It hits me every year, the last week of October. I begin to feel the expectations building, the stress of content creation, the subtle nudge to please all the people around me, and the pressure to make it look effortless. So a few years ago I made a promise to myself that I wouldn?t sacrifice my physical and emotional health during the holidays even if that meant saying ?no? a lot more. I chose instead to simplify the season.
I stopped throwing a Christmas party and sending holiday cards. I make the living room festive and I hang garland on the stairs but I no longer decorate the entire house. I wait until December to buy a Christmas tree and decorate it with my kids. Once I took the pressure off myself the immediate result was I began to feel more joy during the holiday season. I watch the stories of people I follow on Instagram and already there?s so much creativity happening. I love it, it?s beautiful, and I look forward to being inspired by more. I still like to make things and if they turn out well, I share them here on the blog.
But one thing I?ve realized as the years go by and in all the holiday seasons I?ve celebrated is that time is the only thing with real value and our energy is finite. We get to choose where we spend it.
So instead of stressing myself out during the holiday season, I opt for simplicity in decorating and entertaining. Right now that looks like leaves clipped from the backyard paired with luminaries made of leaves and wax paper.
 
To me, simp...