Anyone else not wanting another minimalist Christmas?

[iWouldlike]

I have a history of minimalist Christmases as an adult.

I've always opted out of the office Kris Kringle (after an unfortunate situation of receiving an embarrassing gift many years ago the idea gives me anxiety) I've also opted out of the office Christmas party for the last few years due to financial reasons mostly (but also due to time/energy constraints with caring for the dc around full time work)

I've been with my Dh since my early 20s and have lived away from my and his extended family since then. Christmases pre-dc always involved a holiday somewhere and weren't 'Christmassy'. We never bothered with presents for each other after the first couple of years. Post dc we make a bit of an effort, tree, presents from Father Christmas. For food I'm not keen on cooking or washing up so try and keep to simple and easy food. I do make a big ham that we eat over a few days. That is probably the only Christmassy food we have. I've not been well for the past 5 years, only feeling better this year so I've really mastered the art of cutting corners on stress etc but I'm starting to feel that maybe I should make more of an effort next year and that I've been minimising it too much.

A woman I've worked with this dropped a little card and gift on my desk and I love it! It was just a sweet card and a wooden painted Christmas decoration but it was a lovely surprise and made me realise that I've been missing out on this feeling.

Financially things are very tight for us this year so I don't think I will be able to do much to change this year but hopefully next year? Anyone else feel similar?

I had minimalist Christmases in my early 20s. I lived away from family and always worked over the Christmas period so I never bothered with decorations or a Christmas dinner, plus I couldn't afford much for presents.

Since DS was born and I moved closer to family I've started doing a bit more. My financial situation improved last year and so I've really enjoyed Christmas shopping and getting into the spirit now!

It's easy for people to say "Christmas is too commercialized and materialistic" but for me it always felt pretty shit not being able to afford to buy things for family members. So I'm going to bloody well enjoy it now.

Could you do non commercial Christmas things. Buy some crackers from the £1 shop to go with your ham.
Make a big deal of getting wrapped up and going for a walk around your area to look at the Xmas lights on peoples houses.
Make paper chains with the kids to decorate from old newspaper.
There is lots of ways that you can make Christmas special on a small scale.

I think it is having the choices removed that is getting me down. We used to have Christmases away like Reece Witherspoon and Vince Vaughan in that Christmas movie and now we can't do that anymore and we can't even do the extended family version either!

That is a good idea about getting some little things like crackers to change things a bit. Dh did buy a big box of crackers last year but the dc got into them before Christmas and just popped them all at once I'm not very good at 'setting up' Christmas activities or creating a feeling of an occasion at home. I have some glow sticks from a party earlier this year that I can bring out for Christmas Eve.

Paper chains is a good idea too! We should be able to manage that one.

I think I will ask Dh to write me a card for Christmas as well. We used to do cards and gifts for the first few years and then stopped as there was nothing we wanted and now we can't as money is tight (ironically there is now plenty I would love for a gift!)

There’s usually free or very cheap stuff going on in your community- carol concerts, Christmas fairs etc. Have an ask around. Local papers often have listings.

Also, why not tell DH you want to have a bit more Christmas and get each other a small gift. You could set a tiny budget, a fiver even, then the challenge is to find something thoughtful within that price range. It’s not the gift, it’s the thought and surprise that creates the magic.

Forget going away memories - these are for the pre- and post-kids people and a nightmare with small, excited kids unless you're going to somewhere totally luxe and set up for kids.
Many here would say the big family celebration is over-rated too
Here's some low cost ideas for home to make it special:

• advent calendar for the kids (a pound or two max)
• Christmas Eve - all climb into PJs and watch a cheesy Christmas film on TV
• Love a pp's idea of going for a walk to see Christmas lights on houses
• Break all rules for Xmas day: TV, eating chocolate etc. Let them at it
• Going for a long walk on the day itself, ideally over countryside or the park.

Glad to read you're feeling better this year.

There are lots of cheap activities you can do with D.C. which might help you inject more Christmas spirit into your home. How old are your DC?

Christmas card and decoration making. Bake a gingerbread house covered with sweets - you can get a cheap mould. Go to a Xmas fair. Put up a tree and do some small gifts. Depending on how old the kids are take them to buy a gift for DH and ask him to do the same for you. Watch a Xmas film or listen to Xmas music. It is a shame you have no extended family nearby but you can still make a bit effort for your DC and each other.

If money is tight put something aside monthly from January so you have a Xmas pot to help the finances.

Gosh you have been having such minimalist Christmas's you no longer have a clue how to do it. Think of the Christmas lunch as a roast Sunday dinner, roast potatoes and mini sausages and stuffing. Potatoes are not expensive and you can buy a bag of frozen sausages, dried stuffing which you could jazz up a bit with herbs and olive oil. Buy a jar of mince meat and make some mince pies, look up a recipe for shortbread which is fun and cheap to make. Look online for ideas to make decorations, go outside and pick greenery and pine cones. Make some snowflakes out of paper and some paper chains. There are loads of ideas out there, get creative your children will love it.

If there is a Christingle service in a church near you it can be magical for children (and adults!). You don’t need to be religious to enjoy it and the place will be full of families who may only go once a year but are made very welcome. It’s free, fun and gives that warm fuzzy feeling that childhood Christmases should be about.

I'm a fan of candles. Everything just gets better with some tealights twinkling. And a big bag of them from Wilkos is really cheap. Also, do you have any scrap store type places near you? Ours is ace. For a £5 yearly membership you can go and fill up a basket of loads of craft stuff that's been donated. I've just been and tomorrow the kids are having a craft day. I like the seeing the Christmas lights idea too. (One year my DD1 was being really naughty as she has been stuck in doors too much. I made her put on her coat and shoes and took her on a long walk round the neighbourhood to look at lights. She loved it and ironically it's one of my favourite memories from that Christmas.) I agree you and your DH should do a small present. Whatever you decide OP, I hope you have a lovely Christmas. X

Christmas films
Christingle or carol service
No cost!!

Popcorn on a string to decorate. Super fun for kids and yummy too!

Today we baked/delivered cookies and went to a local church nativity scene festival. On the way home, when it was just getting dark, we drive a different route and spotted Christmas lights inside and outside houses

Tonight we’ve put a bottle of mulled wine in the slow cooker, so the house smells lovely. We’re watching a Christmas dvd from the pound shop and putting the tree up
Tomorrow, we might go for a wander around the local Christmas markets
Such simple things, but lovely ❤️