Usually the day after Remembrance Sunday I start our Christmas preparations.
These preparations normally kick off with the making of the Christmas Chutney.
Not this year.
I love our family traditions. I’m a big believer in developing traditions and creating memories. But I’m also cautious of doing things ‘for the sake of it’ and am keen to prioritise quality family time.
The decision has been made to ‘take Christmas off’ this year.
Things I’m not doing:
1. Making Christmas Chutney (my recipe is here)
2. Slow-cooking Christmas puddings (my recipe is here)
3. Hand-making the majority of the gifts (I made scarves in 2012)
4. Making and sending cards (although I loved making these!)
5. Cooking a Christmas dinner (here’s how to slow-cook turkey)
It’s an experiment. Rather than ‘doing it myself’ this season, I’ll be outsourcing.
I intend to:
1. Run a giveaway, here at the blog, for chutney. Maybe they’ll send me some too?
2. Run another giveaway for a fabulous pud. I won’t be needing one this year – see below.
(Guy’s the giveaways are for you. I’m frequently offered products to review and decline – asking for giveaways instead)
3. Reduce gift-giving even further than previous years. But what I do purchase I will endeavour to buy locally handmade gifts where I can, supporting Mum’s like me. I’ll also be gifting experiences and consumables – but more on that to come!
4. I haven’t sent many cards the last few years, But this year it’ll be zero Christmas cards. The Kids send them – and they’ll be home-made. We’ll have an afternoon crafting for them to make theirs.
5. It’s the first ever year we’ll be eating out on Christmas Day. There’ll be no slow-cooked turkey for us this year. I thought I might feel redundant. I don’t. Already I feel a huge sense of relief. This was not expected.
There’s no plan this year.
No obligation to make or do anything. But that doesn’t mean we won’t be making and doing things. We will. But I’m going to be lead by the Kids’. We’re going to have fun. And by reducing the commitments and ‘must-do’s’ I have, the more we can enjoy this season – I hope?
It may be I change tack again next year, but unless we try other ways of doing things – how can we know what works for us?
As our family matures, our needs and wants change.
In fact in the future, once Santa becomes less of a focal point, my hope is to recreate the infamous Wham Christmas.
Here’s some great advice on spending the Christmas period at a ski-resort with Kids!
There’s much more to come on how Christmas will be this year. This is a conversation starter.
So, please keep the conversation going – what are your Christmas plans this year?
I agree with you about trying something new. The kids will tell you what they are missing and what they are not! This year for us as it is the first year without my dad we will most definitely stick with the traditions more than ever as the grandchildren are already looking for those. Good post and I hope your experiment works well for you :)!
The first Christmas we celebrated it without a dearly loved family member, was very difficult. But my children were too little to really understand. We lit a candle and raised a glass as a toast. Wishing you all the very best this year.
(their departure from our lives was one of the reasons I started reading and writing blog posts – https://simplybeingmum.com/2014/07/02/getting-your-house-in-order/)
Things have changed so much with our family since I started blogging, and tradition broke last year (slightly) regarding the actual day anyway. Now just feels the right time to try something else! 🙂
I agree with you about trying something new. The kids will tell you what they are missing and what they are not! This year for us as it is the first year without my dad we will most definitely stick with the traditions more than ever as the grandchildren are already looking for those. Good post and I hope your experiment works well for you :)!
The first Christmas we celebrated it without a dearly loved family member, was very difficult. But my children were too little to really understand. We lit a candle and raised a glass as a toast. Wishing you all the very best this year.
(their departure from our lives was one of the reasons I started reading and writing blog posts – https://simplybeingmum.com/2014/07/02/getting-your-house-in-order/)
Things have changed so much with our family since I started blogging, and tradition broke last year (slightly) regarding the actual day anyway. Now just feels the right time to try something else! 🙂
Interesting! This seems a somewhat bold move for you, I’m impressed.
We’re having Christmas off this year as well. I haven’t decided what we’re doing on the day yet, but I know it will be a quiet one. Working in marketing, I am well and truly over Christmas by the time it arrives. Been discussing it since April!
Haha! Indeed! A bold move! Things have changed for me this year Lauren. Maybe it was turning Forty? I’m feeling less and less obligated. I care less about what I *should* do.
