Have you allowed chaos to creep into your Christmas?  

Halloween ends and BOOM!  The Christmas chaos kicks in with ads, sales, and decorations everywhere. Before our kids have even put their Halloween costumes away, we are getting “Christmas Wish List” mailers.

I get it.  Businesses want to be the answer for our “perfect holiday season”…to make our events, parties, feasts, and Christmas mornings sparkle and shine with magic and memories.  Their answer is MORE.  More food and decorations, more lights, toys, parties, and people.  More events, more sentiment, more perfection…

But in the midst of the more, the people we love tend to get less (including Jesus!).  Less attention, less time, less of what matters. With MORE Christmas chaos everywhere we look, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking we must do more, too.

Friends, we need a plan to make more from less this year.  

Instead of upping expectations with things we “must do”, let’s choose to lower them.  We must choose the Prince of Peace over chaos and I think I can help.  In these 35 days leading up to Christmas Day, here are 35 things you can do to remove the chaos, one day at a time.  Here are 35 ways to make LESS mean MORE in your family, and to have a peaceful, worshipful, family- and Christ-focused season.

WARNING

If you’re very traditional or nostalgic, these could really rattle you!  If you’re not, they could be very liberating.  Either way you fall, if you implement this 35-day plan, this may end up to be the best Christmas with your family yet.

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35-Day Plan for Removing the Chaos from Christmas to Worship the Prince of Peace

Nov. 21:

Listen to the November Made Matchless podcast called “Removing the Chaos from Christmas to Worship the Prince of Peace” by clicking here.  Then print out the special 35-day plan.  You can download the plan by subscribing to the podcast by on the podcast page OR by subscribing to the Made Matchless newsletter by clicking here.  

Nov. 22

Make a list of Christmas season “must do”s.  Then, do the hard thing:  cross items off as “unnecessary” to a family- and Christ-focused Christmas.  Ask yourself, “Will our Christmas truly be less worshipful if we don’t do this?” Then, ask God to help you reduce the amount of expectations you put on yourself to create a “magical” or “perfect” Christmas.  Pray that God would show you what’s truly important.

Nov. 23

Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy your family.  Make a Black Friday plan for your family that’s NOT shopping.  For instance, lounge in your pajamas all day, relaxing and watching movies.  Then make a simple, fun dinner like pancakes.

Nov. 24

Today, make the decision to give your kids only 4 gifts this year: Something they want, something they need, something to wear, and something to read.  Then, establish a gift budget.  Next, purchase for each child the one gift they want and the one gift they need (by shopping online!).

Nov. 25

Purchase for each child the one gift they can wear and the one gift they can read (and don’t forget any presents for your spouse!).

Nov. 26

Time for outside Christmas decor, but keep it to a minimum.  Just go with one set of lights around the door and a wreath hanging alone (if you don’t have a wreath, don’t go buy one!).

Nov. 27

Find your bin of Christmas home decorations.  Display no more than 10 items.

Nov. 28

Buy or put up a small Christmas tree (leave the big ones for those who want MORE this season) For every ornament you put up, put one or two away for the season. (Want to REALLY simplify?? Only put lights and the star at the top of your tree to remind you that Jesus is the true focus for celebration.)

Nov. 29

RSVP “no” to an invitation you received (no explanation needed) and plan take-out food at home with your family that night instead.

Nov. 30

Listen to Christmas music and have each family draw/color their favorite part of the Christmas story, then share it. Consider saving them to admire every year.

Dec. 1

If you have young kids, go to the library and check out Christmas books.  Read them together before bed.  If you have older kids, check out a Christmas movie from the library to watch together tonight.

Dec. 2

If you are hosting Christmas dinner this year, assign guests a dish or drink to bring so you have significantly less prep work.  If you’re not hosting, offer to bring something you can pick up at the store.

