Have yourself a simply special Christmas
It’s the time of year that is most full of wonder – and also stress! How do we find the balance of making the people – especially the tiny people – around us feel the magic of Christmas without losing our religion?
I wonder if we do it best by realizing we’re already doing it. You’re doing it in big, beautiful ways and small, quiet ones, too. The first Christmas, after all, was both spectacular and simple. It included choirs of angels and a first-time mama pondering and treasuring up all that had happened in the quiet of her heart.
I’ve gathered a few of my favorite ladies who do this well and asked them to share a special Christmas tradition and their favorite simple activity too. We were never meant to be all or nothing, you can have a Christmas that is both simple and special.
I hope you’ll scroll through and take an idea that sounds fun. However, I’m also hoping that you’ll see a lot of ideas that you already do - ideas that are worth sharing and noticing - and remember that you’re doing more than enough.
My mom, Gina
Special:
“Now that I’m a Mimi, one of my favorite holiday season traditions is to open the Christmas season after our family Thanksgiving with our ‘It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year’ Bags. Grampy and I come out singing the song and carrying bags filled with treats and toys for grandchildren to enjoy all Christmas season. They have their Christmas jammies and shirts, a special advent calendar, toys, books, crafts, and trinkets for the grandkids, Christmas soaps, tea towels, and notepads for my daughters, and special treats for the whole family to enjoy.”
Simple:
“Whenever our family would travel to a new place we would purchase an ornament for our Christmas tree. When we decorated the tree every year we would tell fun stories about the trip as we got to each ornament. I’m thrilled that my girls have continued this tradition with their families!”
My sister, Katie
Simple:
“Purchase matching Christmas jammies for the family to wear together.”
Big Sister Edit: I think this one qualifies as special. ;) Katie makes our matching pajamas every year in her amazing Etsy Shop, The Blue Sage and they are the highest quality pajamas my kids get all year. If you are also a matching pajama fam, follow her on Instagram since you have to get your order in early!
Special:
“We really enjoy Christmas movie-themed dinners. I just search pinterest for menus to pair with our favorite movies like The Grinch and Frosty the Snowman. My kids want to do them every night!”
Matt’s mom, Laura
Special:
“Every year we would take our kids’ biggest present and hide it in the house, giving them clues to find it. It prolonged the opening and added a layer of fun!
The little ones got a hot and cold clue but the big kids got written out clues.”
Simple:
“Let the kids set up your Christmas decorations. I have Snow Village with lots of pieces. I let the kids decide where the pieces should go. It's risky and several are glued, but they get so excited! I am doing it with one of my grandsons this year and oh, boy is it something! He added toys from the bins at my house!”
Matt’s sister, Kristy
Special:
“I like to keep special Christmas toys out on the shelves for the kids to play with. Target has some really nice wooden ones (thanks Joanna Gaines!) that look almost like they could be decor but when the kids rearrange and play with them it’s so fun!”
Simple:
“I don’t kill myself with making cookies from scratch that I know my kids are going to get bored decorating after cookie number two. It is ok to use slice and bake and premade doughs. I’ve even heard bakeries have kits with all the frosting and everything ready to go. Your Christmas cookies are just as special and you aren’t upset because you’ve killed yourself putting in all this work.”
My friend, Val
Simple:
“ ‘Alexa, play Christmas music.’ Does not get much more simple then that, but it adds bells to breakfast, dancing to dark evenings, and break from Truck Tunes and Blippi.”
Special:
“Updating our “And he shall be called…” ornaments. Each Christmas, for the past five years, we have hung some VERY simple ornaments I made, that hold the names of Christ given in scripture. We get to read each name as we hang the ornaments on the tree and discuss which one resonates with us most that year. It has become one of my favorite traditions, and turns tree decorating into a praise. This year I’m jumping on the chalkboard train and attempting to update those ornaments.”
My friend, Casey
Special:
“A special tradition is making lefse (Norwegian potato flat bread) - a tradition from my childhood that reminds me of my grandfather and opens up conversations about our ancestors.”
Simple:
“A simple rhythm we have is Friday Night Christmas Movies! Microwave popcorn and $1 candy boxes for each kid. They look forward to it after a busy school week and I enjoy two hours of peace between them!”
My friend, Stephanie
Simple:
“A simple something that we do at our house for Christmas involves books, because of course it does! We read a different Christmas picture book each night leading up to Christmas Day. I ordered something from Target years ago and it came in a large red drawstring bag reminiscent of Santa's bag so I kept it and that's what our Christmas books are stored in. We were given many holiday books when my kids were younger, I've picked up a few favorites, and then I place holds on some new recommended ones from the library. My kids take turns before bed each night to draw out a book to read (without peeking! They always think this is funny) and it's just a simple way to focus on the holiday season. My kids are getting older now so we try to read a holiday-themed chapter book too, but I recently saw a reminder @never_empty_nest to keep up these family traditions to keep those connections strong even if they roll their eyes.”