Hey I’ll be chucking sentimental stuff out next 😉
I know what you mean about being ‘over’ Christmas when you work in certain professions. I’ve always been a marketeer – but I also was a retail buyer for a few years. My Christmas was 365 days a year back in those days before Kids. It was exhausting. All I cared about was my annual ski-trip after the chaos! Hence I’m keen to get back to the slopes each winter now the Kids are more independent.
Have a fab Christmas Lauren! A fab quiet one!
I think I reached that point when I turned 10! lol
Was so tempted to do a Northern Lights holiday for Christmas but we’ve already got a big holiday booked in January and it seemed a bit over the top. One day though!
That sounds lovely Lauren. We went to Lapland in December 2012, and had hoped to see the lights, but didn’t. It was the most A-Mazing experience regardless. such a beautiful place, like something out of this world.
Enjoy your holiday – looking forward to hearing more. Is it down under by any chance?
Interesting! This seems a somewhat bold move for you, I’m impressed.
We’re having Christmas off this year as well. I haven’t decided what we’re doing on the day yet, but I know it will be a quiet one. Working in marketing, I am well and truly over Christmas by the time it arrives. Been discussing it since April!
Haha! Indeed! A bold move! Things have changed for me this year Lauren. Maybe it was turning Forty? I’m feeling less and less obligated. I care less about what I *should* do.
Hey I’ll be chucking sentimental stuff out next 😉
I know what you mean about being ‘over’ Christmas when you work in certain professions. I’ve always been a marketeer – but I also was a retail buyer for a few years. My Christmas was 365 days a year back in those days before Kids. It was exhausting. All I cared about was my annual ski-trip after the chaos! Hence I’m keen to get back to the slopes each winter now the Kids are more independent.
Have a fab Christmas Lauren! A fab quiet one!
I think I reached that point when I turned 10! lol
Was so tempted to do a Northern Lights holiday for Christmas but we’ve already got a big holiday booked in January and it seemed a bit over the top. One day though!
That sounds lovely Lauren. We went to Lapland in December 2012, and had hoped to see the lights, but didn’t. It was the most A-Mazing experience regardless. such a beautiful place, like something out of this world.
Enjoy your holiday – looking forward to hearing more. Is it down under by any chance?
I made it on time! I know I should be in bed, but i just wanted to say good for you! Knowing you need to do things differently to look after yourself and actually doing it are very different things, so well done for being brave, putting you first and changing things up a bit! Right, time for bed! We got home from a reheasal to find mr 7 still awake and stressing about his big drama show this weekend…still awake at 11pm! So tomorrow he will be learning th benefits of slowing down and taking good care of himself by spending it at home with me, relaxing, rather than going to school…we’re all up a bit later than we should be! Enjoy the rest of your day 🙂
Firstly – Go To Bed! haha!
Thanks for making time to come by Clare – I’m planning on e-mailing you later, as much to catch up on.
Hope Mr 7 doesn’t get too stressed! And good luck!
I made it on time! I know I should be in bed, but i just wanted to say good for you! Knowing you need to do things differently to look after yourself and actually doing it are very different things, so well done for being brave, putting you first and changing things up a bit! Right, time for bed! We got home from a reheasal to find mr 7 still awake and stressing about his big drama show this weekend…still awake at 11pm! So tomorrow he will be learning th benefits of slowing down and taking good care of himself by spending it at home with me, relaxing, rather than going to school…we’re all up a bit later than we should be! Enjoy the rest of your day 🙂
Firstly – Go To Bed! haha!
Thanks for making time to come by Clare – I’m planning on e-mailing you later, as much to catch up on.
Hope Mr 7 doesn’t get too stressed! And good luck!
This Christmas will be less stressful for my husband and I. We have limited our “visits” to one on Christmas eve with MY family and one on Christmas day with HIS family. Years of trying to rush and make all the rounds was getting overwhelming and not feeling much fun at all. I felt a great weight lift once we told the families of our plans. I hope that your Christmas is as relaxing as I hope mine will be! 🙂
Sounds like a plan to me Deb! Rushing around is no fun! Fingers crossed we both get the relaxing holiday we both desire 🙂
This Christmas will be less stressful for my husband and I. We have limited our “visits” to one on Christmas eve with MY family and one on Christmas day with HIS family. Years of trying to rush and make all the rounds was getting overwhelming and not feeling much fun at all. I felt a great weight lift once we told the families of our plans. I hope that your Christmas is as relaxing as I hope mine will be! 🙂
Sounds like a plan to me Deb! Rushing around is no fun! Fingers crossed we both get the relaxing holiday we both desire 🙂
For what it’s worth, I think your approach to Christmas sounds wonderful! We have fairly low key Chriatsmases but a few years ago we went to Lanzarote for Christmas. We had tuna sandwiches on a beach for lunch and an all you can eat Chinese buffet for dinner. My 19 year old daughter said again the other day that it was the best Christmas ever! The memories you make in the snow combined with the preparations you are actually going to have time to enjoy with your children by dropping the other things are what life is for 🙂
Well the proof is in the pudding (or no home-made pudding as the case may be this year) – your daughter confirmed that the non-orthodox Christmas was a success! Sounds wonderful! Thank you Penny!
