Comments (7)

By Mom Unplugged, November 27, 2007 12:19 am

It is 10:00 PM and I have just single-handedly put four children to bed not long ago (one extra is here tonight). I have a few blog post ideas circulating in my head, but no energy to do a good job on them. So instead…I give you some useful Holiday-related links:

Here are some good ones left in my comments from my blog friend Andree-Meeyauw (I think she was surfing on my behalf as a form of procrastination, but I am grateful! Thank you Andree!):

++Thanksgiving Comes First post from Bostonscapes Daily Photo: “If you’d like ‘the holiday season’ to regain the meaning it once had, then let ‘them’ know how you feel. The Internet is a very powerful tool, take advantage of it.” Use your blog to help speak out against commercial Christmas greed.

++New American Dream: A really interesting site that I have to explore further. Has a good section on Simplifying the Holidays with a very worthwhile downloadable brochure.

++BetterLiving.co.nz, a New Zealand site, has some quick tips for Simplifying Christmas, instructions for making a Snowman Advent Calendar, and lots of other Christmas articles that I have not yet explored.

++The Simple Living Network, a website devoted to promoting voluntary simplicity, has a section of books to buy about simplifying holidays and celebrations (mostly Christmas, including Unplug The Christmas Machine but also weddings, and one interesting-sounding book on many holidays).

My amazing, super-organized blog friend Heather of Celtic Mommy, the guest author of Help! I Love Doing it All, But How Can I Find Time to Do it? , offered lots of great links, but these are good general simplifying links:

++Cruising Through the Holidays from FlyLady: Tons of advice from organizing to “clutter-free” gifts, to preparing and packing for travel…I have not had a chance to look at it all, but it looks good!

++Organized Christmas: For you organized people out there who think you aren’t organized enough. Printable lists, a six-week organizing plan, an eighteen-week holiday “Grand Plan”…you get the idea. Stress for us Type 1 Slackers, bliss for the Type 2 Organizers. The site also has some printable gifts, gift tags, and crafts that are quite interesting. Easy homemade gift idea: Journal prompts (for adults or children) in a jar anyone?

Finally, some sites that I can recommend:

++The Toymaker: GORGEOUS printable toys, cards, and gifts that kids could print out and assemble as holiday gifts.

++My Unplugged Toy Store list: I know there are others out there and I keep adding as I find them. These stores offer simple, high-quality toys that never require batteries. The only additional item needed is your child’s imagination. Many of them also specify where a toy was made if you are avoiding Chinese-made toys this year.

++My Unplugged Book Store list: No junky, commercially tied-in books in these stores. (Again, I am always adding new links as I come across them…but they must meet my standards in order to make the list!)

I am sure that I could come up with more, but I am tired so I wish you all good night!

Read all the Christmas/Holidays Unplugged posts here.

Comments (5)

By Mom Unplugged, November 23, 2007 6:50 pm

+ Celebrating the Advent can be a nice way to bring religion back into your Christmas.

+ But for those families and individuals who want to celebrate a deeper meaning of Christmas without religion, Advent celebrations can serve to remind us that the Holidays are also about peace, love and joy.

+ Finally, a tradition of celebrating Advent also helps excited children count down to Christmas, and prolongs the Holiday fun for them a bit.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

In the Christian tradition, Advent begins the fourth Sunday before Christmas, and ends on Christmas Eve. This year it will begin on Sunday, December 1st. It can be celebrated in many ways, but the most traditional method is by lighting a symbolic candle every Sunday, and a fifth candle on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day to symbolize Christ’s birth. The candles are usually arranged inside a wreath, which symbolizes “eternity.”

I was not brought up in a religious household, so it is more of a struggle for me to find meaning in my Christmas celebration than for someone from a deeply religious background.

I think my children and I might, for the first time, make an Advent Wreath this year and light the Sunday candles, giving each one a meaning that we can talk about such as peace, love, joy, giving (in the spiritual sense of course!) and family. Think about what meanings you want Christmas to have (this should be easy if you made your list!) and choose your candle symbols accordingly.

