#she could still like become a radio host and cope with music

[will80sbyers]

Anyway if they actually make Max be completely blind and she can't go to the movies with Lucas I need that headcanon that I read from someone here where Lucas describes the scenes to her or maybe they can show them at home cuddling on the couch and Lucas is still reading a book to her like at the hospital I think that would be sweet to show their new reality and like make us understand they are still endgame even if the plan for the date changed a little

[hellonoblesky]

Happy Saturday it’s past 2am here’s Harbinger Angst. Because I’m up late and I’m havinggg thoughts.

So here’s my hcs about the Harbingers reacting to/dealing with the news of Signora‘s death :)

(CW For like. Mental breakdowns and guilt and general emotional instability because no one is having a good time here. Oh also cussing, anddd some familial angst in Childe’s bit? Also I am so sorry about any misspellings n whatever it is. Very late and I already have two other posts in my drafts collecting dust that are also HCs so.)

Dottore:

So if you don’t follow my art blog or haven’t seen my Harbinger hcs (which are under the process of some change with new info being released and whatnot), you don’t know this but I HC Dot and Signora to be like sorta just evil siblings

Now because death is such a commodity in Dot’s uh… specific line of work, he doesn’t register that Signora is dead until like two days after he hears the news

He picked up the phone (rotary perhaps?) to go call up Signora‘a office to see if she has any good gossip and then stopped halfway through dialing because it hit him that she’s never going to be there to pick up the phone on the other end. Ever.

He usually listens to music when he’s working but with the absence of Signora ranting he has to take up listening to the radio on top of the music

Problem is: the radio doesn’t have the same charm and cadence to it that Signora’s rants did, because normal people are boring and it’s going to drive Dot up the walls if he has to listen to one more commercial or one more anxious ramble about how cool and great the Fatui are from some stupid radio host trying not to overstep the Tasritsa’s favor like she listens to some boring ass radio station in her spare time!!!

HE HATES IT. But is forced to make do because if he shows weakness he will be torn apart (or so he thinks)

So this leads to him locking himself away in his office even more than he already did

Because he was already intrigued by the traveller after their actions in Mond and their victory against Childe, but them beating Signora in a duel before the Shogun? Oh now that kickstarted a whole new line of study

Especially because his only coping mechanisms are Be Destructive and Dive So Far Into Work You Don’t Think so within about three days he has a comprehensive analysis of everything he can possibly get his hands on regarding the Traveler (without interacting with other people) and is about to pass out because he hasn’t slept

Oh and the funeral was absolute hell for him.

Mainly because while he was barely conscious he agreed to play violin at the service and then promptly passed out and forgot about it so he woke up and was hit with the consequences of his own actions in the form of sheet notes

He endured, obviously, he’s not going to back down from playing something at the funeral of one of the few interesting people in the organization, that’s what tools and cowards do and this might be the Fatui but if he’d survived the wrath of dead gods he would make it through this

Went right back to locking himself away after that though

He actually got bad enough that the other Harbingers took notice of his state and MADE him come out of his labs and eat (mainly at demand of the Tsaritsa because she just lost the Crimson Witch as an asset, she wants the rest of her Harbingers in good health god dammit, the Traveler is becoming a genuine threat)

Broke down at dinner a week after the funeral

Swears that if any of the other Harbingers bring it up ever ever again he will kill their bodies and keep their consciousnesses trapped in a machine that he controls forevermore

Really he’s just glad that no one immediately pounced on one of his few shows of weakness

Maybe he’ll risk it again if it means he can cry it out for another hour but he wouldn’t dare say that out loud, won’t even finish the thought

But you know what he will do?

What he does best, of course

Look at an oddity in the world (in this case the traveller) and seek to pick it apart until he can put it back together without looking and still have it work

The only way he can actually get through his grieving is by finding something to take the edge off

And it just so happens that the traveller is a perfect candidate

Childe:

By no means has he ever liked Signora, in regards to personality or method, but her death still hit him

He had to travel back to Snezhnaya for the funeral, and it did absolutely cheer him up to see his family again and get to spoil them all silly, but with a mind whirling with thoughts it was genuinely hard for him to keep a smile up

Mainly thoughts about battle, because that’s really the only way he can interpret the world at this point

Like he keeps thinking about weather the Traveler was holding back with him, or if they had gained the strength to fight off yet another Fatui plot just in the month or so since Liyue? And if they had gained strength, how had they done it so fast? If they’d been holding back against him had he not shown himself to be a fighter worthy of their strength? Had Signora even faced the Traveler‘s full strength?

Overall his head is much too full of too many things, and it wears him out to the point that he ends up sleeping in late enough for his family to actually worry because usually he’s up before dawn training and they don’t see him until the afternoon

But he’s back on track as soon as he can, because the training helps him think, and once he can resolve most of his thoughts (or repress them so they don’t bother him too often) he’s absolutely alright and fine and ready to go! Totally. Fine. It’s fine.

The thoughts were very much There during the funeral, especially as the first harbinger read a (somewhat summarized version) of Signora’s life to the assembly of Fatui

(Oh and Pierro didn’t really care weather or not Signor wanted people to know her life after she died because she was dead now what was she going to do??)

The reveal that Signora had been fighting for the Fatui because her lover had been killed by the actions of the Anemo Archon, and she desired nothing more than to see him again… it got to Childe. It got to Childe more than he’d like to admit

Because suddenly the woman who he had always known as the embodiment of frostbite and frozen barbed wire fencing had someone she had cared about, genuinely cared about, to the point where she had become the Mondstadt legend, the Crimson Witch herself

And she had lost that lover to the actions of a fool of a God

He swore silently to himself that when the Tsaritsa‘s future came to pass he would make a little monument for Signora. Nothing big, probably a plaque on a nice stone where Mondstadt would have been before the Tsaritsa’s success, but a monument nonetheless

This promise was a spur of the moment thing, and later he would be like “Man she was a jerk, lost love or not why did I promise her that?“ but he doesn’t go back on promises

Besides, actually watching Dottore break down in a grief and sleep-depravation induced haze was also something that got to him because of course the two people he happened to simply Hate The Most in the organization were close that makes perfect sense but also wow it is weird to see Dottore cry and it feels Wrong because after murdering and tormenting so many people… Signora is gone and he breaks then??? What the fuck

Avoids most of the Harbingers after that, just heads home to Morepesok to spoil his siblings silly before going back to Liyue

Oh and his siblings can tell something is up, Teucer especially because when his brilliant big brother, the greatest toy salesman in all of Snezhnaya, is suddenly struggling to keep a smile even though they’re at home… he notices

Childe’s other siblings are all avoiding the subject, they heard about the death of Signora and all, they just assume the organization is going through it tight now and frankly most of them are a little afraid of him weather they‘ll admit it or not

Not Teucer though, he’s confused just because he still has grasped how Snezhnaya works yet, so he goes ahead and asks anyway

Childe just says he’s sad because he has to leave again so soon! And he hasn’t even been able to take Teucer fishing this time, isn’t that sad?

Teucer can tell that he’s lying

But Teucer is also beginning to sense the danger that lies behind Childe’s eyes, so for the first time? He doesn’t push it or say that they could go fishing now if they hurry

Just a grin and a “Next time!! Promise?” Makes it all better and he doesn’t have to think about why his big brother feels unnerving to look at sometimes

Childe is oblivious to Teucer’s growing awareness

He heads back to Liyue and makes himself focus on work

Scaramouch:

Now he didn’t particularly like Signora either, and didn’t really care about her life’s story, because blah blah blah we get it lady you lost someone, we all did, cry about it or whatever

But he does feel… he feels guilty for leaving her to face the Shogun

He had the Gnosis, he had finished Signora’s mission for her without even meaning to, and he had thought it would be funny to just let her face the Shogun without knowing that

To some extent, it’s his fault she’s dead

And it’s not the fact that she died because he didn’t go get her that weighs on him, it’s that he left her to the Shogun of all things

I don’t know if puppets like Scara can feel things like people and such do, but considering how the Shogun expressed frustration and stress when Ei disabled the majority of her functions, I’m going to assume they can

And because of the meddling of ‘some eccentric scientists’ his emotions are probably toned down a tad but he can still feel guilt all the same

And leaving Signora to the Shogun makes him feel guilty because he and the Shogun are essentially kin

Disowned and disavowed kin, but you know

He may have been able to easily counter the Shogun, or even help Signora prevail in her duel, but he. Ran. Off.

He happens to think that that was very cowardly of him

It causes a spike in his aggression which everyone unfortunately has to notice every time he walks by because the sheer static electricity that snaps in the air when he’s in the room now? Haha. Ouchie

Fun fact: he has no idea how to cope with guilt

He channels ALL of it into SHEER RAGE

Ever seen a couple hundred year old man go absolutely apeshit in the Harbinger‘s shared training arena? Well now you have!! It’s not a pretty sight!!

He’s crying and can’t tell why, which fuels his anger, which fuels stress as a fun side effect which just makes more tears and now he has to snap someone in half because he needs it to stop he hates it here he hates it here he hates it here

And in the beginning the guilt wasn’t even that severe for him, it was just so immensely magnified by his lack of coping skills that he very nearly broke himself down

He tried going to Dottore to get it disabled but Dottore had his doors all locked so Scara couldn’t even get a word through to him

Oh and the funeral was fine with him he just left early because he didn’t want to deal with looking people in the eye at the time because, again, his lack of coping skills with guilt magnified the whole feeling so it was almost unbearable

It’s a lot of fighting and breaking things before he’s able to resign himself to some semblance of how he was

[sungie]

dRewwWWWWwwWw

hi👋

you seem like a person who read a lot! may i ask you for some book reccomendations?? and maybe a brief description about what the book is about?🛐🛐

cuz i planned to go bookshopping but i dont know what to buy jsjhdsd

HELLO!! yes of course this ask made me so happy! i used to read a lot when i was younger so here are a few that i really enjoyed <333 i hope you have lots of fun book shopping! in any case tell me how it went <33

if you like historical fiction:

1. all the light we cannot see -> anthony doerr

beautiful prose! the book feels like artwork. follows the two stories of marie-laure, a young blind girl in paris, and werner a boy in germany who loves radios and science, and how their lives expand in the time of wwII.

2. song of achilles -> madeline miller

also beautiful prose! a retelling of achilles and patroclus and focuses on how their relationship changes from friends to lovers and how that affects the trojan war etc.

3. circe -> madeline miller

i haven't read this one but i just bought it and am excited to read it! also based on retellings of greek mythology

if you like classics:

4. the picture of dorian gray -> oscar wilde

dorian gray receives a portrait from his friend basil, and suddenly realizes how beautiful he is which sparks his downfall.

5. les misérables -> victor hugo

alright so this one is VERY. long. and the beginning and some parts in the middle are boring BUT i adore the characters (les amis) and i would definitely recommend it if you watched the movie/musical and wanted to know about the story more in depth (otherwise its hard to get through).

if you like found family/adventure:

6. six of crows -> leigh bardugo

follows kaz brekker, a well-known thief who gathers a crew to pull off a dangerous heist that could potentially leave them rich beyond their dreams

7. maze runner -> james dashner

this one is pretty well known but i've kept this one with me (lots of comfort characters). a boy wakes up in a strange place with no memories (not even his name), and he has to discover where he is and why the rest of the boys there are trapped.

8. cinder series -> marissa meyer

a sci-fi retelling of cinderella! the entire series focuses on different characters but they all become intertwined in the later books (red riding hood, rapunzel, queen of hearts, etc.) i haven't finished the series but it's amazing <33

9. if we were villains

haven't read this one but my friend recommended it and says it is like 'the secret history' but with better characters!

if you like art and angst:

10. the goldfinch: donna tartt

theo experiences a tragedy and the story follows his life and how he copes afterward -> beautiful prose and focuses on art and the goldfinch painting

if you like romance or more specifically, enemies to lovers:

11. the host: stephanie myer

set in a dystopian society where aliens use humans as hosts to experience life -> wanda realizes that her human host, melanie, still has awareness, and they eventually set off on a journey to find melanie's brother, lover, and a secret resistance of humans.

12. fire: kristin kashore

fantasy setting: (monsters are beautiful and have powers of manipulation) lady fire is the last human monster and the plot begins when an assassin's mind is eerily blank and she gets recruited by the king to interrogate prisoners and discover what is happening

[theotherackerman]

My Mind Turns Your Life Into Folklore

Summary: Historia Reiss could not have approached Mikasa Ackerman with the idea of joining a band at a better time. After a falling out with Armin Arlert and Eren Jaeger, Mikasa decides to take her up on her offer joining alongside Ymir Langnar (bassist), Sasha Blouse (drummer), and Annie Leonhart (guitarist). With their new keyboard player and lyricist, they set off on a journey that takes them away from their hometown. After winning battle of the bands, they score a record deal. As they set to record their first album, their past begins to catch up to them.

RATING: MATURE

Ships:  Mikasa/Eren, Historia/Ymir, Levi/Hange, Armin/Annie, Pieck/Jean

Other Tags:    Minor Character Death, Past Character Death, girls supporting girls, Alternate Universe, music inspired, their friendship is super important

COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER: Any recognizable elements belong to Attack on Titan.

NOTES: December 26th

PROLOGUE: TIS THE DAMN SEASON

Somehow watching Star Wars the day after Christmas had become a tradition for Eren, Armin, and Mikasa.Maybe it was because Christmas was rough for all of them. So they had made their own little tradition.

It had started in high school when Armin and Eren were in complete disbelief that Mikasa had n ever seen Star Wars. They had just exchanged gifts including a book Armin received from Eren about the special effects in Star Wars.

“How can you have never seen Star Wars? Didn’t we watch it with you when we were younger?” Eren asked her as he picked up wrapping paper from the floor.

Mikasa simply shook her head.

“Well we’ve got to change that. Armin, you still have the dvds?”

“Of course, I do. I’m not going to get rid of Star Wars.”

“Right, right. You think grandpa would care if we came over tomorrow?”

“Hey, what if I have plans tomorrow?” Mikasa asked.

“Do you have plans tomorrow?” Armin turned his head to the side.

“Well no...but..”

“Okay, great. So tomorrow at Armin’s place.”

And that’s how it had started. Mikasa wasn’t sure if she actually liked Star Wars or if she just loved her two best friend’s reactions to it. Armin and Eren performed their favorite lines as they watched. One time they had bought shitty cheap lightsabers to have a battle one year which resulted in both Eren and Armin getting a black eye.

The venue changed frequently, a different person hosting each year. No matter how bad things got, how many family members died, none of that matter.

Because every December 26th, it was time for them to settle in front of the tv and watch Star Wars.

Until this year.

This year, there was no settling in front of a tv.

There was no exchanging of gifts.

This year, there was radio silence between the three of them.

All because of what had happened last year. It was New Year’s Eve. Armin, Eren, and Mikasa had gathered together. Mikasa had her father’s ring. She was going to ask Eren to marry her.

She was kneeling in the kitchen but Eren’s eyes were numb.

"I'm just going to be honest with you, Mikasa. I just dated you so I could know what it was like to fuck you. And I have to say, you're as good as I'd thought you'd be. But now  I'm done with this. You're just a slave who does what everyone else wants them to do. A people pleaser. I can't be with someone like that."

"Eren…" her voice cracked.

"I've always hated you, Mikasa."

BAM!

There was a connection of a fist to Eren's jaw. He stumbled back.

"How dare you say those things to her!" Armin yelled at him. Eren swung at Armin, hitting him. Armin punched Eren again. 

Mikasa pulled Armin off of Eren and shoved him to the other side of the kitchen. 

 "I don't need you defending me!" She screamed.

And then Mikasa ran from the house.

And Eren spat blood.

And Armin disappeared from the house

But the box holding Mikasa's dad's ring sat on the table all the same.

Mikasa sat in her room, watching the steam rising off of her cup of tea. Her book of lyrics sat in front of her.

She wondered about Armin and Eren. How were they doing? Were they coping okay with Eren’s father dying last year…..No.

She took a deep breath as she looked at the blank page in front of her.

She and Historia had written thirty six songs as options for the new album but that didn’t matter.

She had to keep writing. It was a way out of her head while still coping with everything.

If she wrote, she didn’t have to think about her dead parents, Armin’s dead parents, or Eren’s dead parents. She didn’t have to think about Armin’s grandfather dying earlier this year and how Armin had to be alone this year. She didn’t have to think about Ymir and Historia still fighting and what that meant for the band. What did that mean for the band?

Write.

Just write.

She took a deep breath.

Just as she was about to write, there was a knock on the front door.

She could hear Levi talking to someone.

Was it his partner?

She wasn’t sure.

She was stalling.

She needed to focus on writing.

The door to her room opened. Only one person didn’t knock when they came over so she didn’t bother to look behind her. The thud sound of someone falling onto her bed and the smell of whiskey only confirmed what she already knew.

“Things didn’t go well?” Mikasa asked, now she was really stalling.

“Oh no, things went fucking great. Can’t you tell?” Ymir’s voice was dripping with sarcasm. “I went to get drinks with her sister and her. Her sister hates me. She thinks Historia can do better.”

“Did she say that?”

“No. She just...I don’t know. I think Historia told Frieda what happened last week. Maybe, maybe she’s right. Maybe Historia is better off with someone like Reiner or that farm boy…”

Mikasa put her pen down before turning around.

“You and I both know you don’t mean that. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. I’ve never seen you feel sorry for yourself before. What did you say to me when all that happened? Pull yourself together. Fuck her sister. It doesn’t matter. All that matters is your feelings and Historia’s. Fuck everyone else.”

“I think I said fuck a few more times in there.”

Mikasa nodded before she turned back around.

It was a strange friendship they had.

It had started due to the fact that Historia and Eren were normally nominated for king and queen of the high school dances. Since they could not dance with who they wanted to, they ended up dancing with one another.

Then Historia had come up with this idea for a band. An idea that would cement Ymir and Mikasa’s friendship.

A knock came from the front door again.

“Mikasa!” Levi yelled from downstairs.

