Christmas Simple (and a DIY Tree Topper)

It's December 5th [take a breath]. It's December 5th and already Christmas has taken over the mall, the grocery store, and in a perfect world-our homes. We all love this time of year (the sweet treats, time with family, giving great gifts, homes decorated with great care smelling of cinnamon and hot cocoa) and we all hate this time of year (holiday pounds, homes littered with remnants of poorly wrapped packages, burnt cookies just out of the oven, running, running, running). I wish I mean actual running-then at least the holiday pounds would stay at bay as well as my stress level, but you know what I mean.

With the type of work I do I come in contact with a lot of different people at their best, worst, and everything in between. It can be a lot to take in at times, but I see the value in people having a safe place to let down and open up. We want to celebrate with them at their best and comfort them at their worst. You'd think I was talking about group therapy or something, but no-I'm talking about a team of volunteers and the people they serve.

Just yesterday, as I caught up with everyone as they entered, I couldn't help but notice how a) diverse everyone is, b) how MUCH everyone has going on and most of all...how burned out everyone already is! Everyone is coming off of something big, be it their kids sports season, keeping up with the holidays, volunteering, sickness, allergies...you name it and people are doing it. As busy as the Christmas season is, really I feel like the problem is not the holiday season ahead of us but what we're already burned out on, and then trying to make the most of the holidays when we are sick, tired, burned out, exhausted, and simply trying too hard. Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's only come once a year and we put all of this pressure on ourselves, every year, to make THIS the best year. Usually "best" ends up meaning more of this, adding in a little of that, spicing things up a little, then baking til burnt and cooling until CRISP. That's right-burnout.

At some point we all decide to "simplify" and spend less, eat less, stay at home more, and enjoy what we already have. But in the consumer, fast world we live in, that usually lasts about all of the 7 hours between going to bed full of turkey and waking up to do the Black Friday thing. "Black Friday" seems only fitting, not because of the supposedly AWESOME deals we get (doubtful) but because at that very moment we camp out in front of Wal-Mart or stay up 'til 12am to hit up Target, we're already mourning the loss of the Christmas we'll never have and the stress we already feel.

I wish these people I came in contact with were not the norm, but in reality they are a perfect representation of the rest of society. Just this weekend there was stress from picking up a tree (alone) before coming in to serve, a 5-week cold requiring antibiotics, a cold turned into major allergy attack, coming bak tired from a vacation that ended just hours before, fundraisers, holiday plans, lost jobs, family illness, custody battles, computers that don't work and headaches that cripple. Not to mention sending someone home for a panic attack induced by...life. Is this the norm our society lives in? Yes, yes it is. No wonder people don't know how to drive or wait in line anymore.

So this year--Christmas Simple. I will not worry about finding the PERFECT gift. I will not stress about the dirty dishes in my sink. I will not let my unmade bed annoy the crap out of me, I won't even try to decorate every bare inch of my house. Instead, I will love my mini-tree; I will appreciate this homemade tree-topper because it reminds me of my best friend and the muppets. I will enjoy homemade baked goods only if I get to them, and I refuse to schedule every spare second of my life (already having to fight this one).

Credit goes to D :)

I wish the same for you too. Find some time to make your own playful tree topper or Christmas cards, or homemade bread or yarn balls. Or don't do any of that. Watch movies, go on a walk, stay in your Jammie's all day and do whatever it is that makes your heart pitter patter. Whatever you do and however you spend this season, make sure at the end of it all you can say, in all honesty, "I love my life!"

Pom Pom Tree Topper (DIY) 

Love you some pom poms? Start by making a BUNCH of these pom poms.  

Credit to D & I

Glue pom poms, fuzzy-side down, to an old plastic ornament, using a glue gun. Make sure to take the hook piece out and glue the pom poms onto the ornament so that the opening is facing down. 

We're kind of awesome

Cover the whole front of the ornament with pom poms until it looks rounded and fully covered from the front. OR, if you have all the time in the world, go ahead and cover the whole thing. When complete, attach to tree by putting tree top into ornament opening (it may be difficult but do your best).

How will YOU spend the holiday season?