By Corby Carlin Winters, The Shopper Marketing & Public Relations Coordinator
Each month the Trends and Trendsetters column covers some of the hot trends from health and wellness, fashion and style, business or even tapping into your creative side.
Savoring the Holiday season
Savoring and celebrating the holidays with friends and family is so important.  But finding the good in the midst of the stressful and quite hectic moments is so important too. I hope this holiday season will be filled with laughter, music, friends, family and a heart of gratitude and great memories.

I hope we focus this season on the significant and not the insignificant things that make us crazy. Your holidays may not be perfect, but what’s really perfect anyway?  Remember this is your one life to live and we are mere travelers here.  Treasure the small things. And this year may we seek to give gifts that will leave a legacy and eternal blessings. Those would include love, compassion, forgiveness and words of encouragement. So what if the house isn’t spotless and the meal is not perfect. It is not the end of the world. Remember to embrace the moments and savor them.
Go bold
Red is always a great idea that is perfect for the holidays. This fashion trend is for those who have bold, confident personalities and not for the shy. It can be fun and festive, but it can also be a power statement.  Men can simply add a red tie for a big fashion statement or go for a red jacket for a lasting impression. Photographer Mike Colletta loves the red dinner jacket shown here on my friend Thomas Ashley and so does Mr. Personality and I! If you don’t own a little red then this year would be a great time get your red on. So hit your local shop and stock up.
Shop local
Take a look around the corner, up the street and in every nook because you will find fun, fabulous and creative shops.  These stores are owned and operated by men and women who care about our community. They hand pick their merchandise and they know your name.  When we shop locally, what is spent here stays here and is reinvested in our community.  These amazing shops will not disappoint.
Gifts which leave a legacy
Giving gifts is at the heart of Christmas and giving to those in need is the true meaning, whether you give of your time, talents or your treasures.  With far more than 200 nonprofits in our neck of the woods, we have ample opportunities to change lives this holiday season and leave a lasting impact. Each year hundreds of thousands of dollars are given to help children and adults all over our community.  This past November, The Kiwanis Club of Newnan awarded $180,000 in grants to 40 local nonprofits to help them continue their mission. (this is only a portion that they gave out this past year).
Last January, The Coweta Community Foundation awarded $40,000 in grants and 100 Women awarded $30,000 dollars over the year.  We can make a difference and we can change the face of our community by investing in it.  And more importantly, by changing just one person’s life, we can change the lives of many. These gifts do not gather dust or wind up in an estate sale either.  For something different and fun, how about making a donation in honor of someone this Christmas and simply mail them the Christmas card and tell them what you did. I am sure it will make them smile too.
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Corby is known to many as a Power Shopper, the Little Black Dress and a fashionista. She’s crazy about shoes, clothes, accessories, and of course leopard prints. She loves writing, speaking, ministering, life coaching and being with friends, Winters and the SONs of Thunder.