She looked over at Ymir. The other girl was currently wrapping herself up in Mikasa’s blankets. No one outside the band and Levi knew that Mikasa was back in town for the holidays.

“Mikasa!” She heard him yell again.

She took a deep breath before she left her room. Eren couldn’t be here. He didn’t know. Not to mention he probably never wanted to talk to her again just like she didn’t want to face him again. If he was here, she’d….

She’d do something.

“Sign the delivery paper so this man can do away,” Levi gestured to the man holding a box and a scanner.

“I told you, sir, it can only be signed by..”

“I don’t care.”

Mikasa signed the paper, the man handed over the package, and Mikasa closed the door. She pulled the tab to open the cardboard box. Inside she found a smaller box. She dropped the cardboard box. She didn’t open the smaller box.

She already knew what was inside and who had sent it.

“What is that?”

“My father’s ring. He returned it.” She held the box out to Levi who stared at her for a moment. “Keep it safe for me, will you?”

The older Ackerman just nodded. Mikasa picked up the cardboard box off of the floor and threw it into the trash. She didn’t notice the letter inside that had floated to the floor. Levi would find it hours later.

[neko-pupper]

HEAVY DISCLAIMER READ BEFORE SCROLLING

My sincerest apologies to anyone who reads this intense, horrifying drabble. Trigger warnings are put in place for the darkest parts, so please if you are sensitive or are a victim of r--e and/or sexual abuse please please please skip over the parts with trigger warnings. This drabble hangs heavily on ongoing trauma and the effects of r--e. This long ass drabble also includes quite a bit of information on why Pip is the way that she is, how she copes with her trauma, and what she experiences because of it. This was a hard piece to write due to how close it hits home for me, as a victim myself. I left out the particularly scarring parts for a reason, and I will not elaborate on what all occurred for my own sanity and yours. But this was very important for me to write out and I'm relieved to finally get it all written down (and saved for future reference due to how long it took to write and the effort I put into it). Writing out things like this helps me to cope with my own trauma.

This is Pip's personal Hell. You all may interact with this drabble if you wish. Please be aware that Pip is going to be very...uncomfortable and possibly aggressive.

You have been warned and informed. Do with this information what you will.

Sleep. Pip had finally gotten some much needed rest after cleaning up from dinner. Yet for some reason, at the unpleasant hour of 3am, she found herself wide awake and staring up at the canopy that hung over her bed shielding her from the rest of her room. No nightmare nor dream had woke her, no sound could be heard from within our outside her room aside from the quiet ticking of her clock. What in Hell's name had woken her from her slumber?

She slowly sat up in her bed, comforter pooling in her lap as she crossed her legs and brought her hands up to rub her face only to find it damp with sweat and hot to the touch.

She froze, blinking as she pulled her hands away before pressing the backside of her hand to her forehead. There was no doubt about it. It was here early, something she found so revolting about herself since her second year in hell. The monthly cycle female hellhounds went through in lieu of a visit from Aunt Flow. That time of the month where her scent became near irresistible to others of her species, among a few other species of demon. Oh how she hated it. This godforsaken bullshit...this...

Heat.

She could feel it now. That unbearable feeling prickling across her skin, making her squirm in discomfort, fire seeming to flow through her very veins. Sweat dripped down her cheek and she groaned under her breath as she swung her legs off the bed and shoved aside the canopy curtain only to stumble her way to the connected bathroom to her room, grabbing a fresh towel from the cabinet as an afterthought. Her stomach churned as she slipped out of her nightgown which was near soaked and sticking to her already illfeeling skin and discarded it to the floor in the same motion as she turned the shower on full blast and adjusted it to a lukewarm almost cold temperature.

All she could do was crawl into the tub and sit her ass down, stretching out in the bottom as the cooling water doused her, easing the discomfort for a while. And so she just laid there.

After nearly an hour and a half of laying under the cold spray of water she finally sat up, her body no longer burning but still just generally uncomfortable. At least it was tolerable.

She reached over and shut the water off after a minute or two and carefully stood so she could step out of the bath onto the mat, reluctant to dry off in fear of her body warming back up but she couldn't just walk around soaking wet or lay in her bed in such a state so she buckled to the need. Once dry she wrapped her hair in the towel and snapped her fingers to dress herself in a pair of yoga shorts and a thin tank top in hopes that would keep her cooled off longer. She thought to herself a moment before letting out a low sigh, heading back to the bedroom then to the door and out into the hall. She needed to gather supplies to stash away in her room before she started denning so downstairs she went, as quiet as possible so not to wake anyone at such an early hour. She padded down the stairs, wincing at the odd steps that creaked underfoot until she reached the lobby and took a moment to relax herself now that she was hopefully out of earshot of the rooms.

She shuffled toward the supply closet where they stored the extra blankets for alcohol and game nights hosted in the lobby, scooping up several to place on the couch to grab in a few minutes. Then she disappeared into the kitchen, rummaging through the pantry for her snack groceries she'd bought the other night and stuffed them all into a grocery bag for ease of transfer and returned to the lobby.

As she reached the couch and went to pick up the blankets again so she could return to her room Pip found herself doubling over with a hand pressed to her lower stomach. She quickly dropped the bag of snacks on the couch and shuffled to the nearest empty cushion to sit down, both hands now on her stomach as she folded forward to ease the unsettling sensation. Her towel unraveled from her head and fell to the floor at her feet and her damp hair spilled down to hide her face and legs.

It seemed it was going to be one of THOSE heats. How unfortunate.

The odd, painless but unexpected cramping left her sitting on the couch for another good twenty minutes which at some point she realized she'd laid down on her side with her legs curled up and her arms down between her legs. It was the most comfortable, if a tad awkward, position. Once it appeared to subside she tried to get up but it returned with a fury and she let out a startled huff. Her body must be furious with her for ignoring this for so long. A mutiny! Damn it all!

She decided to just camp there on the couch for the rest of the early hours in hopes it would subside and ease up by sunrise, managing to snag her bag of goodies to place on the floor within reach.

---

Hours passed by with no sign in relief from her own personal hell. The wolf had already munched through a sleeve of shitty powdered doughnuts, two sleeves of toaster tarts, and a two liter of cream soda. She did her best to resist the awful cravings that had arose but it was becoming nauseating as she stared longingly toward the kitchen doorway.

"I should have prepared last week... This is horrendous." she muttered quietly to herself, the silence absolutely killing her. Her mind started to wander after that.

/I wish someone was here to keep me company./

/Or at least some music./

/Isn't there a radio down here?/

/I'd assume so given our resident radio host./

/Ah... He'd make nice company. Pleasant to talk to, perfect to pass the time./

/He even seems to have a lull to him. Like a faint static that eases the deafening silen-/

Her thoughts halted sharply and the drowsy little curl of her lips suddenly pursed into a thin line.

"What the hell am I thinking?" she hissed at herself, abruptly sitting up only to double over and lay back down as nausea rolled through her stomach.

/Stars... Screw this. At least if he was here, if SOMEONE was here, I could distract myself. Maybe even request some food that isn't absurdly sugary.../

She sighed and closed her eyes, trying to focus on the gentle tick-tock of the grandfather clock. It was so awfully boring though and time seemed to move even slower with her eyes closed so she opened them again even if only to stare at the dimmed lights above the bar. She studied the designs for a while, tracing the suit of cards pattern that decorated it with her mind. But even that lost her interest after a while and she was delving into her inner thoughts again. She tried to focus but a haze of red kept creeping at the edges of her mind she repeatedly had to shoo away with a shake of her head until finally she growled at herself in frustration.

"No. Stop thinking about him. You stupid, hormonal [unintelligible]. He isn't going to entertain you. I won't allow it."

She shuddered at the sudden unwanted memory that flooded her head like a rogue wave, the gentle red haze in her mind being shoved away by jagged neon lights and a sickening scheme of pink. Images flashed through her mind that had her bristling with sudden and vicious anxiety. Dread coiled in the pit of her stomach. She knew what these memories were. How could she forget? No one would be able to forget such disgusting and brutal violations of oneself. No matter how hard she wanted to forget it all, burn it away into ash.

In the silence and loneliness she let herself have a moment of vulnerability as her eyes glassed over and tears spilled across her cheeks. Every month she had to relive that horrible night.

!!! Trigger Warning !!!

Hands danced across her as she sat on a stool at the bar, neon pink and blue lights brightening the otherwise dim area away from the central stage. She was still new to hell, she didn't know who would be dancing on that stage nor did she care. She only cared about the deliciously fruity cocktails which she was indulging in. Possibly finding some other girls to hang out with, maybe snort a line or two or pop a tab. She planned to enjoy her night.

Pip wasn't too bothered when she felt a hand brush across her back, she thought someone had mistaken her for someone else, until long fingers wrapped over her shoulder and a low, purr of a voice muttered close to her ear.

"What's a delicious little thing like you doing in a place like this?"

The warm breath tickling her ear tufts set her on edge.

"Trying to enjoy my night out." she replied curtly, entirely uninterested in the obvious approach. Nor did she care for that voice or how close he was. It set her on edge. She was already on the verge of violence due to her heat leaving her generally uncomfortable but the alcohol did ease it dramatically.

"Mmm~ I'm sure I could make your night much more enjoyable~" the voice purred again. Still dangerously close.

"I'm. Not. Interested." she growled before her face was grabbed by a strong grip and turned to face the one and only Moth Pimp; Valentino. At the time she didn't know who he was.

"I like 'em feisty~ Keep playin' hard to get~"

She suddenly yanked away from his hands with a snarl, throwing her drink in his face as she stumbled off the bar stool and backed away from him. People were staring now and she straightened her stance before rushing toward the back door while Val was wiping his face of strawberry something. Second bad idea. He sneered and glared before grumbling something at a burly guy in a security shirt. They both vanished into the crowd of people forming around the stage in anticipation.

Pip found herself in the alley behind Club 666, huffing furiously at the AUDACITY. She paced the alley as she tried to calm down only to look up at some point and find the end of the alley blocked by a sizeable horse demon and another burly lizard one.

She tensed, noticing the security detail on their shirts before making a run for it the opposite direction only to hear the door open and feel hands grabbing her. Hair was pulled and her legs knocked out from under her, barely able to react before her face connected with the pavement. She cried out and snarled, trying so hard to get back to her feet to run but she felt a heavy foot press to her back as her arms were yanked behind her back and tied together with something that cut painfully into her wrists.

She was panicking. Were they going to kill her? Again? Was that even possible?

Oh, no...

She heard one of them sniff and felt the foot on her back bounce as the unknown assailant chuckled something. Her head was swimming from the fall she took and all she could make out was the words "heat" and "slut".

Cold, hard dread settled into the pit of her stomach as she realized something.

She heard another say something along the lines of "teaching some manners".

That all consuming fear dug its claws in her lungs and she struggled hard, opening her mouth to scream, but nothing could escape as a hand wrapped around her throat and squeezed. The next thing she knew she was very cold, exposed to the night air.

!!! Trigger Warning !!!

Pip snapped awake and let out a wail that carried through the hotel, thrashing hard enough that she fell off the couch with a thud. She scrambled to get up and took a defensive position but nothing came. Not the pain she remembered, no feeling of hands groping and claws cutting her skin up. Just ghosts of a memory leaving her feeling dirty and downright terrified.

She slowly lowered her arms and her eyes cleared to reveal the hotel lobby. She slowly lowered her guarding stance and slumped back onto the couch, heart thumping wildly in her chest as she stared up at the ceiling.

When had she fallen asleep? She didn't remember falling asleep. But now she was awake. It was just a little past sunrise she noticed as she peeked toward the window, silent tears rolling down her face as she tried to shake the nightmare. No more sleeping. Coffee. She needed coffee.

She stood up again, clutching her shirt as her anxiety refused to simmer down but the cramping having calmed though finally, and shuffled her way to the kitchen. Coffee was made with shaking hands and drank straight black. The bitterness distracted her as did the burn of how hot it was against her tongue and slowly her hands stopped shaking so much and she could finally think clearly again. She spent the rest of the hours in the kitchen, baking scones and cookies at the buttcrack of dawn just waiting, hoping for someone to wake up and keep her company.

[suburbiashq]

                   cassel resident : kit gallagher.

full name. . catherine ‘kit’ gallagher. age. twenty eight birthdate. november 3rd, 1992          zodiac. scorpio. gender. female                            pronouns. she/her occupation. radio host / former musician lives in. main street.

                                       about kit gallagher.

TRIGGER WARNING: parental death, boat accident, car accident, injury description, minor suicide mention

Catherine has the subtlety of an earthquake, says Mrs. Gallagher, when her eldest daughter is around five years old. She didn’t know her words would last longer than herself, standing the test of time under the skin of an unrelenting woman. Catherine, or Kit, because Catherine sounds so serious, would grow up to be just that — seismic proportions, more havoc than human. Well, some could say she was some kind of natural tragedy.

Nick Gallagher had been a roadie (slash backup guitar, backup bass, backup producer) when he met neuroscientist Dr. Elena Rhodes in Chicago. At the time, he’d been more worried about Eddie Vedder’s concert schedule than starting a family. Similarly, Elena was concerned with her distinguished career: she had just obtained her PhD and was starting a teaching position at Northwestern, hoping to further her research into early diagnostics of neurodegenerative diseases. Being such different people, they didn’t even plan to see each other again after the initial attraction, so it was a surprise that they would be forever linked: even then, it seems their eldest daughter hardly ever sought permission to do anything. Their story starts backwards: first came the baby, then the love. Kit was a toddler when they decided to actually get married — more for practicality than anything. Elena was a canadian citizen and had just been offered a more financially advantageous position at the University of Toronto as deputy head of the Department of Neuroscience. Nick, on the other hand, felt pretty much lost for a while. He had never expected to be anything other than a musician — a business school dropout as he was, but he was smart and quick to adapt. While they were living in Toronto, he made a name for himself teaching music, or teaching rock and roll, as he would say, especially because of his classical training and the famous band names he was able to attach himself too. When they moved back to Cassel, he finally had enough money to start his business (and put those classes to good work). He bought a corner store that used to be a big pub for cheap — turning it into the bar/music venue of his dreams: Firehouse. It was modest, but just big enough for Cassel, IL. The one place where cool people went for a good time and good music.

Kit grew up in Cassel, a small house in the Meadows as background, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. She was early trained in critical thinking and classical music, which she understood as pillars of a life well-lived. To say she was an easy kid would be dishonest: Catherine was opinionated, to say the least, and she loved being right, which was a regular occurrence. She grew up watching amazing women rule the world around her, her mother at the forefront of adventure as a scientist and, for that reason, she grew to believe that she could do anything. Besides the constant annoyance of the little sister she loved, she figured her life was pretty perfect.

Until it wasn’t. In 2007, Dr. Elena Rhodes passed away under strange circumstances after a car accident, leaving a shattered family behind. Despite having two daughters to provide for, Nick was often overtaken by his grief, which meant that the girls’ grandparents had to step in and help the family get back on track. It was two years before they moved back to their own house. At sixteen, Catherine began to help around the bar and the rest of the town pretended they didn’t notice — helping the family business stay afloat or not, she was still a minor. The bar never lacked the clientele, but her father’s state the previous years made a mess out of many things. The death of her mother, her very own superwoman, made her retreat more into herself. While she spent the majority of her free time at the bar, her study hours were spent with her violin, her chosen instrument, in a type of self-imposed, focused solitude. As much of a coping mechanism as it was pure love, she threw herself into the music. In addition to her poignant personality, she became a tad unapproachable, resulting in the once popular girl becoming a person of fewer friends, even though she appreciated the fact that they were good ones. It was no surprise that she was accepted into the prestigious Juilliard music program — the surprise came with the rejection of financial aid.

After Nick almost sold the bar to send her to her dream school, Kit discovered that her mother had left her and her sister a tuition fund for college. It wasn’t enough to pay off everything, but the community of Cassel once again came around and helped her find summer jobs and promote Firehouse around the area. Soon enough, the business was back on track and thriving more than ever — enough that it became a town staple. And when the time came, Kit left for Juilliard. She graduated with honors and, despite her desire to stay in New York City, she couldn’t afford to — not when the competition meant that the job market was a bloodbath. After acquiring a reference letter from her mentor, she auditioned for several symphonies and orchestras, eventually landing a position at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, where she worked diligently for a year as second violin.

In the beginning of 2017, when the 10th anniversary of her mother’s passing arrived, everything changed: as she drove up the way from Chicago to Cassel in a rental car, trying to arrive at the memorial on time, it crashed. The road conditions were already terrible because of the snow, but she had been rushing, which caused the whole thing to take a turn for the worse. Luckily, she survived, waking up four days later at the hospital, but as she took a look at her arm, for a second she wished she hadn’t. To save her movements on the broken arm they had to insert a giant nail, which made it impossible to hold the position required to play the violin — at once, she felt like she had lost everything again, grieving the mother she no longer had and the dream career that wouldn’t be.

Good morning, fellow suburbians, it’s time to rock and roll. It’s that time of the year again, so don’t forget to save water — if nothing else, you have an excuse to shower together. We’re starting slow today with the The Smiths, says Catherine, twenty years later. After half a year recovering, she decided she would permanently move back home to Cassel, moving back into her childhood home and working with her dad at Firehouse Lounge. Her family had been known around town, which brought attention to her mother’s accident and the untimely end to her career. The story caught the eye of an executive at the local radio station. At first, they brought her in to talk about music and work as an assistant producer. Then, trying to appeal to a younger crowd, the station started a live program, where she was once invited to give pointers to the local youth about getting into prestigious programs in North America. Kit was snarky, humorous and knew her music — unlike her peers at school, who were often intimidated by her presence, the public liked her. After almost a year, she was promoted to full-time radio host, now presenting daily music programs and a weekly podcast: The True Shrew, filled with real life, no bullshit feminist discourse, pop culture discussions and true crime. In the past year and a half, she gained a decent following, which allowed her to venture into social media and afford to leave her dad’s house — barely. Her sudden success was something she was grateful for. She might even tell you she wouldn’t have it any other way. If you know her, however, you’ll know how much she misses playing music. Some might even suspect that she is scared to go back into it, which is why she spends so much time commenting.

