It Came Without Ribbons
- By: rebekah
- On: 12/07/2009 08:54:53
- In: Rumor Has It ...
- Comments: 24
“It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes, or bags!” Can you name who said that?
How do you do it? How do you make this holiday season a "simple" one? Is there such a thing as a "simple" Christmas any more?
I'm working on this concept. It’s a week into December and I haven’t jumped into/onto the Christmas hoopla. I’m working on defining what “simple” Christmas means to me. It's coming down to being one without over-the-top decorating, too much present buying, too many parties, or the overwhelming rush, rush, rush.
And it might just happen. At least partially.
All of my Christmas decorations are still in the attic at our old house and I'm thinking about leaving them there for now. We were waiting for the house to sell to empty out the attic and basement, but obviously that hasn’t happened. (Another reason to discover a simple Christmas.)
We have a lot of Christmas decorations. Both Hubby and I have always been Christmas freaks, so we have accumulated tons of decorations. Probably too many. It is quite a process each year to put them all up. It is a bigger process to take it all down. Could we? Could we actually do less? Could we only put up a few decorations and spend the rest of the time doing something else?
Not to mention this aspect of a simpler holiday: “I’ll have a G-G-G-GREEN Christmas…” (sung to the tune of b-b-b-blue Christmas)
When we lived in this house before, we went light-crazy at Christmas. We put net lights on all our shrubs. We strung lights from the front porch. We hung them on our back railing and in our gazebo. It was a beautiful light display every night. But is it worth it? What about the cost? Isn’t it a waste of electricity? I mean, we live at the end of a cul-de-sac. No one really enjoys the lights other than us. Shouldn’t we use this opportunity to reduce our carbon footprint?
As far as decorating, I have done this. I stopped by a nursery over the weekend and picked up some cedar greenery for the mantel. I usually start with fresh greenery and then gussy it up with all kinds of things. Lights, ornaments, statuary, candle sticks, birds, you name it. This year I’m stepping back and thinking it looks simple and delightful with only the greenery. Do you think it is too plain?
I do know this. It really is simple things that delight us this time of year. Like my daughter’s Advent stockings.
I started this tradition during my daughter’s first Christmas. That was the year that I created them. I took 24 of her white baby socks and dyed them red. I hung them to dry by the fire. No kidding, I really did. After they dried, I used a glitter glue pen and wrote numbers on them, from 1 to 24. Then, I hot glued various small decorations on them. And each one has a pom-pom glued on the toe.
This year I hung them on my old mantel, the mantel that is for decoration only:
I put a little piece of candy (many years it has been our Halloween leftovers) or a little something in each one. It’s never anything big or expensive, just little thoughtful things. Every morning, she can’t wait to see what is in that day’s sock. Today’s was a little tiny pot with seeds for Christmas trees. Yesterday’s was a candy cane.
I’ve been thinking about simple gifts as well. Used to, because I worked all the time, most of my Christmas shopping was done at the last minute on Christmas Eve. In truth, the gifts were not that personal and I usually over-spent.
This year I want my gift-giving to be more personal, more thoughtful.
I came up with this and it's already ready to go. It’s a Zen Garden for my older sister. I bought this pretty tray from Michael’s.
When we were home for Thanksgiving, I gathered the things I needed for this gift.
Out at my father’s family’s farm, I headed to the back pasture and looked all around for a pretty rock. I found one and put it in a baggy.
Then, I drove out to a lake we used to go to all the time as kids. There is a beach beside the lake and my sister has always been particularly fond of that beach. It’s small, but has ducks and paddle boats and a swimming area. It was, of course, closed this time of year, but I was able to get in and fill up plastic container with sand from the beach.
Then I went by the house my family lived in the late ‘50’s and early ‘60’s. That’s where my parents lived when we kids were born. Luckily, the house was vacant. I went in the backyard and looked around until I found a rock that I liked.
Next, I went to my parent’s backyard. I searched until I found a pretty rock there too. In the baggy.
(I had baggies labeled so I could remember what rock came from which place.)
Once home, I "baked" the sand at 200 degrees just in case there were spider eggs or eggs of some other creepy thing in it.
