By Renee Birchfield

The Christmas season is a magical time filled with joy, love, surprises and family. After Thanksgiving, there is magic in the air and the Christmas spirit is all around, it is one of my favorite times of the year.  

One of my favorite things during the holidays is not the receiving of gifts but giving back to others. There are many people who don’t have the luxuries that so many of us do during the holidays. This is the time for giving and spreading the Christmas magic. I am blessed to be able to have enough extra to give back to others and to brighten their day.  

There are many ways of sharing the magic these are some of my favorites that are pretty easy to do. 

• Angel tree- Pick an angle up from the Salvation Army Tree. They are set up at many stores and business places. We try and do this each year, it is so much fun to buy toys and clothes for kids who really need it. It is great to know that their Christmas will be a bit brighter now and that we were lucky enough to be a part of it.  
• Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes- OCC has a wonderful program where you can pack a shoebox full of little toys and daily items. These boxes get sent to other countries and the children that receive them learn of Jesus by the volunteers who hand them out. I know of many families who do this for their children to learn the joy of giving to others.  
• Food Banks and Soup House- You can donate any time to a food bank but during the holiday season they can always use extra to serve the many people who need them. If you have extra time but not a lot of extra money you can volunteer and help serve food, organize their stock, or just talk to the people that come in.  
• Donate to a local shelter- Do you have old coats or winter clothing? Drop them off at a local homeless shelter. If you have extra time stay after you donate and interact with the people there, it will put a smile on their faces.  
• Donate to a Pet shelter- If you are a pet lover this may be perfect for you. Buy some extra toys, dog food or even beds to give to a shelter in your area. Dogs and cats enjoy some extra love too. I have a friend who does a bone drive and Christmas Eve she takes them to the local shelters.  
• Pay it forward- If you are going through the drive-thru, pay for the person’s meal behind you. I personally like to go to a coffee place and do this. Just thinking how nice it would be to buy someone’s warm drink on a cold winter day. You could even do this at the grocery store if you wanted.  
• Bake cookies or treats for your neighbors- Who doesn’t love cookies? Surprise your neighbors or coworkers with some fresh baked treats and I’m sure they will love you for it.  

These are just a few ideas to help share the magic of the season with others. It doesn’t have to be an elaborate thing, all that’s needed is to take a bit of your time and give to those around you. I hope you and your family have a magical Christmas season! 

What are some things you and your family do to share the magic of Christmas? 

Renee shares her favorite things in life at Married and Hungry. Hoping that her newlywed situations and thoughts will help another new wife out there, and to let them know they are not alone. Being a self-proclaimed food nerd, with a degree in Food and Culinary Science, she shares her recipes and experiments.  She and her husband call Central Arkansas home for now. You can find her at home making the kitchen a mess, trying to cross stitch, or playing with their dog and cat. Keep up with her over on Twitter, and Married and Hungry’s Facebook page.