It’s December 3. I’ve seen posts about the holidays for the past month, but until about a week ago, I hadn’t done a whole lot of planning. Is it too late to plan simple, intentional Christmas traditions? No! I’m starting today – and if you haven’t had a chance to plan either, let this be an invitation to sit and write down how you want to spend this Christmas.
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Planning Simple, Intentional Christmas Traditions
Simple and intentional Christmas traditions are going to look different for each family. Yet, as I was writing, I thought these were three common themes that a simple and intentional Christmas could include:
- Following traditions from the past that are important to you and your family – using what you already have
- Focusing on experiences versus things
- Making deliberate choices and not going along with “what everyone else is doing”
Following Traditions
There are only three more weeks until we leave to gather with my family for Christmas. We’ve decided not to get a tree this year, but have pulled out our advent calendar, nativity set, advent wreath, and our Jesse Tree devotional. Taking time to anticipate the coming of Christmas is important to me, so we use our advent supplies that we already have.
We have Christmas movies that I’ve bought on sale in the past and we’ll plan our weekend family movie nights around the ones we already own. They’re classics and worth watching once a year!
What do you already own that you can plan to bring out and experience together?
It's not too late to plan simple, intentional, Christmas traditions #ChristmasTradition Click To TweetFocusing on Experiences
My extended family has agreed to focusing mostly on experiences and I’ve been busily planning what I want to contribute to our time together. Some members of our family may be able to afford to pay for everyone for an outing or a meal, or they may buy one gift for each child, or they may plan an experience for us to share. I’m planning three experiences for us to share.
Experience One: Adult Coloring with Snazzy Colored Pencils
I was really excited to get these in the mail. I’ve printed out some coloring sheets before, but this is the first actual adult coloring book that I’ve bought. To make the time extra special, I ordered Prismacolor Premier coloring pencils. They got the seal of approval from my husband who is an artist! I think the adults and children will both enjoy this.
Experience Two: A Christmas Puzzle
I brought a 1000 piece puzzle of the 12 Days of Christmas last time we gathered together for the holidays. It was really nice to have something that we could work on through the week together or individually. Children and adults both enjoyed working on it – and we actually finished it! I ordered another 1000 piece puzzle this year – Holiday Doors!
Experience Three: Baking and Decorating Cookies
It’s a tradition in our house to bake sugar cookies and gingerbread men sometime during the season. The gingerbread recipe I use was from FamilyFun magazine from 2007. I did a search and it looks like the recipe is in their book, FamilyFun’s 50 Cookies for Christmas. The actual recipe for the gingerbread clan is available on the “Look Inside” portion on Amazon so you can get it without buying the whole book if you need a recipe! It’s simple and I’ve been using it for years.
The sugar cookies we make every year is from Real Simple 2004. I tore it out of the magazine back then and have been using it since. You can get the version I use here.
What is one experience you can plan to share with your immediate or extended family?
Three ingredients for a simple, intentional #Christmas #simplechristmas #slowliving Click To TweetMaking Deliberate Choices
Sometimes we have traditions that don’t fill us, but drain us. Planning a simple, intentional Christmas might mean cutting some old traditions and starting new ones. It will all depend on your family and the season of life that you’re in.
This year we’re making the deliberate choice to only buy individual things for the children’s stockings, as well as a couple of gifts that all of them can enjoy together. We started making the deliberate choice last year to begin moving towards experience celebrations versus exchanging gifts.
What deliberate choice/s will you make for this holiday?
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I love all 3 of those things, Angela! I don’t think the puzzle would work for my family, some of us get too anxious! But, my Mama and I have already scheduled cookie making for next SAt, with our grands, her greats. I can’t wait!! The movie nights sound fun too/
Cookie making is such a fun activity with kids – I hope you and your grands have a great time Melinda!
That puzzle looks awesome! Maybe we can do it next year. 😉
Yes definitely!
These are great 🙂 One of our Christmas traditions is picking out ornaments. Every year we go to a store together (last year was World Market), and we looks at all of the ornaments and each of us picks out a new one. We will eventually need to get rid of some I suppose, but for now, we have plenty of room on the tree.
It is a lot of fun looking at all of the ornaments together! We laugh at some of the silly looking ones, and we try to find ones we think each other will love. It is a simple but fun family outing.
That sounds wonderful Dara! I’ve heard of that tradition (or parents giving a new ornament to each child every year) and always thought it was such a sweet one. It’s like a scrapbook full of memories on your tree!
Sweet ! Trimming demands made for a more enjoyable unhectic experience.
Thanks for giving clear tangible unpressured to do it only a certain way!
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas Marte!
Very nice post. Thanks for linking up to Merry Monday! Sharing on Twitter! Have a great week!
Kim
Thanks Kim!
Thanks for sharing these tips for having an intentional traditional Christmas.
For my husband and I, and especially now as empty-nesters, Christmas isn’t about presents. I was just commenting how we have our tree up, but there won’t be presents, and that’s okay because we have the greatest Gift in Jesus.
I am giving up one of m y favorite traditions of baking an assortment of my favorite cookies, but because I am participating in my daughter-in-law’s cookie exchange, I have opted the experience of her event than my tradition of baking for our family.
My favorite longstanding tradition is my wooden advent calendar. I love counting down the days to Jesus birth using that special advent calendar.
Merry Christmas!
Those sound like wonderful traditions Karen. Merry Christmas to you too!
I like the idea for activities to make memories. I was planning to make gingerbread cookies but we have ended having lots of gingerbread lately haha. Today we are going to do craft and make cards ,then probably make some rocky road fridge cake! xx #sharingthebloglove
That sounds great Claire! I love the sound of that rocky road fridge cake!
I love these ideas and completely agree, experience are so much better than things – if only I could get the rest of my huge family to respect this! I love the look of that puzzle! #sharingthebloglove
It was a slow process for us to move to experiences. Have a wonderful Christmas!
It sounds like you’ve got a wonderful plan in place. I’ve been requesting that family members focus less on gifts for our family this year and more on experiences. After all, memories of being together are what will last us through the years. Thanks for sharing at the #happynowlinkup.
I’ve found that to be true for me too Leslie. The memories I’ve carried with me have stood the test of time – long past a gift given.
Some really lovely ideas – I especially like your advice about concentrating on experiences over things. We’ve tried to go to lots of local events, like the Christmas light switch ons and tabletop sales, just because it’s nice to get out and see people and make memories (as well as stay home and watch plenty of holiday films, of course! 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing at Friday Frivolity!
That sounds wonderful Jess – a nice balance of activity and relaxing!
I really really love this. I’m doing my best to cultivate a calm, intentional December around my house. As my kids get older, I’m enjoying sharing traditions from my childhood as well as developing new ones for our family. My current favorite is homemade ornaments.
I love your homemade ornaments! It brought back great memories from the past.
These are great tips, Angela.
Thanks Gaye! Have a Merry Christmas.
Our favorite tradition is making Christmas treats and taking them to neighbors and friends 🙂
Thanks for sharing this at the Funtastic Friday Blog Hop!
That’s awesome Debra. Were going to make some cookies soon!