This past week was Christmas and safe to say, we need this slow weekend. I was out of bed two hours before Daniel which never (and I mean never happens). I have been home-ifying our little apartment like crazy every free moment I get. Rearranging the decor I already have out, pulling new things out of our organized and pretty junk-closet and adding to the donation pile what we haven’t used. I have been attempting a month of minimalism (blog post to follow, I hope) and it has been extremely beneficial for me to find what I love and display that in our home and keep in our closets instead of the clutter and what I think “should” be out. I’m trying to stop making my decisions based on the shoulds and it has been harder than it seems but also more beneficial I’ve found.
While I love Christmas, the time to reflect on why we celebrate and the time to spend with family, I hate the expectations of the holidays, from our families and from myself. (I’ve realized my own expectations are worse — for of the holidays and simply in general.) The pressure to show up, the pressure to give give give, the pressure to make everyone else happy. We were spread so thin this year so we’re working on that as well.
We took down our Christmas tree and all the decorations on December 26, Daniel’s request, and as much as I loved the coziness that the holidays brought, I didn’t expect the relief once it was all put away. The 9-foot tree gone meant for more space in the living room to move back furniture. The old Santa, stockings and candlesticks, little fake trees and golden reindeer gone meant more counter space, more open space, more breathing space. Our home is back to normal, back to clutter-free and I physically feel lighter.
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