Hi, Reader!
Happy December!
If you’re like me, you feel like we’re in the heart of the holiday season chaos. So many of us want to create magical memories for our kids, yet it can feel like no matter how much we do, there’s always “one more thing” we’re supposed to add. But here’s the truth: the most treasured memories rarely come from big budgets or perfect planning. They come from the way the season feels.
And the easiest, coziest way to create that feeling? Engage all five of your senses.
This simple framework has stuck with me for years, ever since I learned about it from a woman who came to speak at my young mom’s group many years ago: do one small thing for each sense, and your home will naturally feel welcoming and festive—no extravagance required.
Here’s how we’re embracing the 5 Senses of Christmas in our home, and how you can, too.
Touch | the feeling of cozy
Think blankets, pajamas, flannel sheets, and simple crafts. A $10 red throw blanket can transform a room. A popsicle-stick ornament kit can turn a Tuesday afternoon into a memory. Kids remember the making more than the outcome—sticky fingers, glitter explosions, and all.
One of my favorite tactile traditions is swapping in a few Christmas blankets I store away all year. Even that tiny change makes our living room feel special the minute you walk in.
Sound | all about the music
No other holiday has such a dedicated playlist. Growing up, it was Amy Grant, Celine Dion, Kenny G, and Mannheim Steamroller on repeat. Now? It’s whatever’s on our own ever-evolving Spotify shuffle. My kids are currently very into Ben Rector and Cody Fry’s Christmas albums. (Shh!! Don’t tell them we got tickets to go see Ben Rector in concert as a gift. 🥰)
And if you’ve never put a YouTube fireplace on your TV, with crackling sounds and soft piano music in the background, you have to try this today. It fills the room with instant warmth (and keeps kids magically uninterested in asking for a show).
Smell | a sense tied directly to memory
We can all picture those moments when we smell something and are instantly taken back to a specific point in time no matter how long ago it was. Maybe it’s a real Christmas tree. Maybe it’s a specific kind of cookie your grandma always made. Maybe it’s holiday hand soap that makes washing up feel suddenly festive.
Aldi candles, pine wreaths, stovetop simmer pots—none of it has to be fancy to create that “ahh, Christmas” atmosphere. Cinnamon is a GREAT one for this. I’ve been adding cinnamon to our waffle or pancake mixes in the morning, sprinkling some christmas sprinkles on top and the kids still ooh and ahh (and my oldest is 10.5!)
Taste | what's better than Christmas food?
We all have to eat. Whether we are into the season or just feel like we’re barely making it through the day - food and meals and snacks are a part of our daily rhythms. Cookie decorating. Hot chocolate in special mugs. “Christmas pancakes” made magical by nothing more than green food coloring and dollar-store sprinkles.
Kids care far less about what you serve and far more about the moment you create around it.
I also find that this is an easy way to gather people. When I feel like my bandwidth is low, I tell myself “I have to do something for dinner tonight whether I want to or not. Can I put 2% more effort into it and create a memory?”
Pizza on christmas plates in the living room while watching Home Alone, having friends over to decorate christmas cookies (we did that this weekend. My gift to myself was that I baked all the cookies alone. The kids just joined for icing and decorating and eating). I’ve also treated myself to some peppermint mocha coffee creamer - a simple swap that makes my coffee feel so much more festive.
Sight | the sparkle and story
Christmas lights (both your neighborhood's and your own living room’s)! We love to make hot cocoa, string a strand of Christmas lights through the inside of our van and drive around looking at lights. There are a few local houses that completely deck out in lights set to music - a full show and completely free, we just pull up to the address and enjoy!
And then look around your house - old ornaments wrapped in paper towels, snow villages, movies you watch every year because it isn’t Christmas until you do. This is our first year with a fireplace and I turn that thing on every chance I get!
We also look for churches or schools putting on Christmas programs - many of them are low cost or even free! Our church does a big Christmas concert every year and it’s free.
This is Kyle’s 7th year hiding a small Santa stuffy every morning in December. Like our own elf on the shelf but not nefarious and not complicated. The kids race to find it each morning and freak out when they find him! The older boys are slowly losing interest but still laugh about it. Jude (7) and Ruby (4.5) are very into it!
This season, you don’t need more. You just need meaning. And meaning grows from small, sensory moments repeated year after year.
Here’s to a Christmas you can see, smell, hear, taste, and feel - and the memories your kids will carry long past their childhood.
wishing you a holiday season full of contentment, not comparison
Follow along with my Christmas shopping and mindset on Instagram!
ps. If you try any of these ideas—or your kids go wild for “Grinch pancakes”—I’d love to hear about it.
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Episode 39: Make Christmas Memories with all 5 senses
Want to get inspired to find true joy this holiday season without needing to spend a lot? In 2023, Kyle and I recorded an episode about low cost ways to make the holidays feel rich and meaningful.
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