WNY Family Magazine December 2018 | Page 7

ly, belief.” Many families will limit Santa’s contribution to one special gift. Some suggestions for enhancing a child’s sense of awe: Leave ink-smudged “coal” fingerprints as proof of Santa’s snack. Spray-paint red “sleigh” landing strips on the lawn. Ring sleigh bells at bedtime. Use apps to track and communicate with Santa. (Older siblings love setting up these experiences for younger kids.) Make Decorating A Group Effort:  It may seem more ef- ficient to leave holiday decorating to the adults, but joint fam- ily decorating offers a unique opportunity to create a festive environment as a team. Some families use a children’s tree or wreath to safely include kids in the process. Others string pop- corn or make paper snowflakes. Another idea is to allow kids to choose or make an ornament that reflects their accomplishments or experiences for that year. Get Creative With Gift Giving:  To demonstrate that the thought behind a gift is more important than the price tag, many families find inexpensive but creative ways to limit spending and to maximize meaning. Examples include drawing names and mandating that all gifts for adults be either hand-made, contributions to charity, or under $10. These limitations mean that thoughtful effort goes into gift giving, which makes the exchange much more meaningful.  Most of us want a holiday that is about “connections, fam- ily, and caring for others,” says Kilikevich. “We have to stop buying into the notion that more is better and that extravagant, expensive gifts are equal to how much we care for and love one another.” CUT YOUR OWN TREE! $ 45 00 ANY SIZE Price Includes Tax & Baling! • Pre Cut Trees (priced separately) BOSTON HILL NURSERY, INC. 7421 Old Lower East Hill Rd., Colden, NY 14033 www.bostonhillnursery.com 662-7411 Buffalo Turners Gymnastics 3200 Elmwood Ave. Kenmore, NY CALL 877-2700 Boys For Girls & ng ti ra Celeb 165 YEARS! FEATURING • Recreational Gymnastics: Beginner to Advanced • Mom or Dad & Me • PreSchool • Kinder www.BuffaloTurnersGymnastics.com Very few of us still have the possessions of Christmases past. Instead, we have lasting memories that will always warm us. With a little creativity, we can provide the same for our own families. Shannon Dean’s favorite Christmas gift last year was a $10 pair of vintage bobby pins that were similar to a pair owned by her grandmother. Resources: Here are some free or inexpensive resources that you can use to make Christmas more meaningful. Stationery For Stocking Letters: This website offers Christmas-themed paper that you can print out for your stocking appreciation letters. There are many free pat- terns from which to choose. https://www.freeprintablesta- tionery.net/category/christmas Local Holiday Displays:  Type in your address to find Christmas light displays near you. https://www.christmas- lightfinder.com To Volunteer Your Time To Help Others:  Volun- teerMatch allows you to enter your location and interests to then be matched with organizations that could use your help. You can limit your search to opportunities that in- clude children. https://www.volunteermatch.org/ December 2018 WNY Family 7