Maximize the Holidays with Minimalism
Hello wonderful readers,
Happy Monday!
I hope you all had a positive start to your November and it's off to a great start.
With it already being the second full week in November, many of us have the holidays on our minds. Between the weather changing (at least it has begun to change here in Wisconsin), advertisements, lights going up on houses, holiday music, and some have even put up their Christmas trees, the holidays are in full swing!
I adore this time of year and the ability to spend time with family and friends makes it all the more special. During the holidays every year, my mom's family gets together for Thanksgiving and Christmas to make a meal, exchange memories, laughs, and lots of love. Some of my fondest memories growing up were at these events, and the memories never involved receiving a physical gift.
Thanksgiving is a time we spend giving thanks for the items and food we are fortunate to have. If we are lucky enough, we sit around a table with family, friends, and loved ones and eat a meal together. It doesn't matter the actual items being consumed, or the way the table looks, or if we have the perfect outfits on. What truly matters is the time we share with one another, and the privilege of being able to strengthen the bonds we have with one another. Give thanks and count your blessings.
The day after Thanksgiving, and now even the evening of Thanksgiving, has become somewhat of a holiday of it's own - Black Friday. A time we forget what we were just giving thanks for in order to get something for a discounted rate. The hustle and bustle of running around from store to store, marking off items on everyone's lists, can be fun, but it can be exhausting and cause us to turn into hasteful, avaricious individuals.
Please do not get me wrong, Black Friday shopping can be extremely fun and it might save you and your family a lot of money on necessities, but we can get a little excessive and take the shopping a little too far.
Since my husband and I started our minimalist journey after my diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis, we are constantly looking for ways to downsize our physical items, and the amount of stress in our lives. During the holiday season, we run around like crazy people, traveling from house to house, trying to see everyone and do all of the holiday things. Year after year we seem to get busier and see our families less and less.
Trevor and I were blessed to become an Aunt and an Uncle a little over a month ago, and we want to squeeze our nephew as much as possible this holiday season. We took a look at our Thanksgiving schedule and we have busy travel plans in order to make it to every event. So our minimalist minds jumped to this thought: "how can we downsize our schedule, reduce our stress, and still see everyone we love." and this is what we were able to come up with - let's bring our families together for Thanksgiving. My parents are hosting Thanksgiving this year so we went to them and asked their thoughts. They were on board right away and supported bringing our families together to start off the holiday season.
Another way our family is minimizing for the holidays, Christmas more specifically, is instead of buy one another gifts, we are adopting a family through the Salvation Army. We are able to provide another family a Christmas they will remember. We just received a family in our area this past week along with their wish lists and our family is going to work together to get items the family needs.
If this is something you are interested in doing, click here to find a Salvation Army in your area to adopt a family.
Yes, we are still buying physical material items, but it is for a family that needs them and will use them. I see that as a beautiful way to help a family and to spend more time with family before and during the holidays. On Christmas, instead of exchanging gifts, we will focus on spending time together, share a meal together, and share everything we are grateful for this year.
So I ask you, what are some ways you can minimize this holiday season?
Is there something you can do to help someone else or another family in need?
Is there something you can change to create less stress and maybe even a new tradition in your family?
I have created a list below to start jiving your brain.
If you have an idea to share, please comment below and share it with the world.
-Volunteer your time with a charity of your choice.
-Donate monetary funds to local charities of your choice.
-Adopt a family of your own through your local Salvation Army.
-Donate or purchase needed items to an animal shelter or homeless shelter
-Bring a box of toys to a Children's Hospital
-Make a care package for the troops
-Create and donate hospital care packages
-Donate to Toys for Tots
-Cook a meal with your family or loved ones
-Shovel someone's driveway or brush off their windshield
-Take in treats for your co-workers
-Donate items to your local Good Will
-Share kindness - this can be as simple as opening the door for someone, or buying someones coffee or tea
Another way to give to others while also giving to yourself can be through buying items with the one for one philosophy. Some companies that do this include:
-Toms
-Love Your Melon
-Thrive Market
-Baby Teresa
-Blanket America
-Roma
-The Power of Play
-Bixbee
-Bombas - Which has been discussed on the blog before
-Smile Squared
-Soap Box
-Better World Books
-State
-Project 7
-Kutoa
-This Bar Saves Lives
-We Wood
*Please know I am not sponsored by any of the organizations listed above. I am simply sharing companies that are making a difference*
Thank you all so much for reading and taking steps to improve your life and the lives of others.
I appreciate you all for being on this minimalism journey with us.
Subscribe, comment, share.
