We’ve been at Disneyland with my family for Thanksgiving and during the holidays I think that it is even more magical than normal. Everything was decorated for Christmas and so it has gotten me into the yuletide spirit! Our download today will help you with your Christmas crafting.
It comes in 3 versions – a large and small as well this gift tag so you can do all kinds of crazy Christmas things as you countdown to the big day.
please click on image to download pdf
We are hosting a neighborhood Christmas party on Wednesday. I’m excited to “break in” our new home with a big event. I don’t have to do the food or the planning of the actual event but you know how it goes when something is held at your house – I have plenty to do to get ready.
But I have recognized something in myself this year. We have had a lot of years of “temporary” living while Jason rehabilitated from his car accident. During that time we lived in tiny apartments or borrowed spaces and I haven’t done a lot of entertaining. In fact, when we built our home I wanted a fresh start and so I have given away or sold off many of the things we used to own in favor of a chance to start over again.
This process has not only been necessary to keep things simple when we moved around and tried to fit in small spaces but it has also been an emotional and mental cleansing process where I have learned that I can let go of almost everything while I gather in only what I really love or really need.
So, I sit here with no Christmas decorations in storage except for a nativity, our stockings, a few ornaments and my collection of Christmas books, wondering what else I want to add to my holiday totes and bins. There is something very restful about starting from scratch and not putting pressure on myself to “do it all” this year but instead, to simply start the gathering process with a little this year, a little next year, etc.
The question becomes…what do I want to do this year, in time for the party, that will bring the holiday spirit? There is a catch, though. I have learned the value of limiting what I take on so that the things I do create only the amount of work for myself that will hover below the “overload” line and remain in the “this is fun” area on my personal stress meter.
I have involved other people to help me – that keeps my stress low. Christmas lights are done by professionals at our house. I can’t mentally risk someone else’s life on my roof when they are not properly insured! Done.
I have a couple of wreaths layered together that I think will go above the fireplace. I’ll keep the wreath I have on the door because it’s full of red and greenery and will look fabulous in an untraditional way. I think I’ll hang the stockings – this year there is still just two but next year we’ll make room for one more. It’s hard to believe that this is our last Christmas with just the two of us.
I’ll fill the candy jars with Christmas candy and the Bath & Body Works Wallflowers will all be replaced with holiday scents. I’ve broken out the Christmas music and of course, the nativity and Christmas books will find a home outside of storage as well.
I think we have settled on a place for the Christmas tree – which will be artificial. Doing it all on my own, I need something simple to manage and I’ve found a great option that looks very real and is tall and skinny to fit in the space and still allow lots of room for Jason to maneuver. Maybe I’ll go do that today at our Tai Pan Trading. I think I’m just going to keep the lights on it for the party and not worry about decorating it before Wednesday. It will be pretty just like that and the thought of decorating it from scratch in the next day puts me too close to the stress mark. Who knows, I may leave it like that till Christmas even. I’m ok with figuring out the ornament part next year.
I found some cool garlands that weren’t traditional greenery and I’ve been thinking about them for a couple of weeks. I might pick those up for the stair banister. We’ll see if I still like them when I go back to the store.
I’ll show you photos of what I end up doing – but this post is not so much about giving ideas of more “stuff” to do for the holidays. You have enough stuff. Today’s post is all about giving you permission to take a step back, think about starting fresh, let go, only do what is necessary or what you love. It seemed like the only way to truly teach that principle is to show you how I am doing it for myself.
Whatever level of “Christmas-er” you are, whether you go all out or keep it simple, take the time to evaluate your stress and see if there are ways to manage it a little better this year. It’s your life, your choice, your time. As I was reminded while at Disneyland last week, the holidays are meant to be magical – here’s permission to enjoy them.
Happy December 1st!
What a cute little tag Kolette! My scrapbooking group always does a “swap” of handmade tags so this one came a little late this year (I was just finishing up actually) but I’m going to save it in my files for future use! I can hear you on decorating, we moved across the country six months ago and I’m decorating a space that is completely new to me this year. We lived in our last house for eight years so it’s a little daunting to say the least. We also switched many years ago to an artificial tree, I find it easier to use and I can enjoy it longer and of course the big plus is NO MESS! Good luck with the party and all of your decorating, can’t wait to see what you come up with. I’m off to go finish my pre-class stuff for A Life Well Crafted! Oh yeah…”Santa” is getting me a Zutter Bind It All version 2 for Christmas!