                                     five songs. angel of small death & the codeine scene ( hozier ) / arabella ( arctic monkeys ) / poltergeist ( banks ) / dark necessities ( red hot chili peppers ) / cool girl ( toye lo ) 

         ↳ kit gallagher is faced by elizabeth lail and penned by mia.

[amusedyan]

Can I get an Idol!Reader and yandere Izuku? Like, he's still a pro hero and one day a friend invites him to one of her concerts. But the shows cut short when a minor villain attacks and she uses her quirk to save a small family. And he falls HARD.

I’m so sorry this took so long, I just couldn’t get it sounding right.I really liked this prompt, I just struggled a bit with actually writing it. Iwound up brainstorming the idol’s quirk with mod Kleos and decided to start fromthat angle because we all know Izuku loves quirks, and he loves people who tryto help and so we have this. I wound up rewatching Perfect Blue a couple times,and looking into idols a little more for this, so thanks!

 Suspended

Izuku had never seen aquirk so beautiful.

You’d flung your hands out,and like the reverse of a balloon popping a semi opaque  orb the color of your eyes erupted, wrappingaround and containing a family cowering in the aisle. It formed just in time tosoften the blow- rather than be crushed by the rubble, instead they were merelytrapped by it.

The rest of your group hadrun to safety when the attack had started, but not you- not when your quirk wasso geared towards safety. And you, with no training!

“A real hero acts without thinking.”

And you had acted, hadn’tyou?

In another world maybe youwould have been Izuku’s classmate, his friend. Your quirk was clearly powerful;he wondered why you hadn’t wanted to be a hero. More than that, he wanted toknow all about it- how strong were the barriers? How long could you hold them?Could you adjust the size? Could you make more than one?

After the fight he’d hopedto ask you, but you were gone already, whisked away to safety.

At first he’d thought maybehe was the only witness to your bravery. And he’d liked that thought- it feltlike a secret. You were an idol, you probably didn’t have any secrets toyourself, or alone time, or space to spread your wings. But by the time he’dgotten home, Izuku had learned otherwise; someone had captured what happened ontheir phone and uploaded it online. It was gaining popularity, and the commentsand tags all praised you.

Izuku was so proud, so gladthat people recognized you for what you were: a hero.

Your popularity shot up,but the rest of your idol group was getting a lot of hate. They deserved it forleaving you alone. What if you’d been hurt?

It was so easy to find outabout you; literally everything was on display, and if it wasn’t, there werefansites dedicated to you- and your bandmates, but they didn’t matter.

He learned where you grewup and what your hobbies were, about your family, your favorite color, what inspiredyou to sing (“I just wanted to make people smile, and singing was best for me”,you were so sweet!). 

After that, Izuku invested a lot of time into you, about learning about you. He scoured the internet for interviews and photos and bought all of your music- you were so talented, it was a crime no one noticed you before this! Now everyone knew about you and wanted to know more.

He watched all of your interviews about the incident, interviews that started with your group and wound up becoming just you. You talked about your quirk a bit, a quirk called Bead.

“It’s actually a little dangerous,” you admitted on television once, blushing. “I mean, I can control the density of it if I concentrate, so if it’s too thick then air doesn’t pass through it.” It was so amazing- how far had you investigated this?

“I thought about being a hero for awhile,” you admitted on a radio show several days later, “but it wasn’t for me.”

“Afraid to break a nail?” The host teased, and thankfully you laughed about it.

“No, no, I just, well, I’m a bit of a coward sometimes. And I didn’t think I’d be able to cope with the stress of being a hero all the time, so I did something else to make people happy.”

That was so sad, but he supposed it made sense. You had a really good mask though, Izuku never would have guessed that you were afraid. But it was probably for the best, Bead didn’t seem to be very offensively based, it would have been more dangerous for you to be a hero.

He could keep you safe, though.

The next day you dropped a new song and Izuku bought it as soon as it was available for download.

And oh it was beautiful,

“When you look at me I see stars

And the moon hangs brighter than the sun

See the sky dance

as the world spins around us”

Could…could you know him? He was rising pretty quickly in the ranks, and he’d been at the concert, maybe you’d seen him! Maybe you wanted to know him as much as he wanted to know you!

The thought made his heart pound.

Things were going well for you. The idol group disbanded and you were now a solo performer. You deserved it. Izuku sent you flowers as a gift of congratulations. Your favorite kind.

When your next show was announced, Izuku didn’t hesitate to drop the money for VIP tickets- for the guaranteed meet and greet.

[allofbeercom]

The final bar? How gentrification threatens America’s music cities

Austin, Nashville and New Orleans have thrived on the success of vibrant music scenes. But as rents rise and noise complaints become more common, do they risk ruining what made them famous in the first place?

At a Sixth Street bar in the heart of Austin, Texas a pop up version of Sebs jazz club from the Hollywood hit film La La Land is being set up its blue letters yet to be switched on. Nearby, a replica of Breaking Bads Los Pollos Hermanos fast food restaurant has appeared, causing a minor Twitter frenzy.

These are just two of the attractions materialising in the city in time for the music and media festival South by Southwest (SXSW), and throughout the 10 days of the event it is hard to find someone who isnt wearing an official SXSW wristband worth $1,000.

What started 30 years ago as a celebration of Austins local music scene, though, is now in danger of harming the very thing that made it unique. SXSW brings in hundreds of artists from around the world, 200,000 visitors and $325.3m (250m) to the citys economy. Its success has helped Austin establish music as a fundamental part of its development, but at the same time, as many as 20% of musicians in this self-appointed live music capital of the world survive below the federal poverty line.

According to a recent study by the Urban Land Institute, the city is in the effective 11th hour of the endangerment of the live music scene, brought on by Austins rapid growth it is now the fastest growing city in the US in terms of population, jobs and economy.

A downtown wall mural in the shadow of new high-rise construction in Austin. Photograph: George Rose/Getty Images

Its a difficult reality for the city to confront. Austin is one of the three major US music cities, alongside New Orleans and Nashville, that have capitalised on this local culture at the risk of ruining the scenes that made them famous in the first place. In Austin, the local live music scene is now paying the price for its success. Brian Block, of the citys economic development office, says despite an apparent city-wide financial boom, local musicians income is at best stagnating, and possibly declining.

Hayes Carll, a 41-year-old Grammy-nominated artist who recently won Austins Musician of the Year, says that for most Texans, Austin is the mecca of music cities. It was where it all came together: the songs, the record stores, the community, the identity. It was the first place I went where I could say Im a singer-songwriter and they didnt ask me what my real job was.

Music lives throughout Austins 200 or so venues, the annual music awards and festivals, and the many brilliant artists including Townes Van Zandt and Janis Joplin who have called it home. It was where Willie Nelson allegedly reunited the hippies and rednecks when he first went on stage at the Armadillo World Headquarters in August 1972. Today, Austins love of local creativity is immortalised in folk singer Daniel Johnstons Hi, how are you? mural, depicting his iconic alien frog near the citys university.

SXSW brings $325m to the Austin economy each year. Photograph: Larry W Smith/EPA

But despite this rich history, long-standing venues in Austins downtown Red River District are being forced to adjust to an influx of new neighbours mostly expensive condos or hotels. Rising rents have forced venues like Holy Mountain and Red 7 to close, while noise complaints are an ongoing problem hotels offer earplugs for a better nights sleep.

Therere some less than wonderful aspects to the growth process, and I know a lot of friends who have had to leave Austin, says Carll, a Texan who has lived here for 12 years. Austin is going to have to fight to keep some of the things that made it special like the affordability and how you could be yourself and do whatever you wanted. When you become the hot cool city that everybodys moving to, some of that freedom can get pushed out.

The city government is keen to stress that theyre working to preserve the live music scene. In 2013 the Red River District was given its cultural title to highlight its local significance. Block says they are now implementing a Red River extended hours pilot programme in the hope that an extra hour of live music on the weekend will bring increased revenues to help cope with rising costs, and more paid work for the musicians.

Willie Nelson performs in his annual 4th of July Picnic at the Austin360 Amphitheater. Photograph: Gary Miller/Getty Images

The city is also revising its land development codes for the first time in 30 years in an effort to raise the profile of entertainment districts. There are other support systems that come from outside government too, such as Haam which provides access to affordable healthcare for low-income musicians. Music is very important to the culture, to the local economy and I think it will remain so. Hopefully we can get ahead of the issues we know are coming, Block says.

But some feel its too late. Im worried Austin will change negatively, says Carll. Its great that Austins identity revolves around music, and that the city government is trying to do things to correct it. But none of that will matter if musicians cant afford to live there, or the venues are shut down because of noise complaints, or you cant get to the venue because youre stuck in traffic on the highway.

New Orleans: music from cradle to grave

Louis Armstrong and his All Stars in a still from director Arthur Lubins musical New Orleans. Photograph: Frank Driggs Collection/Getty Images

Across the state border in Louisiana, New Orleans is facing similar problems as it develops and gentrifies. There are fears that without local government actively supporting musicians, the scenes survival could be at risk.

How do you keep a [music scene] real and authentic and yet encourage people to get involved? Its a paradox, says Jan Ramsey, editor of local magazine OffBeat. Theres an authenticity to the music and the people who make it, and the integration of black and white culture here we never want to lose that.

John Swenson, journalist and author of New Atlantis, Musicians Battle for the Survival of New Orleans says the music accompanies you from the cradle to the grave; its born out of the neighbourhoods and permeates all levels of society. Jazz was born here, tracing back to the mixture of African drums and European horns played by slaves in the late 19th century; and part of its musical heritage is a long list of prodigious artists, from Louis Armstrong to James Booker.

The Spotted Cat. Photograph: Alamy

This culture attracts some 10 million tourists to the city each year. But what is unique about it and gives the scene greater strength is how it has become an invaluable lifeline for the citys regeneration after the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

In the Spotted Cat, one of the long-standing venues on Frenchmen Street, manager Cheryl Abana talks quietly as a jazz singer performs to a crowded room. For a couple of years [after Katrina] it was pretty sad here and the music scene really helped out with trying to get everyones spirits up. It really helped build the city up again, she says.

One of the most successful programmes to support the creative community following Katrina was Musicians Village, devised by Harry Connick Jr and Branford Marsalis alongside Habitat for Humanity. Situated in the Upper Ninth ward one of the places hardest hit by the hurricane it is a community of homes built by volunteers to support displaced musicians. Its a symbol to musicians that my community will be there when I get back; were going to keep that tradition alive, says Jim Pate, executive director of the New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity.

A decade on, and artists of all genres and ages live in the village, including some of the godfathers of New Orleans heritage like Little Freddie King. The musicians came back to New Orleans because music lived here, says Swenson.

People listen to music at a home in Musicians Village. Photograph: Mario Tama/Getty Images

Nashville: the original music city

In Nashville, Tennessee, just a few blocks away from the famous honky tonk highway of Broadway, mayor Megan Barry sits in her office overlooking the state capitol. She is surrounded by motifs of Nashvilles music history: theres a framed photograph of DeFord Bailey sitting on the steps of the Ryman auditorium, the first African American to perform at the Grand Ole Opry; and in the foyer hangs a painting by Chris Coleman of Kings of Leon. He gave it to Barry as a gift.

Music is everywhere. Although it has a heritage as influential as New Orleans, here it spreads further: from inside the mayors office and the governments music council, to pretty much everyone you meet in the city who either plays it, writes it or listens to it (every taxi driver I meet is a musician; my Airbnb host is a songwriter).

As soon as I mention the phrase music cities, Barry interrupts jovially: Well, I think theres only one! Music has been part of Nashvilles foundations since the 1800s when it established itself as a centre for music publishing. Its heritage goes back to the Fisk Jubilee Singers who were based here the African American a cappella band who were the first musical group to tour the world, raising money for freed slaves. Upon hearing them, Queen Victoria allegedly coined Nashvilles title as a music city, which is now plastered across Tennessee billboards.

Bars and honky-tonks line Broadway in Nashville. Photograph: Brian Jannsen/Alamy

In 1925, WSM radio station was founded, which went on to broadcast the Grand Ole Opry now the longest running radio show in the US that gave rise to some of the greatest names in country music. Music Row, the 200-acre area near downtown at its peak housed 270 music publishers, 120 record production agencies, 80 record manufacturing companies, 80 booking agencies and more. Elvis Heartbreak Hotel was recorded here at RCA in 1956; Bob Dylans Blonde on Blonde was recorded nearby at Columbia Recording studios 10 years later.

Now, the $10bn industry music industry provides 56,000 jobs, supporting more than $3.2bn of labour income annually. We cant undersell its importance to our overall economic viability and continued growth and prosperity, says Barry.

Nashville is projected to grow by 186,000 residents and 326,000 jobs in the next 25 years, and like Austin, has to confront uncomfortable growing pains in the form of gentrification. But music is firmly intertwined with the citys municipal plans for how it will develop in the future.

DeFord Bailey was the first African American to perform at the Grand Ole Opry. Photograph: GAB Archive/Redferns

The city provides affordable housing for musicians, and music programmes for school children, as we know our graduation rates go up when kids are involved in music, says Barry. They go on and they have a career in music and then it feeds the job creation. Its about feeding that pipeline.

I think that although music evolves and changes, the ability for Nashville to grow and change with it has been part of our success.

At Dinos bar in east Nashville, 26-year-old musician Cale Tyson is sipping on a beer. He is one of thousands of artists who moved here because of its history. I feel like Nashvilles a town where musicians are treated really well. I dont think anythings closed off here, says the Texan singer-songwriter. In Nashville the competition and being around so many good artists forces you to work a lot harder.

People continue to migrate to Nashville because of this (about 100 a day), and this influx has inevitably changed the music scene for better or worse. The country music capital of the world which ignited the careers of Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn and Kitty Wells to name just a few is now home to a burgeoning hip hop scene in the citys so-called DIY clubs. Jack White moved in and set up a branch of Third Man records in 2009, while bands like Paramore, Kings of Leon and the Black Keys have all migrated here.

Nashville has even spawned a genre called bro country, where burly men sing about chewing tobacco and celebrate being a redneck (with lyrics that repeat red red red red redneck), their odd rap verses a world away from the original country music that formed the soul of this city.

But the commercialisation of Nashville has led to accusations that country music is dead. A few years ago US country singer Collin Raye made a heartfelt plea for the city to get back to its roots and remember the musicians who built and sustained the Nashville industry and truly made country music an American art form, he said. It needs to be that way once again. God Bless Hank Williams. God Bless George Jones.

And people are still trying to keep this alive. I dont think traditional country went away, says Brendan Malone who runs a traditional honky tonk an event celebrating country music in the east of the city. The fire was still kindling. It just needed to have some gasoline poured on it.

At Malones Honky Tonk Tuesdays, a man in a check shirt is barbecuing some ribs in the car park of the US army veterans club. Inside, ageing regulars sit at the bar nursing whiskeys to the sound of Hank Williams on the juke box.

In the main room, men and women of all ages wearing Stetsons and western shirts take turns two-stepping with each other as the band covers songs of Ernest Tubb and Red Foley. They perform against a backdrop of the US flag laid out in fairy lights.

Theres a sincere sense of pride in Nashvilles history here, despite how far the city and its culture has changed. With support from the mayors office to the local community, it seems Nashville took a bet on music and it paid off.

Follow Guardian Cities on Twitter and Facebook to join the discussion, and explore our archive here

from All Of Beer http://allofbeer.com/the-final-bar-how-gentrification-threatens-americas-music-cities/

[made-in-the-hallway]

Radio confessions.

Word count: 1.270

Request: Yes

Warnings: A burned down kitchen.

“Ok two more questions for our Y/N and then she will be free from us!”, the reporter explained laughing and you joined. You were sitting for a radio interview today, and the questions from the radio’s audience came like a wave. That was the price you had to pay for being a popular singer, you thought, but since you were doing what you really loved, there was no point complaining.

“I am all ears!”, you signaled for the reporter to go on with his questions.

“We all know you boosted your popularity by being the opening act at one of Ariana Grande’s shows. How are you coping with that, because surely, Ariana is a big name in the music industry”. You contemplated your answer even though it was rather easy to reply.

“Well, when Ariana’s manager contacted me and he explained the case to me, I couldn’t believe it. I was staring at the wall across from me for about five minutes.”, you paused chuckling and the reporter was laughing along.

“But when I came to my senses, I realized how huge this was from me; If you come to think that I started by posting covers of other songs on my Youtube channel. So, I am more than appreciative of that offer and I will forever be thankful to Ariana for bringing me closer to so many people who get to experience what I do”, you finished and you were truthful about every single word you spoke. The reporter was more than satisfied with your answer so he didn’t press the same topic. Instead, he moved on.

“Okay. This might feel like two questions, but I will try to keep it as one”, he said and you nodded understandingly.

“Have you ever used your brother’s immense popularity, or your boyfriend’s, to achieve something?”, he said and wiggled his eyebrows at the word “boyfriend”. You rolled your eyes playfully and you giggled. It was no secret that you were dating Harry Styles, who is well-known and has so much power already. On the other hand, the mention of your brother was not so common so you were a bit taken aback.

“Since almost no one asks about my brother, I think I will answer this first. Liam has helped me in many ways, but I have never used his fame in order to become famous myself; not even when he was in One Direction! The only time he helped me was when I uploaded my first video on Youtube and he just posted it on his Twitter account. I had joked back then when I had asked him to do it, but he, being Liam, went and did this nonetheless”, you reminisced and started getting a bit emotional. Liam was always eager to help with anything you wanted but you were one of those people, who believed in their own abilities and strength to fulfill something. And that is what you have been doing since then.

“Cheeky Lima bean”, the reporter exclaimed, using one of Liam’s fans’ nicknames for him.

“He is!”, you agreed and the reported proceeded to ask you about the other part of the question you left unanswered.

