Happy Holidays

The hustle and bustle has begun, and we here at Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati Knot Marine, are all right in the middle of it. Christmas lights, fresh baked cookies, yummy candies and loads of parties, are all are part of the season, but isn't that what it's all about? Or, is it?
The holiday season can be filled with fun or stress, depending on your perspective, but let's focus for a moment. Some of us have wonderful holiday memories and others not so much, but either way, we can choose to create an environment that leaves us with beautiful memories of today, or a "Grinch" filled perspective of the season.

While we at Knot Marine love to cast off our stress by enjoying time out on the water aboard our favorite water craft, we know that's not always possible here in Northern Kentucky. So for this season, we may need to find a few other ways to manage the stress of it all. Let's take a look at a couple of suggestions.

1. Don't feel the pressure of over spending.
It's not the amount of green that you spend it's the thought behind it that matters most. Use technology to help you out! Find a beautiful photo frame and your local thrift store and pop in their most loved photo or a precious memory from their social media page. For a few bucks you have touched the heart of the individual, with a gift that will always be the right size and color.
Or how about bake up a batch of gramdma's family favorite cookies, put them in a festive container, add a photo of grandma and the recipe for the goodies you just made. Voila, a gift packed with precious memories with very little impact on the budget.

No credit card bill to worry about in January with these gifts of the heart, and they will be greatly cherished by those who receive them.

2. Spend time with those you love.
Surrounding yourself with those who mean the most will never be time filled with regret. Precious are the days that we have during the holiday season, as everyone is so busy. Be sure to not let the commercialism of the season, override the importance of time with friends and family. Creating memories that will be shared for years to come is the greatest gift you can give. Time and memories are priceless treasures that will keep giving down through the years.

Miles separate you from those who mean the most? In a technology filled world, miles no longer need to separate us during these precious times. Schedule a time for a video chat session that will allow everyone to be in on the festivities together. It's the next best thing to being there.

3. Rest up
In the middle of it all, be sure to take some time for yourself and rest up. If we are not careful, we can find ourselves spending not only all we have in our bank account, but also all we have physically. Becoming physically spent, on top of our poor eating habits during this season, can jeopardize our immune system and allow the season to take advantage of us through the illnesses that run rapid this time of year. So, rest up, replenish the nutrients in your body and invest in yourself this season. You will not regret it.

From all of us at Knot Marine, to all of you and your families: Merry Christmas!