105 Days 'til Christmas
It is mid-September and we have 105 days until Christmas! Have you started your Christmas shopping? Have you started your Christmas wrapping?!
We have really simplified our Christmas at home, but we still have presents for extended family to consider. To help me not overspend, and make sure I remember everyone we need to purchase for; what else? I make a list!! Don't worry - this is last year's list, no spoilers here! I need to upload this list to google drive so I have it on the go. Sometimes when I come across a good sale I can't remember if I've already bought something!
For our children we follow the adage: Something to Wear, Something to Read, Something they Want, and Something they Need. We also get some basic things for stockings so I can pick those up when I see them on sale. These include; an ornament (bought them last year after Christmas), chocolate oranges (these always go on sale at my local grocery store the days leading up to Christmas), any underwear/socks/undershirts they may be in need of, toothbrush, hair things, cuties, and any Christmas candy I get for cheap. In past years we've put Lego people in their stockings, or other small toys, but we're pretty much set on those and I refuse to buy stocking stuffers that wouldn't make the toy cut otherwise.
We've been doing the 4 gift Christmas for 4 years now, and I LOVE how it simplifies things for me. The first year we did it, the scene around the Christmas tree did seem bleak - but NOT to the kids! It was really Ben and my expectations of a present strewn living room that we had to get over. I'm really happy that we implemented this before they got used to an over-the-top Christmas. Our kids have a happy Christmas and their Momma has a much less stressful Christmas season. Win-win!