“You still have to tell us about Harry, missy”, he said, smiling cheekily and you sighed.

“There’s no way to get out of this, huh?”, you laughed and tried to keep your answer short, since you could go on and on talking about Harry and his impact on your life.

“I’m afraid not”.

“Well, there are so many things I can talk about when it comes to Harry. Everyone knows what a kind human being he is and I can say just the same. He understands my will to use my own strength to achieve things and he only helps me emotionally. Sometimes, even if I am fine and I don’t want this kind of help, he still provides it! I appreciate him for that. I think it is good to have a person this close, who does the same job, because they know firsthand what is happening to you and how they can help you. The only thing I wish for, is that my help to him is as valuable as his is to me”, you completed and you were left with a wide grin, all over your face.

“I can guarantee you, he must feel the same. Such a remarkable relationship you two have! Anyways, this was Y/N Y/L/N, who was more than welcome to our station and she put up with us! Y/N, thank you again and send Harry my regards, will you?”, the reporter said and laughed for the millionth time that day.

“Of course! It was a pleasure being here today! Thank you!”, you said and took your headphones off, while standing up to say goodbye to the host of the radio show.

“We should do that more often Y/N! It was fun”, he said, hugging you.

“If my fans don’t get bored, we can do it as many times as you want!”, you joked and started to leave the place, waving goodbye.

From what it seemed, that interview was something you needed. It made you think about how much Harry has helped you through your career and you couldn’t stop yourself from thinking if he felt like he had been given something from you as well. He would always make sure that you were there when he needed you and your help was priceless but what if it wasn’t enough?

Your feet carried you to your house and when you entered, the whole place smelled like cooked beef. Harry had cooked once again.

“Harry?”, you asked and a second later his voice came from the kitchen. Just as you thought.

“In the kitchen!”. Silently, you made your way to the kitchen, where a full table was waiting for the both of you.

“Harry, you didn’t have to. I could cook something for us when I would come home”, you said and your face fell.

“Yeh know I like to please meh girl. Besides, yeh must be exhausted after all those long replies you gave”, he said hinting that he had listened to your interview. You felt your cheeks growing hot.

“Tell me you didn’t listen to that please!”, you said, hiding your face into your palms.

“Of course I did! And I am very happy of the way yeh talked about your brother.”, he said and you smirked.

“Only my brother?”, you pressed.

“And meh of course. I love yeh. I really do. And after hearing those words from yeh, I realized that I ought to tell yeh I love yeh, because my help is nothin’ compared to what yeh have to done fo’ meh”, he spoke and you felt like crying. How could he think like that?

“Harry, if anything, you have helped me more and I deeply thank you. Not even Liam has helped me like you have, even though he always tries”, you giggled and Harry continued cooking.

“Oh, as fo’ Liam, he said he will come by later today to talk to yeh about what yeh said to the interview”, Harry said and you sighed.

“C’mon! He always comes by after an interview! Listening to it through the radio should be enough for him!”, you cried out and Harry hugged you.

“Well, everybody wants yeh baby.’, he said kissing you and you kissed back. Suddenly, something started to smell bad so you scrunched up your nose through the kiss.

“Harry, I think something is burning up”, you warned and Harry ran to the kitchen after shrieking.

“Damn, the beef!”.

I had so much fun writing this! Thank you for the request once again and of course don’t forget that I am open to new ones! Feel free to send in! I hope you enjoyed this and let me know what you guys think of it! Stay lovely!

[fesahaawit]

60+ Minimalist Holiday Traditions

I’ve gotten a handful of requests to share what the holidays look like for me now, since adopting this mindful/minimalist lifestyle. These are the same requests I have gotten every year, for the past four years. And every year, I sit down and attempt to write something helpful and meaningful, but it never feels quite right. The truth is, I don’t have a good answer—and I can’t tell other people what to do. Every year has looked different since my parents got divorced, and I’m still trying to figure out what I want the holidays to look like for me.

Sometimes, I think it’s important for us (us being bloggers) to remember that we are not experts of everything. Not only does assuming you have to be an expert put an incredible amount of pressure on yourself, but it feels disingenuous which people can read/feel. If it doesn’t feel good, I won’t write it. So, I can’t tell you which holiday traditions you should embrace now with your own new mindful/minimalist lifestyle. Instead, I’ve reached out to some of my readers and asked them to share their holiday traditions with us.

The result was a rough blog post more than 9,100 words in length that I never could have written myself. Some of the responses made me smile, and more than a few brought a tear to my eye. After deleting any duplicates and editing it, this heartwarming post is still 6,200 words long but I wouldn’t remove another thing. To make it easier though, I’ve broken the traditions up into six categories: things you can do alone, with friends or with your partner, and things you can do with kids, with family and for others. (And I’ve bolded a few I love/would love to do!)

I hope you take as much from this post as I did, friends. And thank you again. This is just another example of how powerful a community can be when we all come together. I know this holiday season, and future holiday seasons, are going to be richer for me personally because of you. xo

Traditions You Can Do by Yourself

My favourite tradition that I’ve adopted is taking all the working Fridays in December off. It just really helps slow down a month that can move a lot faster. So far, I’ve used one to do my small bit of Christmas shopping and on another I made cards, cozied up on the sofa, and worked on a craft project before I went out to see a friend. – Meghan

Every December, I read the book A Homemade Life and cook/bake one of the recipes. – Cait

I cut holly, cedar, and fir from parks in my neighbourhood, then make a wreath for our front door from the greenery. I use a wire coat hook stretched out to a circle shape, and a little craft wire. It always turns out rustic and beautiful, and of course, it’s all compostable at the end. I just save the wire and coat hanger for next year. – Shannon

For me this year, as I’ve recently become more mindful and minimal, I enjoyed dedicating one full day to making hot cocoa from scratch and watching a really cheesy Christmas movie. It’s still holiday-related, ingredients cost less than $10 (almond milk, unsweetened cocoa & maple syrup) and it gives me a chance to relax away from the chaos that the holidays can sometimes create. – Laura

I enjoy drinking from cheap snowmen glasses my parents had and I try to use them exclusively through the holidays. I use a holiday mug for my tea at home and in the office. I tied jingle bells to my purse and feel a little Santa-y as I move about. I sit in my living room and enjoy the Christmas tree lights, and usually a cat or two is close by. These are my traditions and they make up my good and happy life.

I have to spend quite some time on the road to get from one family to the other. Instead of taking the car, I choose to go by train to have some down time in between family gatherings, to read, to watch the train to pass beautiful landscape, and to listen to podcasts or music. When I was younger, my sister and I knew the song ‘Driving Home for Christmas’ would come on the radio at some point on our drive to our grandparents. Now, I deliberately put it on to get the same nostalgic feeling. – Pia

One of the Christmas traditions I have developed for just me here in the UK is on Christmas Eve. The BBC always broadcasts the nine lessons and carols service from King’s College, Cambridge on Christmas Eve. I like to listen to this and wrap my presents up (just a few gifts for my family). It helps me to reflect on what’s important at this time of year and think of other people who may not be in such fortunate circumstances. The choral singing is beautiful (one of the best choirs in the world) and really helps me to get in the Christmas spirit especially if I’ve been working right up to that point. I think it’s good to build your own traditions, they just have to be meaningful to you. – Vivienne

Every year, on Christmas morning, I wake up significantly before everyone else (think 4 or 5am), in whatever house I’m in. I take my book and a cup of tea (and holiday baking if I have it) to the Christmas tree, and just sit under the lights and read and take the time to reflect on my year and be grateful for the things and people that are part of my life. It’s often my biggest moment of quiet and calm during the holidays, which tend to be a little busy and crazy, and I look forward to it every year. – Mallory

Some years I have been invited to be with friends [on Christmas Day], and other times I am alone. No matter what my plans are later on, I always make sure to go for a run in the morning, and try to do something special for breakfast. Not something stressful-special, but more along the lines of pancakes or cinnamon buns. – Calee

I have two personal traditions. I always go to see a movie on Christmas Day (during the afternoon). I’m going alone. I like this time with myself! My other tradition is reading all the Harry Potter’s book during the holiday. I read all of them every year! – Marie-Michèle

Traditions You Can Do with Friends

Years ago, when my friend Kasey moved from Toronto to Vancouver, we decided to do something Christmassy in the city. One December night, we met up and walked through the Vancouver Christmas Market together. The next year, we went to the VanDusen Festival of Lights. And now that I’m back on the mainland, we decided to do something Christmassy again. On Monday night, we met up and walked through Canyon Lights at Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, then went out for a nice dinner after. For as long as we are both living in the Lower Mainland, I would like to keep this tradition going and visit one local attraction each year. – Cait

Every year, I go ice skating with my friend and go for a cup of hot chocolate after. It’s always nice to step away from family just for a bit, and have a chat with a close friend. It’s also so festive! – Hana

I have a dear friend I’ve known my entire life, we grew up next door to each other. Our moms used to love to craft together and now we do as part of our holiday tradition. We spend weeks looking for ideas and gathering supplies from thrift stores, and one Saturday in December we spend the entire day laughing and creating while getting glitter literally everywhere. – Patty

I live in New Zealand and a tradition I have had for a longtime is a Christmas morning walk or mountain bike or run in the hills with my close friend. We decided a long time ago that in order to cope with the busyness of the day, we needed exercise and time for ourselves. So we get up early and spend an hour together doing what we love. It’s summer here so the mornings are bright and warm. – Rae

I had a group of friends who would get together to host an ‘Orphan’s’ Christmas’ for those who didn’t have family, or couldn’t see them, or for whom family Christmas was difficult for any reason. And it was, and is, designed to be utterly stress-free. You come if you want to, but it’s ok if you don’t. You bring food to contribute if you want to, but it’s ok if you don’t. You can bring gifts if you want to, but it’s ok if you don’t. And it’s ok if you want to bring gifts for some people but not for others—there is no sense of a gift exchange, just giving if you want to. Gifts are usually small, and very frequently handmade or consumable (or both). There’s a long table, made up by putting tables together—people bring chairs and crockery and cutlery as needed. It’s all mismatched and no one cares. There are favourite foods that certain people bring, but they may or may not appear in any given year. Every year around the table are people from a range of religious traditions and none. Dietary restrictions are dealt with by letting everyone know what’s in each dish, and people choose what they want to eat from what’s there—and there is never a shortage of food or options. We always have a great time, eat too much, laugh a lot, and all help out with the clear up. Over the years, new partners and friends, and children have been added to the mix, and it’s become accepted practice that family Christmas happens in people’s home in the morning, but that we meet around lunch time for a laid-back, relaxed party that starts in the afternoon. Kids get put to bed or taken home at some time, some people will stay overnight and people come and go as they want. It is always relaxed and happy and welcoming. – Sarah

Me and a couple of friends meet in the last weekend of November to make Christmas puddings. There are 3 friends at the core, plus some years siblings and or partners join us, and now one of my friends has had children and they are joining in too. Lots of giggles, stirring, grating, chatting and the occasional badly sung Christmas tune. The puddings get distributed among friends and family (or donated to charity if people have too many!). – Ally

When the parents of a good friend of mine passed away just before Christmas, she and I started a new tradition of going skiing first thing in the morning on Christmas Day. We had first tracks, (because most people open presents, etc. before heading to the ski hill), we splurged on a special lunch (not the cafeteria), and it became a wonderful new tradition that allowed her to remember that even though her parents were gone, she would never be alone for Christmas. – Kim

We have not exchanged gifts for years now. What my husband and I do instead is have friends and family over for dinner on a Friday or Saturday night between Christmas and New Year’s Day. I wrote about the experience last year (pictures included). This year, it will take place on December 29th and we’ll again have about 25 people. We usually manage to seat them all at tables in one single room and in reasonable proximity. All that is required of our guests is for them to attend and bring the spirit of the season with them. We take care of the rest. – Hélène

I moved away from my friends and family a few years back and have started to introduce my own traditions in an effort to enjoy the season. Before Christmas, I’ll host a potluck with my friends in my current town and, on Boxing Day, my friends at home all go out for supper and then drive around looking at lights or head back to someone’s house to just enjoy being together. – Susan

Traditions You Can Do with Your Partner

A tradition I inherited once my husband and I met was to watch the 80s film Christmas Vacation each year on the night after the Thanksgiving feast to kick off the holiday season. Now that we’ve lived in other states, we continue to do it just the two of us. And in recent years, we’ve made an effort where we’ve lived to attend the local community tree lighting, as they’re free to attend, pretty, and can help you connect with the area in which you live. – Stephanie

My husband and I share an advent calendar. It’s one of those customizable sets of drawers in a shape set ups. We decorated it together a couple years ago, and I get the odd days and he gets the evens. It is mostly filled with chocolate but we try find one or two presents that will fit the drawers to scatter through the days. We both have to be present for the opening of each day and it is a fun little routine for us in the mornings. – Meghan

We like to drive just north of where we live where there is a community of homes that all put up the most epic Christmas light displays. The past couple years we left it too long, so it was super busy and slow when we went to look. But it starts on December 1st, so this year we went on the 5th to beat the crowds. So fun! – Dayle

We just started doing the local Jingle Bell Walk/Run together. That takes place a couple of weeks before Christmas and people come out dressed up in Santa hats, blinking icicle lights, elf ears, etc. It’s a lot of fun, helps charity, and it ends in free breakfast by the beach. – Sandra

In the weeks before Christmas, we plan and save our spare money to cook a 5-star meal together: la crème de la crème! Also, my boyfriend doesn’t eat breakfast, so for Christmas morning, I plan and enjoy some *me time*, which includes cranberry pancakes, maple syrup, a good book and a good coffee, all while listening to a Christmas playlist. – Odile

We paint an ornament each to add to our Christmas tree, attend a local play of the nutcracker, exchange one gift each Christmas Eve (pyjamas are the usual), and I still cook a turkey and all the fixings (which we then eat till New Years lol). We also go ice skating and sledding, if we get snow. – Crystal

We celebrate our own little Christmas on the 23rd, dubbed Christmas Eve-Eve. We watch old Christmas movies, open the gifts we got each other, and enjoy Chinese takeout for dinner. As a total introvert, Christmas Eve-Eve is my favorite part of the holiday season; it’s the one time when we can just relax at home together. – Laura

This year we are living on a boat doing The Great Loop, so I don’t know where we will be for Christmas but I know we won’t be around family. I will be looking for other people in the marina who don’t have plans and ask them to share the day with us. Our one tradition that can travel with us anywhere is ordering takeout pizza on Christmas Eve. We started that when the kids were little and have followed through with it each year. – Mary

My boyfriend and I are adopting a tradition from Iceland: to exchange books on Christmas Eve and stay up all night (or most of the night) reading our new books. We are very excited for this new tradition because we have demanding families and it will be nice to just spend the evening relaxing and doing something we enjoy. – Sara

My partner and I have spent the last few years with our own, very simple, holiday tradition: We rent a cabin for a night or two in a nearby State Park. It’s naturally fairly minimalist because the State Parks shut off most utilities during the winter, and the cold definitely keeps the crowds out. They usually have electric lights and a wood stove for heat, but that’s about it. We have found, though, that we don’t need anything more when we can spend all day tromping around in the snow, exploring and relaxing. We sometimes still exchange small, thoughtful gifts, but the real gift is spending a few days alone (together) in the woods. It gives us a calm in the midst of the storm that is The Holiday Season. – Ashley

Christmas traditions changed quite a bit once we got married 3 years ago. We are still slowly working on making our own traditions, but our favourites so far include playing lots of board games while munching on homemade baked goods. And we love to attempt The Globe & Mail Christmas crossword. We almost finished it last year! – Katrina

Every year, my husband and I sit down before we pack away the Christmas decorations and write down wishes for each person for the next year. Then, on Christmas morning, we read the wishes. It’s interesting to see how much happens in a year. It can be bittersweet, of course. But also lovely. – Sarah

Over ten years ago, we chose to lead an alcohol-free life, so we don’t “do” New Year’s Eve. We get up early on New Year’s Day and take the ferry to Block Island, which is off the coast of Rhode Island. Block Island is beautiful and deserted at this time of year, so we explore and spend time outside, enjoying the natural beauty. We stop at an overlook, looking out at the ocean, and share our intentions for the coming year. We listen to the silence and sounds. We stop at the tiny grocery store and chat with the locals, admitting that we’d gone to bed at 10:00 the night before! We arrive back home, cold, tired and peaceful. – Anne

Traditions You Can Do with Your Kids

My daughter’s advent calendar has a little chocolate and something Christmassy and free/cheap to do together every day (e.g. watching a Christmas movie at home, making a gingerbread house, making Christmas decorations, visit Santa at the grotto, etc.). This year, I also added to buy food for the food bank and socks for the homeless as two of the activities. – Virginia

We’re just starting to build holiday traditions. This year is the first where our daughter isn’t a baby, so showing her things like Christmas lights at the zoo or going and looking at the fancy decorated trees are the traditions I want to instill. My favorite one from last year was to go downtown, have brunch at a fancy place, dress up for it (or at least dress the baby in something festive!), then go look at the big tree in the middle of downtown. But our traditions are fluid, too. This year, we’re doing “Christmas” the weekend of the 15th because we’re going to Arizona for ten days. – Kathleen

I’m still figuring out what our traditions are but some of the things we do include: making Mexican hot chocolate with my daughter at least once a week (I let her pour the hot chocolate from a teapot we love and share); playing Christmas music in the mornings to get the day started; watching my daughter make a dance routine for any Christmas song she likes (this year it’s Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas”); and putting reindeer antlers + a red nose on my car (kids LOVE it). We also put a tiny Christmas tree in her room with lights. My aunt gave it to her and she loves it. – Teresa

We take our daughter to the local farm, just on the edge of the town where we live, and select a gorgeous real Christmas tree from the wonderful selection they sell there. Ours is around 5 ft. tall and we know that they grow about a foot a year, so that’s 5 years worth of tree! That’s pretty humbling when you look at it like that. We bring it home, give it a good drink for a day, then drag it into the hallway of our home, where we decorate it with simple lights, plus red and silver baubles. Because it’s at the foot of the staircase, I put the lights on as soon as I come down in the morning, so our daughter can enjoy seeing it when she comes down for breakfast. – Catherine

