Yesterday I found myself humming the song “Let it Snow.” No, it’s not snowing in Illinois…yet. And honestly, I’m not real excited about it snowing either. But I love the song. As I was singing it in my head, I was suddenly inspired to change the words from “let it snow, let it snow, let it snow” to “let it go, let it go, let it go.”
So that’s our topic for today. What are you choosing to let go of to simplify Christmas this year?
Last year, I let the Christmas cards and letter that I faithfully send out every year go. I just couldn’t get to it and I finally had to “let it go.” This year I let go of my expectation to get the tree up on Thanksgiving weekend. “It’s not worth the stress,” I told myself, “just let it go.” And I did!
What about you?
The giveaway today is Susie Larson’s Hearts at Home book Balance That Works When Life Doesn’t. It’s a perfect book for our “let it go” discussion!
I am not sending Christmas cards and due to my husband's work schedule our activities are to a minimum. We are just enjoying family and home.
I actually REALLY enjoy sending out our Christmas letter, though this year I am letting go of sending out cards. Actually, I am letting go of preparing an elaborate Christmas meal. This year and from now on we will have a simple chili (or maybe a new soup every year). Filling, warm and easy.
Tawnda
I'm letting go the perfect-kids-in-matching-Christmas-outfits picture! It's no fun for them or us, it's expensive with 4 kids, plus it's really not who we are anyway.
I'm letting go (or trying!) of the 'ideal' and making 'reality' the best possible!
Lisa
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I'm with you on the tree thing. I always put it up the day after T-gvg and we just finally did it last night. I always want perfect placement of the ornaments, but with 4 kids it looks kinda hodge-podge the way they decorate it!
I let the Christmas meal go a few years ago and we do baked potato bar or pizza bar now. So much easier and I don't feel bad at all about it.
But this year, what I'm really letting go is the Christmas cookies. I don't have to make a bunch of different kinds and have the perfect tray, right? I'm making one or two favorites and that's it. We don't need the calories and it's too much stress!
I am going to be singing 'let it go' every time I hear that now. I love it!
Nancy
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I'm letting go of the expensive activities we used to do and staying home. I want to start some new traditions this year, like baking with the kids and driving around to look at lights. I was also thinking about caroling in our new neighborhood this year. Things that would bring joy to others.
This year I am letting go of making peanut butter balls. They are my favorite but take up so much time. I usually get some from my mom anyway.
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I'm making a switch from individual teacher gifts (3 kids = 7 gifts, Expensive!) to letting each child choose one book from Scholastic to present to the classroom. They are also working on a special homemade card for each teacher.
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Instead of writing individualized cards to friends and family, we are sending out a photo card to everyone. 🙂 The photo cards were really easy to do since we just used candid pictures and didn't worry about doing a formal posed photo.
Also, instead of baking cookies as gifts for coworkers, I am just putting some individually wrapped candy in small bags — much easier and cheaper! 🙂
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I am not putting up a big tree…. we recently moved from one state to another and are living in a smaller apartment…. the tree had to go this year, but my little ones and I had fun decorating a 3' Charlie Brown tree instead!
This year I'm giving up Christmas cards and letter. I have already had some grief about that from my MIL. She said that her family friend (who hasn't seen my husband in 25 years) was upset because she didn't have a picture of my youngest (8 months old). No one has a picture of him. We just moved 3 months ago, and I haven't had time to send any out. I got very frustrated about whole thing, so I'm also going to work on letting go of my frustration with my in-laws.
I let go of my theme-oriented, ribbon decorated, huge instrument ornamented tree and have embraced our homemade, jewel-glued cardboard ornaments from my 6 year old, ornaments clumped together on one branch because that's where my 3 year can reach and my beads have to be rehung on the bottom half at least once a day because my 18 month old finds them fascinating! And btw- it's the coolest tree we've EVER had!
This year we're letting go the tons of presents. I've asked my parents to only do one gift per person, my in-laws are buying my family a Wii (usually each of my kids gets 4-5 things from them), we're only giving each of our children one gift and have bought a few Wii accessories for the whole family. And that's it.
I'm excited to have only 1-2 well thought out gifts that we'll enjoy rather than a bunch of stuff that gets stored away!
All of the christmas baking! I'm working part-time now, and just can't do it all. I usually give friends and neighbors tins of homemade cookies. This year, the tins will be filled with a super simple "candy popcorn" that the kids can make themselves.
We've also simplified gift giving this year. I have a few friends that I usually exchange small gifts with, and this year we're all strapped financially, so we agreed to forgo our gift exchange and just all meet for an evening at Starbucks.
