THE GIFT OF TOGETHERNESS & 6 MEANINGFUL HOLIDAY TRADITIONS TO START WITH YOUR FAMILY

This post is sponsored by RMHC, Inc ® but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

During the holiday season, my family tries to spend as much time together as possible! We have so many beloved holiday traditions, and we look forward to them every year. Fortunately, we’ve never had to spend the holidays apart, but that isn’t the case for some families.

This holiday season, you can give families with sick children a wonderful gift: The gift of togetherness. Ronald McDonald House Charities provides a place for families to stay close to the hospitals where their children are receiving medical care, through the Ronald McDonald House and Ronald McDonald Family Room programs. A donation to RMHC gives these families the gift of comfort, joy, and togetherness!

The benefits of family togetherness are endless! Spending quality time together as a family strengthens family bonds, teaches children the importance of family time, and creates lasting memories. The holidays are the PERFECT time for families to spend lots of time together while experiencing meaningful holiday traditions!

6 MEANINGFUL HOLIDAY TRADITIONS TO START WITH YOUR FAMILY

Kick off the season with a decorating night!

Eat a fun dinner, crank up the Christmas tunes, put on those festive hats, and decorate for the holidays! Start a fun decorating tradition, such as alternating who gets to place the star or angel on top of the tree each year.

Head outdoors for a winter-themed activity.

The cold weather isn’t always fun, but there are a lot of fun outdoor Winter activities! Go sledding if you have snow, go skiing, take a wintry walk or hike, or go ice skating!

Build a gingerbread house together.

Sometimes assembling gingerbread houses isn’t much fun, so let me give you a mom tip: Buy a PRE-ASSEMBLED gingerbread house kit. It’s totally worth every penny! Turn on the holiday music, sit out the supplies (extra frosting and candy is a great idea), and get to work building the perfect family gingerbread house or village!

Go for a holiday lights drive.

Change into warm, comfy pajamas, gather up travel cups filled with hot cocoa, and pile into the car for a fun holiday lights drive. Turn up the heat, cover up with blankets, sip hot cocoa, and listen to Christmas music while you drive around your city or town looking for the best holiday lights displays!

Start a holiday pajamas tradition!

Every Christmas Eve, we give our children a new pair of pajamas to unwrap and wear to bed. Last year, we decided to make it more fun by getting new pajamas for ourselves as well, and we made sure to take a family picture before bed. It quickly became one of our favorite new traditions!

Make a family donation.

This is the season of giving, so what better way to give a special gift than to make a family donation to an important cause or charity? This year, my family will be making a donation to RMHC so other families can experience the gift of togetherness! Everybody knows just how important it is to have family nearby when you need them the most, and this gift enables families dealing with critical illnesses to be together during the holidays. If you want to give the gift of togetherness to a family need, you can contribute at RMHC.org/donate.

My family is so excited to spend time together this holiday season! We can’t wait to make our way through our list of favorite holiday traditions, and make wonderful memories along the way. Being together is the biggest gift of all during the holidays!

Please consider making a donation to Ronald McDonald House Charities this holiday season to help give other families the incredible gift of togetherness!