Special:
“I grew up going to The Nutcracker Ballet with my family so now I take my daughter. We've gone with my mom, my mother-in-law, and my sisters-in-law over the years and maybe next year we'll include my sons, but it's kind of fun to have a girl's only night out too. (Tip: If it's too late to get tickets to a live production, start with the movie version this year and put a reminder to get tickets in your calendar around October for next year.)”
Stephanie is the brains behind my favorite bookstagram account, @stephanielovesbooks. Follow her for unique book recommendations and reviews! She also started my book club.
My friend, Larissa
Simple:
“On Christmas Eve we have a birthday party for Jesus complete with cake & ice cream and singing "happy birthday" to Jesus.”
Special:
“We go together as a family to cut a fresh Christmas tree. Fresh air and tromping through a Christmas tree farm is good for everyone!”
My friend, RaNelle
Special:
“We have this tree decorated with gold ornaments that we have purchased during our many different trips. As we decorate this tree, we share our favorite memories from the trip that a specific ornament depicts.”
Simple:
“Sometimes we change into our matching pj's after Christmas Eve service then exchange our gifts to each other.
Mostly, we wear our matching pj's on Christmas Day as we watch our favorite Christmas movies.”
My friend, Laura
Simple:
“I'm not the mom who enjoys letting my kids "help" in the kitchen (no thanks, salmonella), so we do simple treats together. For example, I lay out pretzels on a baking sheet, and the kids unwrap rollos and place one on each pretzel. Then we pop those in the oven until they melt. Sweet and salty all in one!”
Special:
“We drive to Peoria once every Christmas season to see the Festival of Lights. We usually follow that up with stopping at Bob Evan's for some hot chocolate before going home. It's something my kids look forward to every year!”
My friend, Maggie
“This time of year makes me feel weepy and weary, yet also wildly hopeful. So much to do, so much sickness, the cold… but the Hope keeps me renewed when I am feeling so much at once. Twinkling lights, the birth of Jesus, and hope from others. A smile, a text, a good deal, a win for one of my kids or friends.”
Simple:
”One thing I love to do this time of year is whip out the Christmas books for my kids. Each Christmas we pull out the sleigh that my father-in-law made, put all the Christmas books in it, and read them as much as possible. It’s such a cozy, simple, still reminder to enjoy the season. One of my favorite Christmas books is “Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree.” It’s also a great way to pivot when our day isn’t going so well, but keep us close to one another.”
Special:
”When I am feeling rather cheery and full of the Christmas spirit, I buy fancy sprinkles and cupcake liners (on sale at Hobby Lobby, yeah!!!) and get in the kitchen with my kids. This takes more time and is more messy, but the joy they feel and I feel from baking together is worth it. We love to find something new to make from a cookbook at home or Pinterest something creative we had been wanting to do!!"
”I’ve made advent calendars myself, I’ve bought and prepped matching tags with gift wrap, and I’ve certainly tried to be a “perfect” gift giver, but time with people I love has shown me over and over again, being present and imperfect is when we all feel the most joy.”
Ok, sorry - me, butting in again! I just wanted to make sure you noticed that Maggie, Laura, and Kristy have opposite specials and simples when it comes to baking. And all three are optimal Magic Makers with incredible kiddos. We get to decide what we want to do and what’s important and it’s okay if it’s different than someone else. Ok…butting back out!
My Friend, Alyse
Simple:
“Every Friday in the month of December, we have a family movie night where we all put on our coziest jammies, warm up some hot cocoa, and watch a Christmas movie as a family. It’s simple and virtually effortless, but it’s something our kids look forward to all week long!”
Special:
“We want our kids to know that giving fills our hearts far more than receiving, so we take ten percent of our Christmas budget and allot it for making “Blessing Bags” for our homeless friends. We brainstorm a list of all the things our friends need, take an afternoon to shop for those things, and then assemble the bags as a family. We keep them in the car and hand them out every time we see a friend in need, always making sure to ask his or her name so we can pray for them daily.”
Is Alyse not the sweetest? She has such a heart for the hurting and is a gorgeous wordsmith…and is also hilarious. Give her a follow @shewritesflowers and check out her pieces at shewritesflowers.com.
My friend, Sarah
Simple:
“I hated building a gingerbread house with the kids every year (messy and the kids were already eating way too many sweets in December), so I splurged on a Lego gingerbread house that we can rebuild every year for fun memories!”