This year we’re going without a Christmas tree, by request from my 11-year-old son who said, “Some people don’t like setting it up because it’s confusing getting the right branches in the right places and some people don’t like decorating it because it’s boring and some people think it takes up too much space and makes a mess. But I really like Easter egg hunts. Can you hide the presents in the lounge room Christmas Eve for us to find as a treasure hunt on Christmas morning?” So we’re trying that this year. – Sharon

On December 23rd, when work and school are finished for the year, we spend a night in the city. We live in a semi-rural area outside of Melbourne, Australia, and don’t get into the city much throughout the year. We spend our time checking out all the decorations in the town square, the Myer windows (a department store with amazing Christmas windows usually based around a children’s story), the beautiful buildings which have Christmas scenes projected onto them and generally getting into a festive mindset. My kids bring their money box change collected throughout the year and give this to buskers. We absolutely love to watch the many music, comedy and dance performers. To top it off, we stay in a hotel with a swimming pool which we love as it’s usually very hot here. The breakfast buffet is always a highlight too. – Jacqui

I have two daughters (27 and 26) and our tradition on Christmas Eve is to watch Christmas movie classics like: Miracle on 34th Street, Polar Express, Elf (is that considered a classic?), and It’s a Wonderful Life. We sometimes add in a new one and there are times when we don’t get through them all. We always watch It’s a Wonderful Life last. – Sharon

I have watched Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) on Christmas Eve every year since I was 4 years old. I watch holiday movies all month long, but save that one for Christmas Eve. – Cait

We have two Christmas traditions with our girls. 1. We make sure to be in our own home Christmas Eve night so we can wake up and have a slow morning with our girls – open presents, eat donuts, and play in our pyjamas! 2. On Christmas night we have a slumber party in the living room with our girls, watching Christmas movies until we fall asleep. We also started a New Year’s tradition with our girls last year. We write down a bunch of fun activities on slips of paper (movies, card games, charades, board games, etc.) and have the girls pick surprise activities out of a bag throughout the night. We made it to midnight and had a ton of fun! – Jaime

Since my eldest was 4 years old (he’s 27 now!), each year I have written a letter to each of my children in which I talk about significant things that have occurred in their life that year and ways that I’ve seen them grow. I tell them how proud I am of them and how much I love them and include a special prayer or Bible verse for the coming year. Initially, I put the letter in a box that checks had come in and wrapped it in silver paper covered with clear contact paper and I put the name of that child on the top of the box. Over the years, the boxes have come to be known as the kids’ “Silver Boxes” and they are under the tree each year. My son’s silver box now has 23 letters in it. He has told me that reading my letter is the best part of Christmas for him. This year, I also plan to write letters to a couple of friends as well, just letting them know how much their friendship means to me. The recipients don’t have to keep the letters, but they don’t take up much room if they do wish to save them. And each one is, of course, very personalized. This sort of gift doesn’t take up much room, doesn’t cost anything, and lets the recipient know how much they mean to me. – Susan

This year will be my son’s first Christmas and I can’t wait to make them wonderful for him. Something that I am going to do is prep a Christmas Eve box for him. A little box with a pair of PJ’s, a Christmas movie and snacks to have the night before Christmas. – Leonor

For Christmas morning, my girls find croissants, shelf-stable juice, and plates, etc. in their rooms with stockings at the end of their beds. It gives them something to eat that isn’t candy, plus a filled “gift” to entertain themselves with before we all roll out of bed. In the toe of the stocking is always a chocolate orange. It’s a nod to those who put the citrus fruit in the toe, and it’s a memory of Little House on the Prairie for me, and a reminder to count my blessings. – Jennifer

In my house, there are two of us (my daughter and I) and our loving companion dog Bentley. I grew up in a busy, urban city and holidays were filled with tons of people, loud laughter, and copious amounts of Southern food. After moving away, I grew into a mom who valued silence. Stillness. Peace. I found the joy in that empty blank space. The holiday tradition we hold most dear now is to take hot bubble baths (candles lit), put on our most comfy PJ’s, turn on the electric fireplace, drink hot tea with cream and sugar, and tell stories of dreams. We make up elaborate stories about faraway lands, stories of old, and dreams yet to come. The space then transforms and in those moments we aren’t just sitting with one another as mother and daughter, but rather, as friends, sisters, soulmates on this journey—and surrounding us are one another and simultaneously the versions of ourselves we hope to become. This tradition feels magical and honoring. – Jayna’

Traditions You Can Do with Your Family

I want to share a small tradition my family did when my siblings and I were younger. It fills me with joy to remember it. We don’t do this anymore, since we are grown up and don’t live in the same house anymore, but I think this tradition helped us through some difficult times. At the beginning of the month of December, all the family members would put a Christmas stocking at the handle of our bedroom door. We had all month to put small notes, cards or drawings in every stocking of the house. On Christmas morning, we had our “normal” gifts to open, but we would also open our stockings and discover all the nice things every member of the family had draw/wrote to us. It was so special. We started this when we were young (at around age 9) and we continued this until we were adults. It was very special during our teenage years, when we were not as close anymore. Still, every year, everyone put effort into it and every Christmas morning, we read all those nice things and were happy to be with each other. It might be a very small tradition, but it is a cherished memory for me! – Émilie

I only require one thing each year though: a day. One day for my husband, son and I to fully DO holidays. We turn on sappy holiday music, make the house smell with cookies baking, our son picks a holiday color theme for everything to be (cards, decorations etc), we make garland (out of folded paper made into snowflakes), decorate our metal tree we bring out each year, make cards and write our list of who we are sending presents to this year. Once that one day happens, the rest doesn’t matter at all. :) – Julie

Hugs and more hugs. Our family is Mexican and we traditionally open our gifts on Christmas Eve at midnight. Before anyone can open ANY presents, we go around and hug anyone and everyone in sight, expressing how grateful and happy we are to be with one another. It also serves as a reminder for us that by coming together we are united and honor our family members who have passed. You can literally feel the love all across the living room when this happen and, as corny as it may sound, it feels magical. It is the same deal the following morning. On Christmas Day, another round of hugs before a big breakfast (and clean-up time). When your life is not one of plenty, or you’re privileged enough to live a life of less by choice, a big bear hug from a loved one (or loved ones!) can be a powerful and reassuring reminder of what really matters in the end. – Liz

Mine is rather boring and obvious, but I live 1,000+ miles away from “home” so the best part of the holidays is just getting to spend time with family. Sure, some of them come visit me here in Florida, or I take a trip up there in the summer, but Christmas brings everyone together at the same time. All of us “kids” have grown up now, and everyone besides me is married, so they have to dovetail plans with their other half’s family plans. I’m thankful that we can still spend a few hours together before everyone has to rush off to other familial obligations. – Josh

One of my holiday traditions was born 20 years ago. My mom passed in the fall, and that Christmas, my brother, my father, and I simply decided we would only spend time with people who brought us happiness (which, thanks to some nearby less-than-pleasant family from my mom’s side, meant just the three of us!). While we missed my mom terribly, it ended up being a wonderful and reflective holiday for us. No one gave us a hard time that Christmas given our loss, and from that point we decided that EVERY holiday should be like that. Nowadays, it’s a firm tradition. If there is a Christmas party with people who will bring us down, we find an excuse. If there are activities with people who don’t make us happy, we avoid them. We host a big group of family members for Christmas, but each of them must pass the test that they bring us (and the other guests) happiness. – Paul

Christmas has never been a structured or consistent thing in my family, since we’re what I like to call a Very Portable Family Unit. The one constant for the past three years: cinnamon buns. I refuse to even make them the rest of the year, because when you see how much butter and sugar go into them, oh boy. But once a year, on Christmas morning, I’ll bake fluffy, ooey-gooey, full-fat, full-sugar, full-gluten cinnamon buns for whatever we’re doing, even if it’s just breakfast at home with our parents. It’s not especially mindful in terms of food and calorie consumption, but it is a consistent tradition that can adapt to however many people are involved! – Desirae

Half of my family is German and Austrian which means I grew up spending December 24th around the biggest feast you’ve ever seen. My grandfather would unload every German meat, cheese, and pickled vegetable he could get his hands on and we would chow down. Nothing about this feast was fancy and it didn’t revolve around gifts or presents. It was just a way for us to stuff our faces and hang out together. (And it goes without saying that this feast could be done by a take-out menu – cooking skills not required.) – Britt

A couple of years ago my parents started a new tradition where we choose a new country each year and cook a bunch of dishes from that country for dinner. – Luise

One of my favorite traditions is when we do Christmas with my dad’s half of the family. Every year, instead of doing a big Christmas dinner, everyone brings an appetizer or a new food that they’ve tried in the last year! Of course, there are always some classic favorites, but we try to get people to try something new! We’ve also found that we spend more time and focus talking about where we had this food or our opinions of the different foods, than we do worrying about gifts. – Kasey

There are only four of us who are physically together for Christmas so we no longer have the traditional Polish twelve-course dinner on Christmas Eve known as Wigilia. The meals were wonderful but a great deal of work. Now we get together on Christmas Day for a much simpler feast of brisket, mashed potatoes and vegetables. I make the brisket and potatoes the night before so it’s less work on Christmas Day. (Brisket always tastes better the next day anyway.) We start the celebration with appetizers like cheese and olives, exchange stocking stuffers, then have dinner and watch the Alastair Sim version of A Christmas Carol. It’s a very relaxing and enjoyable way to spend the holiday together. – Annie

On Christmas Day, we often sit around the dining room table and work on puzzles. And each year, my mom uses a website to make a holiday-themed word search that includes all our family member’s names, as well as fun words like “mistletoe” and “reindeer”. It’s always a race to see who can complete it fastest. – Emily

Every year since my sister and I were very small, my parents have taken us out for a “winter picnic”. I know it sounds bonkers, and when I was 19 and it was on New Year’s Day after a long night of partying, I was in no shape to spend time huddled in Kananaskis Country around a fire while it was -30°C (-22°F). But this tradition has grown to be something I look forward to (and relish sharing it with others who think we’re crazy). Regardless of weather, my mom packs a picnic basket full of chili, smoky sausages, a few snacks and steaming thermoses of hot chocolate and coffee. My dad is responsible for the firewood and blankets. We usually drive into Kananaskis or to another picnic area around Banff or Canmore and get a fire going. If the weather is nice, we linger and maybe even do a brief hike around the picnic site. On years where it’s brutally cold, we’ve done a quick in and out of the car to eat and run. But regardless of the weather, we always reward our bravery and struggle with a dip in the Banff Hot Springs and dinner in town in the evening. It’s quality family time that’s unique to us and a tradition I plan to carry on with my own family one day. – Meredith

This year, we are doing something special. I’m a professional photo organizer and we found a box of vintage family slides buried in a closet at Chris’s mom’s that she had forgotten about. We brought the box home – it was a treasure trove of old family slides c.1955-1975. I have a home office and two scanners so we scanned everything and made it into a slideshow with music. We also made a photo book for Chris’s mom, as we know it will be an cherished heirloom she’ll want to pass down. We think everyone will get a big kick out if the slideshow on Xmas day – and it will help the kids see their parents in a different light. And best of all, the slideshow costs us nothing but time (the photobook on the other hand, around $100). – Marci

Traditions You Can Do for Others

From November to before Christmas, we go through the clothes (and toys) to sort out those that can be ‘released’ to other homes. These are taken to a domestic violence thrift shop or a program that directly places basics into the hands of the needy. – Coralie

I always make Christmas cookies for my neighbors and include a little holiday note. – Kaleigh

I am a yoga teacher and I offer all my students the opportunity to give a present to toys for tots vs. pay for their class! I am happy to forgo one class to benefit one more child in need. – Amy

My partner and I decided to adopt a new tradition that we started this past Giving Tuesday/Black Friday. Instead of shopping on Black Friday, we decided to donate what the average shopper spends to a local charity. This is something we will do every year now and it’s a lot easier to avoid Black Friday when we think about how our money might better be used helping the community. – Josh

My aunt decided a few years ago that once all of the grandkids were out of high school we would no longer buy each other gifts because it was so stressful and expensive. Instead, each year all family members draw a name from a hat and buy a toy that reminds them of that person. We wrap them all up and open them together on Christmas Eve, then my aunt brings all of the toys to a local women’s shelter for their Christmas Day. It’s heartwarming to do something kind while also having a little story around how that gift reminds them of you. – McKenna (*Note from Cait: My office used to do this, when I worked for the government!)

This is the first year I have adopted the wish list of a little girl who lives in a women’s shelter in our area. They have a program called Dreams and Wishes that matches the kids list with someone who can fulfill all or part of it. I chose a girl, aged 4, since I only have nephews. – Dayle

I take my grandchildren shopping as a group for food for the food bank, and we drop it along with some decorations we have made for the Food Bank’s Holiday Dinner. We also go hiking to collect pine cones, berries and seeds for the animals in our local wildlife rescue centre, drop them off and check out the animals in care. – Nancy

The last few years, I have tried to give back in a small way. One year it was purchasing gifts for the children’s aid society, and another it was filling purses with feminine products for homeless women. This year, I am going to do the shoebox project where you fill a shoebox with gifts for a homeless women. You put things in it that you would like to receive yourself. – Laura

My family and I put together pretty gift-wrapped packages of socks, gloves, cards with handwritten notes (and a few dollars in the years we can afford to do so) in the weeks leading up to Christmas. On Christmas Eve or Christmas morning, we take our packages downtown near the mission where homeless people tend to congregate. We hand out the packages with Christmas cookies and hot chocolate to whomever we find on the streets. Everyone is always so happy and really just delighted someone thought of them. Their reactions are the best Christmas gift we could ever get. Each person gives us a big hug! Last year after our trip downtown, my 10-year old-daughter was quick to point out that these may be the only hugs some people get all year. – Lisa

We always set an extra plate at the table for the ‘unknown stranger’. Who knows when you meet someone who you could help, or learn from or just spend some time with. It is important to be mindful of others all year long and also focus more on others than ourselves. – Dora-Lynn

And I will leave you with something short and sweet:

The only holiday tradition worth keeping is to love the people you share it with. – Barbara

Do you have any simple traditions you’d like to add?

60+ Minimalist Holiday Traditions posted first on http://ift.tt/2lnwIdQ

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60+ Minimalist Holiday Traditions

I’ve gotten a handful of requests to share what the holidays look like for me now, since adopting this mindful/minimalist lifestyle. These are the same requests I have gotten every year, for the past four years. And every year, I sit down and attempt to write something helpful and meaningful, but it never feels quite right. The truth is, I don’t have a good answer—and I can’t tell other people what to do. Every year has looked different since my parents got divorced, and I’m still trying to figure out what I want the holidays to look like for me.

Sometimes, I think it’s important for us (us being bloggers) to remember that we are not experts of everything. Not only does assuming you have to be an expert put an incredible amount of pressure on yourself, but it feels disingenuous which people can read/feel. If it doesn’t feel good, I won’t write it. So, I can’t tell you which holiday traditions you should embrace now with your own new mindful/minimalist lifestyle. Instead, I’ve reached out to some of my readers and asked them to share their holiday traditions with us.

The result was a rough blog post more than 9,100 words in length that I never could have written myself. Some of the responses made me smile, and more than a few brought a tear to my eye. After deleting any duplicates and editing it, this heartwarming post is still 6,200 words long but I wouldn’t remove another thing. To make it easier though, I’ve broken the traditions up into six categories: things you can do alone, with friends or with your partner, and things you can do with kids, with family and for others. (And I’ve bolded a few I love/would love to do!)

I hope you take as much from this post as I did, friends. And thank you again. This is just another example of how powerful a community can be when we all come together. I know this holiday season, and future holiday seasons, are going to be richer for me personally because of you. xo

Traditions You Can Do by Yourself

My favourite tradition that I’ve adopted is taking all the working Fridays in December off. It just really helps slow down a month that can move a lot faster. So far, I’ve used one to do my small bit of Christmas shopping and on another I made cards, cozied up on the sofa, and worked on a craft project before I went out to see a friend. – Meghan

Every December, I read the book A Homemade Life and cook/bake one of the recipes. – Cait

I cut holly, cedar, and fir from parks in my neighbourhood, then make a wreath for our front door from the greenery. I use a wire coat hook stretched out to a circle shape, and a little craft wire. It always turns out rustic and beautiful, and of course, it’s all compostable at the end. I just save the wire and coat hanger for next year. – Shannon

For me this year, as I’ve recently become more mindful and minimal, I enjoyed dedicating one full day to making hot cocoa from scratch and watching a really cheesy Christmas movie. It’s still holiday-related, ingredients cost less than $10 (almond milk, unsweetened cocoa & maple syrup) and it gives me a chance to relax away from the chaos that the holidays can sometimes create. – Laura

I enjoy drinking from cheap snowmen glasses my parents had and I try to use them exclusively through the holidays. I use a holiday mug for my tea at home and in the office. I tied jingle bells to my purse and feel a little Santa-y as I move about. I sit in my living room and enjoy the Christmas tree lights, and usually a cat or two is close by. These are my traditions and they make up my good and happy life.

