Currently viewing the tag: "Christmas"
Christmas can be a strange and weird time of the year. It can also be a really stressful time at work and at home, especially when you throw family into the mix! Routines are tossed out the window as school holidays start, trading hours are extended and social gatherings ramp up. The weather takes a turn for the warmer (or colder for our northern hemisphere friends). Before you know it, it’s Christmas complete with gifts, expectations and for some people exhaustion and maybe even overwhelm.
Over the years I’ve embraced a calmer and simpler approach to the Christmas season and have tried to focus on helping my family and myself enjoy our time together.
My approach is centred around a few key themes:
Family and friends. Instead of gifts, we focus on spending time together. Cousins reconnecting and catching up, making time to catch up with each other sharing meals together. We aim for simple, easy to share meals.
Creating memories. My sisters and I all love taking and sharing photos. Photo books, framed prints and capturing the moment are all super popular in my family. Sometimes we also just live in the moment. Laughing, chatting and just spending time together. No photos, selfies or pressure to be looking your best! Just enjoying each others company and creating great memories together.
Less focus on gifts – more focus on the thought that goes into the gift. I have always loved taking the time to create or select the ‘perfect’ gift. Nowadays, my focus is on creating gifts that have meaning or buying gifts that can used and are ethically made.
How does you celebrate and make the most out of the Christmas or holiday season?
Enjoy xx
Hand-made Christmas joy from The Pailey Five in Maleny (via Etsy)
Ahhh, Christmas, are you a fan?
I love it!
That is probably not a surprise to most people who know me, or read my blog here as I tend to love most things in life. I love the togetherness of this time of the year, which I think is more the point rather than huge presents,or anything else too, well, commercial. The weeks and days are filled with catching up with friends, swimming, eating, watching old movies, and relaxing.
I do struggle a little though at Christmas as my inner stylist (who would love to style the bejesus out of every vignette I can get my hands on) and the pragmatic lady (who reminds me as long as the kids are happy, we’ll be happy!) duke it out.
Over the years though, the lovely Big A and I have moulded and shaped this time of the year to be our own.
Here are some of my favourite Christmas ‘traditions’ (and I use the word very, very loosely) we have adopted, borrowed, made up:
- Present budgets are limited, kids get $5 to spend on each present, and have the option of making/ creating. The planning, searching, thinking that goes into it is incredible. Seriously, my kids could do wonders with the Federal budget!
- The BIG dinner happens on Christmas Eve, after the tiny ones have gone to bed. That’s right, the kids go to bed on time, which generally has the added upside of well-rested little folk on the big day. This leaves us to enjoy a Christmas cocktail (the current favourite is the El Presidente) and some delish food. Bliss!
- On Christmas morning, we hand presents out S L O W L Y, with the help of the kids. Making the kids wait until each person has unwrapped, taken in, enjoyed what they have been given, then moving on to the next person. There is no giant pile of presents waiting for anyone, so why rush!
- A swim at the beach on Christmas Day, which also doubles as a great time to test out any new swimmers, body boards, beachy stuff which may have arrived earlier that morning. We live in such a beautiful part of the world, why not take full advantage!
- Food-wise on Christmas Day, breakfast, lunch and dinner is more of a grazing affair with lots of fruit, cheese, ham (mountains of it), bubbles (for little folk and grown-ups). Paper plates and napkins are de rigueur (better for the environment than plastic, less washing up for me, so win-win).
- In the afternoon, lying around reading, playing board games, watching a movie, anything that involves relaxing really and cuddles with the kids. See, there’s that togetherness again!
Do you have Christmas traditions? Or traditions for this time of the year?
I hope you have a relaxing break and spend lots of time with your favourite folk,
Enjoy xx
* If you love the gorgeous card at the top here is the link to the goegeous Etsy store where you can buy one…
