All is Calm & All is Bright – Making Christmas Enjoyable

Christmas is always a time of “extra things”. It is a level of busy that is unmatched in any other part of the year.  Just thinking of all that goes into the space between Thanksgiving and New Year’s is exhausting. 

Multiple family gatherings, performances, end of the semester school events, finals and major tests, decorating the house (inside and outside), making special meals, baking goodies, church events, a tree making a mess of the living room, work Christmas parties, gifts to purchase and wrap, potlucks and luncheons, an elf that creates mischief each night, and lots of sweets. 

Each year my intention is to slow down. To make space for the extra activities of the season. But also for the celebration of Christmas.  Some years my stress level is through the roof and my heart is just not in it.  Other Decembers I am relaxed and able to enjoy the time. 

This year has been a peaceful season.  So to document this for myself (and any of you) I want to share a list of things that have helped me get my heart-centered for this Christmas time.  Ways that I have reminded myself that this month can be different than the rest of the year. 

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Make room for margin.

My first step is to clear off the calendar. I remove anything that does not urgently need to be there.

I let this time be different.

What does clearing the calendar look like for you?

How can you take off some extra things or maybe “normal” expectations just for a few weeks?

 

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Make space for preparation.

Write on the calendar the basic days needed. Decorating day, lights up, cleaning and packing it all up, etc. I always feel more rushed when I try to fit these big tasks into random spaces in my week.

• What kinds of activities do you need to do to be prepared for?
• When do you usually clean the house, put away Fall decor, and get out your Christmas stuff?
• Do you put lights on the house? When do you set them up? And when do you take them down?
• Is holiday baking important to you? Make a plan for when you will do each step.
  • Gathering recipes and making a grocery shopping list.
  • Grocery shopping and gathering supplies.
  • The actual baking. Who do you want there?
  • The cleanup. It has to happen eventually. Let that be its own event. With a quiet kitchen and a podcast so that it’s enjoyable.
• Christmas clean-up and embracing the New Year. What is the day that makes sense to your family and your schedule?

There is no right or wrong answer to any of these questions. Do as much or as little as you are comfortable with. But if it’s not on your calendar you won’t have space for those things to happen.  

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Decorate the house.

Let your home reflect the change in season.  However much or little you want.  Simple changes can make a big difference. It is not about stuffing your shelves with decor from Hobby Lobby. It can be just a few things to represent the season well. Don’t make it too complicated.

Simple changes: 

• Christmas bathroom towels
• a red and green throw blanket on the couch
• fresh greenery in a vase on the counter
• moving furniture for the tree
• lighting candles
• pine cones collected in baskets
• hanging lights and paper chains.

My favorite resource: “Cozy Minimalist does Christmas” by the Nester – online class

I also love searching “simple decor” on Instagram & Pinterest – this often inspires me to do something new. 

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Doing the Christmas-y things with my kids.

Choose the Christmas activities that you and your kids enjoy the most and make time for those things.  Create your family bucket list. Make sure your list has a variety of activities at home, free events, and things the kids can do on their own.

• Gingerbread houses
• Unwrapping books and reading them to the kids
• Decorating the tree and telling stories of each ornament
• driving around to see Christmas lights in pj’s
• attending a Christmas parade, performance or play happening in your town
• filling up a box or two for Operation Christmas Child (early November)
• making goodies from old family recipes
• putting together a jigsaw puzzle (add in cookies and a music for extra points)
• watching movies together snuggled on the couch with fuzzy blankets
• hot coco on the front porch while you listen to an audio book (Classics of Childhood, Vol 3 by Blackstone Audio, one of my favorites – click here for more ideas.)
• Homemade muffins for breakfast while listening to Michel Bublé
• Wrapping gifts – this needs several planned time slots through out the month
• Serving at church and attending the Christmas Eve candle light service.
• Hiding candy canes around the house for the kids to find in the morning.
• The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking  – This book is all about creating a cozy environment for your own family and for others.  Quick, easy read that is full of low key, budget friendly inspiration.
• Christmas themed novels from the library – each year I try to read a different one
• Devotionals in the free Bible App – there is a long list with all kinds of themes and time lengths (6 days, 2 weeks, etc.)

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Food Glorious Food!

This is one of the defining factors of the Christmas season. Baked goods, cookies, casseroles, and soups.  Winter brings out my inner 1950’s Grandma. Living in the Arizona desert makes is difficult to use the oven at other times of the year.  But in the winter when the windows are open and a cold breeze is coming in I get excited to bake and cook.  There is something wonderful about a soup simmering in the crockpot all day!

My favorite resources:

• Magnolia Table by Joanna Gaines
• My Dad, my mother-in-law, family recipes
• Food Network Magazines (& others from the grocery store checkout)
• see this article for more of my favorites

                              

Food anchors the home. It brings in tradition, culture, and family stories. Food is so much more than nourishment and calories.

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Preparing my heart

For this category I have two areas of inspiration. Books read while snuggled on the couch with coffee or hot tea and audio inputs that make any chore more enjoyable. I listen to an audio devotional or podcast while doing the many hours of preparation that Christmas calls for.  Washing dishes and wrapping gifts is way better with a digital friend in my ears. Listening to podcasts reminds me what I care about this season.Podcast Episodes that have impacted me:

• Read Aloud Revival #36, #117 – and so many more..
• Homeschool Highschool #141 “Handling Difficult People During the Holidays”
• The Next Right Thing #62 “Sit Down on the Inside”
• Last but not least has been a beautiful Audio Devotional made by Emily P. Freeman of the Next Right Thing podcast.  Called the “Quiet Collection” it is a 14 day 3-5 minute devotion that centers me each morning as I sit holding my snowman coffee mug.  This year I started the series the day after Thanksgiving and it has made a huge difference for me.

How do we do things differently?

How can we approach this very busy season with a different mindset?

Here are my top 3 practical ideas to prepare you heart for the Christmas season.

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I want to allow this month to be different than the rest of the year. I want to slow down in some ways but also do the preparation to enjoy the season. There are no right or wrong answers for any of this. Do as much or as little as you are comfortable with.

As the mom, wife, maker of home, I set the tone for the season. If I am rushed and grumpy that affects my household. If I see the holidays as “something to just get through” the environment in our home changes. I hope that something here inspires you to celebrate this season in your unique and beautiful way.

Merry Christmas! – April

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