Our lives may be busy most of the year, but things seem to escalate during the holiday season. Between the extra shopping, baking, cleaning, and everything else on our list of things to do, our schedules are hectic. At some point, we just need a break.
You probably already know this, but much of the holiday chaos is created by our own hands. We want the holidays to be memorable, so we keep adding things every year to make it more special. How many times have you seen a decorating theme, the television version of a holiday tradition, or a meal in a magazine that you think would be ‘just perfect’ for this year? I confess to doing that myself many, many times. There is just something magical about all those colors, textures, and twinkling lights that draw me in. It’s very hard to resist.
But by adding all the extras, or completely changing holiday themes, we end up with a few added problems. First, we could easily blow our entire budget on decorations alone. Which means we spend money we don’t have any longer to buy all the gifts we still need to get.
A second issue is time. It takes time to rearrange furniture to make room for the bigger tree, taking down and temporarily storing all the knickknacks that are already there to make room for the angels, elves, Santas, and other extras we want to display.
Then there are the extra grocery runs to find all those special ingredients. And don’t think for a minute you will find them all in the same store. No, most of the aisles are already going to be picked over, and it may mean either maneuvering through traffic and traipsing through four or five stores to find what you need, or to have to find it online and wait for it to be delivered.
With all of that extra, you are running around at the last minute to clean, wrap gifts, and pick up after the cat who has systematically batted all those new ornaments off the tree – which means you now get to redecorate it altogether. Or you’re sweeping up the glass shards of the ones that broke. And all of this means you are spending your time trying to ‘do’, instead of just enjoying a season that is designed to be fun and all about family.
Are you tired yet? I could keep going, but I think you have the picture. Holidays can be chaotic, and you still have about 4 weeks to go. Rather than spend time striving to add ‘things’ to make this a season of joy, why don’t you spend time just having fun?
You could, you know. All it takes is a little reorganization. Or, should I say, a little bit of ‘un-organization’. Here. Let me give you some ideas of what I mean.
The first step is to ‘un-decorate’ for Christmas. I never considered this idea - but I should have. The last time I braved my cellar for canning jars, I was attacked by boxes of Christmas decorations. Boxes exploded with ornaments, lights, and some broken macaroni. I released the biggest sigh ever before putting things back in order.
The idea to un-decorate for Christmas isn’t truly mine. It came to me from my friend, Sharon. We both have been lamenting having a lot of ‘stuff’. Our goal is to think things out and make our homes manageable.
Yet, when it comes to the holidays, magazines, books, and advertisements seem to tout that more is better. It isn’t ‘fashionable’ to stop with just a tree, and maybe the fireplace mantle.
Instead, we ‘need’ to decorate every room in the house and have some type of holiday decoration on every piece of furniture, on the walls, and in any empty space.
For me, that just adds to the chaos in my home. Not only do I have to spend the money and time shopping for all those decorations, but it also means having to maneuver around them, and being extra careful things don’t get knocked down and broken. Rather than enjoy the holidays, we stay in a state of nervousness.
Here’s another thought about all those extra decorations. They may be beautiful, but once the holiday is over, consider how much storage space you need to store the boxes and boxes of decorations.
Think of it this way – those boxes are stored for at least 48 to 50 weeks a year. And guess what – that is only when they are filled. The boxes or containers themselves are stored 52 weeks a year. After all, once the decorations come out, you have to put the empty boxes somewhere, right?
Rather than add more decorations to the storage pile, it may be time to reconsider your theme. Instead of more, think less. Some of the sweetest, most memorable Christmases are those where the decorations are family and friends gathered around the tree or table. The laughter is the twinkling lights, the smiles are the ornaments that need to be hung on the tree, and the love is the garland that pulls it altogether.