For what it’s worth, I think your approach to Christmas sounds wonderful! We have fairly low key Chriatsmases but a few years ago we went to Lanzarote for Christmas. We had tuna sandwiches on a beach for lunch and an all you can eat Chinese buffet for dinner. My 19 year old daughter said again the other day that it was the best Christmas ever! The memories you make in the snow combined with the preparations you are actually going to have time to enjoy with your children by dropping the other things are what life is for 🙂
Well the proof is in the pudding (or no home-made pudding as the case may be this year) – your daughter confirmed that the non-orthodox Christmas was a success! Sounds wonderful! Thank you Penny!
I stopped sending cards years ago. (I don’t do birthday cards either.) I figure people either love me or they don’t. If we aren’t important enough to each other to communicate throughout the year, then one little card through the holidays won’t improve our relationship, lol.
Hoping your Christmas will be beautiful! Spending time with your loved ones will be the best part, regardless of how many traditions you engage in.
I think your approach is very sensible ref cards! I do send them ocassionally – usually when I want to say something I may not always say that well in person. So a thank you or when trying to show support. But the card really is just a vehicle so I can put my extended thoughts on paper for that person to digest, and keep for a while.
Hope your Christmas will be beautiful also!
I stopped sending cards years ago. (I don’t do birthday cards either.) I figure people either love me or they don’t. If we aren’t important enough to each other to communicate throughout the year, then one little card through the holidays won’t improve our relationship, lol.
Hoping your Christmas will be beautiful! Spending time with your loved ones will be the best part, regardless of how many traditions you engage in.
I think your approach is very sensible ref cards! I do send them ocassionally – usually when I want to say something I may not always say that well in person. So a thank you or when trying to show support. But the card really is just a vehicle so I can put my extended thoughts on paper for that person to digest, and keep for a while.
Hope your Christmas will be beautiful also!
Hi Jo
Your so on the money with how needs and desires change. We are hankering after a simple family affair this year. The last couple of years have been really stressful,December 2010, father in law passed away November 2012, my mother in law passed away. Christmas 2011 was awful, my mother in law was an extremely difficult woman, made even worse by grief. Last year we had an issue in the family where children were being neglected and living in horrendous conditions, that all kicked off in the November and christmas was awash with worry. Those children have now been placed with my sister so we are very much looking forward to giving them the best christmas they have ever had, a non-consumerist one at that. With everything that has gone on (and with me doing a degree) traditions have dropped off and nobody has cared 🙂 so much so that this year is going to be the simplest ever.
Here’s what i’m not doing:
Wrapping presents, thats what gift bags and boxes are for (i have plenty)
Buying for the sake of it, if i cant think of what to buy, i will give cash.
Sending cards, amen to that one.
Cleaning the house from top to bottom before the big day, my house is already clean, tidy and minimalist!
Putting up my traditional 7ft, cost an arm and a leg, takes hours to decorate tree. We have just bought a pre lit twig like tree. Everything else is getting given away. I have a couple of sentimental decorations i will keep them, but it’s all going.
Being the hostess with the mostess. Everyone is coming here for dinner as our house is the biggest there will be 13, everyone will bring something but i will cook the turkey, veg and potatoes.
I will not go near a shop in the 7 days leading up to christmas. The milkman will bring milk cream etc the veg will be prepared ahead and frozen an potatoes keep forever in my shed.
Buying lots of sweets, they aint healthy.
Here’s what i am doing
Shopping online, i have very few presents to buy anyway.
Watching a film every Sunday in the 4 weeks before. Elf and Home Alone are faves.
