Simple Living

Embracing A Simple Life So You Can Be A Happier Mom

February 1 // by Brooke

I was always striving to be that Pinterest perfect mom, the one with the cute parties, the mom who only fed her kids organic, clean foods, and the mom that had an immaculately clean house (that was achieved by frantically cleaning for hours before anyone came over to our home).

I was working full time, making an amazing income. I was providing my children with everything they needed in life and then some. They did not know what it was like to go without. I was very proud of this accomplishment.

Yet, I wasn’t always the super happy mom my social media feed portrayed.

Sure, my children were the joy of my life. However, being a mom is hard, some days leaving us to think we are utter failures.

How on earth did so many generations do it before me?!

I hated not appearing to be happy.
I hated that my anxiety and disappointment in myself to parent was so obvious.
I hated that I didn’t have time to sit with my kids and just play.
Everything had to be scheduled around our busy, messy lives.

Cleaning took a front seat to playing. Cooking the perfect meal took precedence over taking a walk with my family. Resetting the house and getting ready for the next day became more important than sleep.

Something had to give.

Simplify

New Year’s rolled around, and I knew I wanted to simplify my life. I didn’t know how. My motto became one word, “Simplify”.

Since I had no idea where to start, I started going through my closet to find clothes I could give away. Then, I realized the sheer number of clothes I had was embarrassing.

I then decided to take a 30 day no clothes shopping challenge. After 30 days, I still had outfits not worn. Therefore, I decided to extend my no clothes shopping challenge for an entire year. That adventure turned into a year of not buying much at all.

A breath of fresh air

As I started to clean out my closet, I felt lighter. I started to learn everything I could about this concept called “minimalism”. I read books. I listened to podcasts. I researched everything I could find on the internet.

Making space in my life made me happy.

I felt lighter with every van load we took to the local donation center. As I started to get rid of stuff, our home became so much easier to clean. I was spending less time taking care of my home and spending more time doing what I loved. I couldn’t believe it was possible!

Simplifying my life

As we started to get rid of stuff, we started to simplify other aspects of our life. No longer did we go shopping for fun. We became much more intentional with our purchases, and we stopped stuffing our home.

As we stopped buying things, we had more money for experiences. We were taking longer and more frequent vacations.

We cut out obligations and activities that didn’t bring our family joy. We had more time together, and we were treasuring it more and more.

My own version of minimalism made me a happy mom

Living with less isn’t popular. People will often make fun of you for it because it is not the social norm. Our society encourages more. More clothes, bigger homes, the latest and greatest technology and toy stores for playrooms.

I was done with more. I wanted less. I saw the power of less. Having less in my home and in my life made me feel lighter. My anxiety lessened, my house is nearly always ready for an unexpected guest, and my time with my family has grown immensely.

Getting rid of our stuff made my home happier. Minimalism made me a happier mom.

Here are a few of the benefits of living simply for moms:

1 – Less stress, more calm

If you aren’t consumed with trying to do all the things and focus on only what brings you joy, your stress reduces. You find more calm in your life, and you start doing the tasks that better align with your values.

2 – Less cleaning to do

When you have less stuff in your home, cleaning naturally becomes easier. Pick-up will take you five minutes rather than hours. Laundry gets easier, dishes get easier, and you always feel closer to “company ready”.

3 – More time to play

When you aren’t spending all your time trying to keep the house clean or go from activity to activity, you have a lot more time in your schedule to simply play. Minimalism allows moms to feel more caught up and allows you to focus on having a whole lot more fun.

4 – More time for self-care

Just as you have more time to play when embracing minimalism as a mom, you also have more time for self-care. It seems like when our lives are chaotic as moms, the idea of self-care goes out the window. When focusing on the things that really matter in our lives, we realize we are better mamas when we take care of ourselves too.

5 – Less busy

Minimalism isn’t only about clearing the clutter in your home. It is also about clearing the clutter in your day-to-day life. Say “no” to activities that don’t align with your family’s values or don’t bring anyone true joy. Take that time to be less busy and do things together that you all enjoy.

As moms, you deserve to make space in your life. Make space in your home, and make space in your daily schedule. The benefits will far outweigh the stuff and the things you think you “should” be doing.

