Can I tell you a secret? It’s kind of embarassing because I love pretty things and pretty Christmas decor is my favorite. But I sorta really hate wrapping Christmas presents.
I KNOW.
I must be a terrible person, or something.
But sitting down to wrap everyone’s presents is like some kind of production-work torture to me. (I’m so bad at repetitive, production work type tasks. It’s like my brain glazes over and my eyes start to twitch…)
Anyway, I feel bad about this because Pinterest is FILLED with gorgeous shots of trees surrounded by perfectly wrapped and embellished gifts. And if social media is to be believed, “all the moms are doing it”. Plus, when you’re a Home decor and organization blogger like I am, beautifully wrapped presents under the tree seem to be expected.
I wish I liked wrapping presents. Pretty wrapping makes gifts look so special.
And I mean, who doesn’t want to make the holidays look and feel special? Yet somewhere along the way special started to equal perfect. And that’s just exhausting!
But what if the best memories aren’t in the flawless perfection, but rather in the slow, real, messy moments?
The Pressure We Carry – and Why It’s Not Working
Like I mentioned in this post, moms often carry the invisible job of being holiday “magic makers”. We keep the mental checklists of gifts to buy, meals to make, decor to put out, who and when to host, and all the expectations that go with those things.
But, friend, the pressure to do it ALL is stealing the Christmas joy that we all really want and need!
The Secret Ingredient to a Memorable Holiday Season
Memorable moments are very rarely the picture perfect ones.
For example, my absolute favorite tradition every year is when we put the topper on our Christmas tree. We’ve been doing this for years and it always involves the whole family. And while it is a consistent photo moment year after year, it is never perfect.
Always, the girls sit on the floor with the dog, and Dean and our son reach up and put the star (or angel or whatever topper we’re using that year) on the top, while I snap a photo.
The last few years our schedules rarely line up long enough for us all to be at home and awake at the same time. So the outfits are never coordinated and often include someone in pyjamas while someone else is in work clothes. Inevitably, someone isn’t looking at the camera, the dog is licking something, or the tree almost falls over.
But it is this deliberate slowing down – even for only a few minutes – and making a plan to do this, that is the connection and presence that we all remember. (And no single one of us dares to put the topper on the tree alone because it’s a family moment!)
3 Ways to Choose Peace Over Perfection
There are three practical mindset changes that I’ve learned that can really shift how the holidays feel for you and your family. Hopefully they’ll help you to create memorable moments to last for years.
1. Simplify Expectations
- Decide what truly matters to you, not what social media says you should do or care about. Don’t love decorating gingerbread houses? Then don’t. Love stringing popcorn? Do that instead!
- Set boundaries on the infinite activities and spending that crop up during the holidays. Choose the events that matter to you and your family and stick to those. Decide on a budget for gifts and let the family know what to expect if it’s vastly different than previous years.
2. Prioritize Connection Over Production
- Focus on being with your family, not constantly creating for them. The gifts you give are great and all, but the time you spend with your family is worth so much.
- Small traditions like movie nights, baking cookies, or quiet evenings go a long way in creating the connection we all crave and thrive on.
3. Leave Room for Rest
- Rest is productive too. It’s good for body, mind and soul. Make sure to schedule some into this busy season.
- Don’t forget that a calm, rested mom sets the tone for a calm, happy home.
How Planning Makes Peace Possible
In this post, I talked about how even though planning takes time and effort, it makes peace during the holidays possible.
I am a huge fan of writing things down (either digitally or preferably with paper and pen) because then I don’t have to “hold onto” them in my head anymore. This is super freeing to me.
That’s why I created I created my free roadmap called The Simple Holiday Plan. It’s a gentle structure to protect your peace.
In it, I walk you through my 5 steps for stress-free holidays:
- Reviewing and simplifying weekly
- Defining your vision
- Setting your boundaries and budgets
- Mapping your key dates
- Making simple master lists
You can get it FREE at the bottom of this blog post.
FAQs About Simplifying the Holidays
Start by remembering why you want to simplify in the first place. You’re not taking away from your family’s experience. You’re creating more space for what truly matters. Guilt usually means you care deeply, but peace means you’re caring wisely.
If you need help setting calm intentions, grab your free 5-Step Simple Holiday Plan and start mapping out a season that feels good to you.
Have an honest conversation about what’s realistic this year. Let your family know you want the holidays to feel calmer and more enjoyable for everyone. Most of the time, they’ll understand once they realize it means more time together and less rushing.
The Holiday Planner Bundle can help you share the plan and delegate tasks so everyone knows what’s happening and can pitch in.
Involve them in the decisions. Ask what each person values most about the season and focus your time and energy there. When everyone has a say, they’re more likely to appreciate and protect the calm you’re creating together.
Use the planning pages inside The Holiday Planner Bundle to walk through this as a team and make it a new tradition.
You don’t need a picture-perfect holiday to make it meaningful. You just need to show up…fully, peacefully, and with love.”
Download your free 5-Step Simple Holiday Plan and start creating a calmer, more meaningful season today.