A simple Christmas

[crochetmonkey74]

inspired by the brilliant thread recently about waste and being more thoughtful, I am determined to have a more thoughtful and also restful and restorative Christmas. I was browsing M and S yesterday and where normally I would feel excitement and a bit of that buying 'frenzy' I was reminded of that thread, and started to think carefully about how I want my Christmas to be.
So far I have :
make food from scratch where possible, rather than buy in
buy as little packaged food as possible
no gifts or gifts from lists to reduce token presents
I already only do about 5 cards to relatives who live away, I give out homemade sweets instead.

What will you be doing?

I'm in. Presents for 3 people, 4 max, cards for distant relatives, decorate with what we have, nothing new, I don't want to buy 'stuff', I want presents to be useable/edible/needed.

Count me in too. The waste at Christmas really gets to me and has ruined Christmas for me in the past. I'm going to try and concentrate on seeing friends and family more this year I think.

me and Dp do want/need/wear/read presents with a £100 limit and my sis and I do charity shop or homemade. We are doing needed presents from a list for in laws.
We are lucky as we go to them for the day so we don't need a lot of festive food in for ourselves- will aim for homemade for these.

I'm using fabric scraps to wrap (a bit like mini quilts) instead of paper or brown paper if or when those run out.

I do all my cooking from scratch (love cooking and hiding in the kitchen with some !)

No disposable napkins/table cloths etc found some beautiful linen ones my late MIL had

Really want to cut down in cards this year too DH is a farmer so we are well known in the community but I find it very wasteful sending and receiving from people you never have any other dealings with

I have finally got him out of the let's buy "wee Mabel Down the roads cousin twice removed's dog a gift because my ma always bought lots of random shite because it's Christmas" mindset (and no she didn't she regifted I found the evidence )

Loyaultemelie
haha! I know that mindset as I was in it!

Love the idea of the fabric scraps- my wrapping paper is repurposed delivery paper (from work) and I will be stamping or painting on it

What do you think you'll do instead of cards? I did sweets as I wanted to mark it but didn't just want to fill recycling bags (I make my cards into tags for next year though)

I keep my cards to put up again the following year .

I dont buy the fancy cheese, meat platters. No one eats a full wheel of Brie!

Oh and i dont send cards. No need.

I make pretty much all of our Christmas food.
We have also moved away from buying certain traditional foods that we're not that wild on, which then don't get finished, and replaced these with things we like better and will eat in their entirety. Rib of beef instead of turkey, apple and mincemeat sponge instead of Christmas pudding, that sort of thing. I am asking for useful presents (never happier than when DH bought me a good breadknife!) and giving tickets to things (eg theatre/zoo) rather than Stuff, if I think the recipient will like that.

I do send a good few cards though, partly because I've left social media.

Crochet sweets is a brilliant idea! We were toying with doing those or some veg for the ones we know better (although this could be problematic if the labels fall off and they aren't there as there could just be random cabbage/spuds on people's doorsteps)

Can I ask what's wrong with sending cards? They can be recycled?? Or am I missing a big point?

Its keeping costs down. Stamps can be expensive. I dont send cards to people i see every day. And i dont have anyone who lives further away, hence why I don’t send them.

No one eats a full wheel of Brie!
We do!

I cut down a lot last year and DH and older DC moaned that we had a 'stingy' Christmas. I'm trying to find a balance.

Loya

we used to have a groceries van that came to our estate like a mobile shop- I vividly remember the year all the customers had a net of oranges as a thank you gift on the front step- on Christmas morning! what a lovely gesture

No cards
Simple wrapping paper
No plastic tat
Sticking to what is on lists
Buying food or drink for adults
No expensive advent calendar
No Christmas Eve boxes
No fcuking elf

For us it is minimalist, but a few nice treats that we wouldn't normally have are in the fridge, like nice cheese and a few bits and pieces. Just to mark the occasion.

Other than that, no presents for over eighteens, cash gifts for everyone else (Mum excepted lol!), no tat, no listening to ads, just enjoying the day with a nice dinner and a few treats.

