This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Chase Ultimate Rewards. All opinions are 100% mine.

Making Memories This Holiday Season

I’m not sure what has come over me these last couple of years but I have not been in to the gift giving season. Now don’t get me wrong, I love the idea of getting together to appreciate the company of family and friends but I am just not into the gift giving as much as I used to be. Maybe I’ve grown up. Maybe I just value time more than I do the “stuff” that we get as gifts. As a family we have decided to spend more time together enjoying life by creating memories instead of giving gifts. Now if my best friend was reading this she would be screaming at me. She would say “oh how dare you, not give your kids something to open on Christmas Day?!” It’s not that I don’t give them a little gift to open. I do. I actually get them a little stocking filled with small gifts but that’s about it. I don’t spend a lot of money. I tried to think back to my childhood and the memories I have for the holidays. My most vivid memories are of us baking in the kitchen to prepare the big meals for the whole family and company we had visiting. I can hardly remember the gifts I received.

My husband works shift work so holidays are crazy. We always plan our Christmas vacations during off times before or after the actual holidays. This year we were able to take our yearly trip to New York City! We took the whole family as a gift to ourselves this year. We spend four whole days together enjoying the city and learning about the area. We will have these memories for a long time to come! This was a trip that none of us will soon forget. I’ve become pretty quite savvy with our travel spending money too. I could not make this special yearly trip without the help of our Chase Ultimate Rewards program. I use my Chase card all throughout the year making purchases for groceries, gas and other essentials only to have it pay me back right when I need it the most. Chase Ultimate Rewards is a personalized rewards program available to Chase Freedom, Chase Sapphire and Ink from Chase cardholders. When you use any of these cards, you earn points on every purchase and those points can be redeemed for your choice of rewards including travel, experiences, merchandise, gift cards and even cash back. It’s the perfect way to save up for my yearly trip!

Visit Chase Ultimate Rewards to learn more.

We have been making memories during the holiday season for a couple years now and we love it. The kids really enjoy it. How do you plan to make memories this holiday season? What are your most vivid memories of the holiday season when you were a child?