3 Tips for Having a More Intentional Christmas
Thanksgiving is over, the Black Friday madness is done, and I’m ready to move into the Christmas season whole-heartedly! But this year, instead of running around and trying to do all the things, I want an intentional Christmas with my family.
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For most Americans Christmas is a time of parties, gifts, family, traveling and food. But it looks like many of those things might not be possible this year.
If there’s one thing 2020 has taught us, it’s that the little things are what matter most. And that’s especially true for Christmas.
I’ve learned that if you don’t set out with intentions, you’ll rarely end up where you want to be. That’s why you need to make goals even for things like Christmas. Set priorities (and stick to them!) even during the holidays.
My goal for Christmas is to enjoy myself, enjoy my family and friends, and celebrate the season. So, I know that I’m going to need to make a plan.
Make a Simple Christmas Plan
The first step to having an intentional Christmas is to ask yourself, “What really matters to me?”
The key is, what matters to you. Of course there are usually things we can’t get out of at Christmas. I know you’d really like to watch your own child perform in the Christmas program, then get up and leave instead of watching the whole thing.
Probably not an option.
But there are some things you can probably skip. If there’s a Christmas activity you attend just to make someone else happy, now is the time to give it up. There are a limited amount of days in December, and you just can’t do it all.
Choose to do the things that matter to you and your family. If you do the things you enjoy, you’ll have a happier and less stressful Christmas season!
Many people are still living in states and towns with restrictions on gatherings and travel. Some families won’t be able to be together this year because of sickness or even financial reasons.
Whether you’re finding yourself faced with too many things on your to-do list this Christmas season, or not enough, you need a plan. In a year that’s been hard, and often sad, now is the time to add some joy!
More Intentional Christmas Tip #1: Start with your traditions.
How many of us have not been able to participate in any of our regular family traditions in 2020? No 4th of July fireworks. No Veteran’s Day or Labor Day Parade. No Memorial Day cookout.
It’s been a year for starting new traditions. Maybe some will stick around, and some won’t. The same is true for Christmas.
List your favorite Christmas traditions. How many of them can you do this year?
You might still be able to find a drive-through Christmas lights display. You can still gather food for food banks, or make donations to homeless men and women.
If you have traditions you can’t do this year, try to find substitutes. You might even find that you like them better than the original.
What are some fun Christmas traditions?
Christmas shopping is often a family tradition that many can’t do this year. If you can’t go shopping in stores like you usually would, let your kids help you shop online.
Maybe you can’t participate in a Christmas cookie exchange, but you can bake and decorate cookies with your kids. Make it even easier with a cookie baking kit with pre-measured ingredients!
I know many churches have canceled their Christmas plays, and even living nativities may not happen. I highly recommend the movie The Nativity Story. It’s a beautiful representation of the birth of Jesus that leaves me in tears every time.
This is the year to get creative. Although we’d probably rather forget most of this year, Christmas can still be a time we cherish and want to remember!
More Intentional Christmas Tip #2: Make time for kindness.
There’s something about Christmas that makes us all want to give and be generous. And this year there are a lot of people who could use some kindness.
Let’s use the Christmas season this year to intentionally teach our children about kindness.
Here are some ways to practice kindness and include your kids:
- Donate to Toys for Tots
- Deliver food and/or care packages to a homeless shelter
- Make Christmas cards for relatives or shut-ins
- Put extra change in Salvation army buckets
These are just a few ideas. There are so many ways to show kindness and generosity at Christmas time.
Remind your kids that we give at Christmas, because God gave us the greatest gift of all. It’s because of His blessings that we have things to give.
It’s important to remember that Christmas is about more than receiving gifts. We shouldn’t let the season pass only focusing on ourselves and our own families.
Let’s plan this year to include kindness in our Christmas activities. Show our children what the season is really about.
More Intentional Christmas Tip #3: Stick to the budget.
Nothing adds stress to your life more than money–not enough money, spent too much money, no money left. To have an intentional Christmas you need a budget.
I know, I know. It’s no fun.
I love buying gifts for people. There is nothing like the look of delight on a person’s face when they open the perfect gift you bought for them.
It’s so easy to get carried away, and just keep buying and buying. But an intentional budget reigns in spending, cuts down on stress and can truly help you have a merrier Christmas.
Since I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that the cost of gifts doesn’t matter nearly as much as the thought behind them. When a gift comes from the heart, the price isn’t important. It’s totally possible to have a nice Christmas on a budget.
Use a written budget.
There are a few ways to control your spending at Christmas. One way is to use a written budget. List who you want to buy for, and how much you can spend.
Carefully track what you buy and how much you spent. I say “carefully” on purpose. Have you ever started wrapping gifts, then realized you have one person you bought too many gifts for? Is that just me? Ok.
What is the four gift rule?
You might’ve seen the four gift Christmas rule floating around on Pinterest. This is another way to take control of your spending at Christmas. You can easily customize this for kids of all ages, and even adults.
Each person gets four gifts; one thing they want, one thing they need, one thing to wear, and one thing to read. I think this works really great for kids, especially if you like opening a lot of gifts.
None of the gifts need to be really expensive, and they can be really personal.
Give one gift.
Some people would rather give one nice gift instead of a lot of smaller ones. I fall into this camp. I love to find that one perfect gift for each person. For me, it’s the most stress-free plan of all!
Plan for an Intentional Christmas
The most important way to have an intentional Christmas is to make a plan. Then, stick to it! Know what your budget is, and don’t spend more than you’ve got.
Know what you can and can’t do–and that includes things you want or don’t want to do. Do only those things and no more.
Remember, you control your time this December. It’s okay to choose the things you love, and to say no to the things that don’t matter.
Merry Christmas!
