December 15, 2014

Inadequacy and Simplifying

I posted about my organization challenge for November.  I didn't have grand hopes or aspirations of greatness.  I just wanted to organize the corner of the basement.  Putting all of that stuff into plastic tubs and throwing out the cardboard and throwing other stuff away felt good.  Stacking up those boxes made me feel like I had something together.  The organization challenge for December is Simplify.  Perfect for this month, right?  Perfect for believing that we are enough and we don't need to bake all the treats and go to all the parties and buy all the presents.  For believing that not going overboard is okay.

Last week, we went to a Christmas party.  It was Friday night.  I'd just put in 40 hours of Sit. No. Yes. Hurry up. What are you doing? You need a pencil. Get out your [insert any random word here].  I was exhausted and practically coughing up a lung because of this never-ending half-cold I seem to have.  Scott had made a dip because, at 10pm on Thursday he said we should probably take something to this party.  We still had to stop at the store for chips though.  And the auto part store so he could get wires to fix my car.  We didn't know where the house of the party was necessarily and I had never met any of the people who would be there.  A recipe for disaster, right?

Anyway, seeing how "together" some people have it can sometimes bring you down, you know?  Pinterest inspired gallery walls, brand new everything, things unpacked and in their perfect place (even if you just moved in a month ago), more than one perfectly decorated Christmas tree, etc.

So I needed to remind myself of the Simplify resolutions I'd already decided on for December.  

1.  I don't need to bake all the cookies.  In years past, I've gone overboard.  This year, we're not going anywhere for Christmas and we don't have any guests either so there's no need for me to spend two whole days baking.

2.  I don't need to buy presents for every person I've met in the last year.  Oh, I thought about it.  And it's not really a cost issue.  It's a take-the-time-to-pick-out-something-meaningful-wrap-it-carefully-and-mail-it issue.  I truly don't have time.  And I know that sounds awful.  I did send Christmas cards though.  And I got the boxes mailed out to our families.

3.  Do not Pinterest a gift for everyone I know here in Colorado.  I did this one year in Alaska and dang, it was stressful.  Actually, I did it two years in a row.  I made hot fudge and chocolate covered pretzels one year and cake pops for everyone the next year.  "Everyone" is coworkers.  However, my building is small enough now that if I made stuff for one person, I better make it for the whole hallway (like 8 people), plus office staff and…inevitably I will forget someone and feel terrible.  Best not to worry about it.  I also didn't print enough cards from Shutterfly (because expensive) for every acquaintance I have, so I can't hand those out.  However, do people really want a picture of me (who they see everyday), my husband (who they've never met), and my two dogs?  Eh.  Probably not.

4.  Don't go overboard buying presents.  You know how easy it is.  You see all the holiday displays and stuff just falls into the cart.  I'm 100% guilty of this.  Tis the season, right?  I finished my Christmas shopping 2 weeks ago.  Scott's gifts (little things he'd never buy himself) are under the tree.  The dogs each get a toy.  In years past, I've bought myself gifts but this year all I picked up were new pajamas, slippers, and a travel mug.  There's no need for me to wrap and unwrap presents to Kristin, from Kristin.  I think I'm outgrowing that.

Is there any way you're trying to simplify December for yourself and your family?  More ideas are welcome!


  1. At our workplace, and in China in general, the culture is definitely such that whatever we give someone for Christmas will be known by everyone, and it's best just to get the same thing for everyone and not leave anyone out. So we went and bought 20 fancy chocolate bars and I'll wrap them up in red paper for our whole office. It's not much, but I did want to do something to thank our coworkers for welcoming us and helping us out when we are so very confused by things that are new to us. Other than that, this Christmas is the epitome of simple--no decorations, no presents either to or from our families, no Christmas cards sent, and we'll probably just go out and buy some of our favorite snacks as 'stocking stuffers' for each other--we do get to go to a teacher's banquet a a nice hotel on Christmas Eve and our church is having a service on Christmas Day, I'm really looking forward to both of those!

