It's that time of the year again. This time I am trying to reduce my holiday decorations from two boxes down to one - I know first world problems. I want to eliminate stress from December and sim-pli-fy the holidays. Not that I am receiving lots of people or that I go to a lot of Christmas related activities.. I just feel the urge to go lighter on the festive season extravaganza this year.
I already accustomed myself to the sensation of having enough decorations and I have neither the need nor envy to buy new ones - except I guess if I find the one that fits into my scheme, that catches my eye and is on sale and everything..
So here is how I'll deck the halls this year - simpler.
Use a soap that smells like Christmas
This December I use the Reindeer rock soap that I bought in Dublin. Long story short, flashback to last summer when my living simply and save the planet phase took off after I visited a soap factory in Marseille: I decided it was time to end the love affair I had for 25 years with the shower gels and their plastic container. Enter the bar soap that I was reluctant to use before but that I finally completely adopted (I use a solid shampoo too) after some deceptions and the wish to produce less waste. Reindeer rock smells really good and gets me into the festive spirit. I love simple pleasures.
Enjoy a hot chocolate
Having a hot chocolate on a cold and dark night is a simple treat that rhymes with the holidays to me. When consumed in moderation it makes you feel good and all cosy in your pyjamas when you gaze at the tree.
Watch holiday movies
I have a small list of Christmas movies that I never saw such as It's a wonderful life or A Christmas Carol that I planned to watch this month. Of course I need to watch at least Love Actually and The Holiday once every year. I can't tell which one is my favourite but they both make my heart explode with happiness every time.
Go outside
I love getting the most of the daylight hours so I planned to take some walks into the forest and in the parks of Brussels. I already spotted some potential natural decorations on my runs that I'll use around the flat to bring warmth and holiday cheer.
Create my own decorations
I planned to create centerpieces, ornaments and garlands with berries, pine cones, oranges and cloves, cinnamon, sticks and green foliage that I'll find outside. I want to build a little gingerbread house to decorate with candy, use candles in glass jars or vases filled with water and cranberries, make a wreath, bake salt dough cookies that I'll hang on the tree or that I'll use to make a garland, ... the possibilities are endless! The many advantages of this are actually: one. get out and move my body around to get said items, two. be creative, three. eliminate the need to buy stuff, and four. use perishable and compostable elements that don't need to be stored.
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