Simplified Christmas Cheer

This year I am really trying not to be swept away in the “holiday frenzy” that typically seems to happen over the upcoming weeks.

I want to slow down, relish family time together, spiritually prepare for Christmas, and make quality memories with my family of 3 before we transition to a family of 4 next year.

Several things have influenced this mental shift. Over the last couple of months, I have been purging our household and trying to bring less “stuff” in, thus minimizing our lifestyle. I have also very casually joined a Marie Kondo (The author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing) facebook group that has influenced the way I see material objects in my household. Instead of worrying about buying everyone a bunch of gifts this year, I am trying to focus on one or two items that will really bring them joy and value instead of being discarded in a few months. I am a planner by nature, so I am trying to finish my shopping early without giving into the retail pressure of buying more stuff for super cheap.

Over the last couple of years, I have seen suggestions for simplifying the holidays by sticking to a condensed gift list:

“Something you want, something you need, something to wear, something to read, and something just because,”  My daughter never has a huge list so this will be perfect to help ME to keep the focus on cheer, not stuff.

With my shopping lists simplified, I want to focus more on being present and enjoying our Christmas season. This means enjoying the non-material traditions our family enjoys such as our Elf on the Shelf, meals around the Advent wreath, and a couple of bigger Christmas experiences that aren’t gift focused. Our Elf is not too naughty and often brings the focus back on faith during her escapades. She usually throws our nativity’s Baby Jesus a party on Christmas Eve and brings a few simple gifts for my daughter’s church bag.

My daughter loves the tradition of our Advent wreath. She looks forward to blowing out the candles and saying the special prayers before each meal. Our family dinners seem just a little more cozy when the wreath is lit. We also always try to get some Santa pictures done and travel to White River Junction to visit their Polar Express. These bigger Christmas experiences make for lasting memories instead of cluttering up our house with more stuff.

We also give back during the Christmas season by preparing a box for Operation Christmas Child. We talk about the child who will receive the shoe box, about how their living situation may or may not be, and how we can share what we have to make their Christmas brighter. Not only do we include some fun, frivolous toys, but I make sure to really speak to my daughter about the basic necessities that we place in the box such as clothes, soap, toothbrushes, and toothpaste.

Lastly, I want to focus on overall being grateful!

Our lives are so incredibly blessed and many of our “first world problems” are so trivial when you think about them with a little perspective. Whatever you celebrate, this holiday season try looking at these everyday annoyances in a new light and hopefully this fresh outlook will bring you and yours a little more cheer.