The most wonderful time of the year

Season’s greetings! Shoutout to anyone celebrating any type of holiday without weird family conversations or uncomfortable chats about gift-giving.

First question: How?

Second question: Can you please share your secret?

For each moment of pure joy this time of year, there seem to be just as many (or more) moments of awkward silence at the dining room table. Let’s navigate the strange together, shall we?

—Lindsay

Your question: What's your advice for cutting back on Christmas gifts? Every year, we're completely buried in toys and gifts from well-meaning friends and family but it's too much. We're trying to minimize the emphasis on gifts without upsetting anyone (kids or gift-givers)

—Josie

Our answer: Know this—whatever you decide is right for your family is the best decision, so if you’re hoping to cut back on material goods, own it. There’s nothing wrong with taking a stand…and who needs another remote-control truck anyway?

Now, let’s look at how to best communicate this plan.

• Provide options. Some people show love by spending quality time, others show love by gifting overpriced slippers. For the gift-givers in your life, it’s best to offer some alternate options for giving this year—a charitable donation in the family’s name, a group trip or experience, or simply the gift of time—sooner rather than later.

• Shift the focus. Begin weaving in new family traditions that take the focus away from receiving gifts. Volunteer together as a family! Hold a high-stakes gingerbread house building competition! Tour the neighborhood for the best lights!

• Just cut back. That doesn’t have to mean coal in the stockings! Ben and Erin Napier from HGTV’s Home Town have a simplified system for their two daughters—each one gets something they need, something they want, something they can wear, and something to read. Well-rounded and meaningful!

It’s cool to enjoy all the season has to offer…and even cooler to not have to find 27 places in your home to store new toys. Whatever your plan, enjoy every moment!

Your question: This will be our first major holiday reunited with members of extended family, some of whom are difficult to make conversation with. I would love advice on how to enjoy myself without getting into the weeds with family who have different viewpoints. 

—Jackie

Our answer: 🎶 It’s beginning to look a lot like…Aunt Sheila oversharing about her recent medical procedure! 🎶 Family gatherings around the holidays have a tendency to be…interesting. Let’s first remember 1) how hard it was to be away from the people we care about over the last few years and 2) how exciting it is to have the opportunity to be together again.

As my favorite line from the OG Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas says:

I’m not crying, you’re crying!

Still…it can be tricky to navigate conversations about religion, politics, sports, gardening—well, just about anything these days. People have strong opinions, even more so after a glass of holiday cheer!

Here are a few ideas to keep spirits high and conversations pleasant:

• Make a plan with an exit strategy. Need to escape via Irish goodbye? You do you!

• Keep it neutral. Make a list of neutral topics you can bring up or change the subject with.

• Lend a hand. Best way to stay out of Red Table-style talk? Volunteer to do dishes or plate dessert. And your host will be so grateful!

• Maintain expectations. Humans are gonna human. No one is perfect, including you. Don’t expect Uncle Joe to suddenly be interested in hanging out with your kids or grandma to abstain from bringing out the giant photo album of your pre-teen phase. Expect it, embrace it, and try to have some fun!

Submit a question to be featured in a future Q&A here.

Have these Christian millennials fixed the news?

It’s called The Pour Over, and it has two goals:

1. Keep its readers informed about world events

2. Keep its readers focused on Christ

That means providing politically neutral coverage of events and pairing it with brief Biblical reminders.

The question is…are they hitting the mark? See what you think. Subscribe in just one click. No seriously, one click.

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Literal genius. Fell in love with this idea to gift little kids composition notebooks! It promotes literacy, keeps all drawings, words, and expressions together, and is plain adorable. Also? Costs about $1 per notebook. WIN. 

And the best tree award goes to…Are you competitive? Do you secretly (or not-so-secretly) compete with a friend/relative/neighbor/celebrity for the best display of holiday wonder? Check out the all-time best collection of celeb trees and see how you measure up against the Priyanka-Jonas family. 

Catch up on Couple Things. You guys DID IT. You made Couple Things with Shawn and Andrew a chart-topper on Apple! THANK YOU! If you haven’t listened lately, catch up on Apple’s No. 2 show as of press time. 😁

If you have a small (or large) victory, tip, or fabulously decorated tree, hit reply and share! I’d love to hear from you.

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Remember this…You can do anything. Boost a beloved podcast to the top or set boundaries this holiday season. Believe in yourself! We believe in you—like—A LOT. See you next time!