Spiritually Preparing for a More Simple Christmas

Back in the day...in the year of our Lord 2012, I wrote a post on my desire to have a more minimalistic Christmas.  It was a quest of mine last year, and you know what?  I think I was successful!  It was a goal in the forefront of my mind, and it was mission accomplished.

I shared my secrets recently to a group of women.  I had a fancy presentation with a powerpoint and everything.  Who knew my hidden talent was public speaking, but when you are sharing something you are passionate about, it isn't too hard...I'd like to share a few suggestions on finding the spirit in a more Simple Christmas that I shared with this group of women...

• Have a Christmas Advent Devotional every morning or evening around the Christmas tree leading up to Christmas
• The Book of Luke has exactly 24 chapters.  God's perfect advent...read a chapter a day about Christ's life right up to Christmas Eve.
• Watch the First Presidency Christmas Devotional
• Attend Church services and/or the Temple to partake of the Spirit

"Nothing you buy will make you a better person. 

 Nothing you give will make someone love you more. 

 Spending won't make you happier."

  Source

• Minimize Christmas gifts.  For example, Santa Brings three gifts to symbolized the three gifts brought by the Wise men.
• Make homemade Christmas gifts

• Make homemade Christmas goodies...keep half for "sampling" and half to your neighbors
• Minimize Christmas decorating.  Only put out the most heartfelt decorations with memories attached.  This helps to cut down on stress, too.

Engage your senses

• Christmas scented candles:  Cinnamon, peppermint, pine
• Play Christmas music during the day
• Watch Christmas movies...ABC Family has a 25 Days of Christmas series for Children.  I also love the Lifetime and Hallmark channel Christmas movies.

• Go out for a yummy hot chocolate...or make a hot chocolate bar in your home with all the sweet fixings
• Attend a Christmas music concert.  School choir and band concerts are usually free.
• Go for a drive and look at Christmas lights
• Create a Christmas journal, sometimes referred to as a December daily.  I made mine from old Christmas Cards.  It was very simple.  Document your thoughts and daily ideas on how you are creating a more simple, spirit filled Christmas.  Focusing on gratitude, too.

Concentrate on keeping your stress levels down. 

 The spirit can't dwell in a stressed out vessel.

• Exercise, exercise, exercise - Now is not the time to stop taking care of your body.  Exercise releases naturally occurring endorphins which make you happy and therefore, less stressed.
• Go for a walk in the snow
• Prepare simple healthy meals

Make Christmas an Experience

I once listened to a talk where the man related how one year they were debating whether to renovate a bathroom or take a family trip.  Years later, their grown kids still talk about that family trip.  He didn't think that gathered around the Thanksgiving table their children would have recounted the stories of a bathroom renovation and that awesome toilet.

Last year we had the opportunity to go on a trip right before Christmas.  I was reluctant, because I am a nester and homebody, especially at Christmas.  But, we decided that this would be our gift for Christmas...an experience.  My kids don't remember the trinket gifts we gave, but they do remember the trip.  I'm not saying you have to go on a trip for Christmas, but try to create an experience that your kids might remember.

• Attend a Christmas craft fair
• call a loved one far away
• Read a Christmas book
• Make some crafty Christmas decorations
• Go to a tree lighting
• Go on a sleigh ride
• Play in the snow
• Attend a Christmas carol sing a long
• Walk around the mall and look at all the decorations and busy shoppers and savor the simplicity of the experience you are creating for yourself and your family.

Try to create family friendly time...nothing is a 'have to'.  

Do not set up unrealistic expectations.  

Quit comparing yourself to everyone else.  

Get lots of rest and remember:  

Christ is the true reason for the season.  

***This is one of my favorite Christmas posts.  It originally posted 12/4/2013***

A Grateful Heart

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Over the past year I have tried to focus on finding gratitude in my every day living.  I mentioned my personal quest in this post back in January.

For the third year in a row, I have read Ann Voskamp's book One Thousand Gifts...It seems to refocus my mind and heart on this whole gratitude thing.  It really is quite amazing...I guess it has become a tradition.

