We’re just days away from Christmas and the Ryan household is full of anticipation. š I’m sure it is the same way in your home as well. I plan to take some time off to enjoy the holidays with my family and possible sneak in a little R&R too. Of course, between Christmas, New Years and Taylor’s birthday, I’m not sure if that’s possible!
View Blog...This is the last weekend before Christmas and I can’t believe we’re heading into the home stretch. It’s a cliche but it’s also true — time flies! The girls are officially on Christmas vacation after today, so there will be two extremely happy girls meeting me at the door tonight. I’m looking forward to spending time with them, although they are probably more excited about Santa Claus. š
View Blog...
In just a little over a week, Santa will begin his journey to fill the stockings of all the good boys and girls. To celebrate, I found this fun infographic that highlights some of the more unusual Christmas traditions Santa encounters as he travels the globe. Since I’m a huge fan of family traditions during the holidays, it was interesting to see how others celebrate around the world.
View Blog...
We spend countless hours on the hunt for the perfect gifts for our kids. We venture into malls where we spend as much time searching for a parking spot as we do in stores filled with short-tempered shoppers. Why? For that opportunity to see our kids’ eyes light up and hear their shouts of joy when they unwrap their presents Christmas morning. That moment makes us forget everything else. I
View Blog...We are now officially less than two weeks away from Christmas. Are you ready? I can’t believe how quickly December is flying by. Of course, the fact that it also seems like it is the busiest month of the year probably plays a role! It seems like there is something happening almost every day. We also celebrate Taylor’s birthday at the end of the month, so that’s another big celebration
View Blog...
Starting around September, when the stores begin setting up their Christmas displays, many parents use the threat of landing on the naughty list to keep their kids in line. No one wants a lump of coal in their stocking, after all! The ironic reality is that we, as parents, often display behavior that is more naughty than nice as evidenced in the 5 Holiday Don’ts I shared on Monday.
View Blog...
Life can be a bit of a minefield at times, especially at Christmas. We get distracted and do or say things we normally wouldn’t. Or we toss aside our normal mindful spending habits and give into the holiday hype of buy, buy, buy. We shop until we drop, eat whatever we want and do whatever we please. After we bid farewell to the Holidays, we are left cleaning up the
View Blog...I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving and got a chance to relax before the hustle and bustle of Christmas begins. We experienced our first big winter storm of the season in Southern California this week. We truly needed the rain so it was most welcome, although the gloomy days are always hard to adjust to when you’re used to blue skies and sunshine. And yes, rain equates winter here
View Blog...
Editor’s Note: Tanya is back to share some great activities your family will love this holiday season. Christmas is my favorite holiday. When I was child, I loved it for the presents, but as I grew older, it became less about the presents and more about the traditions. I think this happens to most people. Presents decrease in importance while traditions and memories grow in value. Unfortunately, too many still
View Blog...
The Christmas countdown has officially begun, folks. As impossible as it may seem, we are 24 days away from the big day. I’ve got my Christmas list and I’m definitely checking it twice! How about you? The holidays is such a busy time with lots of moving parts from baking holiday treats, shopping, wrapping gifts, school activities and all the various festivities that make the season special. And intermixed between
View Blog...
SHANNON RYAN, CFPĀ®