So that’s the gift for my older sister. A Zen Garden made out of her history. I hope she likes it. She can put it on her desk at her office and play in the sand when she feels stressed out.
(The stick came from a playground we used to play on as kids. I'm looking for a better "rake" but haven't found one yet.)
I'll give her each thing separately. The rocks in little jewelry boxes. And the sand in a jar I'll decorate with
-ribbons-.
Another simple gift I’m working on is making baskets for my daughter’s teachers. I made some vanilla sugar to include in them. It’s so easy.
Take 2 cups of sugar and add 1 tsp. high quality vanilla.
Mix well and spread on a cookie sheet. Let dry 4 hours. Then press all the lumps out with a spoon.
Voila!
Note to self: keep the sand and the sugar containers separated...they look way too much alike!!
How about you? What does “simple” Christmas mean to you? Do you long for a “simple” Christmas this year too? How are you going to make it happen?
Another bit of wisdom from the green-mean-one: "Maybe Christmas doesn't come from a store."
Until next time, Friends, savor the flavor of life!
Lots of love, Rebekah
The City Farmgirl
P.S. Pop back in soon for the "rest of the story." I'll be posting the Resurrection of the Farmhouse Story.
P.S.S. Oh well, there goes that! Hubby just got home. His car is loaded down with some of our Christmas decorations from our old house. He wanted to surprise me so he went up to our old house to get them. That was so thoughtful and sweet. But. Surprise! Should I tell him now or wait?
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Comments
Oh, Rebekah, I'm having a giveaway you might like. It might work perfectly with your mantel decor. I like things simple but these would work really neat there, too, in addition!
Nice seeing your blog today.
I've missed reading them!
I just love the quote from the Grinch. I use it all the time. I loved your blog, I am doing exactly the same kind of Christmas as you are. I am making all my gifts this year. Sewing some doggy coats for my daughter's four rescue pups, sending some of my homemade preserves and salsas, crocheting some scarves for my girlfriends and of course lots of home baked cookies and candies. I am not dragging the artificial tree down from the attic this year. I am just putting up our stockings and some greenery. I love yours just the way it is-maybe a couple of candles for Christmas Eve. I think we will have more time to just enjoy each other and the real meaning of Christmas, without all the stress and needless spending.
Thanks for your blog and Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Diane
I keep wanting to get back the roots. I'm not Christian, but the celebrations of this time of year go back probably as far as the first human with a need for cheering up during the cold, dark time of winter.
For me, it's all about winter solstice and the lengthening of the days and the return of the light. This can be as simple as bringing greenery indoors and lighting candles. Green and red are bright colors that remind us the winter won't last forever.
We haven't lost the habits of over-shopping and over-decorating, although we're trying. But the best part is getting together with friends and family and sharing what we have. It reminds me that it's all worthwhile.
http://jennymatlock.blogspot.com/2009/12/no-mush-today-just-something-to-give.html
What great simple gift ideas you have and so personal too...Like you and so many others this year, we too are keeping things to a dull roar with the spending for gifts and focusing on time with our family and friends. Our daughter kicked off our " handmade" Christmas by crocheting a cute little red wallet with a black and white striped button for one of her grandmothers. I am going to hand paint a chair for my mom for her den. We have a few other " hand made gift" ideas up our sleeve for other family members too! The best part about Christmas is just being together and appreciating what we have right here at home.
Merry Christmas!
My husband and I do a daily advent reading each morning before we go to work. I have fresh garland draped around my living room window, but it's on the outside lol. I may purchase a real tree this year because I love the smell! But having a nativity set with the empty creche until Christmas eve and then placing baby Jesus in it is very sweet too. Wont be spending much on us,will be spending on others less fortunate than ourselves.
We go to midnight mass with our daughter and grandchildren. I love that too.
Merry Christmas!
every year i keep decorating more naturally (less glitter and shiny things; more pine, twigs, feathers, berries, paper - all natural colors plus red) and i really like how it turns out. it does feel simpler and yet festive. by decorating more for winter instead of christmas, it can last into january - to keep out the cold weather blues. i just picture how they would have decorated 100 years ago or maybe Laura Ingalls Wilder style and that inspires me.
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