Joy is not a Complicated Task
Holidays tend to get busy and overwhelming. So how can you slow it down, trim it, and still make it a terrific holiday season? It can be done and it is a combination of realistic expectations, reasonable budgets, and understanding simplicity.Simplify the decorations. A big light bill in January will not make anyone happy. So keep the lights to a minimum and use them only when there is someone home to enjoy them. Use last year’s Christmas wrapping to wrap a couple paintings on the wall. All of the sudden your room is decorated and that part cost you nothing but a little time. Perhaps the new tradition should be the lights aren’t turned on until Christmas eve. It’s an idea.Gifts are a big part of Christmas. However, some of the more memorable gifts are not elaborate or expensive. One year creative teenager with no money to spend, made a snowman family in the front yard for Christmas. It was perfect. It may be the time your sister took all the material scraps from the house and made dresses for your doll. It may have been the year you gave your brother certificates for days that you would do his chores. Not all gifts have to be sentimental instead of material gifts, but sometimes there is room for both.Bring the focus of the season away from “things” and back torelationshipsand people. When people are happy things simply work better. It may be that renting a movie, making popcorn, and lounging at home is better than fighting for the best toy in the store. Give it a thought.Food is typically a big part of the holidays. However, it could be a roasted chicken would be a great alternative to a huge turkey dinner. It might be that if everyone helps prepare the meal it would be more fun. It could be that just eating regular old food on the finest china with cloth napkins and napkin rings makes it a special dinner.Refuse to get caught up in what everyone else is doing. If the neighbor wants to light up the neighborhood and play music, don’t compete, just enjoy.Celebrate withmusic. In almost every town or city, there is a radio station playing holiday music. It is acceptable to attend school concerts and plays even if your family is not performing. These are simple easy ways to bring Christmas back into your home.Don’t give up any traditions that everyone loves, but be willing to make changes because everyone needs change.
