Is it just me, or does Christmas seem to get here
faster every year? Thanksgiving arrives and is then gone in a flash. Time to think about decorating, gifts, parties….sometimes it may just seem a bit much.
I was talking with my
friend, Sue, yesterday. I asked her if she was done decorating. She said, "Last year I began making some changes, making things simpler, starting with the decorating. When our kids were young, it was fun to decorate throughout the house; it added to the excitement of the holiday. However, it took an entire day, sometimes more, to put everything out.
There was greenery all along the staircase railing, holiday welcome mats, and two trees. Every surface had something holiday themed on it.
But now, life is quieter. Simpler decorations look more elegant and serene."
It's true. Just because you've been doing something one way for years doesn't mean
you can't change things up. We all have different priorities at different stages of our lives. And less is often more when it comes to holiday decorating.
If you want to try simplifying too, begin by pulling out the boxes of decorations and checking the contents of each. Which decorations are
special, with the most meaning to family members?
Maybe your mother’s small angel collection? Perhaps the little wooden reindeer your son picked out at a craft market? Or the snowman figure
you and your spouse bought on that trip to the mountains?
You know what the special ones are. Put them out where everyone can see and enjoy them.
Don't discount simple items like a holiday throw...it can dress up a chair and add a festive touch, but not look like too much. However, perhaps you don’t want
even that much, and that’s fine. Maybe you have other things going on in your life this year.
Perhaps you will be traveling for the holidays, and decorating hardly feels worth the effort.
But you would like a little something. If you still feel the need for just a little, try something like placing a pine branch or pinecones against a picture frame or on the mantel or some stems of red berries in a simple vase. Or maybe a holiday-scented candle is just the touch you need to feel in the holiday spirit.
Now, look at the boxes of things you did not use. You may already know that you will never use some of those decorations again. Toss or donate.
If you do not
know if you want to get rid of some decorations, consolidate them in a box or two, and see how you feel about not having them out. If you still have no desire for them next year, it is probably a good sign they can go.
When you pack away the decorations you used this year, put them together in a
box that you can easily pull out next year. Did I mention how much easier it is to put the decorations away if you have simplified things? For many of us, not spending an entire day or two putting things away makes it worth simplifying.
You may find you like your simplified holiday
decorating. Perhaps you'll like it so much that you'll never go back to all-out holiday decorating...but rather sit back and enjoy the simple beauty of the season.
