A Simple Christmas is a Merry Christmas

Have you thought about simplifying Christmas? I definitely have! Learn what I mean when I say A Simple Christmas is a Merry Christmas, and some ways that you can simplify your holiday.

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What I mean by simplifying Christmas is to have a holiday season without so much stress and without going nuts on decorations, parties, and gifts. Consider celebrating a much simpler Christmas this year. By scaling back on #allofthethings and focusing on the more spiritual side of this holiday, you just might find that your holiday is more joyful. As an added bonus, when you keep things simple, you will have a lot more time to enjoy everything this special time of the year has to offer.

Think about how nice it would be to be more mindful during the holiday season. Imagine being able to enjoy watching childrenâ€™s faces as they open their presents, or enjoying the flavor of your motherâ€™s cookies. Imagine noticing the bright smell of the Christmas tree or the sound of jingle bells. When you are stressed out and moving too fast, you will miss out on these amazing details. The reason for simplifying Christmas is so that you can fully enjoy the holiday!

Think back on Christmases past. Chances are that the ones that stand out the most were years when your family didnâ€™t have the money for the fanciest decorations, lots of events leading up to Christmas eve and mountains of presents. Instead, if your family is anything like mine, the ones we remember are the years when we had little. I remember making garlands out of construction paper and stringing up popcorn to decorate the house while we sipped hot chocolate.

We spent the month of December looking at lights, playing board games, baking cookies, and singing Christmas Carols. The gifts were less expensive, but more meaningful and often homemade. Itâ€™s those simple Christmases that stand out in my mind. They are some of my most treasured memories and the same holds true for the rest of my family.

This year Iâ€™m making an effort to keep it simple, and Iâ€™d like to invite you to join along. Weâ€™re not buying more decorations. Instead, weâ€™re sorting through what we have, picking the things we love and giving away the rest. The house is less cluttered and the decorations that are up stand out. As an added bonus itâ€™s easier to clean and it will be much quicker to put away everything come January.

Our calendar is a lot lighter this year as well. Weâ€™ve chosen a handful of activities and events that I know weâ€™ll enjoy. The rest of the time will be spent as a family, baking cookies, crafting, and watching our favorite holiday movies.

When it comes to presents, I have ordered everything that I needed to on Amazon.Â I wonâ€™t be stressing out about hitting the mall the week before December 25^th. Iâ€™ve also talked to some family members and friends and suggested that we not exchange gifts this year, and instead enjoy each otherâ€™s company. My husband and I donâ€™t exchange gifts, instead we invest together in something we need/want for the house. There are plenty of other ways to cut down on gift buying stress too. You could hand make gifts, or set firm limits on how many youâ€™ll give to each person on your list. I find that having a well thought out list makes everything easier and less stressful.

I really hope you give a simpler Christmas a try this year and see if you canâ€™t enjoy a calmer and more meaningful holiday season. Merry Christmas!