We simplified errrything around Christmas years ago. It’s a process that we’ve refined to probably too fine a point (oops) and our family are discussing adding a couple of new traditions back into the mix next year to plump it back up a bit. Unlike the frenzy and overwhelm most people are having at this time of year. Christmas barely causes a ripple in our home.Taking very little time to prepare for and mostly being able to be fitted in amongst regular life. Buying Christmas cards while out shopping in November. An afternoon putting up a tree here. A couple of nights of baking after dinner there. When Christmas does roll around it is a time of such peace, calm and joy. Enjoyment of food, relaxation and the company of friends and family. For us this starts at Christmas and goes right up into the first few days of the New Year. We absolutely cherish this time .

What do we do in all this calm down time. We goal set. Share our plans for the coming year. Laugh. Go on outings and adventures. Sit around like sloths. Watch movies. Have drinks or meals with friends and family. Napping is encouraged at any time of the day and you’ll often find family or friends sprawled on lounges, floors and beds where they’ve nodded off. We tidy and do just enough housework to keep us in clean clothes, dishes and bathrooms. Life during this time period is taken very very slooow.

 

The first step for us when we started simplifying the festive season years ago was when we felt it had just gotten beyond ridiculous. The running around, mountains of gifts, cards, get togethers. So much food and leftovers there was not enough tupperware to contain it all. Hours spent shopping, preparing, wrapping, posting, decorating, cleaning, cooking, packing, unpacking, organising. At least one but usually multiple people stuck in kitchens. This is Australia – land of intense summer heat. So Kitchens at Christmas do not look like those wonderful scenes of people in cozy sweaters and warm kitchens baking cookies. I kinda wish they did. All in all what we had was loads of expectation, anxiety and work when in theory it was supposed to be a time of rest, relaxation and time with people we love.

 

 

We’re all at different stages in our lives and families. So there is no one size fits all. Young kids, No Kids. Grown Kids. Singles. Coupled. Large and Small families. Broken, fixed, merged families. But if more calm and relaxation, time with family and friends sounds like a great thing to you, there are things common to most of us that you can look at. There are very few people who can not make their routine simpler than it currently is. Think about these this silly season while you celebrate with a mind to what you can or would like to change for next year or even this one.

Remember: Habit and Expectation is your enemy in this. Both yours and others. Put aside your “normal”. Designing Traditions that work for you and the people that you are closest too is the aim.  Here’s where we started.

Cards

Read about that here

Presents

That one you’ll get tips for here

 

 

Food

This was a big one. We started with our “üsual” Christmas shopping list and menu and whittled it down a bit every year. Like most people we always had tonnes of leftovers, piles of junk food and soft drink. Days and days and weeks of leftovers. Fridges and Freezers bulging at the seams. We started simply and just questioned how much we bought of everything. A few less litres of soft drink. A couple less choices and bags of chips and confectionery. A kilo of so less ham, bacon etc. A couple less baked items.Our concern was running out of food. We never did. Not once. We reduced that list for another 3-5 years before we got to a point where for us it was perfect. The level of “Oh God, I ate too much” also reduced but full disclosure we often still had to undo that pesky top button on our pants after feasting

We also looked at what we ate. If a food was miles of preparation or cooking – it was gone. We didn’t want anyone stuck in a kitchen for days before or on Christmas day. Family faves were kept. Foods that could be cooked or bought and prepped ahead of time got a place on the table and we kept Master Lists of what and how much we’d bought. The next year we’d refine a bit more. We still had to go to the shops just before Christmas for the fresh foods but it was a much simpler, quicker task and thanks to Master lists everything else had been bought and packed away for Christmas on regular grocery shopping trips often while they were discounted.

 

 

Travel

If this is not an issue for you great. It seems to be for many though. We worked by the credo that the children of the family should only have to eat and play with their new toys on Christmas Day. Not spend their time in cars travelling to various houses. The adults came to the kids – not the other way around. How we often got around that as a large extended family was travelling to a central area prior to Christmas. Usually one of the family houses.  Often just a day or so before Christmas or on Christmas Eve. Come Christmas Day. No-one moved. Family that could stay longer on holidays did and friends came and went as they could regards to work and time off but that day…. everyone plonked in one spot and just enjoyed themselves. Did we or do we ever have to travel Christmas Day. Yes. It is rare though. Life happens and we roll with it. There are many alternatives I’ve heard along the way. People travelling alternate years. Get togethers prior to Christmas or after.  Start with your goal in mind. Have the conversations you need to have with others and find a way to achieve that or get closer too it.

Of course there are other things you can do to help you simplify and organise for a calmer Christmas. Starting with these 4 will get you off to a great start. Are you facing any other challenges, you’d like some ideas for? Have you found answers and ideas you like to share? We’d love for you to comment below. Until next time… Merry Christmas to you all. I hope you all have a great and joyous day.

 

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