Encouragment

Simplifying Christmas

Posted Thursday, December 13th, 2007 and visited 319 times, 1 so far today
by Mary

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Hurray! It’s December, and Christmas is coming! Are you crossing off items on your shopping list, getting cards in the mail, and baking holiday goodies?

I’m not. Yet. I still have almost two weeks, right? Anyway, I think this year will find our family celebrating simply, which is fine with this mommy. Last year we had all the fuss and tinsel, and found it’s not all its shined up to be.

I personally can get carried away planning things. Too many lists. The Shopping List (and all its versions). The Christmas Card List. The Holiday Baking List. The Christmas Breakfast/Dinner/Supper List. The Christmas Party List, which includes games, crafts, and grocery supplies. Add two children involved in two Christmas Programs apiece, and myself helping with a third one…well, I’ll not bore you with the associated itemizations these involve!

The worst of it is, I get so busy I don’t have energy or the *desire* to focus time for the real reason behind Christmas. The celebration of Jesus Christ’s birth, God’s special gift to us, His people.

So here are some ways I’m carving out extra time this year, as well as saving money and stress:

  • Buying most of my gifts at the same store, ie: a book store, a kitchen store, or online (how about magazine subscriptions for those nieces and nephews?)
  • Hubby and I are saving up for some exercise equipment, so we’re not exchanging gifts. We’ve decided on only two gifts apiece for our girls.
  • I vetoed my own “homemade” Christmas gift ideas. I didn’t start early enough and don’t need the stress this close to Christmas. I may do peanut brittle, as it’s a favorite with the in-laws, but it’s pretty simple.
  • No UPS packages to extended family. Cards and money–they can have a family movie night with it or put it towards their New Year’s Eve celebration.
  • The girls and I are doing the bare minimum of school this month, keeping to the major subjects. As a result, we have more time for their Christmas “projects”. We’re also playing more games like Scrabble, Progressive Rummy, Candyland (Toddler’s favorite!), and Scattergories…
  • Instead of making Gingerbread Houses, we’re talking about making a 12 Days of Christmas Lapbooking project from the Homeschool Share website. Check it out, it’s a free download, and the focus is on displaying the Christian symbolism behind the 12 Days song…

I’d love to hear your ideas on simplifying the glittery side of Christmas and magnifying the truth that Jesus really is the best gift of all!


Mary is a cowboy's wife and a homeschooling mother of three who hopes to use her love of the written word for God's glory and to encourage others.
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3 Responses to “Simplifying Christmas”

  1. MyAvatars 0.2 Colleen Says:
    December 13th, 2007 at 7:57 am Subscribed to Comments

    Things are simplified this year just by starting much earlier! We are buying the kids one major gift, which was expensive but we paid cash. SR was easy to buy for because I could get all his things online and I wrapped everything right away instead of waiting. My brothers/parents and I are only buying things for the kids, so that was only buying for two kids (EASY!). We’re traveling a bit over the holiday but making sure we’re saving time at the end of the holiday to just relax!

  2. MyAvatars 0.2 Mary Says:
    December 13th, 2007 at 1:20 pm

    I always say I’ll start earlier, and rarely do! One year I had all my cards addressed before Thanksgiving, that was great! November was just too busy with outside activities this year!

    Sounds like you can just sit back and breathe! Enjoy it, Colleen!

  3. MyAvatars 0.2 MInTheGap Says:
    December 14th, 2007 at 10:31 am

    We end up writing cards only to those that send us one. A little less ambitious than some Midwestern gal I know. ;-)

    We did most of our ordering online this year, and there’s only a few things that haven’t come it. I have picked up a few things at the store, and there are a few things yet to get for the “hard-to-buy-for” people like grandparents. With two birthdays and Christmas all at the same time, my biggest challenge is figuring out what’s a birthday present and what’s a Christmas present.

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