Simplifing Christmas

One of my 31 Before 31 items was to simplify Christmas in two measurable ways. I absolutely love spending time with family and friends. I enjoy eating all the holiday treats (particularly Gramma's cutout cookies of which I only got TWO because I fell asleep during National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation during which time the cookies were brought out). I have a generally decent time exchanging gifts.

However.

There's a piece of my personality, the perfectionist piece, that drives me absolutely bonkers around the holidays. It's the piece of me that means I'll be in Pottery Barn six times in the weeks before Christmas attempting to find the perfect presents (I am actually on a first name basis with one of the girls at Pottery Barn and, no joke, she suggested I apply for a job so I could get the employee discount). It's the piece of me that requires a perfectly tied, wire-edged gold ribbon on each and every package (I went through three Costco rolls of the stuff. THREE! And the Costco ribbon has many, many yards per roll (i.e. a whole lot) in case you aren't in the business of buying Costco ribbon and did not realize that the amount of ribbon I used could circle the globe at least once).

I've long found the holiday season to be stressful and exhausting and, despite my attempts to simplify, this year was actually no different. One of the ways I simplified was to buy a fair number of gift cards and presents online. A second thing I did was wrap my immediate family's gifts before driving home for the holiday (which meant less middle-of-the-night wrapping). Both of these things helped, to some extent, but I still felt overwhelmed by the sheer volume of things to do.

I actually went into a Wal-Mart on Christmas Eve Eve to pick up something that could be found no where else in the universe at midnight on the Eve of the Eve of Christmas and, while pushing my cart through the disaster of a store, I threw a pre-wrapped DVD in the cart for my sister. When I got home, I took off the outer layer and, just as advertised, the DVD was wrapped in shiny red paper. I almost broke down and cried with joy at the wonder of that perfectly pre-wrapped DVD. I swear, I almost forgave Wal-Mart in my weakened state for all the bad things they have done. Almost. I mean, I could wrap a DVD in my sleep. Had it been a perfectly wrapped fishing pole or perfectly wrapped hanging plant, I might have kissed Wal-Mart on the mouth and been best friends forever with the place.

Anyway, next year, I'd like to further simplify the holiday so that I can spend more time sipping eggnog and watching It's a Wonderful Life. In fact, next year, I think I might like to wrap everything in brown paper packages tied up in string--a method which almost look better when slightly uneven and lumpy.

Were you able to simplify this season? If so, spill your secrets!

Comments

[Jennie]

I love brown wrapping with red/white string!

I'd also like to simplify Christmas myself and I think a big part of that is buying gifts throughout the year. December is just not long enough to cram in shopping for EVERYONE without going crazy.

[jen]

i love the brown wrapping paper!

[jesser]

I've been trying to do that wrapping scheme for years now and my hubby always vetoes ... he's got a major thing for the foil wrapping paper - pretty much the other end of the spectrum, i'd say.

[Operation Pink Herring]

I've simplified, much to the chagrin of several family members. I... don't give gifts. I just can't. I get so worked up about it and then so angry at myself for spending so much money and getting so worked up that I just had to stop. My siblings and I pool together and get one largi-ish gift for our parents, and I have to buy gifts for my husband's family because they'd die if they knew I didn't do Christmas, but that's it. It's a wee bit anticlimactic on Christmas morning, but I'm ok with that.

[Carolyn]

I simplified a little by giving magazine subscriptions. It's the gift that keeps giving all year long. Go to the bookstore, choose magazines for each person, attach a note (or poem) about the magazine subscription. roll up the magazine and wrap like a giant piece of candy (ribbons on each end). Very easy. Occassionally I add something with the magazine - for a cooking one, I added a set of inexpenisve but cute, red ramekins.

[windshield repair]

The trick here is to find a thinner that has less toluene in its formula -- the less toluene, the less harm to plastic.