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The Best Tips for a No-Spend Grocery Challenge

December 30 // by Brooke

Let’s face it. There are days when the budget needs help, but food still needs to go on the table.

A no-spend grocery challenge can help you go at least a week, if not longer, without spending a dime on groceries. That can equal hundreds of dollars saved.

If you go longer than a week, say a month, you can probably spend very, very little, if anything at all.

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My no spend grocery challenge

My first no spend grocery challenge was a few years ago, in the month of January. I always try to cut expenses in January and try to recover from Christmas.

However, what really inspired me was a book I read, The Nightingale.

It was a book filled with poverty and hunger like nothing I ever understood before reading it. It made me realize how fortunate we really are in our home.

Many nights I complained of no food available, and in reality, the blessings of food were overflowing. This experiment was humbling, to say the least.

As I took on this challenge, I read of other people doing similar challenges, like surviving on only $25 per week for groceries.

Many of these people were doing the challenge because they had no other choice.

Twenty-five dollars a week is not much money to feed a family. I felt so spoiled and unappreciative. It was time for a change.

Save money on groceries with a no spend grocery challenge.

You will save money

When you take on a no spend grocery challenge, you will save money. A lot of it. Every time I do a no spend challenge for a month, I end up saving hundreds of dollars.

I like to put these hundreds of dollars towards a vacation we take every spring.

When you are feeling down, like the challenge is impossible, or like you can’t possibly eat another repeat, leftovers meal, think about the money you are saving or why you are taking on this goal.

That will be what gets you through it!

Make sure you also communicate your intentions and your goals with your family. If you don’t, this will be an uphill, loooooong battle. I promise.

Related Post: Take a No Spend Month + Free Printables

My rules for a no spend grocery challenge:

No stocking up

Don’t stock up for your no spend grocery challenge.

I’ve read so many challenges where step 1 is to go get everything you need to survive a month.

In what world is that not spending money? That’s cheating, and not many people can go out and drop $200 on “essentials” before doing a no spend challenge.

The whole point is to survive on what you have already!

Trust me when I say this, you probably have way more groceries in your cabinets than you think you do. You don’t need to stock up.

Throughout this challenge, if successful, you will learn resourcefulness like never before.

You will find some clever substitutions for ingredients, learn cooking really isn’t rocket science and will be ever so proud of your creativity.

I’m telling you, this challenge will change how you think about grocery shopping, meal planning, and food waste!

Set a money limit for “essentials”

When you are doing a no spend grocery challenge, you may start to see everything you run out of as “essential”. It really isn’t.

I guarantee you there is a substitution or an alternative or the “essential” item isn’t something you really need.

If you are doing a no spend grocery challenge for one week only, I would set the limit at $0. Most people can survive on the contents of their fridge, freezer and pantry for one week.

It will take some creativity and probably a couple boring meals, but you can make it.

If you are doing the no spend grocery challenge for longer than one week, set yourself a very small grocery budget for essential fresh items, like milk, eggs, or flour.

I tried not to go over $20 for the week. I tried really hard not to spend a dime, if at all possible, but sometimes, it was unavoidable.

Before going to the grocery store, where options will be plentiful, first try to find a substitution for the item you “need”.

Save money with a grocery no spend challenge.

No eating out in place of eating at home

Don’t eat out in place of eating at home. That defeats the whole purpose of a no spend grocery challenge, and you will end up spending way more money than if you went to the grocery store and bought a cart full of groceries.

So avoid the temptations. Be prepared.

Tell your co-workers your plans so they don’t invite you out for lunch. You can do this. The time doing the no spend grocery challenge will go much faster than you think.

How to successfully complete a no spend grocery challenge:

Take inventory

If you want to be successful in your no spend grocery challenge, you are going to need to take inventory of what you have already. This task will feel immense, but it will be worth the effort!

Write down on a sheet of paper every single item and the quantity of the item. For example, “yogurt, 1/2 quart”.

If you do this, meal planning will go much smoother and more efficiently.

Put a notation next to the ingredients that need to be consumed first. For example, if you have chicken that needs to be cooked in the next day or two, either plan to cook it first or freeze it.