Share your story, light the way, make a difference today.
Happy Monday!
I hope you all had a positive start to your November and it's off to a great start.
With it already being the second full week in November, many of us have the holidays on our minds. Between the weather changing (at least it has begun to change here in Wisconsin), advertisements, lights going up on houses, holiday music, and some have even put up their Christmas trees, the holidays are in full swing!
I adore this time of year and the ability to spend time with family and friends makes it all the more special. During the holidays every year, my mom's family gets together for Thanksgiving and Christmas to make a meal, exchange memories, laughs, and lots of love. Some of my fondest memories growing up were at these events, and the memories never involved receiving a physical gift.
Thanksgiving is a time we spend giving thanks for the items and food we are fortunate to have. If we are lucky enough, we sit around a table with family, friends, and loved ones and eat a meal together. It doesn't matter the actual items being consumed, or the way the table looks, or if we have the perfect outfits on. What truly matters is the time we share with one another, and the privilege of being able to strengthen the bonds we have with one another. Give thanks and count your blessings.
The day after Thanksgiving, and now even the evening of Thanksgiving, has become somewhat of a holiday of it's own - Black Friday. A time we forget what we were just giving thanks for in order to get something for a discounted rate. The hustle and bustle of running around from store to store, marking off items on everyone's lists, can be fun, but it can be exhausting and cause us to turn into hasteful, avaricious individuals.
Please do not get me wrong, Black Friday shopping can be extremely fun and it might save you and your family a lot of money on necessities, but we can get a little excessive and take the shopping a little too far.
Since my husband and I started our minimalist journey after my diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis, we are constantly looking for ways to downsize our physical items, and the amount of stress in our lives. During the holiday season, we run around like crazy people, traveling from house to house, trying to see everyone and do all of the holiday things. Year after year we seem to get busier and see our families less and less.
Trevor and I were blessed to become an Aunt and an Uncle a little over a month ago, and we want to squeeze our nephew as much as possible this holiday season. We took a look at our Thanksgiving schedule and we have busy travel plans in order to make it to every event. So our minimalist minds jumped to this thought: "how can we downsize our schedule, reduce our stress, and still see everyone we love." and this is what we were able to come up with - let's bring our families together for Thanksgiving. My parents are hosting Thanksgiving this year so we went to them and asked their thoughts. They were on board right away and supported bringing our families together to start off the holiday season.
Another way our family is minimizing for the holidays, Christmas more specifically, is instead of buy one another gifts, we are adopting a family through the Salvation Army. We are able to provide another family a Christmas they will remember. We just received a family in our area this past week along with their wish lists and our family is going to work together to get items the family needs.
If this is something you are interested in doing, click here to find a Salvation Army in your area to adopt a family.
Yes, we are still buying physical material items, but it is for a family that needs them and will use them. I see that as a beautiful way to help a family and to spend more time with family before and during the holidays. On Christmas, instead of exchanging gifts, we will focus on spending time together, share a meal together, and share everything we are grateful for this year.
So I ask you, what are some ways you can minimize this holiday season?
Is there something you can do to help someone else or another family in need?
Is there something you can change to create less stress and maybe even a new tradition in your family?
I have created a list below to start jiving your brain.
If you have an idea to share, please comment below and share it with the world.
-Volunteer your time with a charity of your choice.
-Donate monetary funds to local charities of your choice.
-Adopt a family of your own through your local Salvation Army.
-Donate or purchase needed items to an animal shelter or homeless shelter
-Bring a box of toys to a Children's Hospital
-Make a care package for the troops
-Create and donate hospital care packages
-Donate to Toys for Tots
-Cook a meal with your family or loved ones
-Shovel someone's driveway or brush off their windshield
-Take in treats for your co-workers
-Donate items to your local Good Will
-Share kindness - this can be as simple as opening the door for someone, or buying someones coffee or tea
Another way to give to others while also giving to yourself can be through buying items with the one for one philosophy. Some companies that do this include:
-Toms
-Love Your Melon
-Thrive Market
-Baby Teresa
-Blanket America
-Roma
-The Power of Play
-Bixbee
-Bombas - Which has been discussed on the blog before
-Smile Squared
-Soap Box
-Better World Books
-State
-Project 7
-Kutoa
-This Bar Saves Lives
-We Wood
*Please know I am not sponsored by any of the organizations listed above. I am simply sharing companies that are making a difference*
Thank you all so much for reading and taking steps to improve your life and the lives of others.
I appreciate you all for being on this minimalism journey with us.
Subscribe, comment, share.
Share your story, light the way, make a difference today.
Namasté.
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