I love this time of year...even working in retail. You probably already knew this, because I usually put my Christmas tree up in October.
This is the first year I feel prepared with my gift giving, and it's only the first week of December. I'm talkin' we already took the kids to sit on Santa's lap and all. It is an amazing feeling...probably not one I will feel very often...so I am relishing it.
Every year I analyze how we buy for Christmas. I like to watch what everyone else does. Some people go super practical with underwear, socks, and those snow pants they needed anyways. Then there are those "other" people who go all out, and throw caution to the wind buying Blue Ray players, the new Xbox Kinect, and flat screen TV stands for all those new flat screen TVs they HAD to have for every room.
I like to think we are somewhere in between these two kinds of people...which is honestly where I like to be. Very few practical things are purchased, a budget is set, and we buy either the toy Van wants or something comparable. Oh, and everything comes from Santa! =)
So, how does Christmas work in your house?
5 comments:
We are doing something similar.
One present from Santa. (a toy)
PJ's.
A set of clothes for Christmas Day!
And a gift from us.
I love having a budget to stick to and not spending a lot on Christmas. I love being done with shopping before the season begins. I love being relaxed through the season. :)
Usually I go crazy because thats what my mom does and I can't help it. This year I said 3 presents only. I was doing really good with that until yesterday. My hubby doesnt know yet. Oops. I just can't stop at 3.
We usually have a few from us and two or three from Santa.
I was really conservative this year. The kids got 2 budget friendly (meaning under $50) toys each from Santa and 3 new books each from Mom & Dad. Usually I don't wrap Santa presents but this year I'm going to put them all under the tree wrapped.
I also went homemade on a lot of my family gifting which was really fun. I made really darling aprons for my sister and sis-in-laws, and my kids made the cutest 'All About My Uncle/Aunt' books for my siblings which they illustrated and I laminated and bound them. We also hand out a Shutterfly Photo Calendar to all my family every year which they all look forward to every year. I've never been more excited about Christmas since I put so much more work into the gifts.
Oh, and funny part is that Mark and I don't gift to each other for Christmas. We just buy whatever we want/need in December and count that as our gifts. HA HA! Mark got a much needed snowblower and 3 new pairs of jeans, I am going to spend some money painting and trying to decorate my house a little.
Perfectest use of "flat screen tv stand" ever. And I still judge you for putting your tree up in November. But thankfully I love you enough to look past that.
I mostly stick to a budget, but it's not always the budget that my husband would approve of! I only go slightly overboard. Definitely give socks and underwear, too. We wrap everything- nothing left unwrapped. We open everything Christmas morning and it is all from Santa :).
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