14 DAYS TO GO!! TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY IS CHRISTMAS!!!!!
Some of you have asked me how we do our Christmas gifts for our kids at Christmas, since we do it a little different. So I thought I would share it with all of you. It is a simple formula that is always the same and makes buying gifts simple, and easy to do in advance.
The kids do a combined present for mom and one for dad too, maybe in the future they will do individual presents for us. Rich and I don't exchange Christmas gifts. Instead we go on a really nice Christmas date, either to a nice show or a nice dinner or something. But we do get things from Santa in our stockings. (The same as the kids, something to watch, something to read, something to play with and something we need) But no big present from Santa.
Each child gets:
1 store bought gift from dad
1 homemade gift from mom
1 ornament for the tree that represents them for that year, from mom and dad
1 pair of pajamas from mom and dad
(we open these Christmas Eve)
1 present from each sibling
(we may change this in the future to just 1 sibling present by drawing names or something)
And From Santa:
they get a small amount of candy and,
Something to watch
Something they need
Something to play with &
Something to read
along with a big/or main present from Santa.
All Santa presents are un-wrapped & de-boxed, set out (or in the stocking) all cute.
No other stocking stuffers or presents to worry about.
This method totally works for us and our family, we plan to continue this for a life long family tradition. Of course presents under the tree are an exciting part of Christmas, but we hope that in a small way, this will help us keep ours and the kids minds off of getting gifts, and think more on what Christmas is really all about.
Besides, they also usually get gifts from Grandparents, and we get a family gift from Rich's sibling (whose ever year) and mine, and last year Sophie even got gifts from friends! So they are never lacking at Christmas.
And this way it is a lot easier for us to budget things out. We can start before Halloween and do a little at a time, knowing before hand exactly what the end result will be. Unfortunately, Christmas can be an expensive time of year. You have your immediate family to get gifts for, grandparents/parents, siblings (we rotate in Rich's family, and I only have one brother - so we buy 2 sibling gifts), sometimes there is a special friend or extra family member you want to buy something for, and we do neighbor gifts (this year we are making chocolate and carmel dipped pretzel sticks - and the list is starting to get long), on top of Christmas letters, pictures, and stamps. And there are always those unforeseen expenses that seem to pop up, no matter how well you plan.
Good luck to you all and I hope you are already starting to have a Merry Christmas Season!
How do you plan out the holidays,
and presents for you and your family???
4 comments:
We're doing your way this year, I've told quite a few people here about it, they're doing it too. Love the idea, makes it really easy! Merry Christmas!
We do it very similarly, but not quite so big, we try to keep it simple. Stocking: candy, something they need (usually socks and underwear, a fun new toothbrush and fun toothpaste<--they love that), and then something small to play with. Then under the tree: they get one bigger present from Santa, we wrap all of our Santa presents in the same paper. It lengthens the whole crazy unwrapping session to have them wrapped. And then they get a new pair of jammies and something homemade from mom and dad, like a quilt or something. Plus grandparents gifts, etc. Aaron and I decided not to exchange gifts this year. Instead we're going to take the kids on a weekend getaway in January to play in the snow with a few other families. We usually bake bread (to even out all the sugar) for our neighbors, VT and HT families, friends, etc. and go Christmas caroling to deliver them. So, that was long but that's what we do.
Ever since Davenport, we've done your idea for the gifts from Santa! Love it and it keeps things nice, simple and even!
What a great plan! I need to do that! I end up having more gifts for one or not being able to think of something for another. You are sure organized! Thanks for the inspiration! :)
Post a Comment