If you're reading this, it means you survived Black Friday. That may mean that you didn't end up in the emergency room with a sky high blood sugar after eating six helpings of pie, or it may be evidence of your skillful bob and weave at the electronics counter at Target, snatching that 4K television from the clutches of an innocent 10 year old.
Either way, congrats. You made it.
Black Friday declares itself as the antithesis of minimalism. Joshua Becker of "Becoming Minimalist" says there is nothing you can buy on Black Friday that will make you happier than you already have chosen to be (now I would argue that because I got an amazing deal on a printer, which I needed and made me very happy because my previous printer had died... but I digress). Did the 10 DVDs you bought at $4.99 make you happy in a week? Now you have to search for an organizer to store all those discs!
I used to LOVE Black Friday. Facebook reminds me of that every November in my memories tab. My kids were small, and I bought crap. I bought crap to organize my crap. I nagged my kids about organizing their crap. Sounds like a slice of heaven, right?
One of my friends (forgive me if you're reading this, but hey, names were changed to protect the innocent) texted me a photo of her kitchen cabinets and said help! I need your services! Aaaaand then she went out to Black Friday shop on Thanksgiving, in search, she said, of more Pyrex containers on sale at Kohls. Facepalm. I told her I would be right over with trash bags and shelf liner (but she wasn't home).
Don't misunderstand me about bargain hunting -- I love that, too. Hanging on to my cash to spend it on a great vacation is priority one, so saving money on that printer was a huge success. But ask yourself if consumerism is really the hobby you want to be known for. I also understand that Black Friday family bonding is a good time, especially if you don't watch football. But consider next year skipping the need to acquire and just sit down and play Monopoly or watch Lifetime movies, enjoying each other's company away from the parking lots and grabby Starbucks-toting moms (yep, did that too).
Because I love vintage trailers and dream of downsizing one day to a teeny trailer and wandering the planet, I often ask myself before a purchase, "would this mean enough to me to come with me in Martha (my trailer)? Or would I leave it behind?" If I take more than five seconds to ponder that question, then it doesn't get to come home with me. I would bet you don't see a lot of Airstreams parked at the mall on Black Friday weekend. They are by a stream somewhere resting quietly, happy in their minimalist comfort.
Here's hoping you read this before Cyber Monday, because the UPS guy will be cursing your name by Thursday when he delivers all that crap you bought from Amazon (hello, dear spouse).
Sunday, November 27, 2016
Thursday, November 17, 2016
Tradition Schmadition
In my last post, I proposed sending holiday traditions up the proverbial river, in an attempt to minimize the pressure and stress of ThanksgivingChristmasNewYearsEve (all one word as it's all one thing) planning. These include the perfect family holiday photo in matching LL Bean plaid or (God forbid) white shirts, jeans and bare feet (did that), the annual tree-cutting-down journey, or the collecting every darn one of the Hallmark NFL ornaments since 1994 (did that too).
I suggest to ask yourself this one true-to-minimalists' hearts question: Does it (this tradition) add value to my/my family's life? If the answer is no, or uhhhhh.... then quit that shit. Stop wasting everyone's time with force feeding them trips to the mall to see Santa because you HAVE DONE IT EVERY YEAR AND THIS YEAR WILL BE NO DIFFERENT, YOUNG LADY! I know Mama, you care, it DOES add value to your life, because you're desperately trying to keep the family traditions going even through the spouse/kids just go along with it so you won't lose it in line at Target like last year.
It's ok. I hereby grant you permission to not give a shit either. Your kids will still love you. Your spouse will likely love you MORE because he didn't have to get up from the Thanksgiving football game to don a matching outfit, force the dog into his matching one, and rally the kids for the annual photo. Trust me, we all know none of you actually WEARS the ensemble you're sporting on the card. So save your efforts on your picture, and post one on Facebook where you're all eating chips out of the bag and still in your jammies at 2:30 pm on Sunday.
Same with Santa. I know you have all those consecutive years of Santa pics framed and proudly displayed to boast about how "we go EVERY year". We get it. The Christmas lover's OCD dream. But then you realize 2007 was the year the whole family had the flu the week before Christmas and DAMMIT if the mall wouldn't extend Santa's stay just ONE extra day, so you would get your freakin picture done! I digress. Value added to your life? Probably notsomuch.
What if you collect nutcrackers/snowmen/angels/nativity scenes? I mean, I get one EVERY year! I always add to my collection! My collection is amazing! Have you ever SEEN such a complete set of reindeer/Santas/Hallmark ornaments? Now, if your heart leaps each and every time you look at all your nutcrackers and their nuts they crack, then, by all means, please enjoy your collection. It won't be me stealing your holiday joy. BUT. If you are annoyed to have to painstakingly unwrap and re wrap those little buggers again after Christmas is over, and you don't take time to enjoy them, perhaps have a one-sided conversation with each one about his provenance, nut cracking skills and style, then quit it. Just abandon those exponentially growing collections.
