Heading into the Holidays: ‘Tis the (Busy) Season
Once Labor Day has passed and families navigate another back-to-school transition, the busiest season of the year is upon us. Halloween and Thanksgiving come in quick succession, followed soon after by the major December Holidays. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, many feel this is the “most wonderful time of the year.” But it can also be busy and stressful and expensive, with people trying to “do it all” and ending up burned out at the end of the year.
As the holidays quickly approach, here are four ideas to keep in mind as you plan ahead for the season:
- Shop local: From holiday decorations to feeding friends and family members, the last three months of the year are often the biggest shopping, spending and eating months. While there are many creative ways to cut costs and minimize expenses, we encourage you to think Cottage Grove First when you so shop and spend. Whether you need Halloween candy, festive lights, dinner entrees or items to spruce up your home, the growing local business community in Cottage Grove can meet most – if not all – of your holiday shopping needs.
- Connect with community: The calendar always seems to fill up fast around the holidays, but in the midst of this busy season make sure you plan to connect and engage with the community around you. A great opportunity to do this is at the annual local “Christmas in the Grove” celebration, which – in its 22nd year – is scheduled for December 6-8. The event, created in 2002 to increase awareness of the Cottage Grove business community, kicks off Friday evening with a visit with Santa at Lake Ridge Bank followed by the Holiday Lights Parade on Main St. at 7:00pm.
- Make a plan to give back: With a little advance planning, it’s easy to make sure that you do your part to help make the holidays a little brighter for neighbors in need. Many local businesses hold food drives or giving tree programs, so be sure to check what your favorite local businesses are planning and how you can participate. Each year the Goodman Community Center in Madison coordinates one of the region’s largest Thanksgiving Basket Drive events and needs significant donations and volunteer hours to feed 25,000 people in need in the community.
- Be open to new experiences: Traditions can be wonderful and comforting, but – if the pandemic years taught us anything – doing something new and different can add unexpected flavor to your holidays. If Thanksgiving has always involved too much food and too little activity, plan for your family to join one of the many “turkey trot” events around the Madison area that day. If buying gifts for everyone in the family has gotten financially challenging, try picking individual names or planning a family “experience” together instead of gifts.
The holidays are just around the corner. With good intentions and a little extra planning, we can emphasize the “happy” in happy holidays. Stay tuned here for more information to come about festive happenings and community events!