near and dear.

i'll admit it, last christmas i was pretty "bah-humbug."

actually, i was very "bah-humbug."

which was really hard for me, because there is so much about christmas that i seriously love, yet all i could see was how much was wrong about what the holidays have become... the amount of money spent, the stress, the production that so many churches turn it into (that was a big one for me), the crappy music (sorry everyone) ... it turned me into one big scrooge. (poor mister, i was such a grump.) i couldn't see past all of the hoop-la that we have made it.

however, the silver lining to my bad attitude was found in advent conspiracy.

now regardless of your religious beliefs, i feel that most (if not all) of us can agree that when americans could cure the world's water problem 45 times over with the amount that we spend on christmas, and yet we don't...

something. needs. to. change.

and i just love the idea of giving your time for christmas. we busy ourselves so much, how special to put all of that aside and just spend good solid time with someone you love. so, that is what i'm hoping to do this year. here's my plan of action:

• craft as many gifts as possible, and if my crafty-ness fails me...
• buy smaller but more meaningful or creative gifts (i love when you find that perfect gift for someone)... no more buying gifts for the sake of just buying gifts.
• bake a lot, and actually enjoy it. give goodies out as presents.
• craft and be creative with our decorations, don't just run out and buy up target to make our home look like "christmas."
• don't stress it. relax. enjoy. if something doesn't get done... who cares?
• open our home to our friends and family as much as possible, even if it's not perfectly clean or decorated.
• sieze the free holiday festivities... boat parades and tree lightings and christmas-light touring.
• observe advent.
• save money by not sending out christmas cards. instead use this awesome little resource we call the internet, and use the savings for something good and important.
• make new traditions as a new little family, just chad and i, even if that includes just staying home and sitting by the fire or watching home alone and just being together.

so that's our plan of action. this is how i plan on enjoying rather than enduring, on not playing into the notion that christmas means "buy, buy, buy." and this christmas will be good, i can feel it in my bones.

"This is the Christmas we love. These movements are not just a rant against consumerism but an invitation to renew our minds. These expressions of the true Christmas Spirit are not just about protesting, but protestifying... They are protestifying that the most precious things in life cannot be bought or sold or stolen. And they are a reminder that the best thing to do with the best things in life is to give them away … lessons we can learn from the kids, or from our Savior who gave left the glory of heaven to join us in the mess we've made of earth." - Shane Claiborne

(um, and these are beautiful. how could i not love christmas with these babies in the world?)