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Every Christmas I realize more and more that I want to focus on being intentional during the holiday season…. to spend less time rushing around and more time at home baking cookies and playing board games.   It is so easy to get caught up in doing everything which results in burnout. This Christmas, I challenge you to be intentional in doing less. Spend more time with family and less time trying to do it all. 🙂

Read over the list below and feel encouraged that you do not have to do it all. Pick out a couple activities and do those while resting and truly enjoying the season.

(1) Make a plan and do one activity a week to keep things simple.    Start it Christmas day if you want to!

(2) Create fun traditions like a North Pole Breakfast for your kids (I love these snowman doughnuts from Our Pretty Little Girls.
table

(3) Turn on the Christmas music.  In our house, I just turn on YouTube and find a Christmas station that I like (like Penatonix) and let it play for hours.  In the car, I pick a Pandora station.   Now, even Netflix offers a Christmas Music station (search for the word FIRE PLACE to find it)

(4) Organize all of your thoughts and plans in one place.  Make a Christmas recipe list, a to-do list, etc… 🙂

(5) Remember what the #1 gift your kids really want this season.   YOU!!!!  Your time and your attention.

1-thing-they-want-for-christmas

(6) Encourage your kids to get rid of some of their toys.  A cute idea is to get a big Santa bag and let your kids fill it with toys the night before Christmas.  Santa will take those toys and give them to other kids and he will leave new ones for your kids.

(7) Put together little kindness packs to hand out to bring cheer to others.  Are there neighbors that I could bring cheer to? Or perhaps the garbage truck driver, UPS driver, or mail lady?   Make one for them this year.  Or do something like this from Lisa Gwin on Facebook:

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(8) Make a fun nativity as a family.  Make it out of felt so the kids can play with it day after day.
felt-nativity-copy

(9) Focus less on perfection and more on making memories.

(10) Break out an old classic treat with a twist.   We love these nutter butter snowmen.

nutter butter snowman cookies

(11) Let go of the worries and enjoy Christmas.  Just say NO to the extra parties (I’ve said no to 3 just this week, because it isn’t worth rushing my family around and away from the other things that we are doing).

(12) Bake cookies with your kids and give them to neighbors.  Here are 25 healthier Christmas cookies, too!
healthy cookie recipes

(13) Print out some Christmas printables to have on hand.  They are perfect for preschoolers or Kindergarteners to work on over the break.

(14) Look for Jesus in the yard. (print it here) 
Free printable for your kids -

(15) Make your own fun advent calendar.
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(16) Have a de-cluttering week and get rid of things to start the New Year off right.

(17) Give the kids their own special Christmas tree.  In our house we have 2 downstairs and each child has a small $3 tree in their room that they decorated with homemade ornaments. 🙂

(18) For craft loving kids, make a simple Christmas craft together.
Simple Christmas Craft all kids will love

(19) Remind yourself that to create a simple and meaningful Christmas, it is more about remembering the meaning for the holiday than trying to rush around.  Focus on your family this holiday season.

(20) Just pick one thing and focus on that- less is more!

So what are you going to focus on this Christmas?  Remember the challenge- just pick a couple ways to be intentional this Christmas.

More posts you might like:
non toy gifts
1-thing-they-want-for-christmas

Hi there!

I’m Becky, a former elementary school teacher turned certified child development therapist and blogger. I work at home with my husband and together we are raising (and partially homeschooling) our four children in the Carolinas. I love diet coke, ice cream, and spending time with my family.

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