I have a bag of nice coloured glass candle holders and battery operated strings of lights for the stairs and the mantelpiece. That's it.

Don't bother with a Christmas tree either, all you need is plenty of lights around the place. IMV of course!

Everyone is different, but there is definitely a trend for trimming down on the unnecessary consumerism. I agree, and hope it will gain momentum. (no kids here now, so can get away with being a so called Grinch!).

Ive never done Christmas eve boxes. Dont “get” that idea.

We’re not inviting anyone for Christmas for a start, which will cut down on all the stuff required and leftovers getting wasted. As it’s just us for dinner, we’ll not have more of a regular roast and less of the ‘trimmings’, and I’m making crackers for the dc with actual gifts in rather than plastic tat.
We’re buying experiences rather than gifts for anyone we can get away with (eg cinema vouchers for nieces and nephews)
I’m doing my own wrapping paper with brown paper and ink stamps (although my outlay this year has probably increased due to having to buy the stamps, although they’ll go in the Christmas box to be reused year after year)

I’m really craving a more simple, less expensive, less wasteful Christmas

@DoveSecret

Folk were told to do this essential Christmas Eve box thing on ads, or Facebook or other SM. Lapped up by many.

As if Christmas Day wasn't enough. Sigh.

Advertisers have ways of making us do things. But not me, and I am polishing my halo as we speak lol!

There seems to be loads of these threads about at the moment, either regarding scaling things down or eco-Christmas, so you are definitely not alone op. Personally I want to strike a balance. I don’t want to be parsimonious and I don’t want to lose my head - everything in moderation.

The biggest thing for me this year is I’m not doing anything Christmassy until December. I’m already twitching a bit, and several times have considered going to look at the Christmas Decs at the garden centre with Ds, or starting a Christmas goodies box- but no. It’s saving me a fortune and a lot of hype and hysteria!

We are trying to do this. So far I have decided no xmas cards - barely bothered anyway. Db and sil agreed no adult gifts, ddad is getting a subscription, our kids are getting 3 gifts under the tree and a stocking with bits they need and no plastic tat. No fancy xmas paper, no new decorations and we are not hosting this year. 3 days of xmas food and that's it - no miles of food that we don't eat all of and makes us fat. I am trying to get my extended family on board but struggling.

DH and I one year bought each other real nice card, each year we add a new little message the cards have beautiful pictures so almost a decoration,

trying not to buy for randoms since left last job that is much easier

not buying tat for the sake of it just nice stuff people want or need
for relatives buy of a list so I get my parents want they want not random smellies socks chocolates same for DH and DD

we buy enough nice food not enough to stuff the food waste bin we will not suddenly drink gallons of milk as it is Christmas

no christmas waste; elf on shelf, christmas bedlinen or table linen pyjamas or jumpers DD has a jumper but she wears it November to February all decorations are kept from last year

I'm trying to go for a simpler Christmas this year, I just need to watch out that I don't get swept away in a last minute Amazon frenzy. Like 'thenewaveragebear* my big step is doing nothing until December. Actually, I plan to work like a little demon until 12th December when DD finishes school for Christmas, and then we will start to get ready (which will mean spring cleaning a room of the house each day for a week, picking up wrapping paper etc).

I'm also determined to cut down on food waste (I'm terrible for this) and we are having a lovely rib of beef for lunch on Christmas day. And just one trip to Sainsburys on 23rd, one trip to the farm shop for meat and a visit to the cheese van. Not booking an Ocado slot in October and then endlessly adding unnecessary items and stressing about whether I have enough teriyaki toad in the hole bites (clue, one's too many). My parents and FIL are having hampers, which are quick to pick up from a farm shop. They will love this, and really need nothing.

And finally, we will spend time with people we like and want to see, whether they are family or not.

I still have 14 carol services to attend though (I'm a chorister's mum, and by Christmas day, I've heard Once in Royal more times than the vicar).

Does anyone know where to find advent calendars that are not full of toys or chocolate? I struggle every year. Last year my mother bought the kids two Lego calendars. We've still made only half the models, such a waste of time and stuff....