Ah, the simple life. How many of us long for it, but fall back into the more, more, more habit when the holidays roll around? A few more presents, a few more dinners out, [...]]]> “I’m just a simple man, trying to make my way in the universe.” – Jango Fett, Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones

Ah, the simple life. How many of us long for it, but fall back into the more, more, more habit when the holidays roll around? A few more presents, a few more dinners out, a few more decorations (but they were on sale!). I know I do.

I have a few self-determined must do things that are meaningful and deliberate, even though they take up an inordinate amount of time. But many things are more likely to fall into the “we probably should” category, despite the fact that they don’t mean much to me, aren’t terribly enjoyed or are merely echoes of what I see going on around me.

A few things that I, personally, must do for the winter holiday season:

• Bake a pumpkin pie. This alone heralds in the winter holiday season and not just because I then eat the entire thing myself as neither Dad Windu nor Padawan Learner like pumpkin pie. I eat a slice for breakfast and lunch until it’s gone.
• Make a few homemade gifts for at least a few of the people that I love: candy, cookies, present toppers, knitted gifts and etc. They aren’t always impressive or (perhaps) even appreciated, but to me it is love and I am always glad to have done it.
• Make Banket. This is a most wonderful almost paste confection, wrapped in a flaky crust, that comes from my husband’s Dutch ancestry. It takes a long time to do, is a royal pain in the rear and is about as calorie unfriendly as possible (butter, almond paste, butter, refined white flour, butter, and sugar). It is also completely worth it.
• Find a wonderful tree with Dad Windu and Padawan Learner, on a cold and snowy day. Cold and snowy being the operative words here. We must then drink hot chocolate and listen to traditional Christmas music while we decorate it – the more “Cathedral-ly” sounding the better. Hey, I wasn’t always an atheist.
• Watch my personal trinity of Christmas movies: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the original animated version), A Charlie Brown Christmas and A Christmas Story.

None of these things cost much (trees are still pretty cheap here), but they are all deeply meaningful to me. Nodin’s Nest has a nice post about some of the things she and her family do or are going to do for the holiday seasons that don’t cost an arm and a leg, but are priceless in meaning. What are your must do holiday activities?