Will You Plan a Slower Christmas?

The morning after Thanksgiving, my husband asked me, “What’s the plan?” He meant, “What fifty-seven things are you going to try to cram into the day?”

“There is no plan,” I said. I could see he was skeptical.

“Really,” I insisted, “I have no plans. I’m going to sit here and read a book and let the kids play. We’re having leftovers for dinner, so I’m not even going to cook.”

So on Black Friday, when most of the rest of the city was swarming the mall and the big box stores, we were reading, playing, napping, watching Christmas movies, and enjoying a fire in the fireplace. When the time eventually came to heat up the leftover turkey, I said to my husband, “This day has been wonderfully slow.” He agreed.

We enjoyed that long, slow Friday so much that we decided to keep the slow pace going. On Saturday morning, we slipped out to the local donut shop with our daughters, ages six and three, and then ambled through our neighborhood Barnes & Noble, where I picked up a few Christmas gifts. We were out of the house for less than two hours, and then we went home and resumed our leisurely pace. I made a pan of simple turkey tetrazzini for dinner (I left out the bacon and mushrooms to make it even easier), and we again curled up by the fire. On Sunday, we slept in, skipping church–gasp!–and I spent the day sewing my daughters’ Christmas dresses, listening to old episodes of Gilmore Girls as I did so.

When we climbed into bed Sunday night, I marveled at how rested I felt. Ultimately, without really planning it, we’d taken a three-day “staycation,” a term that has always made me roll my eyes a bit because I struggle to believe you can truly vacation at home, ignoring housework and errands. In those three days, though, I’d learned something anew: there is merit in intentionally slowing down by cutting out the busyness for even a day or two and just focusing on restorative activities. It wasn’t about being lazy; it was about taking it easy, extending Sabbath for a bit. And let’s just be real, here–church is not always synonymous with Sabbath rest. Getting everyone fed, dressed, into the car, and to church on time is, frankly, one of the most stressful endeavors of my week. Letting it go for a day was like taking a deep breath. I met God in Scripture and song at home instead. And I’ll likely return to our church family in better spirits because of our time off from the Sunday Morning Scramble.

Now I’m pondering how I can incorporate more “staycationing” into the rest of the holiday season. Can we cut back on the running around, the events, the “traditions” that take us out of the house? Can we mindfully choose afternoons on the couch with books and movies? Can we opt for more evenings around the fire? Can we choose easy over complicated?

Here are some of the ways I’m planning to slow down our Christmas season, which you can do as well:

• Recognize that half the battle is mindset. Even if you’re not of a liturgical bent, an Advent devotional can help you focus on the true “reason for the season,” God come to earth in the form of the infant Christ. I’m reading Watch for the Light, a collection of readings from well-known authors that spans centuries, and I’m finding it restorative and joy-inducing. Even though it’s December second, it’s not too late to dive into something that will help you have the right mindset.
• Cut planned activities in half. Rather than signing up for all the things, choose one or two Christmas activities, making them the quieter kind if you can (we enjoyed the low-key Christmas lights event at our local botanic gardens instead of the ones at the always-packed zoo, for example). On a different weekend, we’ll attend a Christmas musical at a local church, which makes our formal Christmas activity total just two. What are we skipping? The Nutcracker, the local Christmas parade, and the local production of A Christmas Carol, among other things. At Christmastime, the entertainment options are virtually endless, and you simply don’t have to do them all.
• Host just one event. It’s easy to get caught up in all the reasons for having friends and family over during the holidays, and even if hosting is something you enjoy (like I do), hosting event after event will burn out even the hardiest hostess. Instead, choose a favorite event, and just enjoy planning and executing that one. I’m having some homeschool friends over for a potluck. I’ll make a big pot of soup, some spiced cider and holiday punch, and they’ll do the rest.
• Skip the mall and the big box stores, or go early. Black Friday deals don’t usually end with Black Friday. I did most of my shopping online, and then I waited until the weekend after the hubbub to go out in person for stocking stuffers, a few sale items, wrapping materials, and decor, which allowed stores time to restock. Also, I arrived when the doors opened. I got all my shopping done in one fell swoop, and in an almost-empty store. And I got everything on my list.
• Build in plenty of downtime. Schedule some completely empty days–and even whole weekends if you can–for yourself and your family. Sit around and look at the Christmas tree, make some easy cookies (read: not the cut-out-frost-and-sprinkle kind), watch movies, read books. You’ll be so glad you did.
• Keep your holiday menus simple. I love being in the kitchen, but as the years pass, I find I don’t want to spend my holidays making complicated food. I want to relax and enjoy my people. My Christmas dinner menu, therefore, has developed into a surprisingly easy one: a spiral ham that gets warmed in the Crock-Pot, cheesy potato casserole, a winter salad from a kit (shocking, I know), Jell-O salad that can be made a day or two in advance for my Jell-O loving daughters, and store-bought rolls. That’s it. Minimal time at the stove, maximum time to kick back and enjoy the day.

What will you do to truly slow down the season?

Harmony Harkema has loved the written word for as long as she can remember. A former English teacher turned editor, she has spent the past nine years in the publishing industry. A writer herself in the fringe hours of her working-and-homeschooling mom life, Harmony also has a heart for leading and coaching aspiring writers. Harmony lives in West Michigan with her husband and two daughters. She blogs at harmonyharkema.com.

Photograph © Kari Shea, used with permission