We all have traditions that we hold dear – and, as the holidays approach, we’re likely thinking about them.  Some we want to keep for ever.  Some we wish we never started.  And some we’d like to start anew. One tradition that I think I’ll toss this year is worrying . . . about everything.  I start worrying in earnest about a week before Thanksgiving and I don’t stop until mid January.  I worry about over-cooking the turkey. I worry about who is coming in and where they’ll stay. I worry about money – and how much we tend to spend before it’s all said and done.  I. worry. about. everything.

Tradition to start anew – stop worrying.  If I over-cook the turkey – so what?  No one is going to bed hungry – there’s always dessert!  My mother is great at one liners.  When I’m really stressing she asks me, “How important is this?”  In the scheme of things – not life threatening = not important.  The details will work themselves out.

As for spending too much money over the holidays, there are so many ways to cut costs – starting with lowering expectations.  From homemade goodies to $10 grab bag gifts – there are simple, inexpensive ways to remember people.  Years ago my husband started making rum and bourbon balls for family and friends.  We had leftover booze and he thought this was a good way to use it up . . . now, it’s a tradition (and an expectation!).

The money issue is real.  Parents on fixed incomes.  Family members under and unemployed.  It’s been a difficult couple of years.  As a family, we started putting a lot of effort into finding inexpensive, fun, and personal gifts to fill  Christmas stockings.  This took the place of spending lots of money on big gifts.  Everyone feels better about giving and receiving.  And we all look forward to unwrapping what’s in our socks!  But, we have limits on how much we spend – and we stick to them.  These traditions I’ll keep.

What are your traditions?  Which ones do you want to keep?  Which ones are ready for a change?  One more I think I’ll start.  This year I’ll take more pictures. I want to document the most important tradition – spending time with the people I love.

Lexi Smith is a lifestyle guru for the woman seeking positive change.  She is owner and creative director of Being Fabulous!, a consultation and personal shopping service designed to help clients achieve a higher quality of life by finding their own signature style.