Meal plan

In order to successfully complete a no spend grocery challenge, you are going to need to meal plan. Meal planning isn’t fun when you are working with limited ingredients. I know. You can still do it.

First, list out all your activities for the week.

Need a crockpot meal on Tuesday because the kids have soccer practice? OK, maybe it is time to use up some dried beans and a can of diced tomatoes.

Determine what kind of meals you can make for each day of the week. If you have more time on Sundays, prepare your more time-consuming meals on that day.

In the car all day on Saturday? Plan a “snack lunch” of random items like trail mix, nuts, dried fruits or anything else in your pantry that needs a good clean out and is portable.

The primary goal is to be prepared. When you know your schedule, it will be easier to plan ahead and not break the rules by going out to eat.

Once you are done with the challenge, check out eMeals. They are by far my favorite meal planning service and help cut down a lot of food waste. You even get a free trial when you click through this link.

Don’t get fancy with your meals

Pantry and fridge clean-out is not the time to be fancy with your meals.

I remember one pantry clean-out when we were down to bare bones. I was determined to not go out to eat, it was late and a school night.

Chick-fil-A drive-through would have been so easy! Instead, I opened a can of baked beans and a can of peaches up for my kids.

Guess what?! They LOVED it.

I was so surprised my two little ones were ecstatic over baked beans and peaches. I think they thought it was funny that mama just opened up two cans and poured them onto their plates.

Whatever! I called it a win in my book, and we were all happy. They also had a decent enough meal.

You don't have to get fancy with your meals in your no spend grocery challenge. Canned pears are delicious!

Get creative

A no spend grocery challenge requires a decent amount of creativity. However, you may be surprised by some of the meals you create.

My favorite resource for creating meals with random ingredients is supercook.com. You put in the ingredients you have at home that you think might go together in some capacity, and it will search the internet for recipes.

Missing a key ingredient for a recipe you like? Search the internet for possible substitutions. You may be surprised!

My favorite meal I made included half a block of cream cheese (we were out of bagels), half a box of spaghetti noodles, and some shrimp. I threw in some broccoli florets from a near-empty freezer bag, and we were all set with a fancy looking meal.

I was super proud that night, and desperate for something a little more special!

Commit to using up everything you can

Commit to using up as many groceries as you can find in your pantry, fridge, and freezer before going out to buy something from the store.

Will there be a time you need milk? Probably. First, make sure there isn’t a can of coconut milk hiding in the back of your pantry.

Learn substitutions

One of my favorite cookbooks has an introduction that says “cooking isn’t rocket science.” I don’t know why, but that statement stuck with me.

I’ve never been an amazing cook, but that statement gave me the confidence to try new things and embrace the unknown!

One thing you will do a lot of in a no spend grocery challenge is finding substitutions for ingredients. Don’t skip making a meal because you are missing something. Search the internet to find a replacement.

Out of oil for a muffin recipe? Use applesauce or a smashed banana.

Flax eggs have saved me on more than one occasion.

Use canned coconut milk or evaporated milk.

Use frozen berries instead of fresh ones.

Make your own “kitchen sink” granola bars using random leftover dry goods.

Exchange like vegetables, like broccoli instead of green beans or sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes.

You can use brown sugar, regular sugar, honey, syrup or agave syrup all as sweeteners.

Related Post: Organize Your Pantry for the Last Time

Embrace leftovers

The no spend grocery challenge taught me to embrace leftovers. We have always been a family that eats leftovers, but boy, we ate more than our normal share with the challenge.

With the no spend challenge, since you are not letting any food go to waste, you will learn the appropriate quantities to make for your meals.

I learned real fast that if my husband was on a work trip, I better cut down the size of our meals, or we would be eating the same leftovers for days straight. It was a good lesson to learn to prevent future food waste.

Use a no spend challenge as a teaching moment

Some people will argue with me and tell me this was a poor parenting move, to force my kids to eat foods that weren’t fresh, or golly, go an entire three days without milk!

My thoughts are this isn’t their normal routine, and it taught them a valuable lesson. Food is a privilege.

While we sat around the table eating our boring leftovers or canned goods no one really wanted, we had some great conversations about how lucky we were to have “boring food”.

My kids surprised me with the challenge.

