NOVEMBER 26, 2025
HolidayGIFT GUIDE
Classic Touches to Transform Home Interiors this Holiday
Painter Norman Rockwell was famous for his narrative paintings depicting the essence of American life in the mid-twentieth century. His works of art blended sentimentality with humor and realism and were featured on the cover of e Saturday Evening Post for decades. Some of his paintings portray the classic tableaus that evoke traditional feelings of the holiday season. Rockwell’s classic paintings may inspire individuals to recreate that mid-century feel when decorating this holiday season. When transforming home interiors for the holidays, these classic touches can make moments more magical.
Embrace classic color palettes. Christmas colors include, red, green, white, and gold. Utilizing these colors throughout a home will set a classic tone.
Utilize timeless ornaments. Cherished ornaments collected through the years will add a classic touch to the Christmas tree. Family heirlooms and ornaments made from quality materials lend a touch of nostalgia.
Use cozy textiles. Wrap the home in cozy touches, like plaid blankets and velvet ribbons. Plush throws and seasonal pillows also can add a traditional touch to interior spaces.
Decorate with classic gurines. Nutcrackers and religious gurines lend a tra-
ditional touch to holiday decor.
Display a live tree. Arti cial trees can look realistic, but a fragrant live evergreen in front of the living room picture window calls to mind a classic Christmas setting. Hang knit stockings. Celebrants lucky enough to have a replace can hang knit stockings in classic holiday colors from the mantel.
Play classic tunes. Holiday music crosses various genres, but the old standards from Bing Crosby or Andy Williams can set a classic feel when entertaining. Evoking a classic feel at home for the holidays can make celebrations traditional and sentimental.
12 Gifts for Crafty People
Cra enthusiasts can be easy people to shop for come the holiday season. Shoppers can simply fuel their loved one’s passion for cra s by keeping their supplies fully stocked or introduce them to new cra ing techniques. ere are roughly 85 million active creatives and 30 million sewists in the United States and Canada, according to Customcy, a custom product manufacturer. Millennials account for 41 percent of consumers in the cra market, according to the Center for Generational Kinetics. ese 12 gi ideas will be perfect for creatives who want to enjoy their passion for cra ing to the fullest.
1. Organizers: Cra supply organizers can keep people’s gear neat and tidy in bins or compartmentalized boxes.
2. Gi cards: A spending spree at a nearby cra retailer can help cra ers get everything they need.
3. Rotary cutters: While quality scissors are a necessity, a rotary cutter can make fast work of slicing through materials.
4. Cutting mat: A self-healing cutting mat is ideal for model-making, sewing and paper cra s.
ideas.
7. Yarn and thread: High quality yarns and threads can elevate completed projects.
8. Paper or canvases: Fine artists and painters will need places to display their creative visions. A stock of mixed media paper and canvases means art can be made whenever inspiration strikes.
9. Resin supplies: Resin products have become more popular and cra ers who enjoy such projects will bene t from epoxy resin and molds or acrylic pouring kits.
10. Clay: ose who enjoy making claybased creations can always use more clay in a variety of colors and new clay sculpting tools.
11. Floral supplies: Whether live owers or arti cial, foam, oral tape, stem snips, and ribbons can help people create beautiful designs.
5. Cutting machine: A cutting machine, like those o ered from Cricut® or Silhouette®, can help people complete a vast number of projects. ese machines can cut vinyl, paper, labels, and even fabrics and foam for certain models.
6. Pattern books: ose who enjoy needlework, crocheting or knitting can bene t from books that o er patterns or digital sewing
12. Home improvement: Many cra ers can bene t from having a dedicated space to engage in their projects. A gi of minor home renovations to create a cra ing room or area in an existing spot can make a cra er very happy.
Cra ing is a popular hobby with scores of enthusiasts. Catering to their hobbies with special gi s will keep cra ers busy and happy throughout the year.