I have to spend quite some time on the road to get from one family to the other. Instead of taking the car, I choose to go by train to have some down time in between family gatherings, to read, to watch the train to pass beautiful landscape, and to listen to podcasts or music. When I was younger, my sister and I knew the song ‘Driving Home for Christmas’ would come on the radio at some point on our drive to our grandparents. Now, I deliberately put it on to get the same nostalgic feeling. – Pia

One of the Christmas traditions I have developed for just me here in the UK is on Christmas Eve. The BBC always broadcasts the nine lessons and carols service from King’s College, Cambridge on Christmas Eve. I like to listen to this and wrap my presents up (just a few gifts for my family). It helps me to reflect on what’s important at this time of year and think of other people who may not be in such fortunate circumstances. The choral singing is beautiful (one of the best choirs in the world) and really helps me to get in the Christmas spirit especially if I’ve been working right up to that point. I think it’s good to build your own traditions, they just have to be meaningful to you. – Vivienne

Every year, on Christmas morning, I wake up significantly before everyone else (think 4 or 5am), in whatever house I’m in. I take my book and a cup of tea (and holiday baking if I have it) to the Christmas tree, and just sit under the lights and read and take the time to reflect on my year and be grateful for the things and people that are part of my life. It’s often my biggest moment of quiet and calm during the holidays, which tend to be a little busy and crazy, and I look forward to it every year. – Mallory

Some years I have been invited to be with friends [on Christmas Day], and other times I am alone. No matter what my plans are later on, I always make sure to go for a run in the morning, and try to do something special for breakfast. Not something stressful-special, but more along the lines of pancakes or cinnamon buns. – Calee

I have two personal traditions. I always go to see a movie on Christmas Day (during the afternoon). I’m going alone. I like this time with myself! My other tradition is reading all the Harry Potter’s book during the holiday. I read all of them every year! – Marie-Michèle

Traditions You Can Do with Friends

Years ago, when my friend Kasey moved from Toronto to Vancouver, we decided to do something Christmassy in the city. One December night, we met up and walked through the Vancouver Christmas Market together. The next year, we went to the VanDusen Festival of Lights. And now that I’m back on the mainland, we decided to do something Christmassy again. On Monday night, we met up and walked through Canyon Lights at Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, then went out for a nice dinner after. For as long as we are both living in the Lower Mainland, I would like to keep this tradition going and visit one local attraction each year. – Cait

Every year, I go ice skating with my friend and go for a cup of hot chocolate after. It’s always nice to step away from family just for a bit, and have a chat with a close friend. It’s also so festive! – Hana

I have a dear friend I’ve known my entire life, we grew up next door to each other. Our moms used to love to craft together and now we do as part of our holiday tradition. We spend weeks looking for ideas and gathering supplies from thrift stores, and one Saturday in December we spend the entire day laughing and creating while getting glitter literally everywhere. – Patty

I live in New Zealand and a tradition I have had for a longtime is a Christmas morning walk or mountain bike or run in the hills with my close friend. We decided a long time ago that in order to cope with the busyness of the day, we needed exercise and time for ourselves. So we get up early and spend an hour together doing what we love. It’s summer here so the mornings are bright and warm. – Rae

I had a group of friends who would get together to host an ‘Orphan’s’ Christmas’ for those who didn’t have family, or couldn’t see them, or for whom family Christmas was difficult for any reason. And it was, and is, designed to be utterly stress-free. You come if you want to, but it’s ok if you don’t. You bring food to contribute if you want to, but it’s ok if you don’t. You can bring gifts if you want to, but it’s ok if you don’t. And it’s ok if you want to bring gifts for some people but not for others—there is no sense of a gift exchange, just giving if you want to. Gifts are usually small, and very frequently handmade or consumable (or both). There’s a long table, made up by putting tables together—people bring chairs and crockery and cutlery as needed. It’s all mismatched and no one cares. There are favourite foods that certain people bring, but they may or may not appear in any given year. Every year around the table are people from a range of religious traditions and none. Dietary restrictions are dealt with by letting everyone know what’s in each dish, and people choose what they want to eat from what’s there—and there is never a shortage of food or options. We always have a great time, eat too much, laugh a lot, and all help out with the clear up. Over the years, new partners and friends, and children have been added to the mix, and it’s become accepted practice that family Christmas happens in people’s home in the morning, but that we meet around lunch time for a laid-back, relaxed party that starts in the afternoon. Kids get put to bed or taken home at some time, some people will stay overnight and people come and go as they want. It is always relaxed and happy and welcoming. – Sarah

Me and a couple of friends meet in the last weekend of November to make Christmas puddings. There are 3 friends at the core, plus some years siblings and or partners join us, and now one of my friends has had children and they are joining in too. Lots of giggles, stirring, grating, chatting and the occasional badly sung Christmas tune. The puddings get distributed among friends and family (or donated to charity if people have too many!). – Ally

When the parents of a good friend of mine passed away just before Christmas, she and I started a new tradition of going skiing first thing in the morning on Christmas Day. We had first tracks, (because most people open presents, etc. before heading to the ski hill), we splurged on a special lunch (not the cafeteria), and it became a wonderful new tradition that allowed her to remember that even though her parents were gone, she would never be alone for Christmas. – Kim

We have not exchanged gifts for years now. What my husband and I do instead is have friends and family over for dinner on a Friday or Saturday night between Christmas and New Year’s Day. I wrote about the experience last year (pictures included). This year, it will take place on December 29th and we’ll again have about 25 people. We usually manage to seat them all at tables in one single room and in reasonable proximity. All that is required of our guests is for them to attend and bring the spirit of the season with them. We take care of the rest. – Hélène

I moved away from my friends and family a few years back and have started to introduce my own traditions in an effort to enjoy the season. Before Christmas, I’ll host a potluck with my friends in my current town and, on Boxing Day, my friends at home all go out for supper and then drive around looking at lights or head back to someone’s house to just enjoy being together. – Susan

Traditions You Can Do with Your Partner

A tradition I inherited once my husband and I met was to watch the 80s film Christmas Vacation each year on the night after the Thanksgiving feast to kick off the holiday season. Now that we’ve lived in other states, we continue to do it just the two of us. And in recent years, we’ve made an effort where we’ve lived to attend the local community tree lighting, as they’re free to attend, pretty, and can help you connect with the area in which you live. – Stephanie

My husband and I share an advent calendar. It’s one of those customizable sets of drawers in a shape set ups. We decorated it together a couple years ago, and I get the odd days and he gets the evens. It is mostly filled with chocolate but we try find one or two presents that will fit the drawers to scatter through the days. We both have to be present for the opening of each day and it is a fun little routine for us in the mornings. – Meghan

We like to drive just north of where we live where there is a community of homes that all put up the most epic Christmas light displays. The past couple years we left it too long, so it was super busy and slow when we went to look. But it starts on December 1st, so this year we went on the 5th to beat the crowds. So fun! – Dayle

We just started doing the local Jingle Bell Walk/Run together. That takes place a couple of weeks before Christmas and people come out dressed up in Santa hats, blinking icicle lights, elf ears, etc. It’s a lot of fun, helps charity, and it ends in free breakfast by the beach. – Sandra

In the weeks before Christmas, we plan and save our spare money to cook a 5-star meal together: la crème de la crème! Also, my boyfriend doesn’t eat breakfast, so for Christmas morning, I plan and enjoy some *me time*, which includes cranberry pancakes, maple syrup, a good book and a good coffee, all while listening to a Christmas playlist. – Odile

We paint an ornament each to add to our Christmas tree, attend a local play of the nutcracker, exchange one gift each Christmas Eve (pyjamas are the usual), and I still cook a turkey and all the fixings (which we then eat till New Years lol). We also go ice skating and sledding, if we get snow. – Crystal

We celebrate our own little Christmas on the 23rd, dubbed Christmas Eve-Eve. We watch old Christmas movies, open the gifts we got each other, and enjoy Chinese takeout for dinner. As a total introvert, Christmas Eve-Eve is my favorite part of the holiday season; it’s the one time when we can just relax at home together. – Laura

This year we are living on a boat doing The Great Loop, so I don’t know where we will be for Christmas but I know we won’t be around family. I will be looking for other people in the marina who don’t have plans and ask them to share the day with us. Our one tradition that can travel with us anywhere is ordering takeout pizza on Christmas Eve. We started that when the kids were little and have followed through with it each year. – Mary

My boyfriend and I are adopting a tradition from Iceland: to exchange books on Christmas Eve and stay up all night (or most of the night) reading our new books. We are very excited for this new tradition because we have demanding families and it will be nice to just spend the evening relaxing and doing something we enjoy. – Sara

My partner and I have spent the last few years with our own, very simple, holiday tradition: We rent a cabin for a night or two in a nearby State Park. It’s naturally fairly minimalist because the State Parks shut off most utilities during the winter, and the cold definitely keeps the crowds out. They usually have electric lights and a wood stove for heat, but that’s about it. We have found, though, that we don’t need anything more when we can spend all day tromping around in the snow, exploring and relaxing. We sometimes still exchange small, thoughtful gifts, but the real gift is spending a few days alone (together) in the woods. It gives us a calm in the midst of the storm that is The Holiday Season. – Ashley

Christmas traditions changed quite a bit once we got married 3 years ago. We are still slowly working on making our own traditions, but our favourites so far include playing lots of board games while munching on homemade baked goods. And we love to attempt The Globe & Mail Christmas crossword. We almost finished it last year! – Katrina

Every year, my husband and I sit down before we pack away the Christmas decorations and write down wishes for each person for the next year. Then, on Christmas morning, we read the wishes. It’s interesting to see how much happens in a year. It can be bittersweet, of course. But also lovely. – Sarah

Over ten years ago, we chose to lead an alcohol-free life, so we don’t “do” New Year’s Eve. We get up early on New Year’s Day and take the ferry to Block Island, which is off the coast of Rhode Island. Block Island is beautiful and deserted at this time of year, so we explore and spend time outside, enjoying the natural beauty. We stop at an overlook, looking out at the ocean, and share our intentions for the coming year. We listen to the silence and sounds. We stop at the tiny grocery store and chat with the locals, admitting that we’d gone to bed at 10:00 the night before! We arrive back home, cold, tired and peaceful. – Anne

Traditions You Can Do with Your Kids

My daughter’s advent calendar has a little chocolate and something Christmassy and free/cheap to do together every day (e.g. watching a Christmas movie at home, making a gingerbread house, making Christmas decorations, visit Santa at the grotto, etc.). This year, I also added to buy food for the food bank and socks for the homeless as two of the activities. – Virginia

We’re just starting to build holiday traditions. This year is the first where our daughter isn’t a baby, so showing her things like Christmas lights at the zoo or going and looking at the fancy decorated trees are the traditions I want to instill. My favorite one from last year was to go downtown, have brunch at a fancy place, dress up for it (or at least dress the baby in something festive!), then go look at the big tree in the middle of downtown. But our traditions are fluid, too. This year, we’re doing “Christmas” the weekend of the 15th because we’re going to Arizona for ten days. – Kathleen

I’m still figuring out what our traditions are but some of the things we do include: making Mexican hot chocolate with my daughter at least once a week (I let her pour the hot chocolate from a teapot we love and share); playing Christmas music in the mornings to get the day started; watching my daughter make a dance routine for any Christmas song she likes (this year it’s Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas”); and putting reindeer antlers + a red nose on my car (kids LOVE it). We also put a tiny Christmas tree in her room with lights. My aunt gave it to her and she loves it. – Teresa

We take our daughter to the local farm, just on the edge of the town where we live, and select a gorgeous real Christmas tree from the wonderful selection they sell there. Ours is around 5 ft. tall and we know that they grow about a foot a year, so that’s 5 years worth of tree! That’s pretty humbling when you look at it like that. We bring it home, give it a good drink for a day, then drag it into the hallway of our home, where we decorate it with simple lights, plus red and silver baubles. Because it’s at the foot of the staircase, I put the lights on as soon as I come down in the morning, so our daughter can enjoy seeing it when she comes down for breakfast. – Catherine

This year we’re going without a Christmas tree, by request from my 11-year-old son who said, “Some people don’t like setting it up because it’s confusing getting the right branches in the right places and some people don’t like decorating it because it’s boring and some people think it takes up too much space and makes a mess. But I really like Easter egg hunts. Can you hide the presents in the lounge room Christmas Eve for us to find as a treasure hunt on Christmas morning?” So we’re trying that this year. – Sharon

On December 23rd, when work and school are finished for the year, we spend a night in the city. We live in a semi-rural area outside of Melbourne, Australia, and don’t get into the city much throughout the year. We spend our time checking out all the decorations in the town square, the Myer windows (a department store with amazing Christmas windows usually based around a children’s story), the beautiful buildings which have Christmas scenes projected onto them and generally getting into a festive mindset. My kids bring their money box change collected throughout the year and give this to buskers. We absolutely love to watch the many music, comedy and dance performers. To top it off, we stay in a hotel with a swimming pool which we love as it’s usually very hot here. The breakfast buffet is always a highlight too. – Jacqui

I have two daughters (27 and 26) and our tradition on Christmas Eve is to watch Christmas movie classics like: Miracle on 34th Street, Polar Express, Elf (is that considered a classic?), and It’s a Wonderful Life. We sometimes add in a new one and there are times when we don’t get through them all. We always watch It’s a Wonderful Life last. – Sharon

I have watched Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) on Christmas Eve every year since I was 4 years old. I watch holiday movies all month long, but save that one for Christmas Eve. – Cait

We have two Christmas traditions with our girls. 1. We make sure to be in our own home Christmas Eve night so we can wake up and have a slow morning with our girls – open presents, eat donuts, and play in our pyjamas! 2. On Christmas night we have a slumber party in the living room with our girls, watching Christmas movies until we fall asleep. We also started a New Year’s tradition with our girls last year. We write down a bunch of fun activities on slips of paper (movies, card games, charades, board games, etc.) and have the girls pick surprise activities out of a bag throughout the night. We made it to midnight and had a ton of fun! – Jaime

Since my eldest was 4 years old (he’s 27 now!), each year I have written a letter to each of my children in which I talk about significant things that have occurred in their life that year and ways that I’ve seen them grow. I tell them how proud I am of them and how much I love them and include a special prayer or Bible verse for the coming year. Initially, I put the letter in a box that checks had come in and wrapped it in silver paper covered with clear contact paper and I put the name of that child on the top of the box. Over the years, the boxes have come to be known as the kids’ “Silver Boxes” and they are under the tree each year. My son’s silver box now has 23 letters in it. He has told me that reading my letter is the best part of Christmas for him. This year, I also plan to write letters to a couple of friends as well, just letting them know how much their friendship means to me. The recipients don’t have to keep the letters, but they don’t take up much room if they do wish to save them. And each one is, of course, very personalized. This sort of gift doesn’t take up much room, doesn’t cost anything, and lets the recipient know how much they mean to me. – Susan

This year will be my son’s first Christmas and I can’t wait to make them wonderful for him. Something that I am going to do is prep a Christmas Eve box for him. A little box with a pair of PJ’s, a Christmas movie and snacks to have the night before Christmas. – Leonor

For Christmas morning, my girls find croissants, shelf-stable juice, and plates, etc. in their rooms with stockings at the end of their beds. It gives them something to eat that isn’t candy, plus a filled “gift” to entertain themselves with before we all roll out of bed. In the toe of the stocking is always a chocolate orange. It’s a nod to those who put the citrus fruit in the toe, and it’s a memory of Little House on the Prairie for me, and a reminder to count my blessings. – Jennifer

In my house, there are two of us (my daughter and I) and our loving companion dog Bentley. I grew up in a busy, urban city and holidays were filled with tons of people, loud laughter, and copious amounts of Southern food. After moving away, I grew into a mom who valued silence. Stillness. Peace. I found the joy in that empty blank space. The holiday tradition we hold most dear now is to take hot bubble baths (candles lit), put on our most comfy PJ’s, turn on the electric fireplace, drink hot tea with cream and sugar, and tell stories of dreams. We make up elaborate stories about faraway lands, stories of old, and dreams yet to come. The space then transforms and in those moments we aren’t just sitting with one another as mother and daughter, but rather, as friends, sisters, soulmates on this journey—and surrounding us are one another and simultaneously the versions of ourselves we hope to become. This tradition feels magical and honoring. – Jayna’

Traditions You Can Do with Your Family

I want to share a small tradition my family did when my siblings and I were younger. It fills me with joy to remember it. We don’t do this anymore, since we are grown up and don’t live in the same house anymore, but I think this tradition helped us through some difficult times. At the beginning of the month of December, all the family members would put a Christmas stocking at the handle of our bedroom door. We had all month to put small notes, cards or drawings in every stocking of the house. On Christmas morning, we had our “normal” gifts to open, but we would also open our stockings and discover all the nice things every member of the family had draw/wrote to us. It was so special. We started this when we were young (at around age 9) and we continued this until we were adults. It was very special during our teenage years, when we were not as close anymore. Still, every year, everyone put effort into it and every Christmas morning, we read all those nice things and were happy to be with each other. It might be a very small tradition, but it is a cherished memory for me! – Émilie

I only require one thing each year though: a day. One day for my husband, son and I to fully DO holidays. We turn on sappy holiday music, make the house smell with cookies baking, our son picks a holiday color theme for everything to be (cards, decorations etc), we make garland (out of folded paper made into snowflakes), decorate our metal tree we bring out each year, make cards and write our list of who we are sending presents to this year. Once that one day happens, the rest doesn’t matter at all. :) – Julie

Hugs and more hugs. Our family is Mexican and we traditionally open our gifts on Christmas Eve at midnight. Before anyone can open ANY presents, we go around and hug anyone and everyone in sight, expressing how grateful and happy we are to be with one another. It also serves as a reminder for us that by coming together we are united and honor our family members who have passed. You can literally feel the love all across the living room when this happen and, as corny as it may sound, it feels magical. It is the same deal the following morning. On Christmas Day, another round of hugs before a big breakfast (and clean-up time). When your life is not one of plenty, or you’re privileged enough to live a life of less by choice, a big bear hug from a loved one (or loved ones!) can be a powerful and reassuring reminder of what really matters in the end. – Liz

Mine is rather boring and obvious, but I live 1,000+ miles away from “home” so the best part of the holidays is just getting to spend time with family. Sure, some of them come visit me here in Florida, or I take a trip up there in the summer, but Christmas brings everyone together at the same time. All of us “kids” have grown up now, and everyone besides me is married, so they have to dovetail plans with their other half’s family plans. I’m thankful that we can still spend a few hours together before everyone has to rush off to other familial obligations. – Josh