Here are some other advent ideas:

1) Traditional Advent Calender:

Probably the most common way to count down to Christmas. These usually always begin on December 1st and end on the 24th or 25th, regardless of when Advent really begins. They are usually made of cardboard with a little door that can be opened on each day. The doors contain pictures, chocolates, or small gifts. They can be very simple and inexpensive, or fancy and pricey… or you could even make one yourself.

(As a child I was a trendsetter among my friends who had never seen such a thing. My English parents wanted me to have one every year and my Grandmother used to send one over to us from England. They have now become pretty common here in the US!)2) Playmobil Toys Advent Calender:

I discovered this last year and it is quite clever, especially if you have a child who likes Playmobil toys (high-quality German-made playsets). These run between $25 and $50 and come in a Christmas-Santa theme, or other themes such as Unicorns or Knights. They are a little expensive, but your child will end up with a high-quality, fun toy…not junk.

The calendar consists of 25 little boxes each containing a small play figure or accessory. There is also a cardboard backdrop so children can gradually arrange a whole scene as they open more and more boxes. You could even get really fancy and give a playset of the same theme as a Christmas gift, that way the advent pieces become extra play pieces for the Christmas playset. This is what I did, and my children still enjoy playing with these advent/christmas playsets.

Warning: Playmobil toys require a lot of grownup assembly. So if you decide to try this, don’t expect to open it up late at night on November 30th just before going to bed! Allow yourself at least an hour to sit down and put it all together. Also, there are lots of tiny pieces so keep away from babies and vacuum cleaners!

3) Advent Garlands or Envelopes (containing ideas, not stuff!):

I found the links to these great ideas on Christine’s blog, Hogue Chronicle. Instead of accumulating more “stuff,” why not give children a daily activity idea that can be done as a family!

Christine links to two methods: the first, and most time consuming is the Advent Garland from Stepping on Legos (who found the ideas at other blogs etc. etc. - isn’t the internet great?). Her little handmade felt advent pouches and stockings are absolutely adorable. Not being very crafty however, I would probably opt for Christine’s second idea: pretty Advent Envelopes made from origami paper (idea from Kiddley).

4) Advent Spiral:I am not a Waldorf specialist (my kids are in Montessori), but I do know that part of the Waldorf tradition is that of the Advent Spiral. I have not personally seen a Waldorf Advent Spiral, but my understanding is that it involves a spiral path of evergreen boughs with a candle in the middle. The children walk along the spiral towards the middle and light their candles from the main, central one. This can also be recreated in miniature on a nature table or shelf with greenery and candles.

If you prefer, wooden advent spirals are available from certain “Unplugged Toy Stores” (I found them at Willow Tree Toys, Three Sisters Toys, A Toy Garden, and The Wooden Wagon) but they tend to be quite expensive and I imagine it would be very easy to make your own. These spirals can also be used for birthdays and other holiday celebrations.

More information about the Waldorf Advent Spiral ritual:

Waldorf Without Walls
Open Waldorf

5) An Advent Stick:

This is another Kiddley idea that I found via The Rowdy Pea. This is simply a stick onto which you tie little tissue paper packages. Children start at the bottom of the stick and work their way up to the top. The packages at the bottom contain something from each of the four earthly natural kingdoms (6 in each).

At the bottom is Earth (stone, crystal, bead, etc.), then Plant (lavender sachet, acorn, paper, etc.), Animal (bone, feather, felt animal, etc.) then Human (felt angel, gingerbread man, felt doll, etc.)…and finally the last package(Christmas Day) contains something “Heavenly.” (Kiddley put in a little felt and bead baby in a walnut shell). I love how this advent idea ties into nature and seasons!

6) Advent Puzzle:

I found this unique wooden puzzle on one of my favorite online toy stores, A Toy Garden. Every day you give your child a new piece to put in the puzzle. The pieces can be moved around until at the end, when all pieces are in, there is only one correct spot for each piece. Sounds fun, and can be reused year after year!