Consider starting a new decorating tradition. Instead of spending money on the newest, latest, greatest theme, make your own decorations. Spend an evening with family or friends watching Christmas movies and stringing popcorn and cranberries to wrap around your tree. Get out the popsicle sticks, glitter, and glue, and make your own decorations. That tree will end up being even more beautiful than any decorator could even hope to achieve, because it will be decorated with love and memories. Not plastic and glass.
Step Two of eliminating some of the chaos for the holidays is to ‘un-cook’. No, you won’t be serving raw food, nor will you only have PB&J as your meal. Instead, spend time during the heat of the summer making cookie dough, casseroles, and other food items you want to serve during the holidays. And this doesn’t just apply to the actual holiday meals. Your family still has to eat on the days leading up to the actual occasion, but you still want to do fun things with them, like going to holiday activities, and attending parties. By having a selection of meals ready to go, you can have dinner on the table in short order, and still have time to load up in the car to go have fun.
You can also combine baking and spending time with family during the holiday season. Take cookie dough out to thaw in the morning, and by afternoon or evening, you and your kids, family, and or friends can decorate and bake them. Not only is there less mess from having to mix up the dough, but there is also less waiting time to get to the fun stuff.
Step Three is to ‘un-shop’. Let’s face it. Most of our time is spent in stores searching for the perfect gift or purchasing ingredients for the last-minute cooking and baking – after all, not everything can be prepared and frozen during the summer. But what we can do is think ahead. Spend some time in June or July getting your holiday menu planned out. Then, each time you go to the grocery store, buy one or two of the ingredients you know will be harder to find on the shelves right before the holidays. When it’s time to cook or bake, you’ll be spending time in your kitchen, rather than in line to check out.
Since you are listening to this podcast at the end of November, the second part of the ‘un-shopping’ step may be a bit more difficult to apply right now. However, if you know about it ahead of time, you will be better prepared for next year’s holidays.
Instead of spending time shopping for that perfect gift in December, when the shelves are picked over, or the gift you want is seasonal, it may help you to start your Christmas shopping in January. This is especially true when it comes to handmade gifts. During the quiet winter days of January, sit down and think about what you would like to make for the people on your list.
Then make out a crafting calendar for each month. Next, make a sheet for each item that lists out the supplies you will need, and start gathering them up. Start the handmade gifts that will take longer to make in January – such as quilts. Then each month after, choose an item that will progressively take less time. Some items, such as crocheting hats and scarves can be done in your down time after dinner each evening, or on a rainy weekend.
The last Step in reducing the Chaos of the holiday season is to ‘un-wind’. Sometimes we just need a complete break from all the busyness. This is when scheduling an Afternoon Tea at least once a week comes in handy. Find a cozy corner of your favorite room and curl up with a good book, a craft, or your Gratitude Journal. Add your favorite hot drink and some of those Christmas cookies you and your family baked. Then turn the Christmas music on, lower the sound a bit, and just relax. Breathe in the aroma of the fresh pine and popcorn that decorates your simple tree. And embrace the fact that there isn’t a lot of extra cleaning, baking, and shopping that needs to be done.
By following all these tips, you may just find your holiday season less chaotic. Instead, you’ll have more time to enjoy your family, friends, and all the laughter, joy, and excitement that is created by the season. After all, isn’t that what the holidays are all about?
Do you need a bit more help just getting organized for Christmas? My Merry Simple Christmas Bundle may just help. The Have a Merry Simple Christmas workbook is filled with tips, menus, recipes, worksheets, DIY gift ideas and more. In addition, the Bundle includes a Holiday Budget Guide to help you better balance the extra spending the holidays often incur. Just click the link in the show notes to learn more about the Merry, Simple Christmas Bundle! Once you have your copy, you’ll be even better prepared for next year’s Christmas season!
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Thanks again for stopping in. I will see you next week on Living a Simple Life with a Back Porch View. And while you are waiting for the next episode, grab that glass of refreshment, pull up a rocker, and sit back for a while. It’s time to relax and enjoy.
The Merry Simple Christmas Bundle