How to Enjoy A Simple Relaxed Christmas

It is a beautiful rainy Tuesday as I sit here writing to you today, friend. I’m sipping cinnamon hot cocoa by the fire while Christmas music plays softly in the background. I am more relaxed than I can remember being {at this time of year} in literal years. And as I sit here, it occurs to me that this feeling I’m having is what I wish for you, too: A simple Christmas.

How does one go about achieving this euphoria at the holidays? If you had asked me that one, two, three years ago, I would have answered, “I honestly don’t know if it’s achievable.” The holidays have always been busy – and somewhat stressful. All of the events and hosting and entertaining. All of the stress to provide and be all of the things to all of the people. It’s exhausting.

But I’ve learned something very important in the last year and a half since our move. If you’ll allow me, I’d love to share a little insight with you.

Less Is More

WOW! Let me just confess to you that I have never followed this motto when it came to Christmas. I mean, I’m the girl who put up thirteen Christmas trees, had over a dozen Santas, two sets of Christmas dinnerware & china, and four nativity scenes. Less??? Why would anyone want LESS at Christmas?

But boy was I wrong! Since our move in June 2023, I’ve learned so much about the benefits of downsizing and minimizing. Before our move, I had fourteen 45-gallon totes filled with Christmas decor. Let me say that again in case you missed it: I have fourteen (14) 45-gallon totes.

As we decorated our 1,200 square foot apartment for the first time, I realized I had to be extremely choosy about what I displayed. We purchased a 9-foot pencil Christmas tree. I put out a few items in our kitchen, and on the island. We decorated the coffee table and the entry console. That was it. And it was beautiful.

This year, we are having work done on our house in order to prepare it for listing in the Spring. I have decorated a little bit because we will be at the house more than we have been in months past. Still, it’s very pared back. In fact, I chose to put up our family tree in the great room, and a small 7-ft tree in the dining room. I displayed my Christmas houses and set out a nativity. I pulled out my Christmas china and a small display of ceramic Christmas trees.

But I didn’t put out all the Santas, or the 12-ft garland on the mantle. I didn’t swap out the bedding or the sofa pillow covers. I didn’t put wreaths on all of our interior doors. I intentionally opted for a simple Christmas, and what I’ve found is that once again, less is more.

Simplicity Breeds Relaxation

Because I took a more simplistic approach to decorating this year, I have found myself feeling less stressed, less anxious, and more relaxed. I don’t have the Christmas overwhelm I’ve had in years past. I am having a simple Christmas, and I’m LOVING it.

I’m finding time to sit in the glow of the Christmas tree and have a coffee, read a magazine, or write to you. Cleaning is easier, too. I don’t have as much to dust around or vacuum up. I have space to move, and space to breathe. It is a very pleasurable thing, indeed.

Focus on What Matters Most

This year, as I sifted through all the Christmas totes, I chose a few items for the apartment; items that fit into our color scheme, our aesthetic, and our lifestyle there. I also picked out the few things I knew I wanted to display at our house. Things like our blown glass ornaments, a few mercury glass baubles, some brass bells. From that point, I simply used what I already had, but spruced it up.

I replaced white candlesticks for burgundy ones for the mantle. I tied burgundy velvet ribbon to brass bells. I filled bowls with ornaments, greenery, and pine cones. I displayed our nativity on a simply black placemat. In the end, it turned out beautifully, and I couldn’t be happier.

By picking out the things that meant the most to me, our decor ended up not only be a simple Christmas, but also being a meaningful one. A meaningful, simple, relaxed Christmas. Doesn’t that sound lovely?

Keep it Simple

As I decorated both our apartment and our house, I continually reminded myself to keep it simple. With so much decor collected throughout the years, and so much to choose from, I had to have a plan. If you are looking for a simple Christmas this year, I want to give you a few tips that may help you achieve your goal.

Choose a color Palette or Theme

Our apartment has a modern color palette: taupe, gray, white, black, and tan, with touches of green. Because our space is small, I chose items that were neutral in color, fit in with our color palette, and wouldn’t make the space feel cluttered or disorganized.

Our house, although larger, has a definite traditional aesthetic: black, cream, tan, with touches of blue and green. Because the house is larger in scale, I could add more color to the space. I worked in gold and burgundy, accented in black and added luxurious touches like velvet ribbon, shimmery crystals and icicles on our Christmas tree, and an embroidered tree skirt.

If you’re looking to simplify your Christmas this year, start with decor. You can choose the items that mean the most to you, and you can choose to store away the rest. If you are feeling overwhelmed, let me encourage you to still do the things that mean the most to you and your family, but choose simplicity as well. You will find it makes a world of difference.

Coordinate Christmas Wrapping

Each year I purchase extra Christmas wrap after the holidays are over. I store them in a special bag I purchased on Amazon. Each year, I save these rolls of wrapping paper because I never know what my color palette or theme may be the next year. When setting up my Christmas wrapping station, I pull out my Christmas wrapping and selectively choose the wrapping that coordinates with my decor.

