Holidays
Is it realistic to simplify Christmas?
By Jaimee Rose,
The Arizona Republic
"I've simplified, but I try not to take the joy out of it," says Sanford, 45. Yet still, she's a total stress case. "I keep saying I want to do something that makes you slow down and really appreciate the season, but how do you do it?"
We don't. And instead of paring down our list of Christmas musts, we sign up for the holiday countdown on OrganizedChristmas.com, a Web site that manages everything you could ever need to do to have a picture-perfect Christmas. Step one is to "designate a Christmas holiday planner: a simple 3-ring notebook stocked with forms and information." That's enough to induce holiday hyperventilation right there.
"Simplicity is a style," says Ho, "and if it's not on the inside, it ain't on the outside, and you can't go out and buy it. You have to stop thinking that you have to go out and get stuff, and take a look at what you've got and simplify from within."
Except there's a sale at Target on Christmas lights, and don't you think it be nice if we ditched the icicle lights for those old-fashioned, simple-seeming big colored bulbs?
At the heart of it, our overdone Christmas is motivated by big-hearted, dear intentions. We have all contracted the Santa complex: an urge to spin magic for our families, to feed the hope that somewhere, someone exists that can make dreams come true. Even if that person is whoever owns Visa.
"People really enjoy giving," says Sarah Roberts, spokeswoman for the New American Dream. "They want to spend a certain amount, and they worry if someone's giving them a big-ticket item, they have to reciprocate. They want to give the perfect gift, they want to make the kids happy, they want to fulfill all those wishes and dreams."
At Kelly McCreary's house in Arcadia, she's tried to simplify, but her family won't have it. They like their overdone Christmas magic.
"Every year, I say, 'Only three presents - if it was good enough for Jesus, it's good enough for you.' But no," says McCreary, 46. "About five years ago, I thought I could put the presents out under the tree on Christmas Eve instead of getting up at three in the morning Christmas Day, and the kids went to pieces. So I still get up and haul them in. It's gotta stop."
This year, her husband tried to simplify and put the kibosh on the Christmas lights. Her girls, aged 15 to 24, squawked. And so McCreary decided to do it herself, and made three trips to Target on Tuesday alone for more lights, an 80-foot extension cord, and then even more extension cords after she blew the circuit breaker. And on the way, she was in a rush, hit a curb, and got a flat tire.
"And I keep adding more lights, and the breakers keep breaking, and I'm doing all this for my adult children who don't even live at home anymore, who only come home for the day and yet they're sad if the lights aren't up," she says.
"It's quite humorous, and the whole time, I'm like, 'why am I doing this?'" she says, laughing. "I sound like a nut bag. But I probably wouldn't do this if I didn't realize it made them so happy."