Special:
“I stay grounded in the reason why we celebrate Christmas by going through a Jesse Tree advent. There are so many out there to choose from now!”
Sarah is right, there are many Jesse Tree Advents to choose from…but she made this one! Isn’t it gorgeous??? She is just as talented as she is humble and sells many beautiful things, including this Jesse Tree Advent set on Etsy.
I hope this doesn’t sound like a bunch of promotions - these are actually my real-life people! How lucky am I to have such talented and smart friends?
Unfortunate update: this set is sold out. But follow Sarah @thelowescreate so you don’t miss out next year!
My other friend named Sarah
“Our kids are little and we are learning and making our own holiday traditions as we go. It will be fun to try different things and see what sticks over the years.”
Simple:
“We have a “holiday bin” filled with decorations and the day we bring out the “holiday bin” there is a fun excitement and energy in the air. Window clings are a huge hit.”
Special:
“We enjoy getting in our pajamas and wrapping in blankets in the car as we drive the neighborhood looking at the lights or taking out our flashlights for a ‘decorations-walk’ in the evening. Our’ warm-up hot chocolate’ after the park starts during the holiday season and continues through the winter and is something we all look forward to.”
Yet another Sarah!
Simple/Special:
“One area of Christmas merriment that I like to keep simple is Christmas pajamas. About 5 years ago, I bought the nice Hanna Andersen jammies for our kids and our nieces and nephews. Stephen and I have a pair too! Now I just buy the next size up for those that need it and everyone involved knows what to expect each year. And younger siblings get the hand me downs. So we're festive without me tracking down a new style each year.”
My friend Dara, which rhymes with Sarah
Simple:
“A few years ago I quit sending Christmas cards and don't let myself feel bad about it. If I want to send them I'll actually do ‘Happy New Year’ cards so it takes the pressure of getting them done by Christmas off and I can do them sometime in January.”
Special:
”We started visiting Santa at Bass Pro every year because it's free and always turns out to be a good photo! We make an afternoon/evening of it, get our Santa pic, and then go to the Festival of Lights in East Peoria.”
My friend, Jamie
Special:
”Every year I put together homemade gifts for our neighbors. It brings me so much joy to pour love into our neighborhood. I pray that they bless them and out of the 50-60 homes I share on our giant block; I know at least one person has to be having a hard season full of pain or hurts.”
Simple:
”This year my living room Christmas tree is completely decorated with ornaments my kids have made or colored. It’s brought them lots of happiness to see their creative work on display. I decided who cares about ornament placement this year.. this is their tree. And it honestly feels so freeing and special to do it this way after years of striving for perfection with the tree decorating.”
My friend, Leah
Simple:
”We love Christmas movie night with popcorn and sparkling grape juice.”
Special:
”I have four kids (ages 5-11), and they do a sibling drawing each Christmas. They get to go shopping for that sibling and then specially wrap the gift to their choosing: from the paper, to the ribbon, to the tag.”
My friend, Jessica
Special/Simple:
“The holidays can be draining. To help our hearts be closer to Jesus and remember the reason we celebrate this season, we do a family devotion every evening. We keep it short and sweet so even the littles enjoy it. As we do our devotion, a new ornament goes on the tree. This tradition is something the kids look forward to.”
It’s hard to tell, but Jessica said to make sure you knew that this was Sarah’s advent ornament set. It really is stunning!
My friend, Nicole
Special:
“Every year we round up as many people as we can and we go caroling. We bundle up, knock on doors, and sing to strangers. People usually love it because caroling around neighborhoods is not very common these days. We have 2 songs picked out before we knock on the door, and then we sing our hearts out. Then we come home for some yummy hot chocolate (that’s usually a gallon of chocolate milk being heated up in the crock pot…now that’s simple, and so good!)”
Simple:
“When I asked my kids what traditions they liked, almost all of them centered around food. My kids love this easy cherry “candy cane” coffee cake, and we all love to eat our dinners by the candlelight of our Advent wreath. So simple, but long-lasting memories are being made around the table!”
My friend, Courtney
Special:
”We like to play “Secret Elf.” Each person has their name on a slip of paper and each person draws someone's name out of the bowl. They are the "secret elf" for that person. The goal is to sneak around doing nice things without being caught. Ideas: making someone's bed, setting out their shoes, slipping a piece of candy in their coat pocket...at the end of the week each person guesses who was their elf.”
Simple:
”Go on a winter walk taking pictures of things that you might normally pass by. Look for the beauty in the frozen or dormant world.”
Did you see a lot of ideas that you already do? Find some new special ideas or ways to make something you want to love simpler? Do you have any ideas to add? Let me know over @onehundredpeopleproject and have yourself a simply special Christmas.