Pajama fairy 🙂
Decorating minimally (less to put away)
Buying non perishbles a good 10 days before. I simply hate crowds.
Enjoying the togetherness, good food, good family and good memories. Next year i will more than likely be working xmas day 🙁
Brill topic again Jo!
Sharron x
What you are doing sounds fantastic Sharron. Remind me PJ Fairy? Did I copy that idea from you a few years back now? New PJ’s? I also change the duvet covers while they are asleep into Christmas ones! 😉
Christmas can be a very odd time. Maybe it’s the expectation of perfection? It can actually be rather the opposite for families!
Hope you enjoyed NYC – I kept up to date on IG! x
Think you did yeah…I stole ur boxes idea 🙂 New pjs on their bed while they are in the bath, and hot chocolate and mallows in a gift bag. Son (nearly 20!) requested the pajama fairy brings him a new bathrobe this year… Made me laugh that did!
NYC was amazing, a tad consumerry and oh my days don’t get me on the trash… and my feet hurt.. But still amazing!
Sharron x
Hi Jo
Your so on the money with how needs and desires change. We are hankering after a simple family affair this year. The last couple of years have been really stressful,December 2010, father in law passed away November 2012, my mother in law passed away. Christmas 2011 was awful, my mother in law was an extremely difficult woman, made even worse by grief. Last year we had an issue in the family where children were being neglected and living in horrendous conditions, that all kicked off in the November and christmas was awash with worry. Those children have now been placed with my sister so we are very much looking forward to giving them the best christmas they have ever had, a non-consumerist one at that. With everything that has gone on (and with me doing a degree) traditions have dropped off and nobody has cared 🙂 so much so that this year is going to be the simplest ever.
Here’s what i’m not doing:
Wrapping presents, thats what gift bags and boxes are for (i have plenty)
Buying for the sake of it, if i cant think of what to buy, i will give cash.
Sending cards, amen to that one.
Cleaning the house from top to bottom before the big day, my house is already clean, tidy and minimalist!
Putting up my traditional 7ft, cost an arm and a leg, takes hours to decorate tree. We have just bought a pre lit twig like tree. Everything else is getting given away. I have a couple of sentimental decorations i will keep them, but it’s all going.
Being the hostess with the mostess. Everyone is coming here for dinner as our house is the biggest there will be 13, everyone will bring something but i will cook the turkey, veg and potatoes.
I will not go near a shop in the 7 days leading up to christmas. The milkman will bring milk cream etc the veg will be prepared ahead and frozen an potatoes keep forever in my shed.
Buying lots of sweets, they aint healthy.
Here’s what i am doing
Shopping online, i have very few presents to buy anyway.
Watching a film every Sunday in the 4 weeks before. Elf and Home Alone are faves.
Pajama fairy 🙂
Decorating minimally (less to put away)
Buying non perishbles a good 10 days before. I simply hate crowds.
Enjoying the togetherness, good food, good family and good memories. Next year i will more than likely be working xmas day 🙁
Brill topic again Jo!
Sharron x
What you are doing sounds fantastic Sharron. Remind me PJ Fairy? Did I copy that idea from you a few years back now? New PJ’s? I also change the duvet covers while they are asleep into Christmas ones! 😉
Christmas can be a very odd time. Maybe it’s the expectation of perfection? It can actually be rather the opposite for families!
Hope you enjoyed NYC – I kept up to date on IG! x
Think you did yeah…I stole ur boxes idea 🙂 New pjs on their bed while they are in the bath, and hot chocolate and mallows in a gift bag. Son (nearly 20!) requested the pajama fairy brings him a new bathrobe this year… Made me laugh that did!
NYC was amazing, a tad consumerry and oh my days don’t get me on the trash… and my feet hurt.. But still amazing!
Sharron x
Loved the Wham video! Thank you for providing my first Christmas song for 2014. Our kids are older now and all live hours (and hours and hours) away. The time leading up to Christmas has calmed quite a bit in the past few years for us. It’s more of a time to enjoy the preparations for Christmas week when all the kids get here, the house gets loud and fun and full of love and full of crazy. 🙂 I hope you and yours enjoy making all kinds of new memories.
I should imagine its wonderful having them all home and getting prepared altogether. I can imagine it!
Glad you enjoyed the video!