One of my holiday traditions was born 20 years ago. My mom passed in the fall, and that Christmas, my brother, my father, and I simply decided we would only spend time with people who brought us happiness (which, thanks to some nearby less-than-pleasant family from my mom’s side, meant just the three of us!). While we missed my mom terribly, it ended up being a wonderful and reflective holiday for us. No one gave us a hard time that Christmas given our loss, and from that point we decided that EVERY holiday should be like that. Nowadays, it’s a firm tradition. If there is a Christmas party with people who will bring us down, we find an excuse. If there are activities with people who don’t make us happy, we avoid them. We host a big group of family members for Christmas, but each of them must pass the test that they bring us (and the other guests) happiness. – Paul

Christmas has never been a structured or consistent thing in my family, since we’re what I like to call a Very Portable Family Unit. The one constant for the past three years: cinnamon buns. I refuse to even make them the rest of the year, because when you see how much butter and sugar go into them, oh boy. But once a year, on Christmas morning, I’ll bake fluffy, ooey-gooey, full-fat, full-sugar, full-gluten cinnamon buns for whatever we’re doing, even if it’s just breakfast at home with our parents. It’s not especially mindful in terms of food and calorie consumption, but it is a consistent tradition that can adapt to however many people are involved! – Desirae

Half of my family is German and Austrian which means I grew up spending December 24th around the biggest feast you’ve ever seen. My grandfather would unload every German meat, cheese, and pickled vegetable he could get his hands on and we would chow down. Nothing about this feast was fancy and it didn’t revolve around gifts or presents. It was just a way for us to stuff our faces and hang out together. (And it goes without saying that this feast could be done by a take-out menu – cooking skills not required.) – Britt

A couple of years ago my parents started a new tradition where we choose a new country each year and cook a bunch of dishes from that country for dinner. – Luise

One of my favorite traditions is when we do Christmas with my dad’s half of the family. Every year, instead of doing a big Christmas dinner, everyone brings an appetizer or a new food that they’ve tried in the last year! Of course, there are always some classic favorites, but we try to get people to try something new! We’ve also found that we spend more time and focus talking about where we had this food or our opinions of the different foods, than we do worrying about gifts. – Kasey

There are only four of us who are physically together for Christmas so we no longer have the traditional Polish twelve-course dinner on Christmas Eve known as Wigilia. The meals were wonderful but a great deal of work. Now we get together on Christmas Day for a much simpler feast of brisket, mashed potatoes and vegetables. I make the brisket and potatoes the night before so it’s less work on Christmas Day. (Brisket always tastes better the next day anyway.) We start the celebration with appetizers like cheese and olives, exchange stocking stuffers, then have dinner and watch the Alastair Sim version of A Christmas Carol. It’s a very relaxing and enjoyable way to spend the holiday together. – Annie

On Christmas Day, we often sit around the dining room table and work on puzzles. And each year, my mom uses a website to make a holiday-themed word search that includes all our family member’s names, as well as fun words like “mistletoe” and “reindeer”. It’s always a race to see who can complete it fastest. – Emily

Every year since my sister and I were very small, my parents have taken us out for a “winter picnic”. I know it sounds bonkers, and when I was 19 and it was on New Year’s Day after a long night of partying, I was in no shape to spend time huddled in Kananaskis Country around a fire while it was -30°C (-22°F). But this tradition has grown to be something I look forward to (and relish sharing it with others who think we’re crazy). Regardless of weather, my mom packs a picnic basket full of chili, smoky sausages, a few snacks and steaming thermoses of hot chocolate and coffee. My dad is responsible for the firewood and blankets. We usually drive into Kananaskis or to another picnic area around Banff or Canmore and get a fire going. If the weather is nice, we linger and maybe even do a brief hike around the picnic site. On years where it’s brutally cold, we’ve done a quick in and out of the car to eat and run. But regardless of the weather, we always reward our bravery and struggle with a dip in the Banff Hot Springs and dinner in town in the evening. It’s quality family time that’s unique to us and a tradition I plan to carry on with my own family one day. – Meredith

This year, we are doing something special. I’m a professional photo organizer and we found a box of vintage family slides buried in a closet at Chris’s mom’s that she had forgotten about. We brought the box home – it was a treasure trove of old family slides c.1955-1975. I have a home office and two scanners so we scanned everything and made it into a slideshow with music. We also made a photo book for Chris’s mom, as we know it will be an cherished heirloom she’ll want to pass down. We think everyone will get a big kick out if the slideshow on Xmas day – and it will help the kids see their parents in a different light. And best of all, the slideshow costs us nothing but time (the photobook on the other hand, around $100). – Marci

Traditions You Can Do for Others

I always make Christmas cookies for my neighbors and include a little holiday note. – Kaleigh

I am a yoga teacher and I offer all my students the opportunity to give a present to toys for tots vs. pay for their class! I am happy to forgo one class to benefit one more child in need. – Amy

My partner and I decided to adopt a new tradition that we started this past Giving Tuesday/Black Friday. Instead of shopping on Black Friday, we decided to donate what the average shopper spends to a local charity. This is something we will do every year now and it’s a lot easier to avoid Black Friday when we think about how our money might better be used helping the community. – Josh

My aunt decided a few years ago that once all of the grandkids were out of high school we would no longer buy each other gifts because it was so stressful and expensive. Instead, each year all family members draw a name from a hat and buy a toy that reminds them of that person. We wrap them all up and open them together on Christmas Eve, then my aunt brings all of the toys to a local women’s shelter for their Christmas Day. It’s heartwarming to do something kind while also having a little story around how that gift reminds them of you. – McKenna (*Note from Cait: My office used to do this, when I worked for the government!)

This is the first year I have adopted the wish list of a little girl who lives in a women’s shelter in our area. They have a program called Dreams and Wishes that matches the kids list with someone who can fulfill all or part of it. I chose a girl, aged 4, since I only have nephews. – Dayle

I take my grandchildren shopping as a group for food for the food bank, and we drop it along with some decorations we have made for the Food Bank’s Holiday Dinner. We also go hiking to collect pine cones, berries and seeds for the animals in our local wildlife rescue centre, drop them off and check out the animals in care. – Nancy

The last few years, I have tried to give back in a small way. One year it was purchasing gifts for the children’s aid society, and another it was filling purses with feminine products for homeless women. This year, I am going to do the shoebox project where you fill a shoebox with gifts for a homeless women. You put things in it that you would like to receive yourself. – Laura

My family and I put together pretty gift-wrapped packages of socks, gloves, cards with handwritten notes (and a few dollars in the years we can afford to do so) in the weeks leading up to Christmas. On Christmas Eve or Christmas morning, we take our packages downtown near the mission where homeless people tend to congregate. We hand out the packages with Christmas cookies and hot chocolate to whomever we find on the streets. Everyone is always so happy and really just delighted someone thought of them. Their reactions are the best Christmas gift we could ever get. Each person gives us a big hug! Last year after our trip downtown, my 10-year old-daughter was quick to point out that these may be the only hugs some people get all year. – Lisa

We always set an extra plate at the table for the ‘unknown stranger’. Who knows when you meet someone who you could help, or learn from or just spend some time with. It is important to be mindful of others all year long and also focus more on others than ourselves. – Dora-Lynn

And I will leave you with something short and sweet:

The only holiday tradition worth keeping is to love the people you share it with. – Barbara

Do you have any simple traditions you’d like to add?

60+ Minimalist Holiday Traditions posted first on http://ift.tt/2lnwIdQ

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60+ Minimalist Holiday Traditions

I’ve gotten a handful of requests to share what the holidays look like for me now, since adopting this mindful/minimalist lifestyle. These are the same requests I have gotten every year, for the past four years. And every year, I sit down and attempt to write something helpful and meaningful, but it never feels quite right. The truth is, I don’t have a good answer—and I can’t tell other people what to do. Every year has looked different since my parents got divorced, and I’m still trying to figure out what I want the holidays to look like for me.

Sometimes, I think it’s important for us (us being bloggers) to remember that we are not experts of everything. Not only does assuming you have to be an expert put an incredible amount of pressure on yourself, but it feels disingenuous which people can read/feel. If it doesn’t feel good, I won’t write it. So, I can’t tell you which holiday traditions you should embrace now with your own new mindful/minimalist lifestyle. Instead, I’ve reached out to some of my readers and asked them to share their holiday traditions with us.

The result was a rough blog post more than 9,100 words in length that I never could have written myself. Some of the responses made me smile, and more than a few brought a tear to my eye. After deleting any duplicates and editing it, this heartwarming post is still 6,200 words long but I wouldn’t remove another thing. To make it easier though, I’ve broken the traditions up into six categories: things you can do alone, with friends or with your partner, and things you can do with kids, with family and for others. (And I’ve bolded a few I would love to do!)

I hope you take as much from this post as I did, friends. And thank you again. This is just another example of how powerful a community can be when we all come together. I know this holiday season, and future holiday seasons, are going to be richer for me personally because of you. xo

Traditions You Can Do by Yourself

My favourite tradition that I’ve adopted is taking all the working Fridays in December off. It just really helps slow down a month that can move a lot faster. So far, I’ve used one to do my small bit of Christmas shopping and on another I made cards, cosied up on the sofa, and worked on a craft project before I went out to see a friend. – Meghan

I cut holly, cedar, and fir from parks in my neighbourhood, then make a wreath for our front door from the greenery. I use a wire coat hook stretched out to a circle shape, and a little craft wire. It always turns out rustic and beautiful, and of course, it’s all compostable at the end. I just save the wire and coat hanger for next year. – Shannon

For me this year, as I’ve recently become more mindful and minimal, I enjoyed dedicating one full day to making hot cocoa from scratch and watching a really cheesy Christmas movie. It’s still holiday-related, ingredients cost less than $10 (almond milk, unsweetened cocoa & maple syrup) and it gives me a chance to relax away from the chaos that the holidays can sometimes create. – Laura

I enjoy drinking from cheap snowmen glasses my parents had and I try to use them exclusively through the holidays. I use a holiday mug for my tea at home and in the office. I tied jingle bells to my purse and feel a little Santa-y as I move about. I sit in my living room and enjoy the Christmas tree lights, and usually a cat or two is close by. These are my traditions and they make up my good and happy life.

I have to spend quite some time on the road to get from one family to the other. Instead of taking the car, I choose to go by train to have some down time in between family gatherings, to read, to watch the train to pass beautiful landscape, and to listen to podcasts or music. When I was younger, my sister and I knew the song ‘Driving Home for Christmas’ would come on the radio at some point on our drive to our grandparents. Now, I deliberately put it on to get the same nostalgic feeling. – Pia

One of the Christmas traditions I have developed for just me here in the UK is on Christmas Eve. The BBC always broadcasts the nine lessons and carols service from King’s College, Cambridge on Christmas Eve. I like to listen to this and wrap my presents up (just a few gifts for my family). It helps me to reflect on what’s important at this time of year and think of other people who may not be in such fortunate circumstances. The choral singing is beautiful (one of the best choirs in the world) and really helps me to get in the Christmas spirit especially if I’ve been working right up to that point. I think it’s good to build your own traditions, they just have to be meaningful to you. – Vivienne

Every year, on Christmas morning, I wake up significantly before everyone else (think 4 or 5am), in whatever house I’m in. I take my book and a cup of tea (and holiday baking if I have it) to the Christmas tree, and just sit under the lights and read and take the time to reflect on my year and be grateful for the things and people that are part of my life. It’s often my biggest moment of quiet and calm during the holidays, which tend to be a little busy and crazy, and I look forward to it every year. – Mallory

Some years I have been invited to be with friends [on Christmas Day], and other times I am alone. No matter what my plans are later on, I always make sure to go for a run in the morning, and try to do something special for breakfast. Not something stressful-special, but more along the lines of pancakes or cinnamon buns. – Calee

I have two personal traditions. I always go to see a movie on Christmas Day (during the afternoon). I’m going alone. I like this time with myself! My other tradition is reading all the Harry Potter’s book during the holiday. I read all of them every year! – Marie-Michèle

Traditions You Can Do with Friends

Years ago, when my friend Kasey moved from Toronto to Vancouver, we decided to do something Christmassy in the city. One December night, we met up and walked through the Vancouver Christmas Market together. The next year, we went to the VanDusen Festival of Lights. And now that I’m back on the mainland, we decided to do something Christmassy again. On Monday night, we met up and walked through Canyon Lights at Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, then went out for a nice dinner after. For as long as we are both living in the Lower Mainland, I would like to keep this tradition going and visit one local attraction each year. – Cait

Every year, I go ice skating with my friend and go for a cup of hot chocolate after. It’s always nice to step away from family just for a bit, and have a chat with a close friend. It’s also so festive! – Hana

I have a dear friend I’ve known my entire life, we grew up next door to each other. Our moms used to love to craft together and now we do as part of our holiday tradition. We spend weeks looking for ideas and gathering supplies from thrift stores, and one Saturday in December we spend the entire day laughing and creating while getting glitter literally everywhere. – Patty

I live in New Zealand and a tradition I have had for a longtime is a Christmas morning walk or mountain bike or run in the hills with my close friend. We decided a long time ago that in order to cope with the busyness of the day, we needed exercise and time for ourselves. So we get up early and spend an hour together doing what we love. It’s summer here so the mornings are bright and warm. – Rae

I had a group of friends who would get together to host an ‘Orphan’s’ Christmas’ for those who didn’t have family, or couldn’t see them, or for whom family Christmas was difficult for any reason. And it was, and is, designed to be utterly stress-free. You come if you want to, but it’s ok if you don’t. You bring food to contribute if you want to, but it’s ok if you don’t. You can bring gifts if you want to, but it’s ok if you don’t. And it’s ok if you want to bring gifts for some people but not for others—there is no sense of a gift exchange, just giving if you want to. Gifts are usually small, and very frequently handmade or consumable (or both). There’s a long table, made up by putting tables together—people bring chairs and crockery and cutlery as needed. It’s all mismatched and no one cares. There are favourite foods that certain people bring, but they may or may not appear in any given year. Every year around the table are people from a range of religious traditions and none. Dietary restrictions are dealt with by letting everyone know what’s in each dish, and people choose what they want to eat from what’s there—and there is never a shortage of food or options. We always have a great time, eat too much, laugh a lot, and all help out with the clear up. Over the years, new partners and friends, and children have been added to the mix, and it’s become accepted practice that family Christmas happens in people’s home in the morning, but that we meet around lunch time for a laid-back, relaxed party that starts in the afternoon. Kids get put to bed or taken home at some time, some people will stay overnight and people come and go as they want. It is always relaxed and happy and welcoming. – Sarah

Me and a couple of friends meet in the last weekend of November to make Christmas puddings. There are 3 friends at the core, plus some years siblings and or partners join us, and now one of my friends has had children and they are joining in too. Lots of giggles, stirring, grating, chatting and the occasional badly sung Christmas tune. The puddings get distributed among friends and family (or donated to charity if people have too many!). – Ally

When the parents of a good friend of mine passed away just before Christmas, she and I started a new tradition of going skiing first thing in the morning on Christmas Day. We had first tracks, (because most people open presents, etc. before heading to the ski hill), we splurged on a special lunch (not the cafeteria), and it became a wonderful new tradition that allowed her to remember that even though her parents were gone, she would never be alone for Christmas. – Kim

We have not exchanged gifts for years now. What my husband and I do instead is have friends and family over for dinner on a Friday or Saturday night between Christmas and New Year’s Day. I wrote about the experience last year (pictures included). This year, it will take place on December 29th and we’ll again have about 25 people. We usually manage to seat them all at tables in one single room and in reasonable proximity. All that is required of our guests is for them to attend and bring the spirit of the season with them. We take care of the rest. – Hélène

I moved away from my friends and family a few years back and have started to introduce my own traditions in an effort to enjoy the season. Before Christmas, I’ll host a potluck with my friends in my current town and, on Boxing Day, my friends at home all go out for supper and then drive around looking at lights or head back to someone’s house to just enjoy being together. – Susan

Traditions You Can Do with Your Partner

A tradition I inherited once my husband and I met was to watch the 80s film Christmas Vacation each year on the night after the Thanksgiving feast to kick off the holiday season. Now that we’ve lived in other states, we continue to do it just the two of us. And in recent years, we’ve made an effort where we’ve lived to attend the local community tree lighting, as they’re free to attend, pretty, and can help you connect with the area in which you live. – Stephanie

My husband and I share an advent calendar. It’s one of those customizable sets of drawers in a shape set ups. We decorated it together a couple years ago, and I get the odd days and he gets the evens. It is mostly filled with chocolate but we try find one or two presents that will fit the drawers to scatter through the days. We both have to be present for the opening of each day and it is a fun little routine for us in the mornings. – Meghan

We like to drive just north of where we live where there is a community of homes that all put up the most epic Christmas light displays. The past couple years we left it too long, so it was super busy and slow when we went to look. But it starts on December 1st, so this year we went on the 5th to beat the crowds. So fun! – Dayle

We just started doing the local Jingle Bell Walk/Run together. That takes place a couple of weeks before Christmas and people come out dressed up in Santa hats, blinking icicle lights, elf ears, etc. It’s a lot of fun, helps charity, and it ends in free breakfast by the beach. – Sandra

In the weeks before Christmas, we plan and save our spare money to cook a 5-star meal together: la crème de la crème! Also, my boyfriend doesn’t eat breakfast, so for Christmas morning, I plan and enjoy some *me time*, which includes cranberry pancakes, maple syrup, a good book and a good coffee, all while listening to a Christmas playlist. – Odile

We paint an ornament each to add to our Christmas tree, attend a local play of the nutcracker, exchange one gift each Christmas Eve (pyjamas are the usual), and I still cook a turkey and all the fixings (which we then eat till New Years lol). We also go ice skating and sledding, if we get snow. – Crystal

We celebrate our own little Christmas on the 23rd, dubbed Christmas Eve-Eve. We watch old Christmas movies, open the gifts we got each other, and enjoy Chinese takeout for dinner. As a total introvert, Christmas Eve-Eve is my favorite part of the holiday season; it’s the one time when we can just relax at home together. – Laura

