We’ve all heard the phrase “less is more” but how does it apply to the holiday season?
Here’s how I explain it to my organizing clients: the average home has over 300,000 items, excluding what Santa is bringing to town. More stuff = more time = more stress. By choosing less, we can flip that story and give ourselves more time, more grace, and more space to celebrate.
Now more than ever, our kids need us to be mindful, present mommas. Here are a few ideas for doing less so we can experience more of the holidays:
Go Easy On the Decor
I’m no Grinch but untangling hundreds of lights certainly makes me a grouch!
This year, I’ve left my ladder in the garage and purged any decoration that’s difficult to assemble, install, or put away. Instead of hauling every Christmas box from the basement, I hung our favorite keepsakes at the top of our tree, handed my four year old the shatterproof ornaments, and #letjesustakethewheel.
I invite you to see how much you can streamline your decor; it is amazing how much time and money you can save without sacrificing quality.
More “easy” ideas:
- Hook up all your lights to a single remote like this one
- For an instant mantle update, wrap your photos and framed art as presents
- Decorate a focal point, such as your mailbox or front door, instead of the whole yard
Embrace Lazy Gifting (and Wrapping)
Hear me out: there’s got to be a better way to give gifts without overextending ourselves in the process. Our time, space, energy, attention – these are all precious resources that we need to conserve!
This year, I’m being mindful of the total effort to select, purchase, store, wrap, and deliver my gifts. After all, is it really worth it if I’m stressed out, my house is a mess, and I spend more money on wrapping and shipping than the gift itself?
Meaningful gift ideas that don’t require wrapping:
- Experiences – cooking class, brewery tour, couples massage
- Lessons – swim, dance, martial arts
- Services – babysitting, basement organization, house cleaning
- Memberships – online magazine, zoo, aquarium
- Consumables – baked goods, wine, gift basket
Wrapping hacks:
- Buy plain paper bags in bulk, and then decorate with the kids
- Skip the tissue paper with this trick or by adding velcro closures to bags
- Upcycle scrap fabric or, if you’re feeling fancy, try your hand at Furoshiki
- Roll your clothing gifts instead of wrapping them in boxes
I’m also taking this pandemic as all the permission I need to email gift cards, no questions asked. They’re germ free! To stretch your dollar, try converting loose change into gift cards at Coinstar machines, redeeming credit card points, or shopping sites like Gift Card Granny that give cash back or discounted rates.
Ditch the Guilt of Traditions
I’ll admit, this suggestion might be a tough pill to swallow. With travel restrictions keeping us from our loved ones this year, you may be feeling more obligated to honor family traditions.
Traditions are wonderful, however, I encourage you to unapologetically say “no thank you” to any invitation, meal, activity, gift swap, or even person that adds stress to your holiday. It’s OK to branch out and start your own thing; no guilt required.
This year, my husband and I decided to no longer travel on Christmas. We’ll alternate Thanksgivings with our parents, with the understanding that anyone and everyone is welcome to come to Lil Rhody for Christmas. I can’t tell you how much RELIEF I feel for finally establishing this boundary. And the best part? My parents moved up their tree-cutting date to late November, so my son could get the “Maine” experience of finding the perfect Christmas tree.
Make space for yourself, your family, and the new memories you want to create. I promise you won’t regret it.
More ways to buck tradition:
- Outsource your holiday dinner – we had a phenomenal take-home Thanksgiving meal from the The Hotel Viking
- Adopt a child or family instead of playing Secret Santa – we love Gregg’s Giving Tree
- Swap out your advent calendar for 25 books or a happiness jar
Closing thoughts
The holidays typically signal a time of abundance, with our homes overflowing with food, family, and gifts. There are so many ways, however, that we can do more with less. I hope you take away from this post some ideas to lighten your load so you can focus on what brings you (and your little ones) joy.
Products in this post
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- Paper gift bags
- Velcro dots
- Remote control
- Snow man light cover