Dec. 3

Find one small way your family can serve others as an act of worship to God this season.  Consider donating to a food pantry, serving in a soup kitchen, cleaning an elderly neighbor’s yard, or volunteering at Feed My Starving Children.  Or wait to serve after the holidays.

Dec. 4

Look through the Samaritan’s Purse Christmas Gift catalog as a family and decide, based on your budget, who you’d like to bless (you can even donate in honor of someone special or in honor of your children).  

Dec. 5

If you’re short on shopping time, purchase gift cards.  Give yourself permission to NOT find “the perfect gift”.

Dec. 6

Print out this attractive printable and put it in an extra 8×10 frame you may have around your house.  Hang it in your home or give it away as one of the gifts on your list.

Dec. 7

Eat dinner with your family by candlelight tonight to remember how dark it was in the stable where Jesus was born.  Then read the Christmas story from the book of Luke.  If the children are old enough, have each person take turns reading the verses.

Dec. 8

For all mail coming in this season, establish a system today.  Take 1 minute to sort every piece of mail that enters the house.  Immediately discard junk mail, put Christmas cards in a basket, and bills in their proper place. Then take 5 minutes to open mail before moving on with your day.

Dec. 9

Instead of buying teacher gifts, have each child draw a Christmas card or write a note today.  If you really want to include a gift, pick up a 5-pack of $5 gift cards to a coffee shop and give one to each teacher.

Dec. 10

Purchase wrapping paper and tape today (leave the fancy bows and tags in the store).  With the help of a family member, wrap half of your presents today.

Dec. 11

With the help of a family member, wrap the other half of your presents today.

Dec. 12

Rather than sending Christmas cards (that can take hours!), send an email with a casual family photo.

Dec. 13

With a family member, make a simple dinner with just 5 ingredients tonight.  Cut up raw veggies or fruit as a simple side.  Talk about the importance of gratitude for what God provides over dinner. The rest of the family can do the dishes & clean up.

Dec. 14

If you’re traveling for Christmas, pack your bags today.  If you’re not traveling, relax!

Dec. 15

Many Americans have extra blankets in their homes they don’t use.  If you have a couple around, wash and dry them.  Put them in your car on the passenger’s side and when you see a homeless person this season, be sure to give them one.

Dec. 16

Write your spouse and/or children a short, heartfelt letter to give them at Christmas.

Dec. 17

Don’t buy new Christmas outfits.  Today, have everyone set aside something to wear for Christmas that they already have in their closet.

Dec. 18

Skip making homemade Christmas cookies this year.  If you love decorating cookies with your family, buy plain, pre-made cookies and just decorate with store-bought frosting and sprinkles.

Dec. 19

This is a very busy time for your pastor and his family.  Write a kind, encouraging note to them for Christmas.

Dec. 20

Do nothing Christmas-related today except to re-read Luke’s account of Jesus’ birth in your quiet time.

Dec. 21

Make tea or hot chocolate for the family members at home tonight.  Then play a board game or cut paper snowflakes together.  Solicit the kids to vacuum and clean up any scraps as you hang up the snowflakes.

Dec. 22

Make a special popcorn recipe together as a family (or just microwave some and throw in some melty chocolate chips and crunched-up peppermints after it’s popped).  Instead of filling stockings with more gifts, fill bags with your special popcorn and put the bags in the stockings on Christmas Eve.

Dec. 23

Read through prophecies about Jesus with your family to create a greater sense of awe about his birth (an excellent resource is this article from Answers in Genesis.).

Dec. 24

Go to church and ask God to help you see the story of Jesus’ birth in a new, fresh way.

Dec. 25

Relax and enjoy family.

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Remember to download the printable version of this 35-day plan by subscribing here!  I pray this year will be the beginning of a new tradition of “less being more”, of removing the chaos from Christmas, and truly worshiping the Prince of Peace.  Don’t forget to listen to the November Podcast about this very topic by clicking here!

What would you add or take off of the list?  Comment below!