Holiday Traditions and Tips

The holidays can be a difficult time for many individuals and families. Often times, it’s a reminder of those who have gone on to greener pastures and bluer oceans. Its in these times that reaching out to your social network, including friends and family, is paramount. Remember you are never alone in your life path and there are people out there who love you unconditionally and are cheering you to the finish line, whatever that may be for you.


There are a plethora of other ideas that can tickle anyone's fancy, depending on the mood you're in, including:

Creating a Budget Now, this sounds easier said than done for some people. In reality, you track your income, and subtract your monthly expenses, and other necessary routine transactions from your income. I know...you may be thinking, "who wants to track their budget during the holiday season?" Believe me, I totally get it. But, you've spent how much money on gifts for family and friends, just on this holiday alone?


Play Outdoors As adults, we forget the concept of play. A lot of us spend so much time on our phones, just posting updates, reading articles, or 

Reading This creative leisurely activity can take you anywhere you want in the world, based on what you're reading. If you're alone, why not read a mystery novel, which will keep you on your toes as long as you read it. If you're a fast reader like me, being able to 'solve' these many mysteries may be appealing for you, or maybe you enjoy the psychological thriller type novels. Nonetheless, there is a myriad of genres out there just waiting to be discovered.


Greeting Cards A lot of families partake in the Holiday Christmas Card Family Photo tradition. So why not start now? I'm sure your many dogs......cats....reptiles would very much appreciate it. Not to mention, if you are of a creative mindset, I'm sure your family and friends will get a chuckle about your creative holiday family photo.


Play Games Whether with a partner or not, games can be fun! I personally love PRANKING my roommates whenever I can -- Yes, this is a solo game only that benefits the humor of the Prankster, but still....lots of fun can be had here! But on a serious note, I know many families that enjoy 'family boardgames'; however, for those of you that are on the single path and enjoying time with friends closest to you, may I recommend the following games (some of these may be of a mature-type caliber).

• Monopoly - I grew up playing this game with my family. If you are a competitive person, along with your family, this can be a lot of fun and laughs for the whole family!
• Cards Against Humanity - now there are many versions of this game, both naughty and nice -- I've come to learn that Google Search and Amazon is my BEST FRIEND
• Pictionary - simple fun game where you draw and sketch a topic from a card that the other team has to guess correctly.
• Phase 10 - If I'm not mistaken, this game consists of 10 rounds, and you have to match your hand to whatever is listed for that particular round. 
• Magic, the Gathering - If you like card games, this is a great one to learn! In the game of Magic, you and your opponent are Planeswalkers, powerful mages each armed with a deck of Magic cards representing lands, creatures and spells. Each player summons creatures and casts spells, trying to knock the other down from 20 to 0 life and win the game.

Of course, if none of those strike your fancy, GOOGLE SEARCH will always be your friend, depending on what your search parameters are.
 
For you Video-Gamers:

I've heard that Twitch App is the place to be! Upon downloading the app to your phone, you can watch your favorite players play online, through your phone! (whoever thought technology would come to this!) I discovered that many of the features you have to pay for to view (in addition, you can give the holiday gift of 'subscriber donations' to your favorite players you love to watch!

You can even dive into the game world inside your phone and never be lonely again! There are endless games to discover through Google Play on your mobile device.

Maybe you're the type that has an incredible computer gaming system you built yourself. Well, in that case, you already are aware of your most favorite platform games to play on your very own computer. For you parents that have young ones at home, if they are interested in playing computer games, have them navigate to Play City where they can pick and choose from any genre of game to play/download.

Maybe you like game consoles, like Wii-U, PS4 and XBox. Here are the most popular games that you can play on those consoles:

1. Mario 
2. Dungeons & Dragons 
3. Skyrim 
4. The Witcher 
5. Grand Theft Auto
6. World of Warcraft
7. Final Fantasy
8. Pokemon

**DISCLAIMER PLEASE NOTE** I do not promote solely playing video games, as one should learn to be an active AND productive member of society. Please note, that neither are one in the same and should not conclude such inference.

**DISCLAIMER 2** The opinions in this article in no way constitute any such legal advice, and is the opinion of the author, only.

**PLEASE NOTE** I welcome any advice and recommendations on what you find is enjoyable with family and/or friends.

Email at familycaremonitoring@gmail.com if you want to add a game to this list or comment below