I have a confession to make. I went from loving Christmas as a child to dreading it as an adult.
Let’s face it, when you are the momma, a lot rests on your shoulders to make it magical and I felt the full weight of it all. Add to that my OCD tendencies and wanting everything to be a certain way, you have a perfect blizzard of a storm.
With the commercials, Facebook posts, and all things Pinterest, I just couldn’t keep up. I exhausted myself for years and was left a little disappointed and let down by it all on December 26.
I knew in my heart that it was all about Jesus Christ but the noise often was louder than the joy.
Four kids later, I’ve learned a lot.
I don’t have it perfect but I am enjoying it so much more.
Here are a few little things I do that make a big difference in our holiday. Just simplifying how we celebrate allows more room for Jesus Christ and I love that.
So, for the next few Wednesdays, I plan on sharing a few ways that we simplify and put the joy back in Christmas.
I hope an idea or two helps you as well.
- The Decorations – Don’t feel bad about simplifying your decorations. About 5 years ago, ⅔ of my attic space was overflowing with all things Christmas. Every year, I’d send my poor hubby up the ladder and he’d have to drag it all down only to haul it back up a month later. When we moved, we kissed a lot of it goodbye and haven’t missed it at all. My house is still decorated but only with what matters most to my family. To date, I have yet to miss the huge snowman collection, miles of garland, and 100’s of Christmas trinkets that went to Goodwill. My hubby enjoys Christmas a lot more now also!
- The Tree – My tree will never grace the pages of Southern Living Magazine and that’s okay. When we were first married, I had three trees. Three! Each ornament matched the decor in my house. The tree was decorated with perfect symmetry and the lights were exact. Now, the children decorate ONE tree with ornaments that are plastic or homemade. The bottom half is lucky to have any decorations on it at all thanks to a certain one year old that loves to grab them and leave them in random places throughout the house. I think it’s the prettiest tree in the whole world and it makes my feel happy all over every time I look at it.
Stay tuned next week and we’ll tackle gifts, holiday travel, and Christmas sweaters!
Merry Christmas!
Elizabeth Doan is married to her hubby David for 14 years. Mother to four wonderful kiddos: Sam (10), Sarah (8), Evie Joy (4), and Sadie Rose (6 months). Homeschooling Momma for 4 years with 17 years to go! Elizabeth’s favorite quote in the whole wide world is: “Life is frittered away by details. Simplify, simplify.” -Henry David Thoreau