ 12/2/2024

With Christmas approaching, traditional gift-giving takes center stage. Store-bought presents have their charm, but there's a growing trend towards meaningful impact: the gifting of time, talent, and treasure. This year let's see how we may embrace this trend and add a special sparkle to your holiday season.

The Gift of Time
In our fast-paced lives, spending quality activities with loved ones creates far more valuable memories than any material item.

Top Idea: Family Game Night

A family game night can be a delightful way to spend time together. Here’s how:

1. Choose a Variety of Games suitable for all ages and preferences. Board games like Monopoly, Scrabble, or newer favorites like Codenames and Catan can be great choices.
2. Prepare Snacks: A variety of favorite snacks and drinks will keep everyone energized and engaged.
3. Set the Scene: Create a cozy atmosphere with comfortable seating and good lighting.

Resource: For a list of other top family games, check out Board Game Geek's 2024 Recommendations.

The Gift of Talent
Sharing your skills and talents is incredibly fulfilling both for you and the recipient. Whether it’s teaching a new skill or creating something unique, this gift shows thoughtfulness and effort.

Top Idea: DIY Craft Workshop

Hosting a DIY craft workshop is a fantastic way to share your talents and bond with family and friends.

1. Select a Craft that aligns with your skills and is suitable for your audience. Options could include candle-making, painting, woodworking, quilting, or knitting.
2. Gather Materials to ensure you have the necessary supplies and space for attendees to work. If you are conducting the workshop, consider purchasing items in bulk to save costs. Let those attending know how they can chip in.
3. Create an easy tutorial, if helpful: a step-by-step guide or video to assist participants in having a successful workshop.

Resource: For craft ideas and tutorials, visit DIY Network.

The Gift of Treasures
Thoughtful and personalized gifts can be treasures in their own right. Consider something that carries sentimental value or serves a meaningful purpose.

Top Idea: Memory Scrapbook

A memory scrapbook is a wonderful way to preserve cherished moments and create a tangible treasure.

1. Collect Photos and Mementos, ticket stubs, letters, and other memorabilia with special memories.
2. Choose a Theme such as a specific year, a memorable trip, or a loved one’s life stages.
3. Personalize It with small touches like handwritten notes, drawings, or decorations that reflect the recipient’s personality.

Resource: For scrapbooking tips and supplies, check out Scrapbook.com.

Family Participation: Volunteering Together
Volunteering as a family is one of the most rewarding ways to gift time, talent, and treasures. This helps and fosters community and gratitude.

Key Steps for Volunteering:

1. Choose a Cause that resonates with your family’s values, whether it’s helping at a local food bank, animal shelter, or community garden.
2. Schedule a Day that works for everyone and commit to spending it together in service.
3. Reflect and Share: Afterward, take time to share what you learned and enjoyed together.

Resource: For volunteer opportunities near you, visit Volunteer Match.

“It’s not how much we give, but how much love we put into giving.”
~Mother Teresa

Embracing the gift of time, talent, and treasures not only enriches the lives of those around us but also sparks a deeper sense of fulfillment and joy in us. This Christmas let’s create lasting memories and impacts.

Happy Holidays!

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Written By: Sandi MacCalla, Founder - LifeSkills Academy ~ 11/4/2024

Many cultural traditions around the world emphasize gratitude and thankfulness tied to specific holidays or rituals. Here are several examples for Americans to experience these customs in meaningful ways and suggestions on how to do so (with links to resources for further exploration):

1. Thanksgiving (United States and Canada)

• Essence: Thanksgiving is expressing gratitude for the harvest and the past year's blessings. Families and friends share a meal, often featuring turkey and other traditional foods, and reflect on what they are thankful for.

• How to Honor: Include a moment of reflection before the meal where everyone shares what they’re thankful for or invite friends and neighbors from different cultures to bring a dish representing their heritage.
• Resource: History of Thanksgiving (History Channel)

2. Chuseok (Korea)

• Essence: Chuseok is a major harvest festival in Korea where people honor ancestors with food offerings and express gratitude for an abundant harvest. Families visit hometowns and share meals and cultural traditions.
• How to Honor: Host a gathering where you prepare traditional Korean dishes like songpyeon (rice cakes) and engage in activities like making ancestor memorial tables.
• Resource: Celebrating Chuseok So. Korea Thanksgiving

 3. Diwali (India)

• Essence: Diwali, the Festival of Lights, is to give thanks for prosperity, health, and happiness. People express gratitude by lighting lamps and sharing sweets and gifts with family and friends. It’s a time to reflect on the triumph of light over darkness.
• How to Honor: Decorate your home with lights and rangoli (colorful patterns made from rice or powder), and light candles to symbolize the victory of light.  Consider preparing Indian sweets and sharing them with neighbors.
• Resource: What is Diwali? All About the 2024 Festival of Lights - Parade

4. Erntedankfest (Germany)

• Essence: Similar to Thanksgiving, Erntedankfest is a Christian harvest festival in Germany to give thanks for the year’s bounty of the earth. It often involves church services, parades, and communal meals, with a focus on gratitude.
• How to Honor: Organize a harvest-themed potluck with local produce or create a “thankfulness tree” where each guest writes something they’re grateful for on a leaf and attaches it to a tree or branch.
• Resource: Erntedankfest

