As much as we love the holidays, all the “stuff” that accompanies them—gifts, decorations, and clutter collecting on every surface—can quickly feel overwhelming. This year we’re approaching the season with a simpler mindset to preserve the joy that makes the holidays special. One question we often hear is “help me pinpoint my style—I’m all over the place!” so we explain how we clarify our aesthetic when we feel pulled in multiple decorating directions. That happens more often than you might expect. In this episode Sherry revisits a controversial opinion she shared recently, and John talks about taking a firmer stance on screen time.

You can download this episode from major podcast platforms or listen to it directly on our site. Use this post to find any resources, notes, or images we referenced during the episode. If you’re reading in a feed reader, you may need to click through to the post to access the player.

What’s New

• This year we intentionally simplified our holiday decorating. The photo above shows Sherry’s faux magnolia garland, a set of cozy stockings, and an elephant chain repurposed into stocking tassels—small choices that combine for an elegant, less-is-more look.
• I’ve been using the Moment app to monitor and reduce phone usage. It tracks sessions and brief pickups throughout the day, and seeing those gray timeline dots helps me become more mindful about when I reach for my phone.
• Alongside the app, the “Bored & Brilliant” program is available in several formats: as an in-app course, a book, and a podcast series for anyone who prefers to explore the concept through different media.

Updates

• We revisited the topic of “lamping” in a previous episode, where we explained its technical meaning and its various cultural uses. If you missed it, that episode gives full context and a few entertaining definitions we referenced on the show.
• Earlier in the season we talked in depth about paying off our mortgage and shared practical steps and lessons learned. That conversation is a useful resource if you’re considering a similar financial goal.
• Last week Sherry made an impassioned case for preserving older homes and encouraged listeners not to automatically dismiss foundation issues when house hunting. The intent was to shed light on when older homes are worth the extra attention rather than to oversimplify complex repair topics.

We’re Digging

• We recently added an Amazon Echo to our home tech lineup. We picked a model that delivers better audio for music—one of our primary use cases—and paired it with an inexpensive smart plug to control our Christmas tree lights. The smart plug has been great for automating the tree and saving energy without sacrificing convenience.
• We went with the Echo over other voice assistants mainly because of the speaker quality and the wider range of available features at the time we purchased it. For our household, music performance and reliable integrations were deciding factors.
• For parents looking to add classic reading material to a child’s bookshelf, we found reasonably priced boxed sets of nostalgic series and other kid-friendly collections that make thoughtful gifts without being expensive.

If you’re trying to find a specific recommendation or resource we mentioned in a past episode but aren’t sure which notes to open, we maintain a master list of everything we’ve featured across episodes so you can quickly locate that item or topic.

We’d also like to thank our episode sponsors for supporting the show. They offer discounts on bedding, furniture, rugs, and more—great options if you’re updating your home for the season.

Thanks for listening and following along. We hope these ideas help you simplify, celebrate thoughtfully, and enjoy a more intentional holiday season.

*This post contains affiliate links*