6) Unplug Your TV:

Or, you could decide to try unplugging your TV for the Advent like Christine and her family (Hogue Chronicle). Wouldn’t that give you a lot more time for some of these fun family Advent ideas?

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Be sure to visit Uncommon Grace for more great Advent Ideas in her Celebrating Advent Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 posts. (Thanks again to Amanda - The Rowdy Pea - for linking to Uncommon Grace!).Read all the Christmas/Holidays Unplugged posts by clicking here.

Comments (6)

By Mom Unplugged, November 21, 2007 10:28 pm

This is all an alien concept to me, “Slacker Holiday Mom.” So I asked my very organized and holiday-loving bloggy friend Heather of Celtic Mommy to help out with ideas for organizing (thank you Heather!!!). All you “Holiday Prep-Loving Type 2′s” out there might need some hints for how to get it all done in time to enjoy yourselves, so hopefully Heather has some good ideas for you here (plus, she put in lots of great links):

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Heather says:

“Before I had children… before I got married… before I moved out of my mom’s house… I was a holiday organizer. I have always been an organizer. I think part of the reason may be that my mom is completely UNorganized. Yep, she cannot tell you where the wrapping paper is… where the scotch tape is, where a pen is! But she knows where her heart is, and that was all that really mattered.

Even though my mom’s way was successful for her, I still did things my own way (made lists, made a budget, shopped early, sent cards early, etc.) and that worked for me.

These tips work for me. Some may or may not work for you. It all depends on each individual’s personality… so take each tip with a grain of salt. Also, all the links I use are included.

Why Organize? ( FlyLady’s Cruising through the Holidays and Organized Christmas)
I organize for selfish reasons. I want things done early so I can enjoy the holiday season, period! Sure, I’ve had frazzled years where I am up until 4 a.m. wrapping gifts… and I never want to do that again! Do you like being up until the crack of dawn knowing something you just lovingly wrapped is about to be torn open… my guess would be no. AND, by getting organized, you make time for yourself and your family and for those other things that matter:

Stringing popcorn for the tree. Playing the dreidel game. Taking walks as a family. Baking together. Visiting with neighbors, family and friends. Hot cocoa and s’mores by the fire or under the stars. Watching the mail for holiday cards and reading them with your family each evening. Making your own wrapping paper. Green alternative to wrapping paper. Touring local houses strung with lights . Snowball fights, snowman making and sled riding…

Sound inviting? Here’s how I do it. Again, take what you can from this for this year and add a little on next year and the next… find ways to make the holidays a fun time, not chore time.

Calendar: Right now (End of November)

If you send out cards, start getting them ready now if you haven’t already. Buy stamps online or when you are at the grocery store rather than brave the post office lines.

Write down your family’s measurements (shirts, pants, shoes, etc.) and keep in the same place as your shopping lists. Now is also a great time to go through old clothes and toys and donate to charity. This works on several levels such as teaching charity to children.

Make a shopping list! Not just for people but for all holiday items including postage and cards, tree budget, food budget (if baking gifts or having dinners), travel budget if applicable.

I do mine in Excel for easy keeping and then take a printout with me when shopping. This way I know what I’ve already bought and what I still need to do. On my list, I have:

+ Gift recipients’ name
+ Things they like (colors, games, books, movies, food)
+ Ideas I’ve written down throughout the year (If something was mentioned in July, I added it to my spreadsheet)
+ If making homemade gifts, what needs to be purchased (i.e. yarn, fabric, paint)
+ Money budgeted
+ What has been bought already
+ Money spent already
+ Homemade items completed (YES/NO)
+ Shopping completed (YES/NO)
+ Items wrapped (YES/NO)
+ I also have past years gifts listed so I know what I bought.

Every time I go to the grocery store, I grab an item or two that I will need for my big baking weekend (an extra pound of butter, a jar of a spice I will need) so that it doesn’t bust my budget.

If I am out at the bookstore or my local mall for some reason, I check my list to see if I can pick up anything on my list. Otherwise, I try to buy online as much as I can. Most places give free shipping for a standard small fee and I can track everything from home. And, items are almost always in stock right now!

