Holiday Simplicity December 16, 2014
Posted by nrhatch in Food & Drink, Life Balance.comments closed
After reading Simplify Your Life in 1997, we stopped stressing over the holidays. We do what we enjoy doing, and don’t do stuff that feels like a chore. We’ve decided Less is More.
We do not spend hours putting up a BIG tree or untangling lights.
We have a tabletop tree that we store decorated with favorite ornaments ~ many handmade. It’s good to go in about 15 minutes.
Other decorations collected over the years (Santas, Reindeer, Elves) go from boxes to shelves in about 60 minutes.
When our nieces and nephews were tiny toddlers, I gifted Santas to them (which helped keep our decorations in check).
Instead of shopping ’til we’re dropping, we send cheery cards and college checks to nieces and nephews, and consumables (food, wine, snacks, books) to family and friends.
BFF and I don’t exchange Christmas gifts with each other. Instead, we spend time creating experiential memories together.
Ignoring the call of the mall leaves us with time and energy to enjoy local Holiday Offerings . . . like the Candy Cane Crawl, Christmas Town at Busch Gardens, and PIZZA on Pine Avenue.
We stopped sending Christmas Cards to everyone we’ve ever known in every place we’ve ever lived or worked (NJ, VA, SC, NC, MD, and here).
Culling the list from 250+ people we barely remember to those we genuinely care about and want to see again is a HUGE time saver each December.
Which gives us a chance to enjoy Choirs of Angels in Santa Hats.
Once they get situated with their hats on straight.
A new tradition this year ~> collecting and gathering spare change to toss into the big red buckets manned by ubiquitous bell ringers.
Together with our cheery HO~HO~HO!
Aah . . . that’s better!
What are your favorite traditions? Which ones could you do without?
Spirit Lights The Way 