A Case of the Christmas Crazies

As I have been busy helping clients get their houses ready for the holidays, and scurrying around getting my own home pulled together for the Revealing Redesign Holiday party that was last weekend (can't WAIT to show you the pictures of that soon!), I have been thinking about how easily we can make ourselves absolutely nuts at this time of year. 

It is really easy to do--in fact, there are three simple steps to Christmas Craziness & you probably already know what they are. Maybe you already DO them each year! 

Here they are:

First,  indiscriminately get tons of stuff out.

Second, put none of your other stuff away.

Third, pretend that all that stuff makes you feel happy, peaceful, and festive.

I am really scrutinizing each thing I am getting out of those red and green boxes this year and making sure that I truly love each item. It is too easy to get out all of the same decorations year after year, just by force of habit, and never take a step back to get some perspective on what it looks like, whether or not we like it anymore, or how it truly makes us feel.

Having extra stuff around is stressful, so take advantage of the empty Christmas boxes, and put some of your normal decor items away for the next six weeks. It will be like seeing an old friend again when the time comes to pack up all the Santa stuff.

Lastly, the point of all of this shuffling about is to make an outward sign in our homes that this time of the year is different. For those of us who are Christians, we are waiting for, and then celebrating Jesus' birth. For those of us who celebrate a more secular holiday, it is a special, festive time that is meant to be about being joyful and enjoying our family and friends. Make sure that your home puts you in a peaceful state, that you can put your feet up and enjoy the warmth of the fire or watch the candles glow. Be sure you don't feel crowded, cramped, or encumbered by that extra Christmas pillow on the couch that Aunt Judy gave you ten years ago that you never really liked anyway.

What can YOU do differently this year to make it a more meaningful and peaceful holiday?

All the best to you and those you love for a wonderful, happy holiday season!