When I get home, I put on holiday music and some holiday socks, make a fresh pot of mint tea or hot cocoa and I wrap a few gifts (about ½ hour to an hour). If I can’t do it right when I get home, I do it in the morning when the babies are asleep or in the evening while something is in the oven… or when the hubby is watching the kids in the bathtub. The point is to do a little each day so that you are not overwhelmed come mid-December.

I get out the boxes of decorations and check for broken items or if anything needs to be replaced and take care of that now. Also, we have many many craft projects in this house. So, I organize things like felt, glitter, glue, markers, paint, etc. that we’ll be using in the next few weeks. (More on projects later)

I take 1 to 2 hours (sometimes more, sometimes less) each day to work on the homemade items I am giving this year. For me, the handmade gifts are a way of customizing with love, a little something for each person. And, a little money goes a long way when you make it yourself!

That’s it for now… the main point of all of this is to do a little each day! This thousand mile journey begins with one step… and by getting a little more done each day, you will have time for those things listed above. Or, if you don’t feel like stringing popcorn and it’s too hot to make a snowman, tell us what holiday tradition you would like to do this year.

Heather
Celtic Mommy”

Read all the Christmas/Holidays Unplugged posts by clicking here.

Thanks to morguefile.com and photographer gracey for this photo.

Comments (9)

By Mom Unplugged, November 20, 2007 8:17 pm

If this photo depicts the extent of your holiday decorating ambitions, then please read on…

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The votes are in!

Am I, Mom Unplugged, a Type 1 “Holiday Slacker” or Type 2 “Holiday Overachiever?” Three of you think I am a Type 2 and two of you voted Type 1.

I am really extremely flattered that the majority of you think I am Type 2…but the real answer? I am so NOT a Type 2!!

I am the biggest Type 1 Holiday Slacker around. That old wreath and dusty artificial tree example? That is me. Except I actually put up TWO wreaths every year thank you very much! (Actually it is only because I have to since I have a double front door.)

So today’s post is for any other slacker-types out there.

If you are a Holiday Slacker and you are comfortable with your level of activity (or lack thereof), then that is great and perhaps you should be writing this post instead of me!

However, most of us who really do dislike all the Holiday fuss and preparation feel somewhat compelled to put on a brave face and make an effort anyhow, sometimes making ourselves miserable in the process.

So how can we change our lot and either manage to happily do more than we would like to, or come to terms with the fact that we are not going to do much? I don’t really know the answer to that, but I can put forth some suggestions. If you have any others, please feel free to leave them in the comments.

My best advice is to think about why you feel compelled to bake, decorate, and generally overachieve despite not really wanting to:

1) Is it because you think your family expects it?

Why not talk to your family and/or spouse about what they want out of Christmas. You may think they want the Perfect Holiday House, but perhaps all they really want is a Perfectly Happy Holiday You. If you are silently hating every minute that you spend accomplishing your required holiday tasks (or tasks that YOU perceive to be required), how positive and joyful can you really be with your family?

If your family does indeed want more than just an artificial tree and dusty old wreath, then have them help too. Why should you be the one to do it all? Christmas is a family time and even if your spouse would rather watch football and your teens would rather hang out with their friends, make them the deal that decorating and baking will occur only with their help.

If it is really that important to them, then they’ll probably be willing to join in. Once they do, they will probably even enjoy it (although those teens might be too cool to admit that to you). You will almost certainly enjoy it more too if you no longer feel that you are shouldering the holiday burden alone. You might even have fun!

2) You want to create a “magical Christmas” for your children?

There is a good chapter in Unplug the Christmas Machine: A Complete Guide to Putting Love and Joy Back into the Season entitled “The Four Things Children Really Want for Christmas” (read my post about this great book here). I’ll let you read the book for all the details, but basically kids want family time for Christmas. If you are rushing about madly trying to “do it all,” then you probably aren’t going to have time / energy or be much in the mood for family time with the kids.

It is the simple memories that stick with kids. Think back to your own childhood holidays. Hopefully you can dig up at least a few happy memories. What are they? Do you remember exactly what presents you got or how well the house was decorated? Probably not.

