The Christmastime winter months are some of the most wholesome and merry times of year. Even after the holidays are done, the cold and snowy days that follow create the perfect twinkly, light atmosphere to go on bundled up walks with the family, Christmas caroling with friends or simply staying inside to read scripture and drink hot chocolate and eggnog.
January is one of the best months to do this because the end-of-year stress is gone and you can simply focus on spending time with your family and strengthening your familial bond. The connection you share with your family is one of the most important ones in your life, and if you don’t regularly dedicate time to your kids, parents or siblings, you should make an effort to rekindle that relationship each year.
Post-Christmas Staycation
Traveling isn’t for everyone. Some families simply enjoy spending their time off work and school at home reading books, playing board games with the family or catching up on their favorite TV shows. Even if you haven’t planned an elaborate trip for the post-holiday season, it can still be a good opportunity to take some time off work and give yourself a chance to relax, especially if you have a lot of unused paid time off and several co-workers are taking time off as well.
Your staycation can be even cozier if you prepare for it properly by stocking up on books, movies, snacks, pillows, and blankets. Have a living room camp out with your family where you all put your phones and other technology away and dedicate some time to each other without having to travel to the woods. Prepare for this by properly cleaning out your fireplace to ensure your cozy evening by the fire is safe and worry-free. Having a fire going will make your camp out even more realistic and create a cozy atmosphere for everyone.
If your family is adventurous and lives within a short distance of a forest, consider packing up your RV and taking a real winter camping trip. Although it can be too cold to camp out in tents in January, an RV should provide enough protection to keep you warm, and if you find a good camping spot, you can spend a week surrounded by beautiful snow-covered mountains. However, make sure you take the proper precautions to winterize your RV to avoid winter damage like frozen pipes.
Christmas Family Vacation
One way to ensure your RV stays protected from the cold weather is to take it somewhere warm. This can be a longer route depending on where your home base is, but the winter is often an ideal time for many families to escape to somewhere warm. Put on your favorite Christmas tunes and drive out to somewhere like California, which is always temperate, and spend a few days on the beach watching the waves. Although it may be too cold to go for a swim, you can build a fire, take family photos and make memories.
On the other hand, if any of your family members are interested in surfing, winter in southern California is actually a great time to throw on a winter wetsuit and hit the waves. During the winter, the beaches are much less crowded because the number of sunbathers and tourists usually goes down, which means there’s a lot more room to surf. However, it is important to get a thick winter-specific wetsuit that dries quickly, to avoid getting too cold as there won’t be enough direct sunlight to warm you up.
Whether you choose to stay home for a few extra days in January to spend quality time with your family or you choose to venture out to some new scenic places, there’s no wrong way to dedicate extra time to your family. No matter what you do, all that matters is that you build your familial connection during this time of year.
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