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Avoiding the Christmas clutter

Usually, I’m the type of person who can’t wait to set up the Christmas decorations, spread holiday cheer throughout the house with knickknacks that have been bought over the years, and bake sweets until everyone is sick of it.

Usually, I’m the type of person who can’t wait to set up the Christmas decorations, spread holiday cheer throughout the house with knickknacks that have been bought over the years, and bake sweets until everyone is sick of it.

My husband on the other hand hates clutter - especially Christmas clutter. I’ve called him a Grinch a number of times over our 11 years of marriage, especially when he refuses to sit down and watch Christmas movies, such as the Grinch.

But this year, as Dec. 3 rolled around, I found myself resisting the Christmas clutter. Dec. 1 has been our compromise over the years in setting up the Christmas tree and all the decorations that go with it. It seemed to be a good way to satisfy both of our habits. And while I have a seven-year-old who is itchy to get the decorations out of the basement, this year I find myself preoccupied with anything and everything else.

My husband thinks it’s because he used some reverse psychology and decided to be excited for Christmas for once. He’s even done his Christmas shopping already, which is something I’ve never seem him do this early in the month.

I think he believes his excitement has translated into my avoidance. And while I’m not willing to give in to that notion, I’m also not quite sure why I’m having a harder time to get in the Christmas spirit this year.

I do love this time of the year, and I am certainly looking forward to everything that the next few weeks has to offer – from the excitement on the kids’ faces, the last-minute shopping, the countless Christmas concerts – I really do love it all. But, at the same time I feel like I need to shift my focus in order to get in the right frame of mind, and I just haven’t had a moment to do that yet.

I know I need to slow down and enjoy the season, and maybe that means not rushing into it all at once, and being more efficient with some things. This past weekend I took part in a baking exchange, which proved to be a great thing. I got the baking out of my system doing a recipe that I was confident in, and in return I received a bunch of things I likely would have never attempted to make.

I’ve checked a few other items off my to-do list, and more than half of my shopping is already done. As for work, the list is still there, which is always a bit of an extra stress over Christmas, but it’s not near as long as I thought it would be at this point.

And maybe that’s why I still haven’t taken out the Christmas tree. Maybe I feel like I’m actually ahead of myself this year, and I’m kind of enjoying the lack of panic.

But, I do know for certain that once I do start hauling those boxes up from the basement (maybe even later tonight) that the excitement from my youngest son will be infectious, and I am confident I’ll find my Christmas spirit, amid all the Christmas clutter.


Janice Huser

About the Author: Janice Huser

Janice Huser has been with the St. Paul Journal since 2006. She is a graduate of the SAIT print media journalism program, is originally from St. Paul and has a passion for photography.
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