Did they complain some days? You betcha. However, they complain some days when I am making food from a well-purchased grocery run too.

Other days, we all sat around the table and laughed, enjoying our creativity and fun ideas.

My favorite nights were called “leftovers choice” night. Everyone got to choose what leftovers they wanted! They thought it was fun because we were all often eating something different.

Celebrate your no spend grocery challenge success and practice often

When you are done with your no spend grocery challenge, take note of how much you spent on groceries the month prior and how much you spent this month. You may be blown away!

I try to practice what I call a “pantry clean-out” at least one week out of every month.

It never fails, we buy groceries, a meal doesn’t get eaten, we freeze leftovers, or we have leftover ingredients.

Once a month, I try to use up those random ingredients before going back to the grocery store. It saves us money every month.

Good luck! Let me know how it goes.

A Step-By-Step Guide to Declutter Your Kitchen

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Perfect Mom? Or Perfect Pinterest Fail Mom?

December 20 // by Brooke

I get so sick of trying to keep up with Pinterest mamas and their perfect birthday parties, their perfect homes, and their perfect schedules. Let me tell you, mamas, it is not real.

Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter…you’re getting the highlights.

This is not real life. It is ok to be a Pinterest Fail Mom! There is no such thing as a perfect mom.

I used to try to be that perfect mom. I really thought I could do it all, and I could do it all while my husband was gone for half of the month. Being supermom and superhuman was totally possible. Who needs sleep anyway?!

I was working full time, moving up in my career, cooking wholesome meals, restricting TV for my kids, and enjoying all the free, fun stuff around town I could find for us to do.

Thing is, I was driving myself over the edge and towards a near nervous breakdown. I was doing way too much, rather than just focusing on what truly mattered. That’s when I decided to simplify my life.

You are already a super-mom. You don't have to do it all.

You can’t do it all…at least you shouldn’t try to do it all

We’re all the same when it comes to time. We all have 24 hours in the day.

You get to choose how these 24 hours look. It’s all a choice. For every choice you make is a trade-off with another.

Some of the choices you make in your day are necessary. A lot of us have to go to work, make dinner every night, and clean our own homes. Many of us have to hold down the fort while our husbands are gone or because there’s no one else to hold down the fort with us.

Time does not always allow us to be the high expectation we hold of ourselves to be a perfect mom.

We all have the same amount of time in a day.

Once you accept the fact that you cannot (or at least should not) do it all, you are not a failure. You’re probably one of the smarter moms out there. You’re certainly smarter than how I was a few years ago when I really did try to do it all.

You see, I was working 40+ hours a week and trying to move up the corporate ladder, I was making from scratch meals, meal planning and shopping for deals, planning the perfect birthday parties, AND trying to be the best intentional parent.

I was trying so hard to be the perfect mom. Add on to that trying to be a good wife and homemaker, and I had about 40 hours of tasks to do in a 24 hour period, every day. It was an impossible uphill battle, and I was starting to feel it!

Your kids don’t care if you’re a Pinterest perfect mom

I made a cake for my daughter‘s third birthday after finishing up a very long week at work. It was Friday, and we had a birthday party scheduled at Chuck-E-Cheese at 10 AM the next morning.

I asked my daughter what kind of cake she wanted, and she said a princess castle. Rather than go to the grocery store and spend $20 on a perfect cake with a perfect plastic castle on top, I was going to make one.

My cake would not come out of a box, it would be homemade and a three-dimensional castle. I was super mom, and nothing could stop me, not even 40 hours of work that week and pure exhaustion.

My plans for the birthday cake didn’t go as I wanted. The more frustrated I got, the more wine I poured. I had to remake the cake once (we live at elevation and it sank). The proportions were all off, and nothing was working like it was supposed to!

This is what the cake looked like when I was done:

You don't have to be a Pinterest Perfect Mom.

I was so frustrated, I wanted to cry, and I was embarrassed to show my little three-year-old her cake that I had promised the next morning. When I showed it to her, do you know what she said?

She said, “Oh mommy!!! I love it! You made me a real castle cake.”

I said, “I’m so sorry it’s not perfect, mama is not very good at making cakes.”

