a minimalist holiday

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Minimalism looks different to every minimalist you talk to. There are some who can fit everything they own in a suitcase, while others have a large home and focus on minimal décor or narrowing down their choices in life.

There is no right way to be a minimalist.

My journey started out of a desire to create and protect the one thing you can never get back: time. It is that one precious gift that we revolve our life around and simplifying that seemed to make everything a lot easier.

The holiday season can be an especially difficult time if you are a minimalist. It used to cause a lot of anxiety for me. If you are a parent and a minimalist, then it can create even more anxiety! Visions of toys scattered around the house on top of all of the ones you were already tripping over is a perfect recipe for an anxiety attack.

But, hold on. If you simplify and revolve everything around protecting your time, I have some solutions.

INVEST IN TRIPS, DATES & EXPERIENCES

One way I create an experience for our family during the holiday season is our Christmas Eve (or Christmas Day Eve) family pajama party. It consists of a new pair of Christmas pajamas (for the kids, because they grow too fast), a movie, popcorn and lots of laziness.

Ideas For Experience

GIFTS vs . MATERIAL GIFTS:

� House cleaning gift card — the ultimate gift of time

� Race registration — these are expensive and such a fun surprise

� Music or ballet lessons

� Gymnastics membership

� Gym memberships

� Sky-zone tickets — take your grandkids on a date

� Movie tickets — schedule a date with your spouse or grandkids

� Hotel or airline vouchers

� Restaurant gift cards — give to your spouse or in-laws to encourage a date!

� Foregoing holiday presents for a family trip is one of the most exciting things we do! (We even do this with birthdays on my husband’s side — “banking” birthday gifts to take a trip)

� Tickets to a sporting event or concert

� Spa day — gift for your wife, daughter-in-law or sister (and then take the kids for the day)

� Massage gift card

� Snow removal service

� Cooking class

� Family photo session

� Car wash vouchers — one of the best gifts I receive every year from my in-laws

� Remember – you do not need to spend money to create an experience

* Offer to babysit your grandkids

* Have a potluck with family

* Shovel your neighbor’s driveway

* Make some freezer meals for your busy best friend

Time is such a precious gift. When you commit your time to someone, or give them the gift of time, that shows a special kind of love.

3 GIFTS: NEED, WANT, READ

We buy our kids three gifts every Christmas: one they need, one they want, one to read. It can be so easy to get caught up buying every toy they want, and this guide helps support our minimalist holiday. We are Christians and minimalists so we like to teach them the true meaning behind Christmas and it helps to relate it to the three gifts Jesus received from the kings.

GET ONE TOY, GIVE ONE TOY

Kids often times are given so many toys that they don’t even remember what they have, and then never play with them all. Yet, there are other children that do not have any. Since our first child was born, it has been a rule of ours that if they receive a toy, they give one away. Watching that awaken a giving heart in our children has been the biggest reward we have reaped thus far. Not only are they excited to have gotten a toy, they now get excited to give a toy that meant so much to them to another child.

Create Your Own Traditions

It is easy to get wrapped up in attending every holiday event that is happening. Ultimately, then, wearing yourself out even more during what is supposed to be a restful season.

Traditions like our family pajama party are so important to us because we want our kids to have memories at home with us. We love the slow pace, the laziness, and not forcing them to rush out the door to attend every event that is happening.

Due to us both having large midwestern families, it became important to us to decide how to protect our time. What that has meant for us most of the time is that we only are able to attend immediate family gatherings versus extended family.

� Prioritize what events you can and want to attend – then schedule them in.

� Create your own family traditions and schedule them as you would any other event.

Wishing you a holiday season filled with peace, joy and, most of all, time with the ones you love.