To escape the festive crowds and the cold, I nipped into the doorway of a nearby shop…

… on a shelf, packed with woolly festive jumpers, mittens and scarves was a sign that read, “35 Days until Christmas”.

35 Days?! Are we really that close?

Back at home I started making a list and plans for Christmas.

• Get the decorations out
• make a list of things that we ‘need’
• draft a menu
• Plan to visit the christmas tree farm…

As I was listing out my plans I remembered a trip we made to a National Trust property that embraced the theme “Make do and Mend” in their festive decorations.

Embracing Simplicity Strengthens Bonds Through Shared Experiences

I was inspired by the history of this property because the owners from Victorian through to WW2 times, had purposefully observed and lived a self-sufficient and thrifty lifestyle.

This lifestyle was observed because it was either a normal way of life at the time or, as in the case of WW2, one of necessity.

Whatever the motivation, the simplicity and down-to-earth nature of the lives lived in this home appealed to me. 

A Make-Do-And-Mend Attitude

The ‘make-do-and-mend’ history of the house was reflected in the homespun decorations.

Plain paper packages tied up with ribbon, handcrafted decorations, the use of items gathered from the countryside and the garden. Each item carefully chosen, picked or crafted.

The decorations hinted at time spent together around a table, making, talking, laughing together, building memories of preparation to celebrate the ‘WHY’ of the season…the birth of a baby boy who would save and redeem mankind.

Approaching Christmas with Simplicity is a Choice

With simplicity and getting-back-to basics being at the forefront of my mind at the moment, I took great inspiration from this house as well as the attitudes of its ‘yesteryear’ occupants. As I make my lists I decided that rather than throw money at our festivities, I am going to embrace a ‘Sunnycroft’ Christmas and adopt a ‘make-do-and-mend’ approach to the season.

In our home, we have always made a conscious effort to keep things simple. To focus on the true meaning of Christmas and to reject the commercialism that the world offers.

Visiting this house was a really good reminder that simplicity is far more attractive than the gaudiness that is offered in every television advert and every marketing message and ploy that assaults us earlier and earlier each year.

What Influences Your Christmas?

Personally, I find that our culture seems to be more and more influenced to have a staged picture-perfect Christmas.

My own daughters started to slip into this idea of what Christmas should be, it’s a subtle message that is fed to us through perfect Pinterest pins, Instagram staged pics and of course those warm, fuzzy Christmas movies.

The idea that people see Christmas as that one big event that absolutely has to be perfect and deliver a movie-perfect experience makes me really sad and the money that is spent, and the debt acquired to achieve this, is heartbreaking. 

Where is the Line to See Jesus

It is all completely opposite to the very way Jesus arrived in this world, humbly and simply. In fact, these days, most people leave Jesus out of Christmas altogether!

I feel like I have to be purposeful if it the simple things that want to embrace in this life.

I need to actively put away from myself the messages that are drip-fed to us every day. After walking through this house my daughter, turned to me and said,

“I really wish that life was still as simple as it once was, it seemed to have been a more meaningful way to live, to care about each other and about people, to grow your own and embrace the simple things in life”.

As we approach Advent, I just want to encourage you to consider what this festive season will look like for you and your family.

How do you want it to play out?

What can you do to make this a slower, simpler, more meaningful season that offers chances to share the true meaning of Christmas and create memories that will warm the hearts of your family each time they recall them in the years ahead?

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