In November, the Journey program hosted its Happier Holidays Zoom series, which offered virtual attendees an opportunity to stress less about the holidays while picking up pointers on doing it up right, however unconventional the season. In recognizing that holidays might not look the same for many of us this year — and that the usual preparations and traditions would have to be done differently, as well — we set out to put a fun spin on holiday how-tos. Because no matter where (or how) our festivities will take place, we all aim to tone down the tension and jump up the joyful.
We rounded up industry experts and brought them live via Zoom to our registered participants each Tuesday in November for amazing presentations, festive pro tips, and often some great Q&A sessions. Much of the Journey demographic tuned in for tips on holiday budgeting, decorating, and virtual crafting with the grands. We even watched two members of the UBT marketing department compete in a chopped style challenge while picking up meal prep tips! If you missed out, don’t despair! We recorded the segments for YouTube history. You can read a brief overview of each session and find links to each video below.
Happier Holiday Decorating
Featuring Wendy Tridle, Senior Interior Designer, Professional Organizer, and Owner of Organize by Design, LLC
From using the traditional stuff on hand, to elevating classic décor, to pulling out all the stops, Wendy’s presentation was engaging and festive. She offered advice on every aspect of holiday prep, from hauling out your decorations, to wrapping gifts for the fam, to putting it all away when the party’s over. Many of us were ready to try our hand at creating our own winter wonderland at home; others placed a call to Wendy and her elves!
Happier Holiday Meal Prep
Featuring Jennifer Dunavan, MS, RD, LMNT — Hy-Vee Registered Dietician
From an outdoorsy Thanksgiving jaunt to a safer, small holiday gathering to a full-on Zoom family celebration, Jennie offered endless ideas for making it memorable. She shared special products and foodie finds, along with shopping and prep suggestions. Jennie also answered questions about adapting special diets to special occasions, and, best of all, two members of UBT’s marketing team competed in a “Chopped”-style ingredient challenge!
Happier Spending with Budgeting How-Tos
Featuring Caitlin Moore, Financial Educator and Julie Grant, Customer Support Team Manager, UBT
Caitlin showed us how, with a bit of planning and discipline, the holidays don’t have to be budget busters. With examples based on her own family experience, as well as insights and statistics for emphasis, she gave advice and guidelines for having an enjoyable holiday that doesn’t leave you reeling when the bills are due. Caitlin was joined by Julie Grant from UBT’s customer support, who shared tips for tracking spending, making the most of credit card purchases, and staying ahead of fraud and scams.
Happier Crafting with the (Grand)Kids
Featuring Christy Nelson, Owner of Mākit Tākit Craft Studio
Christy, an avid crafter and former professional craft blogger, gave us incredible ideas for crafting fun to remember, both virtually and in-person. With fun examples and endless creativity, she showed that crafting together is totally possible, no matter how far you are from your favorite kiddos this season! Ideas were shared for a keep-on-hand craft box, plus projects that required more planning and purchasing. (Hint: Mākit Tākit has everything crafty!)
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