Loved the Wham video! Thank you for providing my first Christmas song for 2014. Our kids are older now and all live hours (and hours and hours) away. The time leading up to Christmas has calmed quite a bit in the past few years for us. It’s more of a time to enjoy the preparations for Christmas week when all the kids get here, the house gets loud and fun and full of love and full of crazy. 🙂 I hope you and yours enjoy making all kinds of new memories.
I should imagine its wonderful having them all home and getting prepared altogether. I can imagine it!
Glad you enjoyed the video!
I think you’re absolutely right that as our situations change, the holidays – just like the rest of our lives – need to change, so that they are serving us instead of the other way around. We’ve gone through so many stages. The last few years, Christmas has become a combination of something we want to do and something to slog through, as we host our mothers and I spend part of the day with my father in his nursing home. I’ve tried to make it easier on myself by not sending cards and by reducing or cutting out gift-giving, baking and decorating. We’ve needed to put people first, and there is just no time or energy for much else than dinner together. This year there is an added twist – we are also celebrating (on a different day) with our daughter and her husband about two hours away, as she will be only a couple of weeks away from having their baby, and has health issues. To help her out, we will be taking the full meal with us. My husband has gradually taken on more of the work, so we share the load and that helps. So – it’s all about adapting to whatever the current needs/wants are!
Putting people first is such an important aspect and like you will be a priority for us this year. We will be decorating etc…but it’ll be an activity, definitely not a chore. I’m hoping that by reducing all the stuff that I’m doing automatically, it’ll free up some time. It’s lovely you will be able to celebrate with your daughter. Such an exciting time – the arrival of a new baby. How wonderful. I hope everything goes well!
I think you’re absolutely right that as our situations change, the holidays – just like the rest of our lives – need to change, so that they are serving us instead of the other way around. We’ve gone through so many stages. The last few years, Christmas has become a combination of something we want to do and something to slog through, as we host our mothers and I spend part of the day with my father in his nursing home. I’ve tried to make it easier on myself by not sending cards and by reducing or cutting out gift-giving, baking and decorating. We’ve needed to put people first, and there is just no time or energy for much else than dinner together. This year there is an added twist – we are also celebrating (on a different day) with our daughter and her husband about two hours away, as she will be only a couple of weeks away from having their baby, and has health issues. To help her out, we will be taking the full meal with us. My husband has gradually taken on more of the work, so we share the load and that helps. So – it’s all about adapting to whatever the current needs/wants are!
Putting people first is such an important aspect and like you will be a priority for us this year. We will be decorating etc…but it’ll be an activity, definitely not a chore. I’m hoping that by reducing all the stuff that I’m doing automatically, it’ll free up some time. It’s lovely you will be able to celebrate with your daughter. Such an exciting time – the arrival of a new baby. How wonderful. I hope everything goes well!
I work in retail in Devon and my family are all in Kent. I’ll be working Christmas Eve and Boxing Day and will be home alone on Christmas day. I may be going out to lunch with a friend or I may get myself something really indulgent in a ready meal kind of way with a nice bottle of wine and some choccies and chill out for the day. Hoping to head back to Kent and see the family mid Jan which will cheer up the post holiday season blues.
I only do gifts for my Mum and the under 18s in the family which now amounts to four people so that’s not too taxing. I do buy for quite a few friends children but they generally get book vouchers or money as that way they get something they want (and there’s no postage hassle!).
I’m slowly starting to realise that ‘should’ and ‘ought’ can be very limiting words and am trying to stick to what is right for me.
http://lessismoreihope.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/lately-nov-12th.html
Go out to lunch Claire!
Gosh working either side of Christmas, I hope you get some time to relax? It’s good to hear you’ll be able to spend after Christmas with your family.
Agree ref ‘should’ – it ‘should’ be banned! 🙂
Haven’t finished book yet, but when I do I’ll post out.
I work in retail in Devon and my family are all in Kent. I’ll be working Christmas Eve and Boxing Day and will be home alone on Christmas day. I may be going out to lunch with a friend or I may get myself something really indulgent in a ready meal kind of way with a nice bottle of wine and some choccies and chill out for the day. Hoping to head back to Kent and see the family mid Jan which will cheer up the post holiday season blues.
I only do gifts for my Mum and the under 18s in the family which now amounts to four people so that’s not too taxing. I do buy for quite a few friends children but they generally get book vouchers or money as that way they get something they want (and there’s no postage hassle!).