Christmas is about giving love and moving mountains to praise Christians' savior and His birth. I am reticent to interpret anything in the good book about sales, collecting Santas, and credit card debt. My biblical knowledge is sketchy at best, but it looks like we are so far away from Christmas' meaning here in Consumerville.
Don't worry about your broken traditions, incomplete collections, or the fact THIS year we had enchiladas for Christmas dinner instead of ham. Your people will still sit down to feast with you, share the meanings of Christmas with you, and if you're lucky, wait in line with you at the Returns counter. Happy Thanksgiving, Minimalists.
I suggest to ask yourself this one true-to-minimalists' hearts question: Does it (this tradition) add value to my/my family's life? If the answer is no, or uhhhhh.... then quit that shit. Stop wasting everyone's time with force feeding them trips to the mall to see Santa because you HAVE DONE IT EVERY YEAR AND THIS YEAR WILL BE NO DIFFERENT, YOUNG LADY! I know Mama, you care, it DOES add value to your life, because you're desperately trying to keep the family traditions going even through the spouse/kids just go along with it so you won't lose it in line at Target like last year.
It's ok. I hereby grant you permission to not give a shit either. Your kids will still love you. Your spouse will likely love you MORE because he didn't have to get up from the Thanksgiving football game to don a matching outfit, force the dog into his matching one, and rally the kids for the annual photo. Trust me, we all know none of you actually WEARS the ensemble you're sporting on the card. So save your efforts on your picture, and post one on Facebook where you're all eating chips out of the bag and still in your jammies at 2:30 pm on Sunday.
Same with Santa. I know you have all those consecutive years of Santa pics framed and proudly displayed to boast about how "we go EVERY year". We get it. The Christmas lover's OCD dream. But then you realize 2007 was the year the whole family had the flu the week before Christmas and DAMMIT if the mall wouldn't extend Santa's stay just ONE extra day, so you would get your freakin picture done! I digress. Value added to your life? Probably notsomuch.
What if you collect nutcrackers/snowmen/angels/nativity scenes? I mean, I get one EVERY year! I always add to my collection! My collection is amazing! Have you ever SEEN such a complete set of reindeer/Santas/Hallmark ornaments? Now, if your heart leaps each and every time you look at all your nutcrackers and their nuts they crack, then, by all means, please enjoy your collection. It won't be me stealing your holiday joy. BUT. If you are annoyed to have to painstakingly unwrap and re wrap those little buggers again after Christmas is over, and you don't take time to enjoy them, perhaps have a one-sided conversation with each one about his provenance, nut cracking skills and style, then quit it. Just abandon those exponentially growing collections.
Christmas is about giving love and moving mountains to praise Christians' savior and His birth. I am reticent to interpret anything in the good book about sales, collecting Santas, and credit card debt. My biblical knowledge is sketchy at best, but it looks like we are so far away from Christmas' meaning here in Consumerville.
Don't worry about your broken traditions, incomplete collections, or the fact THIS year we had enchiladas for Christmas dinner instead of ham. Your people will still sit down to feast with you, share the meanings of Christmas with you, and if you're lucky, wait in line with you at the Returns counter. Happy Thanksgiving, Minimalists.
Sunday, November 6, 2016
Minimize Holidays (a little) and Maximize Cheer
End-of-Daylight-Saving Greetings Minimalists!
Did you use your extra hour to get rid of extra crap after Halloween? Perhaps not, but there's still time before anyone shuns you because your pumpkins are still on the porch. But they ARE rotting now, so maybe head over to your compost bin and dispose.
About the beginning of November, we all start our heads spinning with worry over holiday budget, where Aunt Gladys will be spending Thanksgiving, and what we will wear to the office Christmas party (what DOES "holiday cheer" mean as a dress code??). Don't do this, people. Don't. Spending nearly 1/6 of your year all in a fuss over this shit that NO ONE will remember after January 1 is stupid. It just is.
My foursome likes to skip Thanksgiving. Not the hanging out together part, because it's great that the office is closed and my babies are off school, but the forced family and turkey part. We have found we are MUCH more thankful when we are just together, maybe at a ski lodge or even watching tons of football while eating chips and salsa. NOT turkey. Ick!?! There is a reason people don't cook these birds all year: they aren't that tasty, and the leftovers go on forever. Quiet the yam/sweet potato debate and skip it entirely. There are many ways to be thankful that don't involve fam-sanity.
