5 Ways to Simplify Holiday Routines for a Joyful Season |

Discover simple holiday routines that keep Christ at the center of your home while reducing stress and embracing joy. Learn how to balance homemaking, faith-filled traditions, and easy recipes for a peaceful holiday.

‘Tis the season of joy, but if you’re a mom, you know it’s also a season of stress! We want to make the holiday perfect for our kids.

Moms put so much pressure on themselves create special memories for their kids. They feel like they need to bake cookies, make gingerbread houses, decorate the tree with homemade ornaments, see the Christmas lights, buy the perfect gift, wrap everything in beautiful packages–and more.

happy family decorating a Christmas tree and wrapping gifts — Holiday routines can be simple and beautiful.

On top of all the extra stuff, we still have to keep up with the chores. We still have to wash dishes, and there are more dishes if you’re doing holiday baking.

The laundry also multiplies as we attend holiday parties and events. Not to mention cleaning up all the pine needles from the floor.

While Christmas is a time we want to honor the Savior, we end up so busy that our focus is anywhere except Jesus.

We can face these challenges head-on by intentionally planning for holiday routines. Create balance for family life, holiday traditions, and spiritual focus.

Use these tips this Christmas to enjoy the season, let go of perfectionism and focus on what really matters–celebrating the birth of the Savior.

In This Post

Holiday Homemaking Routine

1. Start with Bible Reading and Prayer

When life gets busy around the holidays, we tend to cut out our daily time in the Word. But spending time in the Bible and prayer is even more important in busy times.

Sometimes the Christmas requires you to be with family members who create drama. Buying gifts and doing all the activities can put a strain on your household budget. Christmas can also bring up painful memories or heartache for family members who have passed.

So, instead of feeling joyful, we end up feeling stressed to the max. During these chaotic times, we need to embrace the peace offered to us in God’s Word.

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

Isaiah 26:3

Your daily quiet time routine might change during the holiday season. And that’s okay, as long as you continue to have quiet time.

Quiet Time Ideas:

Read through the book of Luke, one chapter each day. This is a powerful Bible reading plan that ends with the death and resurrection of Jesus–a reminder of why we celebrate the
Use an Advent Scripture writing plan to focus on the beauty and miracles of Christmas.
Include your family and read Christmas devotions together. Light a candle to make your reading time cozy, as well as remind you that Christ is the light of the world.

2. Simplify Homemaking Tasks

The best part of creating homemaking routines is that they are not set in stone. We create them to fit into our schedules, and help us manage our homes efficiently.

Having a simple routine helps you stay ahead of your homemaking tasks before they get overwhelming.

I use a simple daily routine checklist that helps me manage my home without stress. I also have a morning routine so I can start every day with peace.

When you have flexible routines, you can easily change them up a little to fit your lifestyle.

Let go of perfectionism this month. It’s okay if your house doesn’t sparkle and shine. “Good enough” really is good enough during a busy season. it’s okay to do the bare minimum and enjoy the season.

Remember, true joy doesn’t come from a spotless home, but the love and peace within it.

Simple Homemaking Task Ideas

Declutter early in December, ideally before your Black Friday packages arrive! You don’t need to do a major overhaul. Just do a sweep through each room and get rid of stuff you don’t need.
Set some “must-do” tasks that are non-negotiable but don’t take all of your time. For instance, every day I will wash and put away all dishes, tidy up living spaces, and spot-clean messes.
Focus on high-traffic areas only. It’s okay if your kids’ bedroom is messy or if you have some laundry to fold. That’s what the week between Christmas and the New Year is for!

Learn more about creating faith-filled homemaking routines here.

red candles with an Advent calendar in the background — Traditions should point us to Christ and His birth.

3. Incorporate Christ-Centered Holiday Traditions

There are so many different traditions we can do with our kids during the holidays. From watching fun Christmas movies to driving around to look at Christmas lights.

While those are all great, it’s important to incorporate some Christian Christmas traditions into your family’s holiday season.