Her response? “Oh, mommy none of my other friends’ mommies make cakes. They just buy them at the store.”

It was at that moment I realized my little girl did not care if I was a Pinterest perfect mom. All she cared about was that I was her mommy and making her day special. That’s a lot of wisdom shared by a three-year-old.

Stop trying so hard

Stop trying so hard to give your kids the best and most of everything. Your kids don’t need all of these things that cost so much of your money and so much of your time to be a happy kid.

Your children don’t have to be signed up for sports every day of the week. They don’t have to participate in multiple extracurricular activities. Believe it or not, they don’t have to have the fanciest clothes, the fanciest birthday parties, or the fanciest schools.

Your kids also don’t need the latest and greatest of all of the tech toys that exist today for kids.

Children would rather spend quality time with you than be signed up to participate in all the fun things that are available today.

Your kids would also rather have time with you to do the things they love rather than have a perfect project for school or a perfect dessert for their party.

Let your children do things with you. Let things be messy. They really don’t care.

It’s OK for things not to be pretty

I took my girls to a birthday party at a giant house once with fancy cars parked in the driveway and all the Pinterest perfect decorations inside. We brought over a gift that included books and dress up scarves, some of my favorite minimalist gifts for kids.

I let the girls place the gifts in a box and then wrap the box with brown shipping paper. It was not very pretty.

You know what? My kids and the child receiving the gift loved it!

My kids drew their favorite pictures all over the brown wrapping paper and even put stickers all over it. They also wrote the sweetest notes on the wrapping paper to their little girlfriend.

The gift wasn’t packaged with the designer toy store wrapping paper. It was not pretty.

Not pretty is OK, especially when it is made with love and brings joy to all those involved.

It's OK for things to not be perfect. Be a pinterest fail mom.

Be proud to be a Perfect Pinterest Fail Mom…Not a perfect mom!

Sometimes it’s hard to be proud when you don’t have the fanciest parties, desserts, or clever little projects that you completed with the help of some of the brilliant people out in the internet world.

I can’t say it enough times though, your kids do not care.

Your children want to do projects with you, and they want to help you make a mess. They also want things made out of love and don’t care how pretty something looks.

Go ahead and get your hands dirty with your kids, and make something to be proud of it even if it’s not perfect. Make a princess castle cake and enjoy every single delicious chocolate bite.

Be a perfect Pinterest Fail Mom.

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Too Many Christmas Presents? Do Christmas Without Going Overboard!

December 6 // by Brooke

Are you worried your kids or family members require too many Christmas presents?

I absolutely love the memories I have of Christmas!

Christmas was always such an amazing time of year as a child.

I remember the excitement of waking up our parents to go see what Santa brought us, ripping open the wrapping paper, and opening our stockings to our heart’s content.

As with most kids, Christmas was my absolute favorite time of year. It was magical.

My absolute favorite memory was my dad putting a bale of hay on the roof one year and waking up to see that Rudolph and his crew really did eat it!!! I mean, how cool is that?!

Christmas gifts don’t make the memories

You know what I don’t remember about Christmas?

Each and every gift I ever received, whether there were too many Christmas presents or not enough.

Do I remember a few? Sure.

However, it was the magic, the feeling of giving (and receiving) and the family gatherings. Those are the memories that are stuck in my head and still make me absolutely love that time of year, even as an adult.

What my parents hid well from me was the stress of Christmas. You see, we were not wealthy. In fact, I’m sure some years it was a miracle Santa made it to our house.

My parents never let on though, even when we were older and wiser about how money and Christmas worked.

Too many Christmas presents?

Do your children get too many Christmas presents?

How many gifts do our kids really need for Christmas?

Are we bad parents if we give them too much?

What about too little?

Honestly, I don’t know the right answer, but I do know I was probably spoiling our children unnecessarily in years past.

Living a simpler, more minimalistic life has made Christmas a little easier and a little less stressful. It certainly isn’t as expensive!

Should you get your kids only 4 items for Christmas?

You’ve seen the Pinterest posts and social media shares. Parents everywhere are giving their kids four items this Christmas:

Something they need,
Something they want,
Something to wear, and
Something to read.

While I really love the concept behind getting my kids only four items for Christmas, I admittedly struggle with this one.

