Creative Gifts this Holiday Season ~ by Kassandra "Blaze" Wilsey
Blaze with her daughter “Baby” Rose after Cali Camp’s Color Run
Kassandra “Blaze” Wilsey is the Co-Director of Cali Camp, and mom of three.
Like so many of you, I gained many unexpected nuggets of wisdom during the covid lockdown. For one, I was previously convinced that if I just had two weeks to myself with nothing to do in my house I would have all the time I needed. The time to completely organize, declutter, and finally achieve having “a place for everything, and everything in its place.” Well… two months in I realized that time wasn't the issue. Self motivation and determination were the culprits of my lack of unorganization, something I am now actively working on improving. Additionally, I realized just how much my family had been over scheduled, our house was over stuffed with toys and “junk”, and we were all stressed on a daily basis.
The time to slow down, enjoy an out breath, and reconnect was actually priceless. We re-established family game night, family movie night, family bike rides, family….everything. That was truly at the heart of it all. Family. Even in a global pandemic, we had our families, our loved ones, and that was all that truly mattered. Was it difficult? Undoubtedly. I don’t care if you chose them, married them or birthed them, no one is supposed to spend THAT much time with the same few people. We fought, but we also made up. We learned each other's needs, learned boundaries and self restraint. We learned about each other in a more intimate way; in a way that would have never been possible without the pandemic.
That new knowledge has led to more empathy between siblings, greater understanding between partners, and deeper connections all around. What a gift! Instead of focusing on all that was lost this past year and half, let's try to refocus on all that was gained. Of course, I know that many lost much more than others, the lives of loved ones, jobs, etc….. Let us honor those who lost so much by looking at the gifts that this forced, found time together has taught us.
As we enter into this Holiday Season, I have already felt the shift in society. We are slowly regressing back down the slippery slope that is jammed packed schedules, focus on material objects over quality time, and unneeded stress. Collectively, let's stop. Breath. Remember that it was time together that was so precious, not the amount of wrapped gifts in the house.
As you start to tick off the rest of your holiday gift list, consider the idea of more experience based gifts than material ones. Some ideas to consider:
Blaze’s son Cole visiting the Los Angeles Zoo
Family Cooking Classes together! Learn a new dish at a local cooking school, or search for a how-to guide on YouTube and cook together! You can even do this once a month with each member of the family picking a different recipe.
Blaze’s daughter Rose at a Paint Night with her Grandmother, Charlotte.
Tickets to a theme park. If your budget allows, a day or even season pass to a theme park can be an awesome way to spend time with the family!
Family Paint Night! Find a schedule of local paint nights in your area with a quick google search of “paint nights near me.” At these events an artist walks you through a step by step process of creating your own masterpiece. This usually works well for children ages 6 and up.
Tickets to visit a local museum or interactive kids space. Here in LA we have tons of options for families such as Discovery Cube and the Natural History Museum.
Family Membership to your Local Zoo. Not only are these trips fun and educational for your little ones, usually most of the revenues from these memberships go back directly to the zoo, helping animals in need. A win-win!