It’s deep into the holiday season. And while this holiday season is unlike any others in our lifetime, it can still be a magical time of creating memories you’ll cherish for years to come.
Here four ways you can make memories this holiday season.
1. Make a recording
Generations past had to do with written words, silent home movies, or clunky camcorders. Today, we all enjoy high-quality digital recording devices right in our hands. Take advantage of that by making a time capsule for yourself and future generations.
Make a video of yourself talking about what life is like this holiday season (how it’s different and the same), what are popular gifts this year, how you are celebrating the holidays, and valuable lessons you’ve learned this year.
If you have kids and/or grandchild, include them in the fun!
Then make sure the video is save somewhere safe, like a cloud drive.
2. Make an impression, literally
Whip up a batch of this simple clay recipe to make an imprint of something special to you. Maybe it’s an imprint of your child or grandchild’s hand, your great aunt’s hand that has seen so much, your beloved dog’s nose print, or your cat’s sweet little paw.
It can seem corny in the moment, but years later when you find these keepsakes, they are more precious than you ever imagined.
Baker’s Clay
Ingredients:
1/4 cup of corn starch
1/2 cup of baking soda
1/3 cup of cold water
Pour ingredients into a saucepan and stir with a wooden spoon until it is very smooth. Heat over low to medium heat, stirring constantly (you might it bubble from the baking soda reacting; that’s normal).
When the mixture thickens and starts to come away from the sides of the saucepan in a dough-like substance, remove pan from the heat and leave to cool for a little while. It’s important to remove it from the heat as soon as it reaches this stage, or else your clay will be unworkable.
When the Baker’s Clay is cooled enough to be handled, take it out of the pan and mold it into a ball. Wrap in cling film and leave till it is room temperature.
When it is cool, roll out into the shape you want to overall mold to be. Then make your impression.
To dry, place your mold on a lined baking sheet in the oven at the lowest setting. It can take 1-3 hours to dry. Check regularly after the first hour and remove from oven when completely hard and dry.
Recipe courtesy of RainyDayMum.co.uk.
3. Start a tradition
Routines are an important part of daily life. They set a comforting rhythm to follow, lessening stress and anxiety. The same is true during the holidays. Plus, they have the added spice of “specialness.”
A tradition could be a special set of flannel sheets. A certain playlist of songs. A book that’s always read during the holiday season. A walk during the season’s first snowfall. A special recipe.
Find whatever works for you and make it a routine. Year after year, it will become a treasured memory and something to look forward to.
4. Do something for someone else
The adage, “It is better to give than to receive,” has stood the test of time. And for a good reason. As they say in children’s book, How Full Is Your Bucket? by Carol McCloud, “When you fill someone’s bucket, you fill your own bucket too!” Research even shows that helping others has multiple health benefits.
Opportunities to help are everywhere, from large to small. Looking around at your neighborhood and community will easily reveal some opportunities. There are also larger, more-global causes that need continued support to accomplish their missions.
So whether you’re helping a neighbor by shoveling their driveway or donating to a global organization fighting for a better future, you will reap the benefits of having given of yourself.
Happy holidays and remember to make memories however you can! Anything that each year will spark a moment of nostalgic pause. You’ll never regret the time you spent to make memories.
Created by Cure Sanfilippo Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to accelerating research to discover a treatment or cure for Sanfilippo Syndrome.