This shop has been compensated by #CollectiveBias, Inc. and its advertiser #SimplyHealthy . All opinions are mine alone.
The holiday season can be filled with stress, overloaded with activities and often times centered around activities that bring immediate happiness to ourselves and our close family and friends. With all the craziness going on it can be difficult to stay grounded but I find that it is so important to take some time to give back to others during this time of year. With my time and resources more limited than I would like them to be, I often head to Sam's Club to get ideas and items to help give back to my community.
As a teacher married to a firefighter, I am always thinking of those two groups of people during the holiday season, many times firefighters have to spend holidays on shift away from their families and so I try to send the station a little something extra on those days so that they know that even though they aren't home people are thinking of the and are so thankful for all that they do for our community.
While not as dramatic, teachers also face a lot of stress around the holidays. November and December mean midterms, research papers, crazy schedules as we try to make to plays, band concerts, and other school holiday events. Most teachers are pretty frazzled right now and while we love our students trying to get them to pay attention and focus two days before a week long Thanksgiving holiday can be pretty tough.
I always have big plans to bake all kinds of treats to drop off at my husband's station and my teachers' lounge but my schedule somehow seems to get in the way. Without fail, I will come home from work all geared up to bake and then I get caught up in appointments, grading, laundry and general life stuff and the cookies get completely forgotten.
This year I have decided to save myself the time, stress and even a little money by going to Sam's Club to grab everything I will need to show my local firefighters and teachers a little love. Since the holidays are filled with excessive amounts of sweet treats, I went with some healthier items to give them a little break from all the indulgence.
As a teacher, I know that if I am hungry/stressed and the teachers' lounge is full of cookies, I am grabbing one because it's easy. And the same usually goes for firefighters since they often can't leave the station during the day. This goodie basket gives everyone the option to take a little better care of themselves during the most hectic time of year. I filled my gift basket with Skinny Pop popcorn, nuts, trail mix, granola bars, Halo oranges, and Brookside chocolate covered almonds and dried fruits.
Giving back to others is a major way I try to live healthier during the holiday season. For me, it really puts my stresses and worries into perspective when I take the time to think of others. If you are trying to live healthier this holiday season, be sure to check out the Sam's Club Healthy Living Made Simple App and check out some of it's great tips and articles. Right now there is a great article on the importance of giving back and volunteering that will be sure to inspire you. And whether it's picking up items to donate to the food bank, buying toys for the Giving Tree at Church, or putting together a gift basket for members of the community, be sure to check out Sam's Club for everything you need to give back this holiday season.