Handcrafted Heirloom Quality
Kid-Friendly Holiday Traditions
radition is a big part of the holiday season. Families lean into tradition each December, and perhaps no people participate in holiday customs with more enthusiasm than children. Whether it’s decorating the family Christmas tree or baking cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve, children look forward to various holiday season traditions once the calendar turns from November to December.
Parents of young children can make this unique time of year even more special by engaging in various kid-friendly traditions that are sure to produce lots of fun and even more lasting memories.
Advent calendars: e precise origins of Advent calendars are unknown, but historians believe the tradition was started by German Lutherans in the nineteenth century. More than a century later, roughly 50 million Advent calendars are sold across the globe each year, according to Marketplace.org. Advent is a nearly monthlong period of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ on December 25. Each day during Advent, children open a ap, window or door and nd a small gi , poem, candy, or another item that adds to the excitement of the season.
Matching pajamas: ough the tradition
of wearing matching holiday pajamas may not have the same lengthy history as Advent calendars, it’s nonetheless a very fun custom for families. Parents can decide how frequently their families dress up in matching pajamas at bedtime during the holiday season, but doing so on Christmas Eve is a popular way to make a fun day even more special. Another idea is to host weekly holiday movie nights during the season, which presents a perfect opportunity to don matching PJs.
Holiday lights tour: Holiday lighting displays have come a long way in recent decades. Whereas it might once have been popular to string a few strands of lights around the exterior of a house, many holiday celebrants now beckon their inner Clark Griswold and turn their properties
into areas with enough illumination to land a small plane. Holiday in atables for the yard add to the awe of such displays. Kids tend to be especially fond of these types of displays, so parents can make a point to pick a night each holiday season to go on a tour of their neighborhoods and towns to see this year’s o erings.
Christmas dance party: Sweets are another staple of the holiday season, and what better way for kids to burn o some of that extra sugar than to dance it away to a holiday music playlist curated by Mom and Dad? Cue up some holiday classics but let kids dance to a few of their own favorites as well.
Holiday traditions help to make the season a special time of year. Families can embrace various kid-friendly traditions to ensure children have even more fun this December.
Experiential Gifts for Everyone
i exchanges are a hallmark of the holiday season. Individuals spend weeks making lists and shopping for items they believe recipients will appreciate. However, this holiday season shoppers may want to change up their gi -buying strategy to focus less on material o erings and more on experiences.
A recent survey from Get Your Guide found 92 percent of Americans prefer to receive an experience over a physical gi during the holiday season. In addition, Deloitte’s 2024 survey of more than 4,000 consumers in the United States found that spending on experiences during the
holidays is expected to rise by 16 percent year-over-year, reaching an average of $735. Experiential gi s place value on memories and emotional connections rather than objects. As people increasingly are drawn to these special moments, here’s a look at experiential gi s for everyone on a holiday shopping list.
Parents and grandparents
Experiential gi s for older adults are bene cial because they won’t add to the clutter or belongings such individuals have already accumulated throughout the years. Useful ideas include memberships to museums, entry to botanical gardens, culinary tastings, travel vouchers, and
subscriptions to wellness classes. Teens and young adults
Teens are big on experiences over material gifts. According to TD Bank’s 2024 survey, Gen Z leads the trend in experiencefirst gifting, with 68 percent preferring experiences. Examples of good experiential gifts for this demographic include escape room experiences, concert tickets, adventure sports like indoor rock climbing, subscription services to streaming music, or movie passes.
Children and families
Families already may be out and about, and parents of young children may appreciate experiences more than additional toys and games that are already filling the house. Annual passes to zoos, museums or aquariums can keep families occupied year-
round. Children might like a science or art workshop, while movie night gift cards and tickets to family shows also are viable gift options.
Special partners
Experiences can strengthen relationships and intimacy. Possible gift ideas include spa days, cooking classes for two, a weekend travel getaway, or tickets to a theater performance or concert. The Amex Trendex 2024 survey found that 38 percent of people plan to give an experience to a significant other.
