Here's What We're Not Going To Do...
The phrase "Christmas is going to look very different this year" is basically on repeat. YES. We know. I, for one, have had many conversations about what traditions I will miss. But, you know what we seem to be overlooking? The traditions we are happy to take a year off from! Let's normalize this type of gratitude, if only for 2020.
Our family does Christmas cards. Every year until now, I tortured my family with ideas about coordinated outfits, themes, etc. One year we even had professional pictures. That will probably never happen again. I love it. They just don't. This year, I waited too late to get that Shutterfly order in. We had one discussion about a theme and it was already turning into an issue. So, I said forget it. It's 2020. I'm going with a picture from a pumpkin patch. My husband and I aren't even in it. And you know what? I don't care. I'm looking forward to NOT arguing with my 13 year old this year over hair, smiles, or why it takes at least 20 shots to get 1 good one.
No doubling the recipes this year! We usually have about 15 people for Christmas dinner but I also had to plan meals for our houseguests. Three meals a day. Snacks. Fruit. It adds up. Now, just to reiterate, I am not complaining. I LOVE it when my home is bursting at the seams with the voices of family. My people are from the south. Food is how we show LOVE! Having everyone's favorites. is how I show appreciation. But, I'm not going to lie. It will be weird, yet kind of nice not having to buy so much this year.
Speaking of bursting at the seams, no setting up the card tables or putting the leaf in the dining room table! Less seating means less dishes and less table linens! I recently asked my daughter if she could break down a puzzle that she left on the dining room table. It's been unattended for a few weeks now and we will be having Christmas dinner there even though it's just the 4 of us. She legit asked "Why? It's just us." She seems to have fully embraced the less is more Christmas spirit. But the idea of less place settings...oohh what will I do with all of that time? Full disclosure though, I rarely do the Christmas dinner dishes. This is my brother in law's job and he's great at it. (Except for the time when our kitchen sink fell in. But, that may not have been his fault.)
It's all in good fun. These traditions are what complete OUR Christmas experience. I honestly wouldn't give them up, even in a non-pandemic year. But I'm cool with the hiatus for this moment.
What traditions are you excited about not having this year?
Put your answer in the comments!
From my crew:
Husband: "I won't miss cable news being on every time I walk into the family room. I also won't miss the person who doesn't Ziploc the bags on my moms cookies, which dries them out. Someday I'll find out who it is."
13 year old daughter: "PICTURES! We won't spend an hour taking them. We will only take like 2!"
16 year old son: "My Xbox time won't be disrupted and I won't feel guilty about it."