It's Friday! Hooray! We're actually on a pretty awesome adventure right now, helping a friend transform her apartment in Nashville! I've always wanted to visit Nashville, and so far, so awesome. Lou and I ventured out this morning to find a coffee shop, and on the way I thought that this area reminded me a bit of Portland, Oregon. The first coffee shop we stumbled upon is called the Portland Brew, so now I'm feeling discombobulated.

But the brew is yummy, Lou is horrifying everyone by loudly staging a Barbie wedding (they're portable and provide entertainment for hours, and she doesn't know they're anti-feminist yet) and I'm writing this little missive to you before we return to a pretty tall order of a streamlining, floor planning and decorating job. More on that Monday!

We recently struggled to put together a wish list for Lou for Christmas. Our whole family is incredibly generous with her, and we know they get a lot of pleasure out of seeking out toys that bring her joy. But that's hard to reconcile with our need to downsize (still purging!) and our general desire for a simpler life. I've been thinking a lot about that desire for a simpler life, and how it's a process.

For a few years, Bret and I have not given to each other at Christmas, a practice I picked up from my older, wiser sister. This year, we may take each other on a trip, and maybe make that a tradition! But it's so much harder with kids. I know everyone wants to buy for Lou, and so do we! She's old enough now for real Legos! More pieces of the Plan Road Set! Probably time for her first chess set, and do you think my dad will build us a fridge to go with her kitchen?

But none of that is sustainable. We want to keep the stuff to a dull roar, and we truly believe that too much stuff diminishes the value of each particular thing. It's harder to enjoy in the limited space left and harder to appreciate in the pile of clutter to begin with.

While I was stressing about how to try to convey this sentiment to our family, Bret's younger, and wiser, sister suggested we offer an alternative: experiences. A way to contribute to funds for lessons or a special trip. I thought that was brilliant (and I'm not sure why it didn't occur to me). But I know it's not quite the same. When I first mentioned to an aunt that we were aiming for an experience-based Christmas this year, she told me I was no fun. But Lou is excited about the possibility of piano and ballet lessons - which she picked out - and we are excited for her. I always wanted ballet lessons as a kid, and it feels really special to give them to my daughter, and Bret has always felt that it's a huge gift to teach a child music, especially piano.

So, in this age of the interweb, we set up a system I think will be easy to contribute to, keep track of, and offer appreciation for. We registered at Myregistry.com and set up two cash gifts options, one for each type of lesson. We also added some wrappable, but germane, gifts to the list, like a keyboard and ballet wear. I'm not sure how it will all work out, and we always run the risk of offending someone or hurting their feelings - which I hate. It's also awkward to send someone a link to your registry. I didn't even like setting one up for our wedding, and even though I know many in our family intends to give, it feels extra presumptuous now. I'll let you know how it goes, and if we pick up any tips for next year.

And, lest anyone think this is just about preserving some floor space in our apartment, it's about the holiday itself, too. Lou is going on four. How we shape Christmas for her now will impact what she thinks of the holiday going forward. I loved huge piles of gifts under the tree growing up. For anyone who grew up basking in the (largely secular) Christmas tradition of greeting the day with a huge pile of presents, you know there are few comparable feelings as a kid. And we certainly don't want to deprive Lou of any of that. It's part of the fun, and part of the fun for grownups, too, to issue decrees about how early the tree may be approached, and how many cups of caffeine must be consumed (by the adults) before the shenanigans can begin. But the other stuff is so amazing, too! The tree and the food and the lights and the family and the food.

So, do tell: any holiday traditions that work well for your family? I know this is a pretty specific post about one set of Christian traditions, so I apologize if you can't relate. But if you can relate, either about this holiday or insane birthday bashes or anything else that you've worked to make fit your family's ideals and goals now, share, share, share. 'Tis the season, after all. If you made it to the end, thanks much, and we'll be back Monday with some Nasville decor!