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8 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • December 2017 & January 2018 PUBLISHER Leigh Anne Van Doren Tabitha & Jamie Nelle's mom EDITOR Chris Jones Quincy, Hayden & Olive's dad BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & MARKETING Heidi DiEugenio, President, HD Solutions Duke & Dane's mom MEDIA & ADVERTISING DIRECTORS Julie Brosnan, twins Chris & Finn's mom Megan Walsh, Mia, Noelle, and Adelaide's mom DESIGN & PRODUCTION Cheryl Carter, President, Carter Creations Alex, Kate & Jackie's mom WEBMASTER Karen Charney Joshua & Spencer's mom SOCIAL MEDIA Brenda Sapanghila Archer, Maddox & Oliver's mom CALENDAR & COOL THINGS TO DO ELETTER Leigha Pecher Jake and Luke's mom EDUCATION ELETTER & EVENTS Debra Caffrey Aidan's mom INTERN Haley J Harkin parent fredericksburg & family Entrepreneur of the Year PROUD FOUNDING MEMBER ADVERTISING PHONE 540-429-3572 EMAIL leighanne@fredericksburgparent.net CALENDAR & SOCIAL MEDIA E-MAIL webmaster@fredericksburgparent.net EDITORIAL PHONE 540-429-3572 E-MAIL fredparenteditor@gmail.com SNAIL MAIL P.O. Box 7884, Fred'bg, VA 22404 www.fredericksburgparent.net The publishers reserve the right to reject any advertisement, editorial or listing that does not meet the publication's standards. No part of this magazine may be reproduced with out permission. Listing and advertising rates are available upon request. Every effort has been made to assure the accuracy of the information con- tained herein, however, the publisher cannot guarantee such accuracy. Listings and advertisements are sub- ject to typographical errors, ommissions and/or change without notice. For terms and conditions please visit our website at www.fredericksburgparent.net © Copyright 2017 Nurture, Inc. All rights reserved. written By DEBra caFFrEY LIKE facebook.com/ FredericksburgParent SIGN UP www.FredParent.net TWEET facebook.com/ FredericksburgParent PIN www.pinterest.com/ fredparent FOLLOW @fredparentmagazine cookies with santa. Ornament-decorating events. tree-lighting ceremonies. holiday movie nights with hot chocolate. Holiday-themed horse and carriage rides. Santa shops and Christmas celebrations at school. Scheduled snowball fights. Sometimes it can seem as though there are entirely too many holiday events and activities avail- able for kids this time of year. It can certainly get overwhelming! When we first moved to the area, our son was not yet 2-years-old, and he was the busiest bundle of energy we'd ever dealt with. We were delighted to settle in our beloved Fredericksburg, which, as we'd soon discover, was bursting at the seams with tons of family-friendly activities for all ages. We embraced this and delighted in it since we needed lots of stimuli for our active toddler. Over the years, it became like second nature to know what fun local family events we could rely on and attend. With all the resources available from local businesses, organizations, as well as word of mouth and social media advertisements, it's now easier than ever to populate your family's calendar with fun things to do. But I've begun to realize that sometimes it is almost too much of a good thing. Our beloved area is particularly chock-full of great family events during the holidays, but over the years, I've noticed that trying to squeeze them all in can cause more stress than pleasure. That active little toddler of ours is nearly ten now, and as he grows up, it's becoming clearer how unnecessary it is to try to do too much, especially around the holidays. As parents, we have nothing but the best intentions when we schedule family enter- tainment and fun events. We want to make special memories and bond together as a family. We want our children to look back and appreciate all the unique outings we planned and the fun we brought into their lives. But putting too much pressure on ourselves to make every holiday activity and special event is counterproductive, as well as uncalled for. Family bonding, meaningful conversations and experiencing the joy and giving nature of the holiday season can occur in the tiny, subtle moments of life. Often, these moments are where the most sacred memories can be made. This holiday season, schedule a few fun activities on your family's calendar and then be sure to leave lots of blank space for simply savoring time together without the bustle of event planning. When you streamline your calendar, the things that really matter come into focus in a way you could not see clearly otherwise. Most of all, value the simplicity that holiday breaks can allow—time, togetherness and opportu- nities for benevolence. Happy holidays! Focusing on What Really Matters letter to the readers