Why?

I know I really want to avoid the excess of Christmases past!

I think I struggle with the four gifts rule because we live super minimalistic lives all year long.

I buy my kids toys twice a year. They get presents at Christmas and then again on their birthdays. That is it. There are no summer gifts, good behavior gifts, gifts for big accomplishments.

Is it so bad they get two or three toys they really want at Christmas? I don’t think so, not when you have so much other balance the entire rest of the year.

Find your own balance

That’s just it though. You need balance.

Don’t go buying your kids half of the toy section and every circled item in the toy catalog if you also shower them with gifts throughout the year.

Even if you restrict your kids’ new toys throughout the year, you probably still don’t have to get them everything on the list. You see, kids will circle a billion and one things, but what they really love is the magic of Christmas.

I think my kids are just as excited about driving around the neighborhood every night leading up to Christmas to look at the Christmas lights as they are for actual Christmas morning.

My kids also love candy canes dipped in hot chocolate, and they squeal with delight if I announce we are making cookies all day for teachers, neighbors, and friends. That is the magic of Christmas!

Give something homemade

I remember being a teenager and my parents going through a particularly tough time, financially and in their relationship.

My dad built us a desk. It was all he could afford that year.

I probably don’t have all the facts straight about what happened behind the scenes, but I do know one thing. He made me something with his two hands, and I LOVED it! I loved that he took his time to make me something, as that was something he could give easily, even when money was tight.

Make something for your kids this holiday season as one of your gifts. You don’t have to be a great seamstress or woodworker to make something wonderful.

There are so many ideas out there. Check out these simple homemade gifts you can make for kids. Some of them are very easy to make.

My kids’ favorite gift they received this entire year? Babydoll blankets.

My grandmother made them for their baby dolls from scraps her church was throwing away. She hated to see the waste, so she made something small. Y’all, my daughters have owned these blankets for over three months now, and they still sleep with them every single night.

If you have young children, you know very few gifts make the cut every single night for months on end. These were gifts made from scraps but made with LOVE!

Practice giving with your kids

You don’t have to be the only crafty one this holiday season to make it a little more special. Get your kids involved too.

Have your kids make something for a friend or a sibling. Teach them the pride that goes with making something with their own two hands, out of love, for someone they know will appreciate it.

Volunteer with your kids

You can also involve your children in giving to those in need.

I have lived through the times of writing a check to my favorite charity around the holidays. While this is still nice to do, take action as well.

If you can’t write a check, taking action is the best thing you can do. Volunteer at a favorite charity. See if you can bring the kids along with you. Go visit a nursing home or a Children’s Hospital. Get creative!

You can also shop for a family in need and have your kids help pick out the gifts.

My kids love shopping for other kids, knowing they are giving them a more magical Christmas.

When you involve kids in the process of giving back at Christmas, you can remind them how fortunate they are to receive what we would consider too many Christmas presents.

Celebrate with experiences

If you feel like you give your kids too many Christmas presents, start shifting the focus from gifts to experiences.

Talk to your kids about this shift as well, especially if they are older and notice things are changing around your home and lives.

Talking to your kids about living with less is very important. There are also many benefits for families that practice minimalism.

Even if you are not a minimalist, you can still practice a holiday season with less stuff.

You can give thoughtful experiences or go ahead and experience them with your family. It doesn’t have to be all about receiving.

Make your focus on the season instead.

We all say that’s what we want, but admit it, it is really easy to get caught up in who is getting what gift and finishing up all your Christmas shopping!

What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more!" Dr. Seuss

Don’t let too many Christmas presents define your Christmas

If you think you are faced with buying too many Christmas presents, stop and rethink how you want your Christmas season to look for you and your family.

Do you really need to buy gifts for all those people on your list? Would a simple card and hug work?

Do your kids really need every toy they circled in the magazine or the latest and greatest tech device? Most likely, no.

I know what it is like to want to give to everyone on your list exactly what they wanted. It is hard when you first transition to a simpler lifestyle.

Sometimes the expectations of your family and those around you are used to Christmases of the past, full of excess and way too many Christmas presents.

Don’t let that deter you. Choose the Christmas you want. Don’t let your past define your Christmas now.

