December Editor's Letter

A few months back, I asked my daughter to empty out her closet, drawers, storage bins, hampers, etc., etc. Together we went through every item in her room and kept those she would still use or wear and then donated the rest. After all was said and done, we had several large garbage bags filled to the brim with donation items.  The volume gave me pause, and over and over I thought, “We have too much stuff!” Then because I like to plan ahead, I started thinking about the holidays and what I could give instead of more stuff. With that for inspiration, in this issue you’ll find an article on non-toy gifts, along with gift ideas that not only don’t crowd your home but also share the treasure of time spent together creating memories. Because in the end, none of it is going with you, so stockpile memories in your heart instead of stuff in your house.  In addition to gift ideas, you’ll find much more to help you celebrate the holidays in your home in our Christmas Guide.

Do you write thank you notes? Do your kids? The thoughtful art of writing and sending thank you notes seems in danger of becoming extinct, but I, for one, am in favor of resurrecting it! And what better time than the holidays to send out thank you notes! When my girls were younger, I used writing thank you notes as a way to not only teach them to be gracious recipients, but also work on things like penmanship and spelling. And addressing the envelope is great practice for a life skill all kids need. Check out Judy Goppert’s article in favor of thank you notes.

Merry Christmas, Kansas City!