In the rush to get everything on our lists accomplished during the hectic holiday season, we oftentimes forget to relax and actually enjoy the holidays. We spend countless hours on decorating our homes, baking, and buying and wrapping presents. We rush from store to store and party to party. Then Christmas Day arrives and it is over so fast we hardly find time to even take pictures and we are left wondering how one day could take so much preparation. We find ourselves exhausted and wondering if we can skip the holidays next year!

Many years ago when my four children were small, I found myself dreading the holidays because there was always more to do than I had time for. I decided that I needed to simplify my holiday preparations so that I could enjoy the time with my family and friends.

Decorating

When we would haul the six or seven boxes of Christmas decorations up from the basement, we would hang and display them all over the house. It took us several hours to accomplish this task. It wasn’t so bad when we were putting them up, the holidays were still in the future, but taking them down and packing them back into the boxes after Christmas was a huge chore. Now we use only a small portion of those decorations and display those that are favorites. The rest stay in the boxes for my children to use in their homes someday.

Baking

Holiday baking is a time of laughter and joy in our home. We play Christmas music, make a complete mess of our kitchen and enjoy our time together. However, it used to be a different story. We would spend days preparing all the treats because we baked so many different kinds of cookies. We would be rushing around and grumbling near the end of it all because nobody wanted to look at another cookie. Now each year we go through all the recipes and decide which ones we simply can’t do without. Each person in the family gets to choose one. Then we figure out when the best time to bake will be and we stick to that schedule. We are much more relaxed now. If we have any parties to attend that require us to bring something and we haven’t baked yet, we take along some fruit or nuts that can be bought and refuse to feel guilty about it!

Buying Gifts

I haven’t come up with a complete solution to the gift buying frenzy, but I have figured out a couple of ways to make it a little simpler. I buy ahead whenever possible, but then my husband and I set aside one day early in December and spend the entire day shopping. Beforehand I have my lists prepared, search out the sales for that day and off we go. Then we spend one evening later in the month watching a Christmas movie and wrapping every present that night. I admit this does mean we don’t always get the absolute best sale price on every item, but it does save us many headaches, arguments and the stress that going from store to store for an entire month can cause.

Relaxing

One of the most important things to remember during the holidays is to take time to relax and enjoy it. Take a trip downtown and enjoy the Festival of Trees at the Radisson and the nativity scene in Bronson Park. Then come home and drink hot cider or chocolate and play a game as a family. Take a trip to Binder Park Zoo to see the animals with the Christmas decorations, drive down Christmas Card Lane to read the cards displayed out in the front yards of that neighborhood or just drive around the various neighborhoods in town and enjoy the decorations. Attend a Christmas concert at a local church. Make a green and red paper chain with your kids using one chain for each day counting down to Christmas Day. If adding even one of these activities to your already too crowded calendar stresses you out just thinking about it, remember, it’s not necessary to do everything! Eliminate anything that isn’t absolutely necessary and allow yourself time to enjoy the holidays this year.

Reaching Out

Don’t forget to share with those less fortunate than yourself. Pack up a box of food and take it to a needy family you know or better yet, purchase one less gift for each member of your family and buy something for someone who usually receives nothing. On baking day, set aside a small plate and bring it to a widow you know. Sing a Christmas carol at her front door when your deliver the treat. Christmas takes on a whole new meaning when we reach outside ourselves and share the blessings we have been given!

Deb Kruis and her husband Dave have four children and reside in the Kalamazoo area. Deb also serves at Calvary as Children’s Ministry Director.