Around our house, we really LOVE Christmas! We usually start playing Christmas music in November because it just makes us happy!
But even though we love the holidays, we’ve actually decided to SIMPLIFY Christmas. And it’s just as FUN!
This year, our Christmas tree is not even fully decorated. The beads only made it halfway up. I decided there was no reason to even put the ladder away— it’s absolutely fine.
I just puddled the beads next to a stuffed elf to make it look like he was in the process of decorating the tree. lol
We used to set up an elaborate Christmas village. We didn’t even get it out, this year, so no one can complain about having to pack it all away.
Although, I look forward to all the Christmas lights, we personally put up very few. It’s much more fun to drive through the neighborhoods and look at everyone else’s!
And even though buying presents for people is one of my FAVORITE things— we’ve radically simplified our gift-giving and tried to make Christmas about presents for the little kids.
Instead of gifts for our extended family, we plan a trip or just devote more time to hanging out together. Just being with the PEOPLE we love is best of all!
I guess what I’m trying to say is… try to avoid the SELF-INFLICTED stress of the season:
- Stop trying to please other PEOPLE!
- Stop straining your FINANCES!
- Stop trying to live a picture PERFECT life!
- Stop STRESSING over the lack of TIME to do it all!
Just because we’ve done it before…doesn’t mean we STILL have to always do all the SAME things!
That isn’t what the season is about…AT ALL!!! There IS a reason for the season, and it isn’t to make Amazon more money or to please neighbors we only see a couple of times a year.
Christmas is the time we celebrate the birth of JESUS!!!
So it doesn’t really matter what’s under the tree, who had the best light display, or the prettiest decorations… because we already have Jesus, the GREATEST GIFT of all!
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What are your favorite parts of the season? Do those things and FORGET the rest!
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