For the first time in my life I haven’t jumped at the chance to get the house covered for Christmas as soon as the Thanksgiving plates were cleared.
The mood just isn’t hitting me. I’m moving at a slower pace. And I think that’s just the way it should be. I finally got a few things up around the house. The two photos featured here were my favorite finds from shopping on Small Business Saturday.
And since today is December 1, I had to get the advent calendar going and get into elf mode. Which meant stockings got hung (I blurred the names on them to keep the girls’ names private) and things went on the mantle. Then after I double-checked the cords and lights on an accent tree, it didn’t work when I got it all together. So I just left there. Maybe I’ll deal with it, oh, sometime before it’s time to pack it back up again.
My point is I’m just not in any rush. I have bought very few gifts and I don’t really have any plans to buy many more. I’m overwhelmed with all the stuff already in our house that I can barely manage, that adding more stuff sends my nerves in a tizzy. I don’t like the feeling of needing to get more of the same, for the sake of having gifts for my children when they have so much already – and mostly create their own play.
I am reminded of this often. Like yesterday when I was opening my new mixer that came in the mail, and the box and packing paper became the highlight of the day. There were flying paper fairies running about the house, squirrels with paper trail tails, rabbits hopping, “Little Red Ridding Hood” that looked more like kid wearing a paper turban on her head, and a Jack in the Box for a very creative magic show put on by three seriously silly sisters.
This is why on Cyber Monday, when Magic Cabin did not honor my 25 percent discount in the too-many-seconds it took their SLOW site to process my order, putting me over the midnight experation mark – even though my credit card had been entered and the discount applied – I got nothing.
Then I took all our catalogues and put them in the recycling bin and deleted all my emails trying to get me to buy something. It was a sign. We don’t need all those things. It’s not what Christmas is about anyway.
The girls have put a few simple things on their lists to Santa and I honestly do not think they expect much more than that. Instead of showering them with gifts this year we bought plane tickets to visit my brother’s family in Colorado. We’ll buy snow boots and get ready for skiing in one of the greatest places on earth, in Aspen.
This month we’ll spend time together at home, making gifts and resisting the temptation to go and do every fun holiday themed event and see the best Santa in town. Instead we’ll be baking gingerbread men with our new mixer, making candy cane cookies and gifts for grandparents. We’ll celebrate my middle child’s birthday with homemade cake, a new mama sewn skirt and a simple stuffed dog that she has asked for.
We’ll go cut down a Christmas tree and put it up when we have time to enjoy it and make a whole day out of hot chocolate drinking and making decorations for the tree. And if all that doesn’t happen that’s okay. We’ll just snuggle up and read a holiday, snowy themed book. Because really, what my girls want the most is more time with me. And seriously, it’s that simple.
What kinds of things do you have planned at home for the holiday’s this year?