This year we are living on a boat doing The Great Loop, so I don’t know where we will be for Christmas but I know we won’t be around family. I will be looking for other people in the marina who don’t have plans and ask them to share the day with us. Our one tradition that can travel with us anywhere is ordering takeout pizza on Christmas Eve. We started that when the kids were little and have followed through with it each year. – Mary

My boyfriend and I are adopting a tradition from Iceland: to exchange books on Christmas Eve and stay up all night (or most of the night) reading our new books. We are very excited for this new tradition because we have demanding families and it will be nice to just spend the evening relaxing and doing something we enjoy. – Sara

My partner and I have spent the last few years with our own, very simple, holiday tradition: We rent a cabin for a night or two in a nearby State Park. It’s naturally fairly minimalist because the State Parks shut off most utilities during the winter, and the cold definitely keeps the crowds out. They usually have electric lights and a wood stove for heat, but that’s about it. We have found, though, that we don’t need anything more when we can spend all day tromping around in the snow, exploring and relaxing. We sometimes still exchange small, thoughtful gifts, but the real gift is spending a few days alone (together) in the woods. It gives us a calm in the midst of the storm that is The Holiday Season. – Ashley

Christmas traditions changed quite a bit once we got married 3 years ago. We are still slowly working on making our own traditions, but our favourites so far include playing lots of board games while munching on homemade baked goods. And we love to attempt The Globe & Mail Christmas crossword. We almost finished it last year! – Katrina

Every year, my husband and I sit down before we pack away the Christmas decorations and write down wishes for each person for the next year. Then, on Christmas morning, we read the wishes. It’s interesting to see how much happens in a year. It can be bittersweet, of course. But also lovely. – Sarah

Over ten years ago, we chose to lead an alcohol-free life, so we don’t “do” New Year’s Eve. We get up early on New Year’s Day and take the ferry to Block Island, which is off the coast of Rhode Island. Block Island is beautiful and deserted at this time of year, so we explore and spend time outside, enjoying the natural beauty. We stop at an overlook, looking out at the ocean, and share our intentions for the coming year. We listen to the silence and sounds. We stop at the tiny grocery store and chat with the locals, admitting that we’d gone to bed at 10:00 the night before! We arrive back home, cold, tired and peaceful. – Anne

Traditions You Can Do with Your Kids

My daughter’s advent calendar has a little chocolate and something Christmassy and free/cheap to do together every day (e.g. watching a Christmas movie at home, making a gingerbread house, making Christmas decorations, visit Santa at the grotto, etc.). This year, I also added to buy food for the food bank and socks for the homeless as two of the activities. – Virginia

We’re just starting to build holiday traditions. This year is the first where our daughter isn’t a baby, so showing her things like Christmas lights at the zoo or going and looking at the fancy decorated trees are the traditions I want to instill. My favorite one from last year was to go downtown, have brunch at a fancy place, dress up for it (or at least dress the baby in something festive!), then go look at the big tree in the middle of downtown. But our traditions are fluid, too. This year, we’re doing “Christmas” the weekend of the 15th because we’re going to Arizona for ten days. – Kathleen

I’m still figuring out what our traditions are but some of the things we do include: making Mexican hot chocolate with my daughter at least once a week (I let her pour the hot chocolate from a teapot we love and share); playing Christmas music in the mornings to get the day started; watching my daughter make a dance routine for any Christmas song she likes (this year it’s Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas”); and putting reindeer antlers + a red nose on my car (kids LOVE it). We also put a tiny Christmas tree in her room with lights. My aunt gave it to her and she loves it. – Teresa

We take our daughter to the local farm, just on the edge of the town where we live, and select a gorgeous real Christmas tree from the wonderful selection they sell there. Ours is around 5 ft. tall and we know that they grow about a foot a year, so that’s 5 years worth of tree! That’s pretty humbling when you look at it like that. We bring it home, give it a good drink for a day, then drag it into the hallway of our home, where we decorate it with simple lights, plus red and silver baubles. Because it’s at the foot of the staircase, I put the lights on as soon as I come down in the morning, so our daughter can enjoy seeing it when she comes down for breakfast. – Catherine

This year we’re going without a Christmas tree, by request from my 11-year-old son who said, “Some people don’t like setting it up because it’s confusing getting the right branches in the right places and some people don’t like decorating it because it’s boring and some people think it takes up too much space and makes a mess. But I really like Easter egg hunts. Can you hide the presents in the lounge room Christmas Eve for us to find as a treasure hunt on Christmas morning?” So we’re trying that this year. – Sharon

On December 23rd, when work and school are finished for the year, we spend a night in the city. We live in a semi-rural area outside of Melbourne, Australia, and don’t get into the city much throughout the year. We spend our time checking out all the decorations in the town square, the Myer windows (a department store with amazing Christmas windows usually based around a children’s story), the beautiful buildings which have Christmas scenes projected onto them and generally getting into a festive mindset. My kids bring their money box change collected throughout the year and give this to buskers. We absolutely love to watch the many music, comedy and dance performers. To top it off, we stay in a hotel with a swimming pool which we love as it’s usually very hot here. The breakfast buffet is always a highlight too. – Jacqui

I have two daughters (27 and 26) and our tradition on Christmas Eve is to watch Christmas movie classics like: Miracle on 34th Street, Polar Express, Elf (is that considered a classic?), and It’s a Wonderful Life. We sometimes add in a new one and there are times when we don’t get through them all. We always watch It’s a Wonderful Life last. – Sharon

I have watched Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) on Christmas Eve every year since I was 4 years old. I watch holiday movies all month long, but save that one for Christmas Eve. – Cait

We have two Christmas traditions with our girls. 1. We make sure to be in our own home Christmas Eve night so we can wake up and have a slow morning with our girls – open presents, eat donuts, and play in our pyjamas! 2. On Christmas night we have a slumber party in the living room with our girls, watching Christmas movies until we fall asleep. We also started a New Year’s tradition with our girls last year. We write down a bunch of fun activities on slips of paper (movies, card games, charades, board games, etc.) and have the girls pick surprise activities out of a bag throughout the night. We made it to midnight and had a ton of fun! – Jaime

Since my eldest was 4 years old (he’s 27 now!), each year I have written a letter to each of my children in which I talk about significant things that have occurred in their life that year and ways that I’ve seen them grow. I tell them how proud I am of them and how much I love them and include a special prayer or Bible verse for the coming year. Initially, I put the letter in a box that checks had come in and wrapped it in silver paper covered with clear contact paper and I put the name of that child on the top of the box. Over the years, the boxes have come to be known as the kids’ “Silver Boxes” and they are under the tree each year. My son’s silver box now has 23 letters in it. He has told me that reading my letter is the best part of Christmas for him. This year, I also plan to write letters to a couple of friends as well, just letting them know how much their friendship means to me. The recipients don’t have to keep the letters, but they don’t take up much room if they do wish to save them. And each one is, of course, very personalized. This sort of gift doesn’t take up much room, doesn’t cost anything, and lets the recipient know how much they mean to me. – Susan

This year will be my son’s first Christmas and I can’t wait to make them wonderful for him. Something that I am going to do is prep a Christmas Eve box for him. A little box with a pair of PJ’s, a Christmas movie and snacks to have the night before Christmas. – Leonor

For Christmas morning, my girls find croissants, shelf-stable juice, and plates, etc. in their rooms with stockings at the end of their beds. It gives them something to eat that isn’t candy, plus a filled “gift” to entertain themselves with before we all roll out of bed. In the toe of the stocking is always a chocolate orange. It’s a nod to those who put the citrus fruit in the toe, and it’s a memory of Little House on the Prairie for me, and a reminder to count my blessings. – Jennifer

In my house, there are two of us (my daughter and I) and our loving companion dog Bentley. I grew up in a busy, urban city and holidays were filled with tons of people, loud laughter, and copious amounts of Southern food. After moving away, I grew into a mom who valued silence. Stillness. Peace. I found the joy in that empty blank space. The holiday tradition we hold most dear now is to take hot bubble baths (candles lit), put on our most comfy pj’s, turn on the electric fireplace, drink hot tea with cream and sugar, and tell stories of dreams. We make up elaborate stories about faraway lands, stories of old, and dreams yet to come. The space then transforms and in those moments we aren’t just sitting with one another as mother and daughter, but rather, as friends, sisters, soulmates on this journey—and surrounding us are one another and simultaneously the versions of ourselves we hope to become. This tradition feels magical and honoring. – Jayna’

Traditions You Can Do with Your Family

I want to share a small tradition my family did when my siblings and I were younger. It fills me with joy to remember it. We don’t do this anymore, since we are grown up and don’t live in the same house anymore, but I think this tradition helped us through some difficult times. At the beginning of the month of December, all the family members would put a Christmas stocking at the handle of our bedroom door. We had all month to put small notes, cards or drawings in every stocking of the house. On Christmas morning, we had our “normal” gifts to open, but we would also open our stockings and discover all the nice things every member of the family had draw/wrote to us. It was so special. We started this when we were young (at around age 9) and we continued this until we were adults. It was very special during our teenage years, when we were not as close anymore. Still, every year, everyone put effort into it and every Christmas morning, we read all those nice things and were happy to be with each other. It might be a very small tradition, but it is a cherished memory for me! – Émilie

I only require one thing each year though: a day. One day for my husband, son and I to fully DO holidays. We turn on sappy holiday music, make the house smell with cookies baking, our son picks a holiday color theme for everything to be (cards, decorations etc), we make garland (out of folded paper made into snowflakes), decorate our metal tree we bring out each year, make cards and write our list of who we are sending presents to this year. Once that one day happens, the rest doesn’t matter at all. :) – Julie

Hugs and more hugs. Our family is Mexican and we traditionally open our gifts on Christmas Eve at midnight. Before anyone can open ANY presents, we go around and hug anyone and everyone in sight, expressing how grateful and happy we are to be with one another. It also serves as a reminder for us that by coming together we are united and honor our family members who have passed. You can literally feel the love all across the living room when this happen and, as corny as it may sound, it feels magical. It is the same deal the following morning. On Christmas Day, another round of hugs before a big breakfast (and clean-up time). When your life is not one of plenty, or you’re privileged enough to live a life of less by choice, a big bear hug from a loved one (or loved ones!) can be a powerful and reassuring reminder of what really matters in the end. – Liz

Mine is rather boring and obvious, but I live 1,000+ miles away from “home” so the best part of the holidays is just getting to spend time with family. Sure, some of them come visit me here in Florida, or I take a trip up there in the summer, but Christmas brings everyone together at the same time. All of us “kids” have grown up now, and everyone besides me is married, so they have to dovetail plans with their other half’s family plans. I’m thankful that we can still spend a few hours together before everyone has to rush off to other familial obligations. – Josh

One of my holiday traditions was born 20 years ago. My mom passed in the fall, and that Christmas, my brother, my father, and I simply decided we would only spend time with people who brought us happiness (which, thanks to some nearby less-than-pleasant family from my mom’s side, meant just the three of us!). While we missed my mom terribly, it ended up being a wonderful and reflective holiday for us. No one gave us a hard time that Christmas given our loss, and from that point we decided that EVERY holiday should be like that. Nowadays, it’s a firm tradition. If there is a Christmas party with people who will bring us down, we find an excuse. If there are activities with people who don’t make us happy, we avoid them. We host a big group of family members for Christmas, but each of them must pass the test that they bring us (and the other guests) happiness. – Paul

Christmas has never been a structured or consistent thing in my family, since we’re what I like to call a Very Portable Family Unit. The one constant for the past three years: cinnamon buns. I refuse to even make them the rest of the year, because when you see how much butter and sugar go into them, oh boy. But once a year, on Christmas morning, I’ll bake fluffy, ooey-gooey, full-fat, full-sugar, full-gluten cinnamon buns for whatever we’re doing, even if it’s just breakfast at home with our parents. It’s not especially mindful in terms of food and calorie consumption, but it is a consistent tradition that can adapt to however many people are involved! – Desirae

Half of my family is German and Austrian which means I grew up spending December 24th around the biggest feast you’ve ever seen. My grandfather would unload every German meat, cheese, and pickled vegetable he could get his hands on and we would chow down. Nothing about this feast was fancy and it didn’t revolve around gifts or presents. It was just a way for us to stuff our faces and hang out together. (And it goes without saying that this feast could be done by a take-out menu – cooking skills not required.) – Britt

A couple of years ago my parents started a new tradition where we choose a new country each year and cook a bunch of dishes from that country for dinner. – Luise

One of my favorite traditions is when we do Christmas with my dad’s half of the family. Every year, instead of doing a big Christmas dinner, everyone brings an appetizer or a new food that they’ve tried in the last year! Of course, there are always some classic favorites, but we try to get people to try something new! We’ve also found that we spend more time and focus talking about where we had this food or our opinions of the different foods, than we do worrying about gifts. – Kasey

There are only four of us who are physically together for Christmas so we no longer have the traditional Polish twelve-course dinner on Christmas Eve known as Wigilia. The meals were wonderful but a great deal of work. Now we get together on Christmas Day for a much simpler feast of brisket, mashed potatoes and vegetables. I make the brisket and potatoes the night before so it’s less work on Christmas Day. (Brisket always tastes better the next day anyway.) We start the celebration with appetizers like cheese and olives, exchange stocking stuffers, then have dinner and watch the Alastair Sim version of A Christmas Carol. It’s a very relaxing and enjoyable way to spend the holiday together. – Annie

On Christmas Day, we often sit around the dining room table and work on puzzles. And each year, my mom uses a website to make a holiday-themed word search that includes all our family member’s names, as well as fun words like “mistletoe” and “reindeer”. It’s always a race to see who can complete it fastest. – Emily

Every year since my sister and I were very small, my parents have taken us out for a “winter picnic”. I know it sounds bonkers, and when I was 19 and it was on New Year’s Day after a long night of partying, I was in no shape to spend time huddled in Kananaskis Country around a fire while it was -30°C (-22°F). But this tradition has grown to be something I look forward to (and relish sharing it with others who think we’re crazy). Regardless of weather, my mom packs a picnic basket full of chili, smoky sausages, a few snacks and steaming thermoses of hot chocolate and coffee. My dad is responsible for the firewood and blankets. We usually drive into Kananaskis or to another picnic area around Banff or Canmore and get a fire going. If the weather is nice, we linger and maybe even do a brief hike around the picnic site. On years where it’s brutally cold, we’ve done a quick in and out of the car to eat and run. But regardless of the weather, we always reward our bravery and struggle with a dip in the Banff Hot Springs and dinner in town in the evening. It’s quality family time that’s unique to us and a tradition I plan to carry on with my own family one day. – Meredith

This year, we are doing something special. I’m a professional photo organizer and we found a box of vintage family slides buried in a closet at Chris’s mom’s that she had forgotten about. We brought the box home – it was a treasure trove of old family slides c.1955-1975. I have a home office and two scanners so we scanned everything and made it into a slideshow with music. We also made a photo book for Chris’s mom, as we know it will be an cherished heirloom she’ll want to pass down. We think everyone will get a big kick out if the slideshow on Xmas day – and it will help the kids see their parents in a different light. And best of all, the slideshow costs us nothing but time (the photobook on the other hand, around $100). – Marci

Traditions You Can Do for Others

I always make Christmas cookies for my neighbors and include a little holiday note. – Kaleigh

I am a yoga teacher and I offer all my students the opportunity to give a present to toys for tots vs. pay for their class! I am happy to forgo one class to benefit one more child in need. – Amy

My partner and I decided to adopt a new tradition that we started this past Giving Tuesday/Black Friday. Instead of shopping on Black Friday, we decided to donate what the average shopper spends to a local charity. This is something we will do every year now and it’s a lot easier to avoid Black Friday when we think about how our money might better be used helping the community. – Josh

My aunt decided a few years ago that once all of the grandkids were out of high school we would no longer buy each other gifts because it was so stressful and expensive. Instead, each year all family members draw a name from a hat and buy a toy that reminds them of that person. We wrap them all up and open them together on Christmas Eve, then my aunt brings all of the toys to a local women’s shelter for their Christmas Day. It’s heartwarming to do something kind while also having a little story around how that gift reminds them of you. – McKenna (*Note from Cait: My office used to do this, when I worked for the government!)

This is the first year I have adopted the wish list of a little girl who lives in a women’s shelter in our area. They have a program called Dreams and Wishes that matches the kids list with someone who can fulfill all or part of it. I chose a girl, aged 4, since I only have nephews. – Dayle

I take my grandchildren shopping as a group for food for the food bank, and we drop it along with some decorations we have made for the Food Bank’s Holiday Dinner. We also go hiking to collect pine cones, berries and seeds for the animals in our local wildlife rescue centre, drop them off and check out the animals in care. – Nancy

The last few years, I have tried to give back in a small way. One year it was purchasing gifts for the children’s aid society, and another it was filling purses with feminine products for homeless women. This year, I am going to do the shoebox project where you fill a shoebox with gifts for a homeless women. You put things in it that you would like to receive yourself. – Laura

My family and I put together pretty gift-wrapped packages of socks, gloves, cards with handwritten notes (and a few dollars in the years we can afford to do so) in the weeks leading up to Christmas. On Christmas Eve or Christmas morning, we take our packages downtown near the mission where homeless people tend to congregate. We hand out the packages with Christmas cookies and hot chocolate to whomever we find on the streets. Everyone is always so happy and really just delighted someone thought of them. Their reactions are the best Christmas gift we could ever get. Each person gives us a big hug! Last year after our trip downtown, my 10-year old-daughter was quick to point out that these may be the only hugs some people get all year. – Lisa

We always set an extra plate at the table for the ‘unknown stranger’. Who knows when you meet someone who you could help, or learn from or just spend some time with. It is important to be mindful of others all year long and also focus more on others than ourselves. – Dora-Lynn

And I will leave you with something short and sweet:

The only holiday tradition worth keeping is to love the people you share it with. – Barbara

Do you have any simple traditions you’d like to add?

60+ Minimalist Holiday Traditions posted first on http://ift.tt/2lnwIdQ