You might remember going with your Dad to cut a tree, or baking cookies with your Mom, or sitting in your pajamas on a parent’s lap and reading The Night Before Christmas. Or maybe one year you all got snowed in and played board games while eating peanut butter sandwiches. Or perhaps one year you had a “camp out ” in the living room under the Christmas tree.

Don’t get sucked into Hallmark’s vision of a “magical Christmas.” In reality, a “magical Christmas” for children doesn’t require much apart from some time and attention from Mom and Dad.

3) You read women’s magazines or watch Martha Stewart and feel that commercial and social pressure to do it all?

Think realistically. Do you know how many months of work of full-time artists and professional designers it must take to create those magazine “perfect Holiday” decors? Neither do I, but I suspect that it is a ton. If you LIKE to do that stuff then please, by all means do it and have fun. But if you have read this far in my post, you are probably like me and do not enjoy it. So don’t bother. You’ll never be able to achieve that result and you’ll only make yourself (and your family) miserable trying. Enough said.

(And next year, please simply take those December issues out of the mailbox and put them straight into the recycle bin!)

4) Was / is your mother a Holiday overachiever or underachiever?

My mother didn’t much care for Christmas prep either and I guess I am following happily in her footsteps. So for those of you who have Holiday overachieving mothers, I can see that you might feel compelled (either consciously or not) to live up to her seemingly impossible standard.

If your mother was a Holiday underachiever and you desperately wish to be different from your mother, then perhaps that is the source of your drive to “do it all” even though deep down inside, it is not really what you want to do.

My guest blogger for tomorrow’s post, a Type 2 writing about Type 2 organizational issues, begins her post by attributing her stellar organizational abilities to her mother’s lack of organization! Whether we like it or not, mothers influence us in many unforeseen and complicated ways.

I will not attempt any deep psychoanalysis here, but by acknowledging that our urge to unwillingly overdo it as stemming from a feeling of “needing” to be like or not like our mothers, perhaps that is the first step towards accepting that we should just be who we are and do what we really want or don’t want and get off the Holiday Hamster Wheel!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Next post: for the Type 2 Holiday Achievers out there who actually LIKE doing this stuff - tips on how to sequence and organize all that wonderful Holiday prep so you can really “do it all” and still enjoy yourself. The post will be written by a Master Holiday Organizer (hint…it is not me).

Read all the Christmas/Holidays Unplugged posts by clicking here.

Thank you to morguefile.com and photographer messa for this sweet photo of Diego.

Comments (11)

By Mom Unplugged, November 17, 2007 10:18 pm

It seems to me with regards to Holiday prep, that there are two types of people:

1) Type 1 dislikes all the pressure to decorate, bake, and generally make everything “perfect.” Some of these people are OK with that and accept the fact that their only Christmas decorations might be a wreath and a dusty old artificial tree pulled down from the attic…or perhaps nothing at all. However I suspect that many of these reluctant types often begrudgingly try to keep up anyhow, succumbing to guilt…or family, social and commercial pressure to “create the perfect holiday.” While this might lead to the appearance of a “nice” Christmas for everyone else in the family, it leaves Mom feeling grouchy and tired (and yes, it is usually Mom not Dad who undertakes the Holiday prep).

2) Type 2 genuinely loves to “do it all.” These people decorate their home inside and out, bake cookies, pies, cakes, gingerbread houses etc. etc. They might shop for months for the perfect gift, or perhaps craft most of their holiday gifts by hand. Although they enjoy the whole “Holiday Process,” Type 2 also often has a big problem: how to accomplish all that they want to accomplish and still have time to enjoy the Holiday themselves.

So where am I going with this? My next Christmas/Holidays Unplugged post will offer helpful (I hope!) hints for dealing with the issues faced by my “type.” The following post will be by a guest blogger of the other school of thought, offering suggestions and hints geared towards those particular problems.

OK readers, how well do you know Mom Unplugged? Am I a “Type 1″ or “Type 2?”

Photo courtesy of morguefile.com and photographer Jared Tolla.