Because #holidaymeans JOY to our family

Stocking letters, gingerbread snowfla... Simple Christmas treats for friends

Because #holidaymeans JOY to our family

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of SunTrust. The opinions and text are all mine.

Can I be honest with you?

This year there seems to be an abundance of posts on blogs and social media about the need to simplify the holidays and not try to do it all, and I’m finding myself feeling almost apologetic for our full holiday calendar.

While I agree on many levels (and have often been a proponent of the “just say no” approach), there’s this “race to simplicity” that implies that the family who owns the least or does the least wins.

But having a full holiday season isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Yes, being stressed out is bad. Losing sight of your family’s values and priorities is bad. Filling up your calendar with other people’s expectations is bad.

But embracing a season full of tradition and memory making and joy is not bad. For our family, Christmas is a time of family, of giving, of traditions, of faith.

The details look a little bit different each year, but for us, the key to a joyful—rather than stressful—holiday season is being realistic about our own expectations, willing to drop things if life gets too busy, and unafraid to say no to other people.

It also means getting organized so that we can be realistic about the details. We add important dates to the calendar, make gift lists and budgets, and create lists of activities. We know we can’t do everything, so we start with the most important and work from there, adjusting things as new traditions or events crop up.

It’s important to me that we use Christmas as an opportunity to give as a family, so we schedule those things early. And while we embrace the secular aspects of the holiday—going to see Christmas lights and watching Elf on TV—it’s also important to me that we carve out time to focus on Jesus’ birth and what it means for us (and all of mankind).

Those things—and candy cane cookies—are my nonnegotiables around which we make the rest of our holiday plans, and they help keep us grounded.

In the LIVE course this year, we’ve talked a lot about the difference between busy and full. While some of it is certainly semantics, our general conclusion has been that busy has a negative connotation because it brings to mind images of rushing from one place or activity to the next without any time to rest or even enjoy the things you’re doing. Full on the other hand is about embracing the good things in our lives with full arms. Yes, we might be at capacity, but the things we’re doing are building us up and adding joy to the holidays, not stress.

With 17 days until Christmas, it’s not too late to get organized and be intentional about your holiday season! SunTrust’s #holidaymeans campaign is about deciding what the holidays mean to you and creating a Christmas that reflects those values:

Download the holiday planning guide for simple ways to celebrate within your budget.
Then use this holiday budget worksheet to create a realistic—and doable—Christmas budget.
And find even more resources for a meaningful holiday season here.

For us, #holidaymeans JOY. What does it mean for you?

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The holidays are for focusing on moments that matter. But for many Americans, financial stress can get in the way. This year, you can make small changes that make a big difference for your financial well-being.

In this holiday planning guide, you’ll find tips for getting organized and making a plan for holiday spending so you can feel confident in your ability to stay on track with your budget. You’ll see how other Americans are shopping, traveling, celebrating and giving in ways that make the holidays cost less, but mean more.

Download the Holiday Planning Guide

For more holiday planning advice visit holiday resources.

Meaningful spending made easy with a budgeting tool to help you make a plan and stay on track with your holiday spending. Download here.