I’m slowly starting to realise that ‘should’ and ‘ought’ can be very limiting words and am trying to stick to what is right for me.
http://lessismoreihope.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/lately-nov-12th.html
Go out to lunch Claire!
Gosh working either side of Christmas, I hope you get some time to relax? It’s good to hear you’ll be able to spend after Christmas with your family.
Agree ref ‘should’ – it ‘should’ be banned! 🙂
Haven’t finished book yet, but when I do I’ll post out.
After living in Canada for 20 years where Christmas is often snow and fires and all that jazz here we are back in Oz with 40 degrees, the pool and cold food. Over here this is pretty much all we can do so not too much at this end but family and swimming. Presents are minimum and I love the idea of home made, though not everyone is on board with this. I would love some of that chutney. Maybe the future holds a chutney swap 🙂 It may be pricey to mail them but alot of fun none the less. I love the picture of you by the tree Jo. So festive! See you Friday ( yours).
After living in Canada for 20 years where Christmas is often snow and fires and all that jazz here we are back in Oz with 40 degrees, the pool and cold food. Over here this is pretty much all we can do so not too much at this end but family and swimming. Presents are minimum and I love the idea of home made, though not everyone is on board with this. I would love some of that chutney. Maybe the future holds a chutney swap 🙂 It may be pricey to mail them but alot of fun none the less. I love the picture of you by the tree Jo. So festive! See you Friday ( yours).
I love this idea. Your phrase about keeping to a tradition just for the sake of doing it, spoke loudly to me. I adore traditions, but once it becomes an obligation to fulfill, we’ve lost the whole point. That’s when it is time to step back, take a breath and change the pace for a time. See if you want the tradition to stay the same. If so, you can return to it next year. If not, you can develop newer special holiday traditions for your family.
Since my little ones are only two and 6 weeks, we don’t have any carved-in-stone traditions yet. But my mom, with whom we celebrate every year, keeps to tradition as if it’s a life and death matter, and seems to feel we’re ruining the whole holiday if we don’t do things EXACTLY the same year to year. She kind of panics if things get switched up at all. It takes the fun out of things. Honestly, if I had my way, we would take a year to do things completely differently, just for a diversion from the usual. Instead of a dinner at home, eat out. Or just have dinner catered. I don’t find cooking enjoyable personally, so I really don’t like spending my holiday in the kitchen, cooking and then cleaning up. For me, I would rather let dinner be catered and enjoy my time the way that suits me better. Cooking a big meal on a holiday is just a big stress for our family.
This comment has turned into a rant… oops. 🙂 Oh well; family… what are you going to do? 🙂 Thanks for this post, Jo. I continue to enjoy reading your blog; it is one of a few that keep me motivated to reduce life’s clutter in my home and daily practices.
I love this idea. Your phrase about keeping to a tradition just for the sake of doing it, spoke loudly to me. I adore traditions, but once it becomes an obligation to fulfill, we’ve lost the whole point. That’s when it is time to step back, take a breath and change the pace for a time. See if you want the tradition to stay the same. If so, you can return to it next year. If not, you can develop newer special holiday traditions for your family.
Since my little ones are only two and 6 weeks, we don’t have any carved-in-stone traditions yet. But my mom, with whom we celebrate every year, keeps to tradition as if it’s a life and death matter, and seems to feel we’re ruining the whole holiday if we don’t do things EXACTLY the same year to year. She kind of panics if things get switched up at all. It takes the fun out of things. Honestly, if I had my way, we would take a year to do things completely differently, just for a diversion from the usual. Instead of a dinner at home, eat out. Or just have dinner catered. I don’t find cooking enjoyable personally, so I really don’t like spending my holiday in the kitchen, cooking and then cleaning up. For me, I would rather let dinner be catered and enjoy my time the way that suits me better. Cooking a big meal on a holiday is just a big stress for our family.
This comment has turned into a rant… oops. 🙂 Oh well; family… what are you going to do? 🙂 Thanks for this post, Jo. I continue to enjoy reading your blog; it is one of a few that keep me motivated to reduce life’s clutter in my home and daily practices.
Kudos to you! Here in the US there are all these “Traditions” that simply make the month between our traditionally giant Thanksgiving (the 4th Thursday in Nov) Turkey or Ham dinner and Christmas a non stop race. The tree, and cookie exchanges, office parties, school class parties, gifts for every teacher, hair dresser, babysitter, newspaper delivery person – the list goes on and on. I used to send out close to 100 X-mas cards each year, now I am lucky if I receive 20 and that is about what I send out. We eat out every year on Christmas, and this year I plan to either order the Thanksgiving or also eat out. I used to really enjoy the season, until all of the “have to’s” started making me feel too tired and stressed.
