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Post by snappinsami on Nov 12, 2015 19:01:05 GMT
We've been simplifying the last few years as well, and I love it. When we moved in 2014, our new house is considerably smaller than our old one. We had a great artificial tree (tall and WIDE) and didn't even have room for it in our new house. We just sold it this weekend. (Cha-CHING!) I have a few bins of decorations, but as much as I'd love to decorate to the nines, I have neither the money to do it, or the interest in being the ONLY one in the family to do it (or put the stuff away when the holidays are over). So I do a little, but don't kill myself.
As for gifts... I try to do 100% of my holiday shopping online. I despise shopping to begin with and hate being in crowds, so avoiding the malls is a good thing. The only thing I'll probably have to go out to buy is a bottle of wine for DH.
I do some cookie baking, but it's just for us. If I don't feel like doing it and don't nobody cares.
It's just the three of us out here, so we usually go out for Christmas Eve and then do a regular dinner for Christmas. We don't spend hours creating a meal - there's just no need.
Just do what works for you!
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Post by gmcwife1 on Nov 12, 2015 19:04:38 GMT
So I figure the real answer to this question is just let it happen. Do what makes you happy, forget the magazine perfect expectations and just roll with it. Sorry for editing aniousmom, but to me this is key I don't get stressed at Christmas or because of Christmas, but I think that is also in part that I don't have these high expectations. I do what is important for us. We spend the night at my parents house with my siblings and all our families. We fill stockings, my mom makes a pot of chili, we play games, wrap presents, etc. I don't have a full calendar of events, I don't decorate my house and we actually don't put up a tree since we go to my parents and help pick out and decorate their tree. I'm not a baker, my sister is, so I don't bake for every one. For me it's my 4th quarter work schedule that stresses me, Christmas is my escape from that. And I get to spend it with my family which seems to make it all worth it
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Post by maryland on Nov 12, 2015 19:07:10 GMT
I "simplified" in a different way. I love love the holiday season and sometimes want to do everything and to the extreme. That is a mix for disaster. So I sat down and made a list of priorities for the season - what is important to you and your family. I have small kids, so my big thing is the "magic" of the season for them. By doing this, sometimes its not just what we are doing but the atmosphere I create in our home - comy, cozy, & happiness. Our goal is just to be together and present with each right now, everyone knows how fast this time goes. I learn to say NO - #not sorry. I make my calendar in November - kids/our family events go first - lights at zoo, polar express, santa visit etc. I do a yearly gingerbread hourse party the 1st Saturday of the month. All other invites are 2nd priority. Friday nights - we make no plans. We are all tired from the week, so it is Family night. Most of the time it's a picnic meal in front of the tree watching christmas movies, followed by popcorn and hot chocolate. The last Friday before Christmas we usually let the kids pick a restaurant and then we go out and look at lights or do lights at the zoo. Charity/ Gifts - We really only buy for our kids. I like to go big and let me kids have the joy. Instead of what we would spend on other family etc., We make our yearly donation to a charity. I usually pick, but am starting to get the kids involved. When they get older I would like to do some volunteer time at the local food bank. My kids create wish lists, I do most of their shopping via amazon. I am not wasting my precious time running through the mall or from store to store stressed about buying a gift. Cooking / Baking - I enjoy it but I just limit what we do. Our mandatory holiday treats are - our christmas cookies to decorate, homemade cinnamon rolls, ritzies (peanut butter between 2 ritz like crackers and dipped in chocolate) and peppermint bark cheesecake. Christmas Eve - We do one meal (which can be prepped ahead of time) - Lasagna, Salad, Garlic Bread and Cheesecake for Dessert. Christmas Day - Cinnamon rolls/christmas candy for breakfast, and snacky/appetizer food all day. We stay in PJs - play, watch movies and snack. We totally indulge on the junk. It's all perfect to us and thats all that matters. I love this! Except for the part about ordering on Amazon. I get so stressed when I have to do anything on the computer involving credit cards, so I do all my shopping at the store. I tell my husband that it's a good thing that I am clueless about shopping online because we save a lot of money that way! And I am cheap, so I don't like paying a lot for shipping. But since we do so much traveling, it's too much to shop for relatives too, so everyone gets a gift card (except my kids, we get them gifts). You have such great ideas, this sounds like a great way to enjoy the holidays! We do the same on Friday nights, just watch Christmas movies together! Thanks for sharing what your family does!
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Post by MissBianca on Nov 12, 2015 19:19:24 GMT
Simplified for us: we cut cable - seriously has majorly cut down on the gimmes because they don't see commercials every year.
Want, need, wear, read - For each kid, still 16 presents in total but they have purpose now.
