Preparing for Christmas

Major retailers are doing it already, so why can't I?

Christmas has always been a BIG deal to my family. At least four of the seven of us (one being myself) have gift-giving as a love language, so that giving nature really amps up around December. This will be our first Christmas since fully embracing the idea of minimalism, so I have been putting a lot of thought into how we can maintain this lifestyle through the holidays. Because of the atrocity our society has made this blessed holiday into, it's tempting to just boycott everything, "Christmas with the Kranks" style, and take a vacation away from the madness. Unfortunately, avoiding the problem will just push it out to next December and the next, so it's probably better to face it and come up with some solutions. The great thing about this journey is that progress is progress. We are going to try a few new things this year, and see how it goes!

1. Draw Names: This is something Tom's family does already, and it's a great way to simplify gift-giving. It's really straight forward, you draw names for each person to see who gets who a gift. You set a reasonable budget for each gift, and then open all the gifts at your Christmas get-together. It minimizes the number of gifts each person receives to one gift, and it minimizes the number of overall gifts you are expected to purchase, meaning you can spend more money on each gift to get something that person will really use and enjoy. We are trying it on my side of the family for the first time, so I'm really excited for the outcome! 
2. Purchase Gifts Together: Tom and I usually decide what gifts to get each other together. We've found that when we try to give hints and do surprises, we typically end up with a huge pile of really nice and thoughtful things that we could really live without (and sometimes a small pile of things we don't really want to begin with). So instead, we set aside a budget and take a shopping date together to spend time with each other and pick out our gifts. This ensures that we give each exactly what we want so that we don't end up with a box of items we keep for an obligatory amount of time and then throw in the yard sale. 
3. Give Intangible or "Experience" Gifts: I am trying this out for the first time this year. For my gift from Tom I actually chose to get my hair done. I am really excited about the new look! It's a gift I will use and appreciate that won't clutter my house. It involves some me time and pampering, and it's something I will appreciate for months or longer. I haven't actually gotten around to Christmas shopping yet, but when I do I am hoping to find more "experience gifts" to give. Examples that come to mind are concert tickets, event passes, day passes to a theme park, etc. 
4. Four Gifts: This is technically Walker's second Christmas, but he was only ten days old last year soooo we didn't get him anything (gasp!). Well...I labored him out of my body...does that count as an "experience gift" haha? Since this will be our first gift-giving Christmas, we are really hoping to set the standard for future years. We have decided as a family to give four gifts to Walker and our future children: something you want, something you need, something to wear, and something to read. It's a great guideline to reign in my desire to spoil Walker rotten, and with only four gifts to buy it has really helped me to focus on making each one the very best! 
5. Make Suggestions: This tip is best used defensively rather than offensively. Making suggestions for a gift to the wrong person or in the wrong way can come across as suuuuuper tacky. But, if you can manage to pull it off appropriately it can actually help in your quest to simplify by again ensuring that you will receive a gift you need, use and love. For example, my Nana has been asking me what to get Walker for Christmas. I normally would say "Oh, we would appreciate anything, whatever you think!" which is true; however, I took the opportunity this time to tell her exactly what items we are wanting for his new play room and asked if she would like to choose some of those for his gifts. It was perfect, because she can confidently choose something she knows we will want and use, and we will get the items we want for his playroom instead of toys in addition to them. Now, my Nana and I are very close and beyond social courtesies, so this was an appropriate and well-received response to her question. Don't write a Christmas list next to your name on the Secret Santa drawing at work. I think a good rule of thumb for this one is just to answer honestly if people ask you what you'd like or what your kids want/need. 

I'll check back in after Christmas with an update on how these ideas played out in real life. My hope in maintaining a minimalist lifestyle during the holidays is to cut out the clutter and make room for family and the celebration of our Savior. Leave a comment if you or your family has a good way to simplify the holiday season!