Simplifying The Season: what it means

The Weary World Rejoices on a letterboard.

Table of Contents

It seems like a cruel joke. The older we get, the more quickly time seems to pass, leaving you less time to enjoy life. Take the holidays for example. When I was a kid it seemed like the year draaggggeeeddd by and Christmas could not get here soon enough. Then I got a little older. A little busier. I had kids. Responsibilities. Commitments. Now all of a sudden the year flies by. Before I know it, I’m sitting in the aftermath of the holidays wondering what just happened. It has me looking for ways of simplifying the season where I can.

what simplifying the season means to me

No matter how much I plan ahead for the holidays it always seems like things are too rushed. I run out of time to do some of the things that I would really like to be doing, or even should be doing. I wouldn’t say the holidays are a source of stress, per se. However, there is a slight sigh of relief once they’re over.

Slight, I said slight!!

Don’t hate me.

Well, apparently I’m not alone. I polled some of my readers and fellow bloggers on how they really felt about the holidays. Their answers were interesting! Don’t worry, it’s not all negative! In fact, I was really happy to see how most people feel about the holiday season!

 

Simplifying the Season

 

why are we stressing out so much?

As cute as those family pictures are, we all know how stressful getting that one perfect photo can be. Family fun during the holidays is wonderful, but a lot of preparation goes into family gatherings. Not budgeting or even knowing how much you’re spending can be a serious strain on family life. That’s pretty much the last thing you want around the holidays.

| Read: Simplifying the Season–Focus on the Savior |

As someone that starts buying and planning for Christmas the year before, the idea that the majority of  respondents don’t start planning until a few months before (if that!) makes me want to break out in stress hives. There’s late nights, cleaning, organizing, meal planning… With some of these answers I’m surprised that only 15% of people used the word busy to describe the holiday season. Roughly half of those polled already feel the holidays are stressful, so why are we adding more self-inflicted stress? 

join me in simplifying the season this year

Y’all, I have an idea. This year, let’s simplify a little bit. Let’s refocus and think about what’s really important. Let’s slow down and stress a little less.

Several months ago I had an idea for how I want to celebrate the season this year. Let me share it with you. It’s called Simplifying the Season. My hope is that it will help you all in some way as you enjoy your holidays this year. I’ve called upon some of my favorite bloggers to help me spread the word and I am so excited about the coming weeks!

#SimplifyingTheSeason

 

I would love for you to take part in any way you can! This holiday season I want to know how you are going to simplify and refocus. Share it on your blog, share it on your social media, just share it! Maybe you have some tips about how to stay calm with holiday guests. Or maybe you have a family tradition you want to share that helps you focus on family time. Whatever it is I want to know how it helps you with simplifying the season! This should not be something that adds yet another thing to your holidays. Rather, it should be something to help enhance them. Something that helps to refocus the holidays on what truly matters to you and your family this season.

 

#SimplifyingTheSeason

 

Be sure to use the hashtag #SimplifyingTheSeason and then link-up the week after Christmas. I want to see what you’re up to!

These other lovely bloggers are talking about #SimplifyingTheSeason this week too:

Shani from Sunshine and Munchkins

Whitney from Work it Mommy

How do you feel about the holidays? Which ones do you celebrate and how do you focus on what’s important about them?

 

19 Responses to Simplifying The Season: what it means

  1. Sydney November 21, 2016 at 8:19 am #

    I am a holiday junkie, like Christmas is the most magical time of year and right now all I think about is the day I get to go home for christmas, The perfect family photo is pretty easy now my parents love it, I have a photography business so I just set it all up find a great location and done, it is very easy now.

  2. Madeline Casey November 21, 2016 at 8:28 am #

    This is such a good idea! I’m one of the people who looks forward to the season, and doesn’t stress, but I know I could always simplify! I look forward to participating and seeing others participate!

  3. Whitney November 21, 2016 at 12:21 pm #

    Im SO excited for this series, Justine! Your brillant mind has been working in high gear 🙂

    • Justine @ Little Dove November 21, 2016 at 12:33 pm #

      Haha, you’re so sweet Whitney. 🙂 I’m excited to have you helping out!

  4. Jen November 21, 2016 at 7:40 pm #

    Love this focus on keeping it simple and not getting to caught up in all the holiday craziness!

  5. Brooke at Silver Lining November 22, 2016 at 8:49 am #

    So excited for this!

  6. Vicki @ Babies to Bookworms November 22, 2016 at 10:54 am #

    It’s so true that the end of the year can easily become a big holiday blur! I’m excited to follow along and simplify my season!

  7. Marla | Because I Said So Baby November 22, 2016 at 11:10 am #

    This is so true! I agree with what you said, it seems as we get older and are able to enjoy the holidays more, it also becomes harder to enjoy them because of all the stress!

  8. Rebekah | My Circus, My Monkeys November 22, 2016 at 11:56 am #

    I love love love Christmas! Maybe because I was born 2 days before Christmas and came home from the hospital on Christmas Day in a stocking made by the nurses? Who knows, but I love to keep it simple while we celebrate!

  9. Susannah November 22, 2016 at 4:13 pm #

    I love this so much! I’m a huge fan of all the holidays in November and December but I have to constantly remind myself to keep them simple because I want to focus on the real reasons for them!

  10. Alicia Snow November 22, 2016 at 10:12 pm #

    I love that infograph! So interesting. And yes to simplifying!!

  11. Stefanie November 23, 2016 at 12:08 am #

    I really need to focus more on this. I’m trying not to get caught up in all the chaos this year and just focus on enjoying the season!

  12. Lindsey November 23, 2016 at 8:47 am #

    Enjoyed reading everyone’s input…I have a hard time simplifying (admittedly) and do stress myself out easily…look forward to reading more!

  13. Tabitha Shakespeare November 23, 2016 at 9:05 am #

    Love this post I really try not to get stressed out about the holidays but it can get difficult! Especially trying to figure out whose family we are going to spend them with!

  14. Andi November 29, 2016 at 6:56 am #

    I love Christmas, but I’m one of those people that make you want to break out into hives, lol! I swear, it always creeps up on me and I find myself scrambling last minute to get everything done. I’ll definitely be following this series to help calm my mind and remember the reason for the season this year!

    • Justine @ Little Dove November 30, 2016 at 8:07 pm #

      Haha, it happens to the best of us. 😉 I hope you do follow along and enjoy! Happy Holidays!

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. our family’s Christ-centered Christmas | Little Dove Blog - November 7, 2018

    […] our family having a Christ-centered Christmas means to simplify our holiday season. Simplifying the season is something that I’ve been working on the past few years. I think […]

  2. top 10 posts of 2016 from Little Dove - Little Dove Blog - February 7, 2022

    […] 10. #SimplifyingTheSeason […]

What do you think?

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.