Thanks for the adorable download Kolette! Started to pull things together for Life Well Crafted and have the Bind it All on my Christmas list.
Great post, Kolette! You are right. Christmas is time for magic. So is pregnancy
Your tips for evaluating stress are spot on – and I’ll toss one your way since you are “ok with figuring out the ornament part next year.” Cole will be active next year, and mesmerized by the tree for many years to come. As you build an ornament collection, concentrate on unbreakables that will cause no harm to little hands and feet – and have no little pieces that could end up in his mouth.
If you have cherished ornaments or decorations that you want to display, be creative! When my guys were little, we made mobiles out of the more fragile things.
And I will tell you, at 19 & 21 years old, the boys favorite ornaments are still the soft little stuffed felt teddy bears and gingerbread men.
….so a super easy idea, when you are at Tai Pan pick up some of the non-traditional green satin ribbon (the really wide size), loosely twist it with the non-traditional gold/wheat color ribbon throughout the tree. The ribbon and lights will be perfect. Then use the ribbon to hang wreaths (plain or a tight berry) on each of the main windows! Simple, clean, easy and festive! But of course, what ever you do will look amazing! Have a great party!
Just wanted to thank you for the wonderful Monday downloads and for the wisdom you share regarding stress and doing too much.
I plan to make a few copies of your quote that I have about to read and remind as I prepare for the holidays.
Wisdom from Kolette Hall: “I have learned the value of limiting what I take on so that the things I do create only the amount of work for myself that will hover below the “overload” line and remain in the “this is fun” area on my personal stress meter.”
Kolette, you are so wise in keeping things low stress by realizing that while that are many things you could do there are only a few that are needed. You don’t have to try to have a show place or feel you have to measure up to someone or something in order for your home to be nice and well decorated. I so appreciate your wisdom that you share. We too have recently moved and we left all that Christmas stuff behind. It took us two hours to decorate over the weekend and that was fine with us. As the years go by we will add a few things here and there but will keep it simple. We are both disabled and we need to conserve energy and keep the stress low. Thanks for the downloads each Monday. I am enjoying them. I’m really looking forward to A Life Well Crafted class. I have my Journal and LIfe Tunes album ready and am just waiting for January to get here. Deb
Thanks for sharing your wisdom. I like your thinking
My daughter and I started decorating yesterday. I found a package of plastic ornaments at Costco last week. They had several color choices, but I chose the red and white combo – some were striped, some polka-dot etc. We tied green ribbon to them and hung them in groups from the ceiling. (We have to keep things away from our very frisky kitty). We also wrapped a few pictures on our walls with Christmas paper and tied a bow around them so they look like presents.
I’m keeping it simple this year too.
Thanks for the download too.
Kolette, you are so smart to just take your time and only put up the things you really love. It seems like every year when I drag out the decorations and everything, I actually put up less. And it still looks wonderful. So this year I’m going to “recycle” the unwanted things so that someone else can get some enjoyment from them. Have a wonderful party! XX’s
Hey Kolette
Loved your post, and seriously had this “revelation” right before thanksgiving… the painting wasn’t finished, boxes weren’t unpacked, where were the rest of my kitchen things… uugghh I had several days of stress, then wednesday night, I realized, what got done was great and what didn’t, well no one would miss (especially if they didn’t know I was working on it), so some new thanksgiving things were on display and others will be finished for NEXT year… and the food and family were really the stars of the show… kind of still in that same mode for christmas, decorations will come out, and get done, it might not be perfect, or exactly how I imagined it would be or how I think it should be … but it will be just right
Kolette,
Thanks so much for your Download Mondays! Such a great gift.
Wanted to let you know that I used the artwork from Giving Well for my journaling class students to make cards for the Red Cross Holiday for Heroes program. See the cards they made on my blog at http://www.heartwriting.biz/blog/acts_of_kindness.html.
Thanks again. That was a great class!!
Lynda