Christmas-finding simplicity

By Karen Whiting

Tick. Tock. The countdown is on and stores continue to remind us of how many days are left until Christmas.

We are hopefully taking time with children to prepare our hearts and understand the reason for the season. That might mean an advent wreath or reading books about Christmas each day.

Amid all that bustle, slow down.

• Decorate, but don’t stress to get everything covered in red and green. Choose to put up what is meaningful.
• Cook ahead if possible and freeze foods; enjoy a cookie swap, and plan easy menus on busy days
• Spend time with children chatting about the fun, letting them cook and help wrap gifts, stamp cards, and decorate.
• Fit in an evening of driving by houses and churches that are decorated. Chat about Jesus as the light of the world.
• Add excitement without fuss. Gather DVDs, CDs, and books about Christmas. Place them in a grab  bag or wrap them. Draw one out each day to enjoy.
• Avoid over-scheduling by accepting what is most important without filling every day of the calendar.

Decrease the hassle. Consider what is the hardest task and how to streamline it. For example:

• If wrapping is too much work for you, use pillow cases instead of wrapping all the gifts for the kids. They can pull out one at a time (Larger gifts can be hidden with a clue instead of wrapping it).
• If children usually seem overwhelmed with too many gifts, hold back the educational ones and books for New Year’s Day.
• A sit down meal might be hard for little ones, so consider a buffet or small snacks throughout the day.

Make it fun and not frantic this year!

What do you do to focus on Jesus? What helps lower the stress?

Blessings,
Karen

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