5. Shichi-Go-San (Japan)

• Essence: This festival celebrates the growth and health of children aged three, five, and seven. Families express their gratitude for their children’s well-being by visiting shrines, offering prayers, and dressing the children in traditional clothing.
• How to Honor: Celebrate the growth of children by organizing a small ceremony or photo session in traditional clothing or visit a local Japanese garden or shrine as a family.
• Resource: Understanding Shichi-Go-San (Web-Japan)

6. Tet (Vietnam)

• Essence: Tet, or the Lunar New Year, is a time to honor ancestors and show gratitude for family and life’s blessings. People prepare special foods and give thanks for the past year while seeking luck and prosperity in the coming one.
• How to Honor: Decorate your home with peach blossoms or kumquat trees, prepare traditional foods like bánh chưng (square sticky rice cakes), and organize a family reunion where you share your hopes for the new year.
• Resource: Celebrating Tet (Vietnamonline)

7. Kinrō Kansha no Hi (Japan)

• Essence: Known as Labor Thanksgiving Day, this Japanese holiday celebrates workers and expresses gratitude for their contributions to society. It has roots in ancient harvest rituals and focuses on human rights and peace today.
• How to Honor: Express appreciation for workers in your community by delivering thank-you notes or small gifts to essential workers or host a community gathering that celebrates the value of work and community service.
• Resource: Labor Thanksgiving Day in Japan (Japan Guide)

8. Yom Kippur (Judaism)

• Essence: While primarily a day of atonement, Yom Kippur involves giving thanks for the opportunity to seek forgiveness and start anew. It’s a time for deep reflection, prayer, and expressing gratitude for life’s blessings.
• How to Honor: Engage in a day of reflection and self-examination, perhaps fasting or doing acts of charity, and end the day with a family meal where you give thanks for the opportunity to start anew.
• Resource: Understanding Yom Kippur (My Jewish Learning)

9. Sukkot (Judaism)

• Essence: This week-long Jewish festival gives thanks for the fall harvest and commemorates the Israelites’ journey in the desert. People build temporary shelters (sukkahs) and spend time in them to express gratitude for their sustenance and protection.
• How to Honor: Build a simple sukkah in your yard or community space and share meals inside it with family and friends while discussing the importance of gratitude and shelter.
• Resource: The Time of Our Rejoicing (Chabad)

10. Songkran (Thailand)

• Essence: Songkran, the Thai New Year, is a time for cleansing, renewal, and expressing gratitude. Water is used symbolically to wash away sins and bad luck, and people give thanks by visiting temples, offering food to monks, and spending time with family.
• How to Honor: Organize a water-themed celebration, perhaps a playful water fight, followed by a time of reflection on renewal and gratitude. You can also visit a local temple or engage in a community service project.
• Resource: Songkran Festival Guide (Culture to Know)

Each of these traditions uniquely emphasizes the importance of reflecting on and appreciating life’s goodness, whether through communal gatherings, rituals, or personal reflection.  They provide a starting point for Americans interested in incorporating these meaningful customs into their holiday celebrations, fostering a deeper understanding and connection, with an appreciation of global traditions.

“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more.

If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.”

—Oprah Winfrey

LifeSkills Academy features online classes in Etiquette/Social Intelligence, Financial Skills, and Adulting.  Educators are business professionals who have proven success in the world of commerce.  Join our website to receive class details, blogs, and useful life skills tips.

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Written by David Dixon, EdS ~ 11/18/2024

The holiday season, meant to be full of wonder and joy, often comes with financial angst. The key to a smoother experience of this festive time is budgeting. Let's explore ways to spread joy for much less financial worry.

1. Plan Early
   Starting early is key to success. Create a comprehensive budget including spending categories, such as:
   • Gifts
   • Holiday travel
   • Food and entertainment
   • Holiday decor and attire
   • Charitable contributions
     
     Save and revisit this plan each year to align with evolving needs/wants.
     
     
2. Set Limits and Priorities
   List everyone you plan to buy gifts for and assign a specific budget to each one. This keeps your overall budget in check.
   
   
3. Monitor Your Holiday Spending
   Leverage online banking for easy monitoring of your accounts. Review statements to stay on top of your spending trends. Timely bill payments prevent unnecessary fees.
   
   
4. Smart Credit Card Usage
   Opt for credit cards offering cashback and other rewards. Since you'll likely spend the money anyway, why not get something in return, such as cashback, discounts, or travel deals?
   
   
5. Comparison Shop
   Check prices for the best value/offers from retailers. Online tools and apps assist you in comparing prices, locating the best deals, and stretching your funds.
   
   
6. Personalized Gifts and DIY
   Consider making gifts yourself. Homemade gifts carry more sentimental value and are a budget-friendly alternative.
   
   
7. Expensive Gifts
   For pricier items, start a savings plan early in the year. This proactive approach ensures you have funds set aside for special gifts, alleviating financial strain during the holidays.

We are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmastime.
Laura Ingalls Wilder

The true joy of the holidays lies in shared moments with loved ones. By planning wisely, you can focus on creating lasting memories.

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