I’m going to let you in on a little secret: I don’t start any Christmas preparations until after December 1. Seriously.
That might sound odd coming from a person who usually is a pretty meticulous planner, however, I’ve found that waiting until December to start Christmas preparations helps tremendously to keep things simple.
And keeping things simple is one of the most important things to me about Christmas. If I’m running around like a chicken with my head cut off and feeling completely overwhelmed and stressed, it’s not worth it to me. I’d rather keep it simple, do less, and have time to really enjoy the Christmas season and all that it entails.
With this in mind, our family chooses a few things each year to do and enjoy during the Christmas season. Each year, it’s a little different–and that adds to the fun!
This year, we’re choosing to enjoy lots of Christmas music, put up our first Christmas tree and lights on our home, have a cookie-baking day, make homemade gifts for a few friends and family, read Christmas stories and books, attend a few get-togethers with friends, go caroling to some elderly folks and shut-ins, celebrate Advent with a Jesse Tree, get a few special gifts for our immediate family members, and enjoy lots of memorable time with family. We spread out these activities over the whole month of December so that no week is packed to the gills and we’re able to take time to savor each thing.
Over the next few days, I’ll be sharing a little peek into our family’s simple Christmas celebrations this year. My goal in sharing is not so that you’ll feel like you need to do exactly what we do (please don’t!) but to just inspire you (hopefully!) to consider choosing what really matters to your family this Christmas and to encourage your family to stop and savor the sights, smells, and sounds of this season!
May your Christmas season be a wonderfully blessed, unhurried, and joyful time of year, a time for making memories, sharing laughter with family and friends, and, most of all, remembering the One Who was born so long ago in a humble manger.