A minimalist Christmas

This blog post was first published in 2015, but remains our most pinned blog post of all time. Enjoy!

Check out our prayer journal shop and enjoy using the code 3ORMORE (excludes spirals) when ordering multiple gifts. 😉

I’ve been pretty frank about how clutter makes me a bit of a crazy person. I can’t think very well and I feel overwhelmed when our home is filled to the brim. Enter Christmas. A season of stuffing, if you will. With…lots of stuff.

Here are a few tips to protect your home, your budget and heart this holiday season.

1. Limit kid’s gifts to 3. Honestly, we are slackers and the last two years we only got Vivi one present. And I don’t think we scarred her or anything. In fact, I think now is the perfect time to manage expectations of the holidays. It’s not about getting presents. I grew up getting lots of presents and I’m very much a fan of still getting presents. We picked three because it symbolizes how many presents Jesus got. I know we will be really thankful for this as well add more kids to the Woerner family.

2. Ask for things that aren’t things. Does your mom want a Christmas list for you? This year I’m asking for massages. Lots of massages. And other things that won’t sit in my closet. What ideas do you have for experiences instead of things? My mother-in-law is good at this one. Last year I got tickets to a play and Vivi got a subscription for diapers (ok it’s a thing but a necessary thing that no one likes buying and came as we needed them each month!) Our online prayer course would make the perfect non-thing gift! However, if you are set on a physical gift, make it intentional! Our prayer journals are minimal in format, but pack a big punch for days and months to come.

3. $50, one store, Christmas Eve. This has been Tyler and I’s tradition for the last two years. On Christmas Eve morning, we go to Target and grab two carts and separate. We grab fun or useful things for the other person. This has helped keep my expectations really low and I mean that in a good way. I can remember a few diva-like holidays or birthdays because I was hoping Tyler would go all out on something only to find that that wasn’t what he planned. Now we’re just really grateful for simple things like bath salts, a cheap black iron skillet, and workout equipment. This has also saved us from agonizing over gifts for each other the few weeks before. We can hang out instead of spending evenings circling the mall because we know we won’t shop until Christmas Eve. And the obvious, the budget.

4. Pass those gift ideas on to family. I know what you are thinking, this small biz girl shops at Target for gifts?? Just for the husband. And the great thing about our Target $50 rule is that I can pass on any ideas I do have for him to our moms who are always looking for ideas for him!

5. Spring clean on December 20. Okay, you can do this whenever but it’s a great time to clean out the toy box and get rid of toys they don’t play with or are getting too old for to make room for those new things.

6. Save it for later. If the kids still get too much stuff this year, keep some in the closet and break out on a rainy or snowy day when everyone is feeling a little stir crazy.

How do y’all keep the holidays manageable regarding all the stuff??

If you are struggling with going overboard for your kids this year, check out this article. It always helps me stay committed to this minimalist thing when I remember the benefits.