Related post: How to Control Holiday Clutter

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How to Control Holiday Clutter (and Stay on a Budget)

December 6 // by Brooke

The holiday season always makes me a little anxious because I know clutter will do its very best to claim a stake in our home. It is inevitable.

I have to guard the door of our home against clutter like a superhero (or supervillain if you ask my family). I have no shame. If I don’t work diligently, it will sneak in like no one’s business, and I will be the one left to sort through it all.

I have to guard the door of our home against clutter like a superhero! I have no shame.

I’m no Scrooge

Don’t get me wrong. I love gift-giving, but this season can stress me out. I get anxious about finding the perfect gift, staying on budget, and making sure I don’t contribute to someone else’s ongoing battle with clutter.

Equally, it stresses me out to think me of all the stuff that is about to enter our home, whose feelings I will hurt if I don’t want something to stay or the stress I’ll likely put on my kids to continue to purge.

I’m working very hard to make the holidays more about time spent with family and friends and making memories than finding a gift I can afford that may or may not appease someone’s wish list.

It’s been a journey to get here, and admittedly, I’m still working on it.

Make Christmas your own, even if it is different.

How to control clutter over the holidays:

If you are stressed about the upcoming holiday clutter (and budget), here’s some tactics I’ve learned over the years that help control the clutter (and keep us on a budget):

1 – Stop giving gifts to acquaintances and friends

Tell your good friends and even your acquaintances that usually participate in gift-giving that you would prefer to opt-out this year.

Tell friends you would love to put a coffee date on the calendar, have dinner out together, or do something else that includes spending time with them. You are friends after all!

2 – Stop exchanging gifts at work

Ask your coworkers if they would like to do a special lunch out or spend time together after work (if you like them), rather than exchanging gifts. The same goes if you have direct reports.

Chances are, your coworkers may be relieved to not have to participate in gift-giving at work.

3 – Tell your family

Tell your family you are wanting to cut down on clutter and excess this year. (You have to mean it too!)

If your family insists on doing gifts (or if you still want to do gifts), ask for things that are more focused on consumables, experiences, or items you NEED!

Help your family with gift shopping by providing specific ideas. Most family members appreciate the help!

4 – Set expectations for your kids

If you have kids, start preparing them now for a Christmas that may look different from years past.

Explain gratitude for what we already have, the focus on family and fun over stuff, and gifts that are of quality over quantity.

If your kids are super young, lucky you! You can start a new normal without them even noticing!

Have your kids write out a special holiday gift list that focuses not only on what they want but on what they need as well.

Dr. Seuss quote. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas perhaps, means a little bit more.

5 – Say no to excess obligations

I believe in saying “no” to excess obligations all year round, but I especially believe we need to remind ourselves that it is OK to say “no” during the holidays.

It is OK to say “no” to the third work holiday outing, the up-teenth Christmas party where you are expected to bring a gift, and one more Christmas exchange.

Stay home in your PJs and watch a Christmas movie marathon with your family or play board games. You won’t regret missing out on one more party (and the new lotion bottle or mug you bring home with you).

6 – Learn to let go

Learn to let go of gifts you don’t love.

Appreciate the act of receiving the gift, love the other person for thinking of you, and then be OK with letting it go if it doesn’t fit your home, life, or needs.

Letting go of gifts was a tough one for me as I was decluttering our home and simplifying our life, but with practice, it has become easier.

It is OK to let something go, even if it was a gift.

7 – Create new traditions

The holiday season is all about spending time with family and friends, giving without the expectation of receiving and celebrating whatever traditions we value.

Take consumerism and the accumulation of more stuff out of your traditions! Create new traditions.

When you create new traditions, you will be well on your way to control holiday clutter, as your holiday will become more about intention and less about stuff.

Related post: I’ve put together my favorite Christmas traditions bucket list for you! It is also super budget-friendly.

Take back Christmas!

Control holiday clutter and take back Christmas!

Christmas doesn’t have to be about the accumulation of more stuff, spending too much money, or stressing ourselves out over which event to attend next.

Make the holiday your own, even if it is different!

How to Control Holiday Clutter (and Stay on a Budget)Read More