Extended family - when I was little there were 9 cousins including me. We drew names at Thanksgiving and bought one thing for that person only. The aunts and uncles drew one couple. Now I just buy a need for each of my parents, I don't even buy for my brothers. My husband is an only child and his parents are gone now.
Close Friends: I like to bake so I do cookie boxes with our seasonal favorites.
Other friends: A Christmas card with a family photo
Decor: smallish tree, we have a narrow space between book shelves so it's cut down on the size of the tree. I decorate the banister with some garland I bought at Michael's and I do the mantle. And a snowflake my mom made goes on the back door. I also decorate each doorway but all that is in little kits in a tote. We have the house completely decorated in about 2 hours. I also pulled all my ornaments down last year and divided stuff to each of the kids in their holiday bins (they get an ornament every year, and will move out with a full bin). I kept 3 bins for myself but plan to narrow that down again this year.
Food: It's just us and my parents and 1 bother so we do a small turkey and the sides. I like the food part so that doesn't bother me. But we've been toying with the idea of ordering a pre done turkey from Whole Foods. My friends do their big family get together on Christmas eve and Christmas day it's flannel jammies, a movie and make your own pizza day. They've done that since the boys were little because they didn't want to travel with little ones.
But honestly the best Christmas's we have are when we go to Disney. I pack a small tree and stockings and we tell the kids Disney and Santa only (stockings and 1 gift) or Big Christmas at home. 9 times out of 10 they choose Disney. It seems crazy but it's the least commercial holidays we have ever had. This year we are thinking of a camping road trip.
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Post by tallgirl on Nov 12, 2015 19:35:21 GMT
I have young kids and still run the gamut of decorating/presents/cards/cooking/baking largely because of them. But, I start it all sooner now. I decorate earlier so that the job is not so overwhelming, we make cookies earlier in the season and then usually buy a store-bought dessert for Christmas Day so I'm not trying to cram a big job into that last week before Christmas, we took a family photo in early October and I ordered my Christmas cards with the photo on it that same day, etc. I still want to do everything while they are young, but I am better at knowing my own limits, particularly where time management goes. This gives me more time to relax and reflect during the month of December.
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Post by ametallichick on Nov 12, 2015 19:44:30 GMT
A lot of my Christmas decorating, which is the most stressful part for me, will depend on if we go to Boise for Thanksgiving. I'll want to decorate before we leave because I will have to go right back to work upon our return.
I've been de-cluttering as well and it feels great!
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bethany102399
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,530
Oct 11, 2014 3:17:29 GMT
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Post by bethany102399 on Nov 12, 2015 19:50:38 GMT
I tend to disappear into a dark cave of depression this time of year, and don't do much hardly at all. When my kids got old enough we started doing more for them and I've slowly done more.
Choose the parts you LOVE to do. I don't mind decorating but don't want to be the only one doing it. So, we decorate one room in our home that also has our Christmas Tree. By keeping it small, everyone helps, and I have space to go to that isn't decked out for Christmas. Mom and I both enjoy cooking, so we split the holidays up. I'll do Thanksgiving, she does Christmas.
I haven't made chocolates in many years, and finally got the bug to do it again last year. I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed it. What haven't you done in while that you might want to do again? What didn't you enjoy that can be given up in favor of a different activity?
I do love to gift, as our budget has slowly gotten a little bigger I rein myself in by saying each kid only gets 3 gifts. That was good enough for the Christ Child, it's good enough for them. I'm actually done shopping for one kid, and have no idea on the other.
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Post by karinms on Nov 12, 2015 20:06:23 GMT
When my kids were little we spent a fortune on presents and did a lot of travelling. After my marriage ended I did the best I could to keep up the traditions but less money meant it was simplified anyways.
This year the boys (who will be 17 and 21) are living with their dad and his wife and their new little brother. They'll have a Christmas day like they used to with all her family and relatives and I'm happy for them, even happier that I don't have to take part.
My guy and I will cut down our own tree from our land and combine a few of my decorations with some from his extensive collection of things that mean a lot to him. We are having his girls, their boyfriends and his dad and step mom the weekend before Christmas. It won't be crazy, we'll do a turkey and the trimmings. We'll exchange one gift for each of them plus stockings and we'll enjoy each other's company.
My 17 yo is coming to stay for the week between Christmas and New Year and he'll have a couple presents to open but he mostly wants cash as he's saving for a gaming computer.
