While I love the holiday season, I have to admit: sometimes I just need to take a step back and think about what the season is all about.
It’s easy to get caught up with the holiday parties, finding the right gift, and creating your wishlists. However, one of the best things about the holidays is that you can show your friends and loved ones that you care. Here are a few things that I’m doing this year to spread the holiday cheer to those around me.
Send Holiday Cards
This can sound incredibly cliche. However, I always mail out cards to my friends and family across the country. I write a personal note on every single card I send out telling each recipient how much I appreciate them this year. I’ve had a lot of friends move across the country over the last few years, and while I might not get to see them on a regular basis, I always try to keep in touch via snail mail.
Send a Suprise Delivery of Flowers
If there’s one thing I’m a sucker for, it’s a beautiful bouquet of flowers. I like to send flowers to folks in my life just because — if my mom’s having a tough week, I’ll order a bouquet over to her work. When my friend helped me find my new apartment, I send over some blooms as a way to say thank you. Whenever I collaborate with a brand on an awesome blog project, I like to send flowers as a way to say thank you!
I visited Teleflora’s Love Out Loud Wall in Washington, D.C. last week, and it was a stunning concept: there was a wall of bouquets, and anyone could go up to the wall and snag their own holiday flowers. As time went on and more people picked up the flowers, the wall turned clear and read “Love Out Loud.”
It was a beautiful afternoon seeing folks from all walks of life go up and enjoy the wall and a reminder that a bouquet could lighten up someone’s day!
Donate to Charity & Women’s Shelters
I receive a lot of beauty samples as a blogger, and there’s no way for me to use them all. I like donating my unused beauty products to my local women’s shelter as a way to give back, and I’m always cleaning out my (small!) closet and giving away my gently worn clothing to charities rather than consignment shops. I am thankful to be fortunate enough to have access to a plethora of clothing and beauty products, and it’s nice to give back!
Pay It Forward
One of my favorite things to do during the holidays is showing kindness to a complete stranger. It’s as easy as paying for someone else’s coffee order that’s behind you in line or giving a stranger a smile and a compliment to lighten up their day. I think we all can be overly consumed with our daily lives, but a small amount of kindness to other people goes a long way!
Want a bouquet from Teleflora this holiday season? Comment with your favorite holiday tradition to be entered to win a $75 voucher to Teleflora!
Photos by Anna Meyer. Thank you to Teleflora for partnering with me on today’s holiday season cheer post! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I love your holiday spirit! Those flowers are absolutely gorgeous. <3
Jenn
http://www.honeydewblog.com
What beautiful flowers and great ideas!! Love paying it forward!!
These are such great ideas! I plan on donating to a charity this winter.
It’s great to pay it forward. We donate toys to toys for tots every year. We love to decorate the tree while listening to Christmas music and drinking egg nog and cocoa.
cshell090869 at aol dot com
I love this post and all these are great ideas to pay it forward! You look so beautiful in these pics , Have a very blessed season!
xo
Valerie
The flower message wall is so fun. 🙂 I like paying it forward, too. That’s one of my favorite ways to put a smile on someone’s face (anytime of year — not just during the holidays).
My favorite holiday tradition is picking out a Christmas tree over Thanksgiving weekend!
We have so many fun traditions, and one of my favorites is waking up on Christmas morning, starting a fire in the fireplace, eating breakfast together (always baked blueberry french toast), thenopening stockings in front of the fire.
I always dress my dog up and we do a ridiculous photoshoot for the holidays.
My favorite tradition is baking and decorating a gingerbread house as a family!
we wear matching pj’s as a family.
my favorite tradition is making hot coco and driving around looking at the lights
My favorite tradition is baking Christmas goodies to share, from family recipes.
fav tradition is going to my grandma’s house and prepping and cooking christmas dinner. along with opening gifts from one another 🙂
My entire family gets together Christmas Eve for a lasagna dinner. It is nice to catch up, also gift sharing.
Doing kind deeds for others is one way that always gets me out of myself. I love your message and the beautiful flowers.
I so enjoy both of my daughters being home for Christmas when we have our meal and open gifts. The older they get the harder it is to all be together. And I just have two children.
I hope you have a wonderful Christmas.