Holiday Planning from a Minimalist
The Holidays are approaching quickly! Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away and Christmas is right behind it!
Over the next few weeks we will be focusing on getting ready for the holidays. We will be talking about how to prepare and all things regarding gift giving and receiving. Be sure to sign up for emails so you will be notified.
I am sharing my holiday planning method with you from my perspective as a minimalist. Remember, being a minimalist means being intentional about what is in my life. I try to be intentional about not only things, but what I spend my time on.
Throughout this video I encourage you to take these steps with me. Pause the video and complete these lists with me. Grab a pen and paper and your calendar and let’s get started!
Step 1. Ask yourself this question: What is most important to me during the Thanksgiving and Christmas season? This can be a variety of things and since this is what is most important to YOU, it doesn’t need to look like someone else’s list. Be sure to be as specific as possible.
Keep in mind, you do not have to do things just because other people think this is something that “must be done” during Christmas time. Choose YOUR priorities.
Here are some ideas:
Picking out the perfect tree as a family
Christmas shopping
Visiting the mall Santa
Seeing Christmas lights
Hosting a party
Christmas baking
Visit a local nativity
Take a special trip to see family
If you are married and/or have children, get your family involved in this. You likely can’t do everything, but now you have a list to work from of what things are most important.
Next, look at your calendar and mark dates that are already scheduled events. Is there a Christmas program for your child’s school one evening? Is your church having a special program and you will have practices? December can be busy, so be sure your dates are on your calendar.
Now, take the most important things from your list and put them on the calendar. You have a free Friday night and holiday baking is really important to your family? Mark it down! These things won’t happen if we don’t plan!
One of my very favorite things to do during Christmas time is sit in the living room with just the light of the mantle, Christmas tree, and fireplace and drink hot chocolate or coffee with my family. I must keep this in mind and make room for one of my favorite traditions.
The next area I want to talk about is gifts. I will be doing more blog posts and videos on the specifics of gifts over the next few week, but what I want you do to right now is make a list of everyone you plan to give gifts to. Don’t forget to include school teachers or bus drivers if you plan to add them to your gift list. Again, we will be talking about giving gifts in next week’s video, but getting a list of your gift recipients is the first step.
Holiday Decorations:
One of my favorite parts of Christmas is all the beautiful lights and decorations. I love how everything looks so festive! Scheduling an afternoon to decorate my home is important to me. While I have been working each year to minimize my decorations, I still love adding a festive touch to my home. Here are some things I want you to think of:
When will I plan to decorate?
Is there anything I need to purchase before I decorate? Maybe you need to replace your mantle garland or buy a new tree?
Do you want to decorate alone or with your family? I try to do a mix of this. While it is easier without my 5 year old, she LOVES being a part. I try to get some things pulled out and started while she is in school and then wait until she gets home to finish up.
I do want to add here a note about minimizing Christmas decorations. Our style typically changes over the years. If you did not use something last year, decide if it’s something you want to keep or if you want to pass it on to someone else to use. I have found that it is very easy to sell Christmas decorations early in the season. That can give you extra money to buy something you really want or for Christmas presents.
Meal planning:
I have an entire blog post and video all about planning for a dinner party. These exact steps can be taken for holiday dinners. If you are hosting a dinner, I encourage you to check this out HERE. If you will just be attending, find out now what you will be bringing and you can plan for that.
The holidays are typically a busy time, so don’t forget to plan for your regular family meals.
Taking some time to sit down and work through these lists and you will start this busy season already ahead!
The last word of caution is to not overwhelm yourself during this season. Enjoy it. And running around like a chicken with our head cut off is not enjoyable. Be ok with saying no to some things. When you say no to something you are saying yes to something else. Saying no to a party you really don’t want to attend might be saying yes to a quiet evening at home. Saying no to over buying presents might be saying yes to staying on budget - but more on that next week!
Christmas is my favorite time of year! But I truly only enjoy it when I plan in margin for the good things.