This year’s Christmas didn’t turn out exactly as planned. We were supposed to fly north to visit my family for the holiday season but my fear of flying combined with the current weather conditions has meant that instead of having Christmas with the extended family, my husband and I have celebrated Christmas at home with our little one.
As we had planned on having Christmas away we had not decorated the house. In fact, a few months ago I sold our Christmas tree and decorations on ebay in a fit of decluttering. The house is also a mess because we are still in the middle of a big decluttering project so there’s a big pile of stuff we are getting rid of in the middle of the family room. Things were looking pretty bleak but I managed to put together some simple, homemade paper chains to hang from the ceiling and a tiny little christmas tree made out of computer paper, painted green. Our Christmas day was a very simple affair filled with small pleasures like ham, eggs and fresh bread for breakfast, an afternoon drive up to the local lookout, text messages and Skype calls to family and friends and a restful nap in the middle of the day.
It was a gentle reminder that Christmas ought not be about the presents, tinsel and store bought cheer but about the important things in life. Family, friends, good food and making sure to do something you enjoy each day.
It’s not just me, other people enjoy minimalist Christmases too:
Under the Mango Tree 