I want to be able to spend a day skiing or sledding with my family. I want to be able to meet up with my friends and go ice skating on Fountain Square, or enjoy lunch and a movie, or organize a sitter and have a real night out with my husband :)!
Kudos to you! Here in the US there are all these “Traditions” that simply make the month between our traditionally giant Thanksgiving (the 4th Thursday in Nov) Turkey or Ham dinner and Christmas a non stop race. The tree, and cookie exchanges, office parties, school class parties, gifts for every teacher, hair dresser, babysitter, newspaper delivery person – the list goes on and on. I used to send out close to 100 X-mas cards each year, now I am lucky if I receive 20 and that is about what I send out. We eat out every year on Christmas, and this year I plan to either order the Thanksgiving or also eat out. I used to really enjoy the season, until all of the “have to’s” started making me feel too tired and stressed.
I want to be able to spend a day skiing or sledding with my family. I want to be able to meet up with my friends and go ice skating on Fountain Square, or enjoy lunch and a movie, or organize a sitter and have a real night out with my husband :)!
Sarah, maybe it’s time to start your own traditions with 2 little ones, like minimal cooking and doing something different every year. Can you talk to your mum about how you feel? You have to do what you want otherwise you may end up resenting the chores of Christmas, rather than the joys. Hope you enjoy Christmas 2014. X Ruth
Sarah, maybe it’s time to start your own traditions with 2 little ones, like minimal cooking and doing something different every year. Can you talk to your mum about how you feel? You have to do what you want otherwise you may end up resenting the chores of Christmas, rather than the joys. Hope you enjoy Christmas 2014. X Ruth
We really enjoy Advent, the run up to Christmas, with the atmosphere and all, taking it easy etc. It’s getting more commercial here in Switzerland, too, but as we get older, we bother less 🙂
I will only be sending a few cards to relatives and friends abroad, as if I sent any to anyone here, they’d think I was weird LOL. For the past few years I have used leftover cards so not sure many are left and might make some if I feel like it one chilly afternoon when the kitchen smells of baking or mulled wine… 🙂
Once I cut right down on expectations, things improved a lot. In the end, I was really the only one who cared! Typical.
We really enjoy Advent, the run up to Christmas, with the atmosphere and all, taking it easy etc. It’s getting more commercial here in Switzerland, too, but as we get older, we bother less 🙂
I will only be sending a few cards to relatives and friends abroad, as if I sent any to anyone here, they’d think I was weird LOL. For the past few years I have used leftover cards so not sure many are left and might make some if I feel like it one chilly afternoon when the kitchen smells of baking or mulled wine… 🙂
Once I cut right down on expectations, things improved a lot. In the end, I was really the only one who cared! Typical.
We are yet again having our first Christmas in a new house. My daughters first Christmas in England, all of our first Christmas in Somerset. Lots of firsts all around. We are having a no visit Christmas, there has been a lot of change in our lives in the last few months and we would like a bit of time with our children to just be and not have to worry about anything. We will see in laws before and my parents at new year, both here and not dragging children hours in a car to visit people. Last year we had a Christmas eve box and that was fun I think we will do it again. We also had Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve and didn’t cook at all on Christmas day. It was different but it was nice to play with the children and their games and books rather than run off after it was all open and spend the day in the kitchen. I am not sure what we will do this year yet but I am sure whatever we do it will work out. Enjoy your day. 🙂
We are yet again having our first Christmas in a new house. My daughters first Christmas in England, all of our first Christmas in Somerset. Lots of firsts all around. We are having a no visit Christmas, there has been a lot of change in our lives in the last few months and we would like a bit of time with our children to just be and not have to worry about anything. We will see in laws before and my parents at new year, both here and not dragging children hours in a car to visit people. Last year we had a Christmas eve box and that was fun I think we will do it again. We also had Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve and didn’t cook at all on Christmas day. It was different but it was nice to play with the children and their games and books rather than run off after it was all open and spend the day in the kitchen. I am not sure what we will do this year yet but I am sure whatever we do it will work out. Enjoy your day. 🙂