When did holidays have "silent nights"?
On opting out of the holi-daze.
It’s already started…
The stress, the hustle-and-bustle, the happy-but-harried cacophony of December. I was on a group call this morning where almost everyone commiserated about the rush of buying presents, cooking big dinners, dealing with family drama, and so on.
Welp. I’m opting out.
Or, I suppose it’s more accurate to say: I’m not opting in.
I spent this past Saturday morning clicking “add to cart” for my kids’ and husband’s gifts. I added something for a few others on my list, and I’m finished. They’ll be delivered here without any rush, panic, or fighting for parking spots. All I have to do is wrap!
We’re hosting Christmas brunch, so all the dishes are simple things the kids like (French toast casserole, ftw). We’re declining more events and obligations than we’re accepting.
Even this year’s gift guide on OMD is simplified. Instead of multiple days of many recommendations and giveaways like I’ve done in the past, I posted one with a few top pics (still paired with giveaways—only open 5 days so go enter now!). And that’s it for me!
To quote Violet: easy-peasy-mac-and-cheesy.
Because the thing that is so easy to forget is that it’s all optional. Sure, there are a lot of traditions and family values that matter, and I’m certainly not ditching those things. But, I’m challenging myself (and you, too, if you want) to focus only on what matters and eliminate the rest.
I’m bringing back the silent nights. The holiday movies in front of the fire. The cozy-jammies-all-day. The long walks with Penny through frozen, crunchy leaves in quiet forests. Newt curled up on my lap as I sip a glass of tea—or red wine—and Ripley burrowed under the blanket next to me while I read a thick novel.
We’re drawing in, instead of going out.
It suits this year, I think.
Anyway, this email was supposed to be about the OMD gift guide, but as most things do, it turned into something else entirely. :) But, ICYMI, be sure to visit this year’s gift guide post to enter to win some really great presents, including a gift card to create awesome personalized pet pics like the one of Ripley above!
Happy December, friends. May your season be merry, bright, and calm.