Create some special holiday traditions that are all about Jesus. Keep them easy for little kids to understand, like baking a birthday cake for Jesus or visiting a living nativity.

Christ-Centered Christmas Ideas

Set up an Advent Calendar.
Participate in “Shepherd on the Search.”
Read the Christmas story from Luke 2.

Find more Christ-centered Christmas traditions here.

4. Plan Easy, Nourishing Meals

Somewhere along the way, we’ve started to think that every family meal should be Pinterest-worthy. But fancy meals don’t matter nearly as much as just having meals.

During busy times, it’s enough to put healthy, nourishing food on the table. It may not be pretty, and it may not be the healthiest choice. And that’s okay.

Plan out your meals in advance, and stick to tried-and-true family favorites. December is a season of soup, one-pot meals, casseroles, and buttered noodles.

Give yourself some grace. Remember that memories made around the table matter more than fancy or complex meals.

Simple Meal Ideas

Make–your-own subs: Put out lunchmeat, cheese, toppings and sauces and let everyone make their own.
Pasta dishes: My go-to meal is fettuccine, but we also love cheeseburger macaroni, spaghetti, and baked ziti.
Casseroles and sheet pan meals: Any time you can put everything together and cook it in one dish, go for it!

woman and little girl decorating a Christmas tree — Every moment is beautiful when you celebrate together!

Let Go of Perfectionism and Embrace Grace

One of the downfalls of social media is that it allows us to glimpse everyone’s lives. While we get an up-close look at every part of our own lives, we only see the best part of others.

So, we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to create a perfect, amazing Christmas for our kids. Because we need to make sure we are keeping up with the Joneses.

However, striving for perfection only leads to burnout. That’s especially true around the holidays.

Practice self-compassion, and realize that your worth isn’t tied to the extravagance of your holiday. A color-coordinated tree, perfectly-hung decorations, and enviable hostess skills don’t change who you are as a person.

Real life is not a Hallmark Christmas movie. It’s okay if you don’t hold cheery cups of cider in mittened hands, glide smoothly around an outdoor ice rink, or win a cookie-baking contest.

Let go of unrealistic expectations and embrace time with your family and friends. We only get one Christmas each year, so we should make it joyful instead of stressful!

Some ideas for letting go:

Choose a few holiday events that matter to you, and let the others go. You don’t have to attend every party and activity, especially if it puts more strain on your time and budget.
Resist the urge to look at everyone’s Christmas photos on social media. If you’ve ever tried to take a photo with your kids, you know there’s usually a lot of cajoling and struggling that goes on behind the scenes. What you see is probably not what happened. Don’t compare yourself to someone else when you don’t have all the facts.
Open your mind and heart to spontaneity. While traditions are great, it’s okay if you want to change it up and try something new. You might hate it and decide never to do it again. Or, you may love it and make it a brand-new tradition for your family.

Keep Christ at the Center of Your Holiday Routines

The ultimate key to simplifying holiday routines is to remember that we are celebrating the birth of our Savior. When we keep our focus on Jesus’ birth and death, we can’t help but feel joyful.

He came to Earth to save us from our sins so we can live forever in Heaven with Him. While we love to give gifts and celebrate with family and friends, we should never forget that Jesus’ births is what matters most.

Find peace in the season by keeping your focus on Christ. Cultivate a home that’s full of love, joy, and grace. Let the peace of God reign in your heart.

Christmas can be hard. It’s busy, stressful, and sometimes chaotic. But Jesus invites us to rest in Him and let go of heavy burdens.

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Matthew 11:28-30

Holiday routines don’t have to be stressful. Start your days with God’s Word, simplify homemaking tasks, focus on Christ-centered traditions, plan easy meals and let go of perfectionism.

In the end, it’s all about celebrating Jesus with our kids and families. Instead of focusing on the less-than-perfect parts of the season, let’s turn our attention to the joy and peace we find in Christ!

5 Ways to Simplify Holiday Routines for a Joyful Season