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As we celebrate Thanksgiving tomorrow with our families and friends, make it a goal to live with a grateful heart all year long.  It truly is life changing...

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Easter Advent

I feel all spiritual these days...with the onset of Spring soon, Easter is fast approaching.  It has me thinking, again of Advent traditions.  When my children were young, I really despised the Easter Bunny.  The whole practice of it seemed to take away from sacredness of what this Holy Day is really all about:  celebrating Christ's resurrection.  Don't get me wrong, we still had treats.  No one in our house can resist those delicious Cadbury Eggs.

I came across this Easter Advent years ago.  Each egg is numbered 1-12 and filled with a KJV scripture and a small trinket that represents the scripture.  I probably numbered mine backwards...I open #12 on Easter.  My children enjoyed having this daily reminders and countdown (or count up) to Easter.  Ladybug, at fifteen, still enjoys these kinds of things.  (She is all about tradition, you know).  Since I shared with you my Christmas Advent (the one that was mentioned in Deseret News), I thought I would share my Easter Advent, as well.

You can download it here.

Now all my secrets are out!  

 

Flexibility

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When I say the word flexibility, you are probably thinking of the yoga classes I've added this December.  But, no, I am not talking about the Yoga class I'm taking.  I am, however, talking about my own personal flexibility...not digging in my heals for traditions sake.  I figure this is all part of simplicity.  Getting rid of my expectations, flexibility with traditions and just going with the flow.  Things are going to be different around here...When I say around here, I mean here at my house this Christmas.  And, I seriously think I should get the Gumby Award!  Just sayin'.

Christmas Movies

It is tradition to watch a Christmas movie on Thanksgiving evening in our family.  After we've all eaten our fill and have loosened our belts just a little, we put in a Christmas movie.  In years past, we have watched A Christmas Vacation but this year we watched Elf.

Around November, Ladybug and I like to go through Netflix and put all kinds of Christmas movies in our account and we eagerly await the Christmas movie countdown from networks like ABC Family, Lifetime Movies and the Hallmark channel.  There is nothing I love more than snuggling with my daughter and enjoying some Christmas movies....It's even better if they are romantic Christmas movies.  This is becoming a tradition as the years go by.  I have found that this is a simple way to celebrate the feelings of Christmas and spend time with my daughter.

What kind of Christmas movies do you like 
to watch year after year?  

**This is not a sponsored post.  I just like movies**

Music and Silver Bells

Music does wonders for bringing in the spirit of Christmas.  In my quest to minimize Christmas and my pursuit for experiences and feelings, I would NEVER consider cutting out Christmas music.  Music enhances moods, feelings, evokes memories and just plain makes you happy.  I love hearing different versions of old classics.

Does anyone else find her utterly adorable?

I love her voice!  Enjoy a little dose of Christmas Cheer.

Christmas Devotional

My most favorite Sunday is the first Sunday in December.  Leaders of our Church give a very special devotional and talk of Christ, share sweet Christmas stories, and we listen to lovely Christmas Hymns sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.    This is such a fitting start to the season for us, and has become quite the tradition in my family.  We often decorate the tree that day then top it off with these lovely messages.

You can watch previous years Devotionals online here.  They have 2011, 2010 and 2009.  If you are interested in this years Devotional, you can tune in, too.  The broadcast can be found on BYUTV, broadcast.lds.org or mormonchannel.org.  It will be shown TODAY at 6:00 pm MST.

Minimalism and Christmas

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Last year, I gave a gift to a young girl on Christmas Eve, I was excited to see her open the small gift and the delight it might bring to her eyes.  I was informed by her mother that she would not be opening the gift until Christmas morning as she was trying to teach her daughter the "true" meaning of Christmas.  I was hurt to say the least.  I never saw her open the gift, I never knew if she liked it.  I really struggled with this "true" meaning of Christmas.  Is the true meaning a huge gift orgi on Christmas morning?  I don't think so...For me it is sharing love and happiness and joy with one another as we remember the Savior and the gifts He gave to us...

