Perhaps everything holiday always falls on you. But, you are realizing it’s not working for you. You don’t want to be “doing Christmas” from August to get it all done. Maybe it’s a lot of work for not much joy.

There are probably things which you don’t enjoy doing. This is different for everyone. Maybe you don’t like the holiday party, baking, cards, going caroling, Christmas dinner or whatever.

When you think about the holiday, what is the one thing you can’t stand doing?

You have options even if it feels like you have to do it all:

• Let that thing go. Make peace with the feeling of, “I should have…” Let go of the guilt and thinking it has to be done and it has to be done by me. It really doesn’t. We have a cat. We don’t have a tree. And it’s fine.
• Let someone else do it that enjoys it more. My artistic daughter does most of my wrapping and decorating.
• Pare it down. Send less cards. Talk to friends and family about doing gift exchanges where you pick a name instead of getting presents for everyone. Only put up one box of decorations. Bake 3 kinds of cookies instead of ten.
• Do it together. Go shopping with friends, have a cookie trade, fill out cards as a family, have a wrapping party.
• Decide to do it and do it out of love. If it’s really important to someone, go ahead and do it. But, make sure you are feeling love and service before doing it. Doing it out of resentment makes everyone miserable.

Remember – you have a choice!

If you are giving gifts this year, I thought I would help you out with things I use daily so you can give gifts that won’t become clutter.

• Back Buddy Massager
• ALASKA BEAR® Natural silk sleep mask
• HoMedics White Noise Machine for Travel with 6 Nature Sounds
• Wake Up Light Smarlance Sunrise Alarm Clock – natural light to awaken and nature sounds
• Kindle Fire tablet and ebook reader
• Spire – tracks breathing patterns which vibrates when you get stressed (and is also an activity tracker)
• Indus-Tool FWXXX Electric Foot Warmer Mat
• Daily Greatness Yoga Journal
• Sarasa Pens
• 1,001 Ways to Relax
• Magnesium Lavendar Lotion

What are your favorite non-clutter gifts?

P.S. These are affiliate links, but of things I really do use every day

Simple Holiday Plan PLUS Simple Annual Plan Bundle

Do you want a holiday plan that doesn’t have you do a million things you just don’t have time for?

I’ve tried the holiday plans that are online. But, I never finished them. Having simplified my Christmas I didn’t use many of the parts of those plans. And they just made me feel guilty.

Would you like a simpler holiday plan?

I created a plan that I use to keep my holidays organized without overwhelming me.

Plan includes:

• a checklist for each week
• simple steps to take to create the holiday you want
• short cuts and simplifications for many holiday tasks
• questions to help you decide what is important to you and your family
• worksheets and forms

Bundle it with the Simple Annual Plan to help plan your year ahead.

Simple Holiday Plan PLUS the Simple Annual Plan Bundle

Figuring out how you want to feel this season is a way to find out what to say no or yes to.

I want to feel wonder and connection this season. So looking at the lights, going to Christmas eve service, singing in the choir, going to the various social things are yes for me. Baking and decorating aren’t big on my list this year.

For some it may be stillness and silence. Saying no to social obligations and creating extra quiet time is on their list.

For others the holiday season is all about creativity – so they love spending time making, decorating, taking pictures and wrapping presents.

Perhaps this year you want to feel giving and generous so you concentrate on picking presents and volunteering.

How do you long to feel this December?

***

Photo by Guy Schmidt

My daughter created this decoration out of a glass vase, Christmas balls, fluff, green tissue paper and an ornament.

Unless you love to overdo decorating and it’s fun for you (see Giddy Christmas), you may be simplifying your decorating this year.

What helps for me is to come up with a theme – perhaps color (this year it’s red, green, white/silver), or an objects like snow globes or angels, or themes like country, woodland, or 60’s.

A theme limits the decorations you get out of your boxes. All the gold, blue and maroon decorations went back in the box this year. A theme provides a cohesiveness to your decorating. It also allows your creativity to flow as you find objects from other parts of the house to bring into your decorating.

Need some ideas for decorating this year?

Fresh Christmas Colors

Christmas Theme Trends for 2013

What I love about Christmas and other holidays is that you can focus on what you like and are good at. You don’t have to bake beautiful cookies for three days unless you love to do it. You don’t have to decorate your house so everyone ooos and ahs over it unless you want to. You don’t have to send Christmas cards or you can spend a Saturday making handmade cards like my daughter and I do. You don’t have to host any get togethers or you can throw a big bash.

It’s a holiday which means everything is optional. What makes you giddy? Perhaps wrapping exquisite gifts. Or visiting the nursing home singing carols. Or finding the perfect presents for people on your list.

The problem is when you try to do everything over the top. Then you don’t have the time, energy or enthusiasm to do what really calls to you.

If you could only do one thing this season what would it be?

Mark it in your calendar, perhaps invite friends or family to join you and make it fun.

Let your other holiday to dos slim down or decide not to do them at all. Everything else you do this season will just be sprinkles on the cookies.

Simple Holiday Plan PLUS Simple Annual Plan Bundle

Do you want a holiday plan that doesn’t have you do a million things you just don’t have time for?

I’ve tried the holiday plans that are online. But, I never finished them. Having simplified my Christmas I didn’t use many of the parts of those plans. And they just made me feel guilty.