Experiential gifts focus on fun, creating memories and reducing waste. Such gifts also tend to be more economical in the long run. The holidays are often filled with excess, and experiential gifts can put the focus back on joy and spending time together.
A Brief History of Christmas Trees
Towering evergreen trees adorned in lights and other trinkets are a focal point of the holiday season. Christmas trees are placed in prominent locations in homes, typically in front of a large picture window or in the corners of large entryways. These awe-inspiring trees beckon people to inspect all of the ornaments and often are the first thing people envision when thinking of holiday decor. The tradition of the Christmas tree is believed to have begun in Germany in the sixteenth century. However, the National Christmas Tree Association says there may be
earlier references to Christmas trees in other parts of the world as well. The first written record of a decorated Christmas tree comes from Riga, Latvia, in 1510. Men of a local merchant’s guild decorated the tree with roses and then set fire to it. The rose was considered a symbol of the Virgin Mary. In the sixteenth century in Alsace, France, trees were sold in the marketplace and brought home and set up undecorated. Laws limited the size to “eight shoe lengths” or slightly more than four feet. Early German Christmas trees were adorned with apples, a holdover from earlier traditions when evergreen
boughs hung with apples were used as props in miracle plays. ese plays took place in churches on December 24, which was Adam & Eve’s Day in the early Christian calendar. Evergreens have long been symbolic of life during the cold months of winter, calling to mind the promise of spring to come. Various cultures, including early Christians, featured trees during winter solstice celebrations. Some historians believe Martin Luther, a Protestant reformer who might have been inspired by stars in the night, was responsible for adding lighted candles to the Christmas tree. e Christmas tree was introduced to the United States by German settlers in the 1800s. Soon a er those settlers’ arrival, trees began to be sold commer-
cially. President Franklin Pierce is credited with having the rst Christmas tree at the White House. Today, Christmas trees are wildly popular, with the American Christmas Tree Association reporting that 94 percent of U.S. consumers plan to display one.
Homemade Gifts
The holiday season is a joyous time of year, but it also can be expensive. According to the National Retail Federation, American consumers spend an average of $998 on gi s and additional holiday items each Christmas. In 2024, the anticipated spend for holiday travel, entertainment and gi s was expected to top $1,600 per shopper.
While some people have no qualms about spending so much come the holiday season, others may be tightening their budgetary belts this year and could be interested in some cost-e ective gi options. Homemade gi s are very thoughtful, and they tend to be more budget-friendly than some commercially sourced items. Check out these inexpensive homemade gi s. Bath bombs
Photo ornaments
online for popular bath bomb recipes and then wrap the nished product in cellophane treat bags with ribbon.
Bath bombs are zzing, scented balls that dissolve in bathwater. Popular retailers sell bath bombs, but such products can be expensive. However, bath bombs are easily made at home with some basic ingredients like baking soda and citric acid. Simply search
ere are various ways to create photo ornaments, which provide an excellent reason to make prints of some of your favorite images. Insert a print inside of a clear ball ornament, purchase a small photo frame and add a hook for hanging, or use a photo transfer product to transfer photo ink to another object, like a cardboard or wood cutout. Recipients will love hanging these thoughtful photo ornaments on the tree or around the house.
Sugar scrubs
Just like bath bombs, it’s relatively easy to recreate a spa experience by gi ing
homemade sugar scrubs. ese scrubs are made from mixing sugar with coconut oil and a few drops of essential oil for a scented boost. If desired, add vitamin E oil or jojoba oil to soothe the skin even more.
Potted plant
Utilize an interesting container in lieu of a traditional ower pot to put a creative and personalized spin on this gi . A co ee mug with a witty saying can house a plant or even a small ramekin picked up at the dollar store. Choose a plant that matches the care style of the recipient. Someone whose green
thumb isn’t perfect may appreciate a cactus or another succulent, which tend to be low-maintenance.
