Sparkling lights, evergreen trees, flickering candles – these are just some of the markers of the religious and cultural celebrations that make our world a little brighter as we head into the last month of the calendar year.

While brilliant marketing and retail efforts make this month seem to be all about buying the "biggest and best" gifts, try to think about the things that made your holidays special as a child – chances are memories of special holiday moments spent with your family had very little to do with spending large amounts of money. And chances are the same things would be just as special to your children.

Family Traditions
Traditions sometime pass on from generation to generation without skipping a beat, and others seem to fade away quietly without notice. It's never too late to revisit (or revise) old traditions or to start new ones. Think of one or two unique ways to spend special time as a family this holiday season – and try not to involve shopping or big budgets, as these often undermine the simple but enormous value of time spent together as family.

Think of Your Family's Personality
What do you value and enjoy as a family? Do you enjoy sharing laughter, music, sports, or community service with each other? Think about what you want your family to stand for, and make a decision to start a tradition that makes sense for your family's personality. Whether you volunteer at a shelter or soup kitchen, go ice-skating together, sing holiday songs at a retirement community, watch a favorite holiday movie together, put food baskets together for families in need, do something that is meaningful and fun for everyone – family times like these are the moments of which special childhood memories are made.