I am letting go of having the "perfect house decorated" this year. I have a 5 year old, a 2 year old and a 1 year old. My one year old boy is into EVERYTHING! I went and bought a small skinny tree to hide in the corner. I know that if I put up the elaborate HUGE Christmas tree that he would be running around the corner and go straight into and the the entire thing would be on top of him. I have not decorated my entire house like I have in the past because he would just be completely into it and have all of my "breakables" broken. It is not as festive in my house this year with decorations but it is SAFE in our house this year…that is more important!
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Nicole
The past couple of years I have let go of all the baking. My husband is a pastor and we receive lots of goodies from people in our congregation…by the time they got to us, I was all goodied out and wouldn't enjoy their gift. So, we don't do any baking. And it has freed us up, time wise. If we have a little and and if my girls want to bake, I will say "yes" but I don't make a requirement as in past years…that's makes it more special when it does happen.
Deb
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I have let go of many things. We never have spent a ton of money on Christmas (we just have never had it) but this year, we are drawing names for the extended family instead of buying for everyone. It feels weird not to buy for each person, but I believe it will be better and easier this way. It will be nice to focus on just buying one special gift for someone, instead of just 'trying to find something' just to find something, you know?
Baking; fancy decorating; numerous outdoor lights (we're only doing our big tree); just amount a few of the others. I have three sons and our only daughter on the way, and I want to ENJOY this time of year, not stress over it!
Devin
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(also a google reader subscriber)
I'm TRYING to let go of comparing my Christmas list to others! I have felt down about the lesser amount of gifts that my children get compared to others. We spend less on our children than anyone I know, but this is what we feel is right for them and us. I want to teach them to live simply and love God, so I am trying to accept that my ideas are different than the "norm" but that's okay!!
I am giving up on completing my todo list every day before bed. If it doesn't get done, I'll do it another time. What's really important are the PEOPLE in my life!
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I am letting go of the stress of gift shopping. I decided to do something last January to make this Christmas more enjoyable…I bought probably 80% of my gifts for this year (on clearence 75% off). The rest of my gifts I picked up during the year when sales came up. I have all my shopping done at a fraction of the cost 🙂
We are in transition this year, after a cross country move. We are living in a small apartment right now while we are still trying to sell our old house. Our Christmas tree and all of our Christmas decorations, etc. are buried in our storage unit. I have decided not to undo the nice stacking job that the movers did to try to unearth all of that stuff. Instead, we're borrowing a small tree from a friend and a few extra ornaments from my Mom. We're very excited to be back in our home state, celebrating Christmas with our extended family for the first time in 7 years.
I'm giving up having Christmas in Minnesota (which is where all of our family live) to spend Christmas in California. I've never been outside of Minnesota or Wisconsin for Christmas. It will be an adventure with two small boys and our first plane ride as a family.
This Christmas we are not attending the extended family Christmas celebrations & instead just enjoying celebrating our Saviours' birth with our beautiful children. This is very difficult to let go of as I miss our families so much, but it is a 2 day drive to get there & it isn't feasible every year.
It's not new this year, but I never do Christmas cards…
didn't bother with a family picture, either.
However, I am also not much in the Christmas spirit lately!!
Parresia03 (at) gmail (dot) com
Usually I have the tree up right after Thanksgiving..not this year..and it hasn't bothered me as much as I thought it would. Also I'm usually done with all my shopping by Oct. 1st…I just don't like all the hustle and bustle from Novemeber on…but this year I've shopped all the way up until now! I'm finding it's not that hard to "let it go"
Letting go of my elaborate display of all the Christmas cards we receive, and nicely placing them in a neat little basket. Desiring a more simple and less clutter look for Christmas this year. I might even let go of some decorations I have not used in years!
I'm letting go of all decorating other than the tree and mantle as we're moving January 1st! Also, I'm emailing Christmas cards instead of letter mail, and simplifying the baking. I love all the comments from such wise women! We just can't do it all!! I'm going to make sure I spend time with Jesus this season, not just filling all my time with doing stuff…
I REALLY wanted to get a family Christmas picture this year b/c we recently made a huge move from Indiana to Pennsylvania in October. We haven't had a family picture since my 2 year old was newborn. But between the two girls getting bruises, us trying to get home for Thanksgiving, and everything in between, its not worth the stress of worrying about it. I'll get it done in the new year, and send it out then. I'm going to relax and enjoy making new traditions and memories in our new home.
I know this sounds dumb, but I'm letting go the "need" to see my favorite Christmas movies. There never seems to be time to sit down and watch them, and I actually have let myself get annoyed and even upset in past years when Christmas has come and gone and I haven't seen It's a Wonderful Life yet. Seriously, it's silly, so I'm letting it go! No expectations, no disappointments, and Christmas will be that much sweeter as I focus on the things we do get to enjoy!