I’ve found that this keeps the gifts under the tree from appearing cluttered. In fact, the gifts around the tree appear to be well-thought, well-placed accents or decor. This year, our wrapping consists of green and black tartan plaid, forest greenery with cardinals, a winter white with evergreen trees, a deep red with nutcrackers, and a deep red with an old world Santa and reindeer. There is also one small roll of metallic gold. All of these colors coordinate with the decor we selected for the great room. It feels cohesive, less cluttered, and lends itself to that feeling of a simple Christmas.

This doesn’t have to cost a fortune to accomplish. In fact, if you’ve already set up your decor and have chosen your gift wrapping, it doesn’t mean you have to start from scratch. Simply evaluate what you have, and decide if there is anything you can pare back. If you haven’t purchased your wrapping this year, why not choose a less busy pattern, or a more muted color? Maybe this year you choose a solid like cream, or gold, red or green, and simply liven up your packages with velvet ribbon. It’s an elegant but simple Christmas look that is classic and timeless.

Set Up a Wrapping Station

This was something I heard for years, but really didn’t put into motion until a couple of years ago. I was one to keep my wrapping supplies in a bin and pull out the bin when it was time to wrap gifts. But a couple of years ago, I stood my rolls of wrapping paper upright in a pretty basket beside my desk. I emptied the desk drawer and inside it I placed the spools of ribbons, tape, tags, tie-ons, and ink pens.

Now, when it’s time to wrap a gift, I simply choose my wrapping paper and accoutrements. Everything I need is at my fingertips; easily accessible, and easily stored away when finished.

You don’t need an entire desk to accomplish a wrapping station, though. If you have a small cookie tin, that’s a perfect place to store tags, tape, scissors, and pens. If you don’t have a basket to store wrapping paper in, simply cover a cardboard box in gift wrap. We all have an abundance of boxes this time of year. Use what you have, stash it in a corner near a dining table, desk, or kitchen counter. Wherever you will be comfortable and will be doing your wrapping, that is the best place to put your wrapping station.

I even saw one user transition her bar cart into a wrapping station. She had everything she needed, and had the added bonus of wheeling it from room to room depending on where she was doing her wrapping. Brilliant!

Accept Help When You Need It

So often this time of year we feel like we have to do all the things ourselves. We have to clean the house, do the shopping, do the wrapping, bake the cookies, and plan all the things. There is so much joy that comes from delegating out some of these tasks. You do not have to do it all! In fact, when you delegate to others, you actually get to participate in the festivities, too!

Delegate the Activities List to Children and Spouses

Let your children decide which activities your family participates in this year! You’ll find out which ones are most meaningful to them, and you’ll get to have some fun in the process. If the list gets too long, communicate that not everything will get done, but together you’ll choose the ones that are doable. If there is trouble choosing, you can create an advent calendar of activities, or something similar to a basketball tournament bracket.

Enlist Help with Housework

Breaking down housework into weekly chores is a more manageable way to keep on top of tasks, especially this time of year. Instead of trying to accomplish all of the chores, name the top five that are absolute necessities. My top five would be bathrooms, laundry, dusting, vacuuming, kitchen detail. By enlisting your children and your spouse, each person spending 10-15 minutes per day – or completing a specific chore on a specific day, can ease the stress load of everyone in the family and help you have a simple Christmas.

Baker’s Gonna Bake

I used to think I had to bake cookies, make cakes, dip pretzels, and make brittle in order to have a festive Christmas. But what I learned over the years is that, my kids just wanted to decorate the cookies, eat the pretzels, and snack on the brittle. They didn’t care if we baked home made cookies or if we used store bought dough. They didn’t care if our Christmas cakes were from scratch or were from a box. It was the experience they wanted, not the details.

If you’re looking for a simple Christmas this year, maybe take a little store-bought help when you need it. It may be simpler – and still be just as much fun.

Make Up Your Mind To Simplify

For everyone, simplicity, looks and feels different. For one it may be simplified decor, for another it may be simplified baking. For someone else, it may mean choosing events that are meaningful to you and your family and politely declining other invitations. You have to choose what is enough, and what is meaningful for yourself.

If, however, you are hosting this year, practicing a simple Christmas may mean picking up appetizers from a local restaurant. It may mean creating one or two signature cocktails or drinks instead of having a full drink station. It may mean hosting a pot-luck dessert buffet for friends instead of a full-blown dinner party.

Again, choose what a simple Christmas means to you, and then work toward that vision.

If you’re longing for a simple Christmas this year, simplify your decor, create a wrapping station, enlist help when you need it, and above all, focus on what matters and is most meaningful to you and your family.

Wherever the road leads you, stay focused on what’s important, choose what’s meaningful, linger in the candlelight, and don’t forget to forward your mail!

John & Billie

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