As Christmas is fast approaching I find my soul longing for a minimalist, more simple approach to the holidays.  This is something I have craved for a long time, but often holiday obligations have me overwhelmed and the desire to simplify just flies right out the window.  I have a new resolve this year as I struggle to truly focus on the Season.  Of course for me and my family our focus is on our Savior, Jesus Christ, and his birth.  Often the commercialism and overabundance of well meaning gifts seem to take away from the true meaning.  But, there are so many things that enhance this time of the year.  For me, family, music, smells, sights, food, movies and traditions all enhance the feeling that we often refer to as the "Spirit of Christmas".

I have been researching the topic of Minimalism and Simplifying Christmas this year.  I read a good article and plan to adopt some of these ideas.  My daughter and I have talked about this at length and she is excited to embark on this new adventure with me.  My dear husband is along for the ride.  (Have you noticed that the "Making" of Christmas tends to fall on the women?  Or is that just me?)

As I am still in the research phase, 

please share with me what things have worked for you 

in the past in order to minimize the commercialism and 

more fully embrace the spirit of our Savior in your celebrations.

New Years Organization

Something about the New Year makes me want to clean and organize. I've done it before...I'll do it again. I was inspired by my dear friend Alicia to get up off of my booty and get to it. So, I have begun. I'm loving my bathroom right now. Do I have to use it? I might mess it up.

Then we loaded up the truck to make a huge donation to Deseret Industries. I don't do garage sales. They are just too much trouble. I like to bless the poor and get a tax deduction. See, I'm not that selfless, really.

Christmas Advent Tradition

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Christmas Traditions are an important part of the season. I believe they bring us closer together, and when the miles separate, the distance is eased just a bit through the memories that were created.

One of our favorite traditions is a Christmas Advent book. It is a book that I compiled years ago with a Christmas song, scripture and story for each day leading up until Christmas. I love this and it provided time to sit down as a family and reconnect after a long day. Unfortunately, as my boys have gotten older, it has become increasingly difficult to gather the troops together. And, let's face it, a teenage boy really doesn't give a flying reindeer about these things anymore. Maybe one day as they get older and are away from home, these traditions will regain their importance.

What traditions do you have that help gear you up for Christ's birth?

Memorial Day - This is a last! :(

We spent Memorial Day at my parents house having a little BBQ and swimming. This will be the last one as they just bought a new house...And assuming it doesn't take them a year to sell the current house, I'm fairly certain this is the last Memorial Day BBQ. To say that I am upset with my parents would be an understatement, but I won't go there...

Why anyone would want to leave this gorgeous pool and yard is beyond me...

Here is my new camera in action. I really wanted one that could capture motion. With three kids, things are always in motion.

My dad and brother cooking things up and one impatient Miguel waiting for some meat.

My sis-in-law and my niece, Zoe relaxing poolside. She is on "modified bedrest". She keeps trying to have the baby early. She has seven more weeks!

Sorry no swimsuit pics of me! Swimsuit, cowboy hat and camera....

An odd combination!

Hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day, too...

My Winter Solstice Celebration

The other day, after observing me for several hours, my husband made an odd comment. He said I would make a good pagan. I looked at him quizzically, then came to the conclusion that he is probably right. I have a ritual, a pattern, that I fall into year after year. After the Christmas festivities have died down and the decorations packed away for the next year, it starts. Even though it is the dead of winter, Spring is in the air. I feel the days getting longer, and I have a renewed sense of energy. No room or closet is immune to my celebration. I rearrange furniture, dig out closets, and make my biggest donation run of the year. As I sit here all cozy in my home with two inches of snow on the ground, I am relieved to be done with my celebration. My car is bursting at its seams awaiting the drive to the donation drop off. I am liberated! I am renewed! Simplify, simplify, simplify...

TaVaci Performing Arts

Ladybug had her Christmas performance on Saturday. She was sad that her Grandma was sick and her Aunt and Uncle weren't able to make it. I guess they had this that and the other thing to do. But, she was excited and surprised that a friend from school and her mom came. That meant a lot! The easiest thing you can do to show children that you love them is to give them your time. This always helps put us in the Christmas Spirit. Here are some pics...