How to Have a Very Merry Calm Christmas

How do you feel by the end of the Christmas Season? Does the following resonate…

 “The stockings were hung by the chimney with care…

In hopes that Christmas would be over soon so I can slow down, step away from the Holidaze, and take a long winter’s nap!!”

 I remember a few years back, when I had four young kids at home, holiday seasons left me so wiped out, I felt like I needed a month off from life.

 Part of the problem was I loved Christmas.

Now that doesn’t seem like a problem, unless, like me, loving Christmas leads to doing and buying and eating “all the things.” And I could get pretty legalistic about it. So, if I didn’t do “it” all, Christmas was a disappointment.

 I don’t know where this need to pull together a perfect Christmas came from. I wonder if maybe it stems back to the year I found out there was no actual Santa. I must’ve been about 12. Yes – I was a late bloomer when it came to Santa.

 I remember finding out the truth.

Don’t remember how. But I felt it was my unfortunate duty to let my parents know, I knew. So at the end of another wonderful Christmas, I went into my parents’ bedroom and let them know I knew there was no Santa. I have to admit I was devastated. Santa was so much more magical than my parents – as nice and generous as they were. And I actually felt sorry for my parents too. I imagined it wasn’t as much fun for them to buy gifts for kids who knew the truth.

 I cried hard that night.

 And maybe, though I’ll never know for sure, that’s when the desire to recreate and even improve upon my own Christmas of yore came to be. Then, once I had children, I acted on that desire. And my husband was a willing (and maybe sometimes unwilling) partner.

Here’s what Christmas looked like for us:

•  We decorated to the hilt, amassing an over 100-piece collection of Santas (we were actually on the Today Show with our collection).

• We had to pick our own Christmas tree from an authentic farm (don’t ask about the treacherous ice storm I insisted on going out in one year).

• I was famous for my delectable butter brickle placed in a carefully chosen vessel and wrapped meticulously for every teacher (four kids’ worth of teachers in every subject…and some for the Teacher’s Room too, of course).

• I made about 20 varieties of cookies and bars – and had to scour the holiday issues of every magazine to look for at least two new cookies to try each year.

• We went to grandpa’s house, grandma’s house, and the other grandma’s house.

• I hosted a Christmas feast for over 25 each year.

• I aimed to make every Christmas gift dream come true for my children.

• I could go on – Santa visits, kids’ activities, decorations everywhere (let’s not forget the angel collection, snow globe collection, Christmas book collection, nutcracker collection), every light, chandelier, sconce, and lamp bedecked with ribbon, even in the bathrooms, fresh greens with holly berries laced with more satin ribbons in every room…

I suppose it’s no wonder, by the time the day after Christmas rolled around, I was absolutely bone tired.

I couldn’t do another thing…except spend the day with my sisters in our pjs eating leftovers.

Even if you’re not over the top like me (don’t worry…the former me), I imagine especially if you’re a mom with young kids, you’re pretty tired by the end of the holiday season.

 I’d like to offer an alternative to doing it all, getting it all, eating it all this Christmas. I’d like to offer a few ways you can Cultivate Christmas Calm in exchange for the Christmas Crazies.

 How about we determine ahead of time what’s most important this holiday season. That way, we can choose to prioritize the most important things.

 Here’s how:

1. Determine Your Priorities – What are your non-negotiables for Christmas? (Keeping COVID in mind, of course:(

   • Who are the most important people?

   • What are the can’t-miss events?

   • What will fill your Christmas cup the most?

2. Decide What You Can Do Without - There are usually a few things we do just for the sake of tradition, but they don’t mean that much to us.

3. Lower Your Expectations in Light of COVID – There are people we can’t visit and places we can’t go. Best to take a look at that in the beginning of the season to avoid too much disappointment.

4. Exchange a More Complicated Tradition for a Simpler One – Add a little something new that adds a little sparkle to this holiday. Easy but exciting!

5. Make a Budget and Consider Coming Up with a Gift Plan – I once heard of one busy mom’s solution to too many gifts that I think is a great idea – Something to wear, something to read, something they need, and one Aha gift. Regardless, determine a budget ahead of time and stick to it!!

 Christmas really can be the Most Wonderful Time of the Year with a little forethought and planning. How will you give yourself the gift of a calmer Christmas?