My 21 year old is not communicating with me at this point so i'll get him a couple things and if he hasn't said anything by then I'll send them home with his brother.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
May 13, 2024 16:29:50 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 13, 2015 2:38:31 GMT
Every year, DH and I get into this huge fight as we try to figure out what side of the family we are going to spend Christmas morning with vs Christmas dinner, etc. I'm grateful this year that my parents decided to do an early lunch and we will do his parents that night and we will have Christmas morning at home with just us. It's DS first Christmas so we will get him something but not much. He has his baby's first ornament to put on the tree too
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Post by tara595 on Nov 13, 2015 15:14:05 GMT
I come from a big Italian family and we usually do a big Christmas Eve at my parents house with tons of food, booze and people. It's definitely become stressful the past few years. This year, my parents will be away so it will just be my husband and I and our baby for Christmas eve. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to it! I'm sure there will be relatives who invite us but DH and I have agreed on staying home. Christmas day we'll go to my SIL house and that's nice and low-key too. I feel like this will be the first year in a while where I'll really focus on the true meaning of the holiday because there won't be too much hoopla surrounding it. I can't wait.
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lotsokids
Junior Member
Sunny Southern Cali!
Posts: 53
Location: Sunny Southern Cali!
Feb 10, 2015 22:45:07 GMT
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Post by lotsokids on Nov 13, 2015 22:07:48 GMT
I did this one simple thing last year that I saw on Pinterest and it simplified Christmas so much for me. I asked my 5 kids to give me their Christmas list like this:
Something I want, Something I need, Something to wear, Something to read ( since a couple are not really readers, I gave them the option to change that last one to Eat)
I have always stressed about the shopping part because of having so many kids plus many other people to buy for and this was so freeing for me. They are no longer little so we don't have to worry about toys anymore and they also have put way more thought into it instead of asking for just lots of stuff. If there is money left over in our allowed budget, they get the rest in cash.
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Post by Dori~Mama~Bear on Nov 13, 2015 22:38:31 GMT
We did that years ago. We haven't traveled for the holidays in 13 years. It is usually husband I and daughter. I do like to decorate. and this year we are in a new house so I will be looking for new homes for my Santas. I how ever don't do any traditional cooking on Christmas. We usually come up with fun meals like. home made pizza, Mexican fiesta, one year we did around the world Christmas. Each meal was from a different country and we did snacks from different countries. It was fun.
To us it isn't about anything except being with the ones you love.
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Post by peasapie on Nov 13, 2015 22:50:26 GMT
My least favorite thing about Christmas is trying to find gifts that people in my life want or need. I also dislike wrapping gifts. So I cut way back on the number of gifts I buy and the people I buy them for.
I love the Christmas season. I love the music, the special events, the tv shows, the decorations. So I start those early and unabashedly and enjoy as much as possible.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
May 13, 2024 16:29:51 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 13, 2015 22:50:39 GMT
Christmas is going to be very different for us this year. I talked DH in to a Christmas trip to NYC instead of exchanging gifts. At my age, I'm more about the experiences than the "stuff" so we are flying in the Friday before Christmas (the 18th) and coming back home Wednesday, the 23rd....just in time to spend Christmas Eve/Christmas Day with our son, my brother, my aunt and uncle and some friends. I've already got our Christmas dinner menu planned out and I plan on making some of it ahead of time so I can freeze it, that way, when I get back, I'm not going to have to stress out trying to get everything ready.
I'm not doing Christmas cards this year, I don't think we're going to go get a tree either, but I will bring out some of my Christmas "pretties" to make the house look festive. DH is thrilled because he doesn't have to string outside lights up this year. I think I'll put our beautiful front door wreath up and some lights around the front door and call it good.
DH and I are planning our annual brunch and gift shopping early in December but again, don't have much to buy and who knows what I'll find in NYC for those I buy for?
I actually kinda looking forward to not having to do a whole lot this year.
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Post by lisae on Nov 13, 2015 22:57:24 GMT
I stopped doing a full size tree. This was hard for me as I really don't care for artificial trees. I do have artificial garland and decorate both the stairs and the mantle heavily - it is probably one of my favorite things to do at Christmas. However, the tree, for me, had to be real and that got expensive and messy. I had this little tabletop tree I bought one year to put in the guestroom when my stepdaughter visited for the holiday so I just set it up in the living room a couple of years ago. DH declared that was his favorite tree and the one we should have from now on (He really doesn't like Christmas so if he liked that tree, I figured I'd go with it.) I miss the big tree but don't miss the mess.
The other thing we did several years ago was stop exchanging gifts. Oh, has that made life so much easier! I usually gift myself something fun - typically something crafty. I've tried to do this with my parents but it hasn't worked though we have all cut down a lot on what we spend and Mother insists I tell her exactly what I want which suits me fine. It was such a pain figuring out what another adult would want for Christmas. One of my friends thinks we are crazy for not having anything to open on Christmas morning but that just isn't that important anymore.
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