Personalized stickers
Many people now have printing and cutting cra machines that enable them to expand their cra ing options at home, or even start home businesses. Kids may appreciate a stack of homemade, personalized stickers they can use to adorn water tumblers, phone cases or notebooks.
Homemade gi s are thoughtful and o en inexpensive options for creative types shopping on a budget.
Tips for Parents to Minimize Stress and Maximize Joy During the Holidays
Stress and parenting go hand in hand, but during the holiday season, many parents find their stress levels rising to new heights. Between coordinating schedules, shopping, traveling and managing children’s expectations - plus the disruption to the school routine that everyone had finally settled into - the season can feel more like mayhem than merry.
However, by thoughtfully planning and implementing a few practical strategies, parents can protect their well-being and support their families. Early childhood experts from The Goddard School share guidance to help parents stay
grounded and make the most of their meaningful family moments this holiday season. Clarify Priorities
One of the most empowering steps is to decide in advance what truly matters to your family.
Consider:
* Which traditions or gatherings are nonnegotiable?
* Are there holiday events you can skip this year without regret?
* What obligations are you taking on out of habit rather than genuine desire?
By reducing the number of “must-do” activities, you can avoid overextending your family.
FEATURES:
♥ Plenty of space for your favorite jewelry pieces.
♥ Zipped compartments to keep your jewelry secured.
♥ Soft, padded and protective interior.
one per customer, while supplies
Purchase total includes merchandise only. Gift cards and sales tax not
It’s OK to decline invitations when your calendar is already full.
Establish a Budget
Holiday spending can weigh heavily on your mind. Create a family holiday budget that includes gifts and activities, then stick to it. Use the opportunity to teach your children about responsible spending and gratitude. Remember, the most meaningful gifts are often those made with time, attention or creativity, not the highest price tag.
Set Boundaries
Stress often arises when family dynamics, expectations or traditions clash. You can reduce this by setting boundaries and communicating them early. Speak openly with the relatives and friends you’ll see about what’s comfortable for your family and what isn’t (e.g., physical space, travel, topics to avoid). Let your children know what to expect, as the lack of routine during this time can be particularly challenging. Modeling clear boundaries helps your children learn to express their own needs, too.
Prioritize Your Physical and Emotional Health
Amid the hustle, your own basic care often slips, but your well-being is key to being present for others. Consider establishing routines, such as:
* Sleep: Aim for 7-8 hours per night whenever possible.
* Nutrition: Keep healthy staples in the mix, even if treats abound.
* Movement: A short walk, stretch breaks or gentle exercise may help reset your nervous system. Stepping outside can be especially helpful. Also, if illness strikes, listen to your body and give yourself permission to pause. Pushing through tends to backfire.
Design a Stress Rescue Plan
Even the best-laid plans don’t prevent tension or unexpected emotional triggers. Anticipate stress by creating fallback strategies. For example, plan to use a playlist, a quick breathing exercise or a sensory object to help you regroup when your stress escalates. These strategies work for children as well.
If you’re worried about unwanted questionssuch as a family member asking about politics or your plans to have another child - rehearse your response in advance with a friend. When these stressful moments arise, having a toolkit gives you a sense of control.
Unplug
and Be Present
Screens are omnipresent. While they serve a purpose, they can be an unwelcome distraction, especially when you’re spending time with loved ones you don’t get to see often. Try to designate screen-free times, such as during meals, after dinner or when gifts are being exchanged. Use screens intentionally, such as video calling out-of-town family members, rather than passively scrolling. Focus on in-person connection by playing games, telling stories, making crafts or taking walks. Remember to lead by example, as your children are watching. Being fully present at key moments is the one gift your family will remember above all else.
As the holidays approach, the pressure to do it all can loom large. By clarifying priorities, setting boundaries and safeguarding your health, you can minimize stress and maximize joy. That said, even with careful planning, things can go off course, and that’s OK. Practice self-compassion and allow for imperfections. Enjoy every laugh, surprise and even the occasional moment of calm. (Family Features & The Goddard School)