  2. Amen! I need to remember all of that for when I start getting stressed. Thanks for sharing the reminder.

  3. Oh girl I'm with you on so many levels of this that I can hardly stand it. Each year we do things more simply than the year before it. I've come to realize that it's more about what we do and who we see rather than what we give. J and I do Christmas for each other because otherwise we'd wake up to a bare tree--but we don't go overboard. And as for family gifts, since we've started spending the holidays at our own home, I feel like it's a gift in itself for all of us to make the effort to come together. Isn't it better if we all just meet up at a restaurant in the middle and spend time together instead of stressing over some stupid little trinket that's going to sit in a bag in the corner of our bedroom for 6 months before I just throw the whole thing away? Which is exactly what happened to the entire bag of "gifts" we got from his family last year. I was on the phone with my mom last night telling her that J is sort of frustrated with me because we spent the weekend trying to shop for my xmas and I just couldn't commit to anything. I'm all "what can we THROW AWAY," not "what can I get?" haha

  4. I feel the same way this year about doing all the baking. I limited myself to a few kinds and Kyle took them all to work.

  5. This year with the new house, I am way behind on holiday ish. I decided we weren't doing photo cards this year because I spent a lot last year and didn't want to forget anyone and stressed over it! So this year, I stocked up on fun Target ones (at 10% off Cartwheel and 5% RedCard - yay!) instead. We're having a party this coming weekend and I am stressed! But other than that I've slowed it down. I know other people have their stuff together, but I do not. Haha

  6. This is totally where I am this year. I've cut down on the people I'm buying for. We're not going to stress out about baking. I MIGHT make some cookies for some friends but, honestly, I feel like it sets a precedent.

    We've got our tree up. We have lights. Presents have been purchased and wrapped. I'm calling it a win and moving on.

    This sounds a little Scrooge-y. It isn't meant to.

  7. I totally hear you on this! We're doing pretty much the same this year. Only a few people are actually getting gifts, we did send out Christmas cards but I didn't actually write on them this year (I figured "Love, Angi and Isaiah" was just fine for once), we managed to avoid Isaiah's work Christmas party (THANK GOD and don't get me started on how much I despise his work parties) and we're just playing it low-key this year. Sometimes we all tend to overbook and overwork ourselves to the point where Christmas isn't even any fun anymore. I'm a fan of keeping it fun.

  8. Loved this. While it may be the most wonderful time of the year, it's also the busiest and most stressful - and a lot of times we do it to ourselves! I'm totally guilty of the overbuying... I've done a little better this year by shopping early... I'm just too lazy to go back out for more ;)

  9. I'm 100% on board with this. I scaled way back with gifts this year and only bought some for my immediate family, and just a couple fun things I know they will all love. I'm not going to stress out about baking, I ordered the bare minimum amount of Christmas cards, and I didn't make any new Christmas decorations this year like I usually do. It's such a relief.

  10. I'm behind this 100%. Some people didn't get cards because I didn't have addresses and then I ran out of some cards.

    I probably won't get to bake like I wanted to.

    I can't be everywhere and do everything.

    And that's all okay!

  11. This is such a great post, very well written too. It's hard not to play the comparison game, year round, but around Christmas, when everything looks so perfect the envy monster can rear it's head.

    Simply is something I want to do in my life too! New follower!

  12. Ever since I had a kid, I've turned way simple. I buy gifts for my nieces and nephews, usually my parents, and sometimes my sisters if I'm feeling nice. I've ordered Christmas cards twice in four years, and only send them to family and real close friends - sorry other friends! I hardly decorate. I haven't made a huge batch of cookies in five years because who the heck is going to eat them all? I just enjoy the Christmas festivities elsewhere where I don't have to do the work ;)

  13. I didn't decorate this year. This is cheating a little bit for simplifying because I tried. Things didn't work out outside and Scott had stuff everywhere from working on our bathroom, so there's no place for the tree. I've come home with a couple of gifts the past few days, and rather than putting them under the tree, I've just put them away. The good news here is that my Christmas presents might actually be put away before summer vacation this year....


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