I love Christmas. But I hate it too, and just go into survival mode each year as the season approaches and I am behind on everything.
I love Christmas decorations, Christmas movies, Christmas songs, and atmosphere of anticipation along with that certain wistful, homey feeling. And I really love the spiritual part too, feeling awestruck, and the building up to celebrating the birth of Jesus. But I hate the too-much-to-do, the crazy spending, the pressure to find the perfect gift for tons of people, the feelings of guilt when I just can’t pull off sending Christmas cards yet another year, and the pressure I put on myself to create a magical time for my family.
This just isn’t healthy at all.
My solution is to start in August. I hear others have done this, and I have planned to for about the last umpteen years, but this year I am actually going to do it. In fact, I already bought 2 of the 300 presents that I need to buy (or make, hahaha), bought some Christmas paper and ribbon, and scheduled our company Christmas dinner at the venue of our choice. And today I started perusing catalogs. So far, so good.
I also really do not like decorating for Christmas and then undecorating a few weeks later. However, I really love my home decorated for Christmas. Such a dilemma. I have already tried simplifying and downsizing, but it still takes many hours. I am pondering how to be wise about this. Maybe this year I could try hiring a teenager to help. Maybe I could simplify and downsize more. Maybe less is more. I will try to convince myself of that between now and then.
Another strategy I am going to employ is not taking on too many things, after all a person is finite. Last year was probably the most insane Christmas season that I can remember, and I definitely do not want a repeat of that type of Christmas. Here are some of the things that were on my plate: I was in the middle of my last class for my bachelor degree – Statistics, no less; I volunteered to be in charge of the Ugly Sweater Contest at work; I was responsible for hosting my husband’s company Christmas party in our home; I made Christmas-in-a-Bag’s for all the members of our church; I needed to make an impressive basket for a silent auction for my husband’s client; and we had a 5 day trip to Disney World the first week of December. Noodled into all of that was the usual holiday “necessities” and festivities.
No wonder I felt overwhelmed, but the clincher is that I really enjoy doing all of those things. I just need to know my limitations and be judicial in what I agree to take on.
So, this is a nudge to all of you who find yourselves in similar straits in December, and an encouragement to start now and approach Christmas in a wiser way.
Merry Christmas! Truly!!!
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. You will not be charged anything extra.
True words and a smart idea to start now especially since the requests to volunteer start at this time as well. My mom is the queen of being ahead of the game by starting in July and all my life I thought it took away from that Christmas feeling but I see the wisdom in it now. — And by the way, there will be an art show to add to your calendar this December 🎨, I don’t know the date yet.
My mom started early too. I know because I would find bags in her closet and peek. She also kept things very simple and I never saw hr stressed or sensed that she was overwhelmed.
I hope I can make it to your art show!
I’m hauling out all my Crustmas fabric this week and going to get started on my many, most not accomplished, craft projects and homemade Christmas gifts.!!
It will be the best Christmas ever then!
I have a blog as well, and I think I need to improve the
given information
I have on the website. Anyways, I wanted to compliment you on your just
blog.
Thank you for your kind words. Good luck with your blog!