Here we go! We are in the final countdown, as my kids are making sure I am aware, and I know this next week is going to be hectic, but also wonderful. I have not bought any gifts yet but that is not what I plan on doing this final weekend before the holiday. I have plans on filling my weekend with time with my family, doing things together, and making memories.

Often times, we stress over the perfect gift for our family members. While giving and receiving gifts is a big part of this time of year the best thing we can do for our family is create memories. When you think back on your childhood, what comes to your mind when you are thinking of the holidays? I think of my family dinner on Christmas Eve, going to my grandparents’ house Christmas day, running around playing with my new toys but I can hardly recall what those toys were. I remember happiness, love and fun with my family!

Most of us associate more of the feelings we felt around the holidays when we think of this time of year. Of course we are all human and we do think about the tangible things but sometimes, we forget that we should place less importance on those things and more importance on the time we are spending and the things we are doing with our spouse, kids and other family members. What memories and feelings do we want our family members to have and remember about this time of year?