Would you like a simpler holiday plan?

I created a plan that I use to keep my holidays organized without overwhelming me.

Plan includes:

• a checklist for each week
• simple steps to take to create the holiday you want
• short cuts and simplifications for many holiday tasks
• questions to help you decide what is important to you and your family
• worksheets and forms

Bundle it with the Simple Annual Plan to help plan your year ahead.

Simple Holiday Plan PLUS the Simple Annual Plan Bundle

When it becomes busy time, self-care is usually the first thing to go. This is one of those busy times for most people. So by the time the holiday comes, we are tired or sick. Or Grinch-like.

I know I’ve been sick on quite a few holidays. Simplifying Christmas has been so helpful for lessening the stress.

And this year, I decided instead of lessening my self-care, I would amp it up.

I paid for a punch card at our local community recreation to incentivise making it to exercise classes. I only have so much time to use up those punches or I lose money. I’ve been making it about three times a week. I am having so much fun with Zumba. Exercise is a great stress reliever. Then I do weights and yoga at home other days. If you don’t have that much time you can fit in these mostly 15 min. workouts: http://www.youtube.com/befit

I am also letting myself sleep as long as I need to until I wake up naturally. I get more done when well rested. If you can’t sleep in longer due to kids or work, you can go to bed earlier or take a nap.

My goal is to eat 7 fruits and vegetables a day. At least 3, I get through a morning homemade smoothie.

Other ways to add self-care to the holiday season:

• Read an advent reading or inspirational reading daily
• Schedule and take downtime after a big shopping or cooking day. I’ll bet a massage or long bath would feel fantastic!
• Enjoy the fun parts of the season – looking at lights, Christmas carols, movies/TV specials, the smell of pine, connecting with loved ones
• Ask for help with the chores
• Schedule stay at home evenings
• Say no
• Keep checking in with yourself to see what you are feeling, if you are stressed and what you need

The lies we tell ourselves are we don’t have time, it all HAS to be done, and we can’t take time for ourselves. But, we can take care of ourselves, enjoy the holiday and get things done. We get to choose what it is that we want.

If you want to take care of yourself, you will have to plan for it. Otherwise it probably isn’t happening.

***

Photo by: Janet

Reading:

(affiliate link as I think you’d like it)

This past weekend, my husband and I went searching for tracks to drive on in our new, used Jeep. We came to one extremely bumpy dirt road with deep grooves. At the beginning I braced for each bump. But, quickly found out that by tensing my body I made it feel worse.

Instead, I loosened my body and let it flow where it wanted to go. My head bobbed, my waist danced from side to side and I didn’t feel nearly as clobbered.

(Not our Jeep, but you get the picture)

This is a good way to look at the upcoming holiday season. Turkeys will burn, toys will be sold out, you’ll forget to send a card to someone. Expect that things will get screwed up. And go with the flow. They aren’t the disasters we make them out to be when we are over-stressed. In fact they are often the stories for future holidays.

Remember when mom got strep throat and we ended up eating turkey pot pies for thanksgiving? Remember the snow storm where we slept in a gas station parking lot because all of the hotels were filled? Remember how badly you wanted tickle me elmo? And they were sold out, but you got so excited a month after Christmas when you finally got it.  (All true stories for me)

What if this year you relaxed? If you didn’t get worked up over the little things? I want you to really be happy and merry this season.

***

Photo by: W Silver

If you want a Simpler Holiday plan:

Do you want a holiday plan that doesn’t have you do a million things you just don’t have time for?

I’ve tried the holiday plans that are online. But, I never finished them. Having simplified my Christmas I didn’t use many of the parts of those plans. And they just made me feel guilty.

Would you like a simpler holiday plan ?

I created a plan that I use to keep my holidays organized without overwhelming me.

Bundle it with the Simple Annual Plan to help plan your year ahead.

Simple Holiday Plan PLUS the Simple Annual Plan Bundle

Or get the holiday plan alone: Simple Holiday Plan

This week I was seeing some beautiful Valentine’s Day decorating online. So gorgeous and intricate. I was starting to feel a little envious and I wanted to buy a bunch of decorations so I could create my own Valentine’s Day masterpiece. I know by going to the store recently that there are plenty of decorations to buy. Each year the stores seem to put up more and more for each holiday. I don’t remember my parents and grandparents decorating for any holiday except Christmas and maybe a few fall items.

Before I ran out to the store, I came to my senses. Did I really want to buy more stuff that I have to store for over 11 months of the year? Did I want another expense that most likely in the next few years will become clutter when a new way of decorating shows up? And did I really want to spend the time it will take to put up that kind of display?

The answers to all those questions for me was no.

I’m sure for some of you the answers will be yes, and if you have the money and the time it’s a great creative outlet.

Yesterday I did my Valentine’s Day decorating, which took just a few minutes. I brought up my pink plastic storage box from the basement. I found a few things I wanted to use. First I hung a wire red heart.

Then I put my two love tea cups on my entertainment center. (We have no mantle here.)

And finally I hung a Valentine’s Day small box on the porch. Just enough decorating to show a new holiday without having to put all my current decorations away or having to dust around too many knickknacks.

Before you buy any new decorations this holiday, be sure to answer the questions for yourself.