Looking Forward To A Simple Christmas

[ShabbyNat]

Hi
With all thats going on in the world-COVID19, lack of money etc, I thought it may be nice to have a simple christmas this year & start a new tradition in my family, now they are officially grown-ups!! Ive been struggling the past 2 or 3 years to find new traditions & I think the time has come to to start afresh-the age of my DCs, 20 & 21, covid & the restrictions, as well as a lack of money!! Ive started shopping already for food/baking items in my weekly food shop, so we can have have a lovely baking/movie watching/relaxing December, without lots of cost all at once!!
Any idea`s to have a nice relaxing time as a family in the lead up to christmas this year, without spending very much money??!!

In my opinion it's all about atmosphere. I think that having Christmas music on is wonderful....plus lots of Christmas films and fairy lights. Hot chocolate....nice snacks....simple gifts. My kids are younger than yours but I am definitely paring things back a bit....they'll still get lots of things to open but I'm not buying them one 'big' gift in addition. Each has a computer and a phone...each has a skateboard and a bike....I plan to just give them some cash and some makeup/books/clothing but not spend as much as usual.

I think they will still be pleased as I do choose well.

Stock up with board games and jigsaws from charity shops.

We like to drive circuitous routes to places locally and see the various houses with all their lights on. So going a long way for the food shopping etc.

Using lots of candles and lamps rather than ceiling lights to get that nice atmosphere. Battery operated tea lights are great. And if safe, real candles also give extra heat.

Smells - having something like and orange with cloves pushed in gives a fab smell around. Not just on baking days.

Slowing down the pace of life so you can enjoy family time together - a night of card games, having a jigsaw laid out for passers by to lose 10’minutes. Slow down mealtimes and talk. (Make a few meals now and freeze them - just everyday ones- so that you have them ready for those more rushed days).

I have a dc with asd so a busy Christmas was never an option. December and January are my hygge months. I have some lovely fur and wool throws, furry hot water bottles, fluffy socks, lots of fake candles and aim for a warm and cosy house.

I get armloads of books from the library and charity shops and we have a good selection of board games and card games, and there’s always Netflix.

The dc will have advent calendars, but we also have some others; our nativity scene is put together one character at a time. Elves or mice move into the doll house and decorate it over December.

We like to get outside, and live by the mantra that there’s no bad weather, only the wrong clothes. We’re very lucky to have a brilliant park nearby and great walks.

We have some traditions like making a gingerbread house, baking cookies on Christmas Eve, and drying oranges studded with cloves in the oven. Not too many, that it becomes difficult to keep up.

We decorate gradually so as not to overwhelm ds, and in predictable steps. It’s surprised me how much I’ve grown to appreciate this. Each dc has a box of their decorations and we put them on the tree talking about where they came from. And after Christmas they find their own ones and we wrap them up. It’s 1:1 time with me, (and a chance to eat sweets) and something that would be another Christmas job into a special activity.

I like to keep out of the shops in December, and get my presents bought early. I also stock up on non perishables and do a big freezer-filling shop in the last week of November. That’s not ideal this year, so I’ve been spreading it out a bit and stocking up more slowly. I batch cook a bit in November so that there’s less thinking and cooking to do in December. Usually I’m planning for family gatherings as well, and I’m looking forward to dropping that burden this year. It’s a lovely slow down period for me.

I’m not sure how it will work for us this year. We slow down at home to counter the pace at school, and the excitement of the few activities we do attend. But it might feel too slow this year with nothing else to balance it out. I’m not sure.

What was your December like last year?!