There are around two weeks left until Christmas. And it’s the first time when our family decided to take it slow and simple.
For a couple of years to me, the last few days before Christmas meant a headache of deciding what to gift to whom, rushing in the shopping malls, last-minute shopping, and lots of stress.
This year, because of lack of time, I couldn’t spend pre-Christmas time like that again. Besides, I didn’t want to waste money on things my relatives don’t need that much.
What’s the option?
With my closest friends, we did a secret Santa and drew one name each. We’ve been doing this for a couple of years and it’s always exciting to prepare one super nice gift for your bestie. That’s much better than prepping four gifts in a rush.
The same we did with the family. For the first time, we decided not to prepare a gift for each family member. Which means nine gifts each year. Everyone was glad about the option of secret Santa and prepping only one gift. So fewer stress, so fewer expenses, and much more time for slow walks in the Christmas market, hot chocolate evenings and all the other nice things of this time of Christmas.
Well, and there’s one more gift I’ll have to prepare. Our little family of two will also exchange gifts. Looking forward to the travels Santa will bring!
In total, this year I need to care only about three gifts instead of fifteen (yup, that much it used to be!). The difference is obvious. I actually think three gifts are that optimal number where you can enjoy getting them, feel the Christmas mood and enjoy the experience to the fullest.
Oh, and so much can be done with that extra free time! Of course, in my case, most of it will be spent on studying. But I’m also able to enjoy the slow evenings at home, travel a little bit, and make the most of Christmas mood.
Speaking of the gifts itself, I believe everyone already has everything they need. Therefore, I prefer gifting experiences instead of things. Tickets to a concert or theater, or a weekend trip. On rare occasions, I gift things if I know the person will enjoy it a lot. However, I love choosing gifts for my beloved people and having time to slowly think about what will make them the happiest means a lot to me.
I’m very glad Christmas time is finally like I always imagined it – slow, merry and joyful. A few simple changes can make a huge difference and I’m pretty sure my whole family will enjoy this holy period much more. This year, we even found much more quality time to spend with friends and family, which, in previous cases, was spent looking for gifts.
I hope you’re also enjoying Christmas preparations! Make it simple and heartwarming!