Simplicity @ Christmas

Simplicity has been a hot topic of mine for a while now.Pretty much every aspect in my life needs a little more simplicity, a little less clutter and a little more taking it easy.And Christmas is at the top of the list.I literally cannot go in a store right now (physically or online) because I will buy, buy, and then buy some more. Decorations, baking stuff, Christmas pillows, gifts, stocking stuffers, anything that has Santa on it because Maverick loves Santa, the obsession goes on and on and on.I love Christmas, I love the magic that is brings, the excitement, the joy, the love that is in the air. I love the fact that this is one of the most important times of the year for our Christian faith, we celebrate the fact that God became flesh and blood and was born in a simple barn for a fantastic purpose. Christmas is magical. I love it. I love celebrating it. I love everything about it. But the very reason I love it becomes the very reason it's complicated.I want it all - the beautifully decorated gingerbread looking house, the smell of baked sugar cookies and pine hitting your nose when you walk into the house, the perfectly wrapped and perfectly chosen gifts for everyone that are piled o so symmetrically under the tree, Micheal Buble playing in the background, children laughing (quietly) in the background writing letters to Santa, you know, the movie version of Christmas. (I mean who doesn't love a cheesy Christmas movie)That's what I want, but really I don't think that's what I want.Simplicity is not that simple. Simplicity is quite hard to obtain. Simplicity is finding joy in the little things, is making presence more important the presents AND its my goal this Christmas. But if you are anything like me you set goals and have aspirations but have NO sweet clue as to how to achieve your goals.So here's what I did. Maybe it will help you. Maybe it won't. Maybe it will give you an idea. Maybe it will give you that extra push to achieve your goals but I hope it will help you find some simplicity this Christmas.5. Ditch the PinterestI mean does it need any explaining?I love Pinterest just as much as the next person who wants others to think I have it all together when really my hair is about 90% Dry Shampoo because I haven't showered in like 4 days. BUT it can suck you in. I can sit down at the computer for 5 mins and have about 79 ideas of things that I want to do/feel like I need but never will or if I do it will end up on one of those "Pinterest Fails" sites.Now I'm not just picking on pintrest because when I say pintrest I basically mean enough with the comparing and being envious of other people's fantastic abilities. We all have different levels of abilities in many different area. I mean I have never been able to get that stupid ribbon to fall ever so softly down the Christmas tree plus my two year old just hangs all his Star Wars ornaments on one branch and freaks if I move them so whats the point really?Ditch the Pintrest.4. If it's stressful ditch it.This one is my favourite. Why do we keep doing things, especially during Christmas, that stress us out, make us unhappy and cause unnecessary fights with our significant others (not that I am speaking from experience...)If you hate decorating then don't. Don't like baking, then don't (or go to one of those handy places we like to call Bakeries). Stress out about gifts then give the gift of a simple gift card or donate in their name. Hate crowds and crazy shoppers, do it all online. Don't have enough money to buy then standard 104 gifts per kid...then don't. Extended family stress out then stick with your own (I mean we all have that one family member right?). Hate traveling in the winter to visit family then stay put. You get where I am going with this.No matter what you think, no matter what your traditions are and no matter what other people tell you - Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Christ. If you are so stressed out with all your traditions and to do lists that you cannot have a stress free celebration of this simple truth then prioritize and figure out how to get rid of what you don't need.If it's stressful ditch it. 3. Think about othersI have recently realized that I think about what makes me happy and then in turn assume that my family will be happy because I am happy. Confusing right?In my twisted crazy mind, I think that perfect decorations and a whole wack of those smelly sticks that make you think there is actually a real tree in your house when really its a big old fake one will make my two year old and my 5 month old happy.I know...Maverick doesn't care what my house looks like, he doesn't care what it smells like, and he definitely does not care how many presents he has. Maverick wants to play. He wants mom to play lightsabers and cars and legos. He wants to paint those ceramic snowman ornaments so it looks like the snowman got into a fight and lost. He wants to feel the excitement every time we see a picture or video of Santa. He wants to be his energetic two year old self with a mom who is actually thinking about his needs at Christmas and not her own.We need to teach our kids how important they are to us. We need to teach them that behind God and their Daddy, they are my first priorities. AND we need to teach them the importance of thinking of others as well.What to help your kids understand this? Christmas is a fantastic time to teach this lesson. Go to a food bank, donate gifts to those who need a little extra help this Christmas, volunteer on a kettle (shameless plug). Teach them about others. Teach them about others by thinking about others yourself.Think about others 2. Choose SimpleI mean this seems like the basic step of trying to live a more simple life but actually chosen simple is something we forget.Here's my example:Problem: I love baking. I am not good at baking. Baking stresses me out and becomes a not so simple process. I just really want to have that fun family moment of decorating sugar cookies and making it fun for my boys.Solution: Wal-Mart sells pre made ready to go sugar cookie dough. I know I know - some of you are freaking right now and if my Grandmother knew they sold this she would completely not understand why anyone would buy it. BUT this has been a way that I have embraced simplicity this Christmas. I have skipped all this stressful and (in my case) complicated things and jumped right to the fun, memory making part that I love and my family loves.This may not be ideal and this may seem crazy to you but give some stuff up so you can spend more time doing whats's important.Choose Simple.1. Remember the ReasonThis may seem like another step that is common sense and it's silly of me to write it but I believe remembering the reason for the season will help to remind me to choose simplicity.The Christmas story is wonderful and beautiful and really uncomplicated. If you have never read it google Luke chapters 1 and 2 and you can see what I mean.I believe that Jesus is our Saviour. I believe that Jesus is God's son. I believe that God became human and came to Earth to show me what love really is. I believe that this same God sent Jesus to be born in a manger among cattle and pigs and all that lovely smell a barn has to teach me that no matter who I am, no matter where I come from and no matter what life throws my way I am to humble myself, be a servant and live a simple life. He is a King. He was born in a barn. He did all of this so He could be with me. Thats how much He loves me. It's a simple concept, a concept that I know can be hard to grasp but ultimately is the reason we have Christmas.Remembering the simple story of Christmas, remembering the simplicity of the birth of Christ and remembering that He has called me to live like Him is my number one reason to chose Simplicity this Christmas.Remember the ReasonThis Christmas I hope you feel the love of God.I hope you experience that magic that Christmas offers.I hope you get just as excited today as you did when you were 7.I hope you have joy and peaceI hope you chose simplicity and have the best Christmas you have ever had!p.s. Does anyone want to bake me cookies?