Just Natoya

Hello Lovelies,

This Christmas my family and I decided we were going to keep it as minimal as possible. We’ve had a big year and wanted for absolutely nothing.

Growing up in the Caribbean, Christmas was less about things and more about coming together as  family. I wanted to give my son a similar experience this year.

Therefore as far as gifts are concerned we are giving experience and not things. Of course we will buy the little guy some gifts. But the grown ups get an experience instead.

Here you will find a list of experiences you can share with your family and friends, so you may truly connect over the holidays sharing in love, and the spirit of giving and togetherness.

1. Take  A Hike

   Heading out into nature is a fun easy way to spend time with each other and get some cardio in. My family and I make a point of going out into the woods once per week and get some fresh air in our lungs and be with each other. This does not have to be strenuous. 

   

   My Loves

   

   Balancing

2. Craft Together

    Crafting is such a fun way to share ideas and create beautiful art works. There is a wealth of craft ideas on pinterest. from simple crafts to more tedious ones. If you are crafting with kids, May I suggest making slime! that is always a favourite.  Here’s my favourite recipe for SLIME

   

3. Play board games 

   Games night was my favourite when I was a child. I think this is a really nice way of engaging everyone. By bringing out the board games, you get to challenge each other in a fun way. This usually ends in laughs and maybe a few tears. Some of my favourite board games are : SCRABBLE and MONOPOLY

   

   

4. Bake Together

   Baking is so much fun and so rewarding. Baking together is messy but it’s a great way to come together, create delicious baked goods and be together as a family. Invite some friends over as well, The more the merrier. Ask them to bring along simple recipes and make an evening out of it. The kids will love this too.

   

5. Visit an Art Gallery

   As an artist, this is my favourite of all! I love visiting galleries, especially small galleries which are not quite famous. This way you get to enjoy the art typically for free and discover many new artists, mostly local. Supporting local art is a passion of mine. A quick google search of nearby galleries in your city may yield many results. And, #supportlocal always.

   

6. View the lights

   One of our favourite things is to get in the car and drive through neighbourhoods to see the beautifully decorated homes. We all have that one neighbour or neighbourhood that goes all out with the lights each year. Prepare yourself for lots of Ooooh’s and Aaaaw’s as you take in the sights.

   

7. Go up the Mountains – Find some snow

   If you live in a place which gets a serious winter, just bypass this one. The winters in Vancouver are generally very mild. We sometimes go all winter without any snow. But being surrounded by mountains, you can find a white christmas at the top of any of the many mountains. We usually go up on christmas day and fart around in the snow until it’s time for dinner with the family.

   

8. Christmas Parade

   Every city, town, district and village has a parade to commemorate the festive season. Go out and look at the floats and meet the people in your community. Join in the celebration and feel the love while you welcome the season of togetherness.

   

9. Volunteer

   While tis the season to be jolly.  There are so many less fortunate people without families and facing homelessness at this time of year.  Find a local charity, food bank or community program to lend your time and efforts to. I feel volunteering is one of the greatest way to spread the christmas cheer.

   

10. Donate

    If you are fortunate enough to have more than others, please take some time to donate. There is a multitude of programs locally and internationally you are able to donate to and make someone’s Christmas merry and bright. A cause dear to my heart is single mothers. Being once a single mother I understand the silent difficulties most women go through to make ends meet especially during this season. So I tend to donate to programs around this cause.

We hope we gave some ideas of experiences you can give or take part of this Christmas season. If you have any good ones let us know in the comments. While, Christmas is a season of love, joy and happiness. Please don’t forget to spread kindness to the less fortunate people around you. LOVE and KINDNESS is always FREE.