Another post will discuss Black Friday shopping, as I can't even begin to think about it yet. It's also known as "Anti-Minimalism Day". Come celebrate with us.
Regarding Christmas, last year I read a suggestion on theminimalists about decreasing how many decorations you put out. We often feel pressure from the Griswolds to deck the halls and all that jazz, but think about all that sweat equity you expend that isn't earning you interest. You put a lot of your decor outside where you/your family doesn't see it. Does this make sense to you? (I do realize I am speaking as the wife of a man who bought a 13 foot Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man to display this Halloween.
What about the boxes and boxes of ornaments? Takes all your Thanksgiving break to set that tree up and then does anyone care about the ones facing the wall? Does anyone LOOK at them again before you take them off the tree December 26? Not judging here, just asking. I'm guessing probably not.
And here is one puzzler: "It's our tradition. We always do that, so we have to this year". The hell you do. If your family groans/eye rolls about your ice skating trip to the same pond 30 miles out of town because "we have gone every year since Trixie was a baby and we are going this year if I have to drag all of your skate-shod asses in the minivan!" -- I really recommend you skip that. It's not a good use of your limited time on the planet. "Making memories" is a myth. Don't try so hard. Memories happen. They happen just sitting around talking about that year the dog knocked the tree over and everyone stood in stunned silence wondering how long before Mom was going to lose her shit (Five... four.... three... two... ).
Ponder how you can reduce your holiday frenzy this year. The Christmas crap is already in the stores (I feel super sorry for all you retail folks who are forced at gunpoint to ignore Thanksgiving altogether), so you too can get a jump on how you'll deal with holiday cheer. Start small. Cut out some bullshit obligations and make room for some low key spending time with your family (or friends, if you don't like your family) with NO agenda or built-in traditions. I would wager that you'll make some memories right there.
Happy Fall, Minimalists!
Did you use your extra hour to get rid of extra crap after Halloween? Perhaps not, but there's still time before anyone shuns you because your pumpkins are still on the porch. But they ARE rotting now, so maybe head over to your compost bin and dispose.
About the beginning of November, we all start our heads spinning with worry over holiday budget, where Aunt Gladys will be spending Thanksgiving, and what we will wear to the office Christmas party (what DOES "holiday cheer" mean as a dress code??). Don't do this, people. Don't. Spending nearly 1/6 of your year all in a fuss over this shit that NO ONE will remember after January 1 is stupid. It just is.
My foursome likes to skip Thanksgiving. Not the hanging out together part, because it's great that the office is closed and my babies are off school, but the forced family and turkey part. We have found we are MUCH more thankful when we are just together, maybe at a ski lodge or even watching tons of football while eating chips and salsa. NOT turkey. Ick!?! There is a reason people don't cook these birds all year: they aren't that tasty, and the leftovers go on forever. Quiet the yam/sweet potato debate and skip it entirely. There are many ways to be thankful that don't involve fam-sanity.
Another post will discuss Black Friday shopping, as I can't even begin to think about it yet. It's also known as "Anti-Minimalism Day". Come celebrate with us.
Regarding Christmas, last year I read a suggestion on theminimalists about decreasing how many decorations you put out. We often feel pressure from the Griswolds to deck the halls and all that jazz, but think about all that sweat equity you expend that isn't earning you interest. You put a lot of your decor outside where you/your family doesn't see it. Does this make sense to you? (I do realize I am speaking as the wife of a man who bought a 13 foot Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man to display this Halloween.
What about the boxes and boxes of ornaments? Takes all your Thanksgiving break to set that tree up and then does anyone care about the ones facing the wall? Does anyone LOOK at them again before you take them off the tree December 26? Not judging here, just asking. I'm guessing probably not.
And here is one puzzler: "It's our tradition. We always do that, so we have to this year". The hell you do. If your family groans/eye rolls about your ice skating trip to the same pond 30 miles out of town because "we have gone every year since Trixie was a baby and we are going this year if I have to drag all of your skate-shod asses in the minivan!" -- I really recommend you skip that. It's not a good use of your limited time on the planet. "Making memories" is a myth. Don't try so hard. Memories happen. They happen just sitting around talking about that year the dog knocked the tree over and everyone stood in stunned silence wondering how long before Mom was going to lose her shit (Five... four.... three... two... ).
Ponder how you can reduce your holiday frenzy this year. The Christmas crap is already in the stores (I feel super sorry for all you retail folks who are forced at gunpoint to ignore Thanksgiving altogether), so you too can get a jump on how you'll deal with holiday cheer. Start small. Cut out some bullshit obligations and make room for some low key spending time with your family (or friends, if you don't like your family) with NO agenda or built-in traditions. I would wager that you'll make some memories right there.
Happy Fall, Minimalists!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)