I love the holidays! Every single second of this time of year. For me, that includes frantic deadlines at the magazine, last minute shopping and baking. (Honestly, I do my best work at the ninth hour.)

I love shopping for the perfect tree, decorating, holiday parties and traditions – every detail of the holidays from Thanksgiving to Christmas!

As I get older though, I find that those things aren’t as important as they once were. The holidays are truly a time of giving and reflection. It’s an opportunity to teach my daughter what the holidays are all about for me – the birth of Jesus and giving to those less fortunate.

So this year, your holiday issue looks a little different. We chose not to feature a holiday home. Instead, Brian Panowich has written a piece on family holiday traditions. As always, we have our annual Gift Guide, should you need help finding that perfect gift and if you would like to make a donation to an organization this season, our annual Giving Guide features some local charities that need support.

In this issue, we have a piece on the homeless in the area. It seemed fitting to shine a light on those that don’t have a home. Regardless of the reason, these people are members of our community. In the spirit of the holidays, please remember those less fortunate.

Finally, I’d like to take a moment to thank each of you for your support of our community and Augusta Magazine. We wish you and your family all the best this holiday season!

-Ashlee

Article appears in the November/December 2018 issue of Augusta Magazine.