Home with the Kids Newsletter November 23, 2004

The Editor's Desk - From Beneath the Clutter
Feature Article - Sticking to a Gift Budget at Christmastime
What's happening on the discussion boards?
Guest Article - Seven Ways to Avoid Christmas Letdown
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The Editor's Desk - From Beneath the Clutter

Is it really December already? I can't believe Christmas is so close! In my family we draw names, so I don't have a lot of heavy-duty shopping to do, thank goodness, but there's still plenty to be done.

We tried last night to get some good pictures of the kids so we can order some photo Christmas cards. Wouldn't you know it Ariel was just not cooperative. Guess what we're doing this morning? I hope one of these turns out, and thank goodness for digital cameras! We'll be ordering them through Vistaprint, since they seem to have the best prices for photo Christmas cards that I've found.

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Dress your todder up for Christmas!

Feature Article

Sticking to a Gift Budget at Christmastime

The Christmas season is upon us, and with it one of the most difficult times to stick on a budget. It’s so easy to go overboard on gifts for those you love. There’s always some cute, cheap item that is just perfect, but when you find things like that over and over, they really add up.

It’s no fun being on a tight budget at this time of year. You wish you could give your kids the gifts they want the most, and give other family members just the right gift too.

There are several ways to give well thought out gifts at this time of year without overdoing it on credit cards or adding to your financial worries. All it takes is a little planning and creativity. Here are a few ideas.

Draw names.
You’ll still have to do the shopping for your kids, of course, but getting together with your siblings or other family members and drawing names can save a lot of money, as well as shopping time. This also allows a single, nicer gift to be given, as you can agree beforehand what should be spent on each person, and have it be a gift from all of you.

Give your time.
Make up coupons with favors you will do for the other person. This could be mowing the lawn for your parents or giving your husband a backrub. It could be babysitting a friend’s kids.

Share your talents.
If there’s something you do well that others have been expressing an interest in learning, give them a card saying you will teach them. This could be music lessons or it could be website design or organizing their home.

Note cards and stamped envelopes.
These are perfect for the person who loves to write. Find an attractive set and get some stamps, and you’re ready to go. You could even take this a step further and create your own design on plain cards.

Family calendar.
This one takes a fair bit of time, and you’ll need other family members to send you pictures, but makes a great gift. If they give you prints, you can make a collage, but if the photos are digital you can manipulate them for a wonderfully fun family calendar. Take the results to your local print shop and have them make them into calendars.

Make picture frames.
Get a cheap picture frame and decorate it with things that the recipient enjoys.

Bake!
Homemade treats are often welcome. If you have a great pie, cake or cookie recipe, you can be sure people will thank you even if they grumble something about calories.

Make Christmas ornaments.
There are all kinds of ideas for beautiful Christmas ornaments. You can buy the cheap clear glass balls and fill them or paint them. Another idea is to take a clear jar or vase, and put in some Christmas lights, then add potpourri. It looks beautiful when plugged in and smells great.

Make gift baskets or jars.
This doesn’t have to mean cheesy, handmade stuff that you really don’t do normally. You can make gift baskets with special items inside, such as bath salts and other items good for relaxation. You can print a card with a special recipe and include the ingredients in a jar.
The possibilities here are just about endless, both in terms of affordability and creativity. Think about the recipient’s hobbies and put something together that relates; garden gloves with a plant or seeds for a gardener, gourmet coffee with a cup for the coffee lover, and so forth.

You don’t have to go overboard with gifts to have a wonderful Christmas. A little planning goes a long way toward easing the financial strain that so many feel at this time of year. Getting creative with Christmas presents doesn’t only save money – it makes the gifts more meaningful!

Stephanie Foster is the owner of Home with the Kids, a resource for stay at home parents. For more tips on living on a budget, please visit the site and sign up for the free weekly newsletter.

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Guest Article

Seven Ways to Avoid Christmas Letdown

I was discussing Christmas letdown with a friend. After all the preparation and money and time spent for one day, she feels the day let her down. Instead of a day of joy and happiness, it is a day of exhaustion and depression. Here are some ways to prevent that lacking feeling.

Have realistic expectations. If all of our focus, for six weeks or more, is to make one day perfect, it is no wonder we feel disappointed. We have set ourselves a goal which cannot be met. Focus on what Christmas day means. Traditionally, Christmas stands for a time of happiness, peace and joy. Try and notice the positive going on around you and decide how you want this season to be for you.

Don't blow the budget. Set an amount of money that you can afford to spend and stick to it. Even small children can be a part of this. Explain to them that Santa can only give a few things on each list because there are so many children, in the world. Look up a census of different countries so they can get an idea of the huge amount of children that Santa has to deliver toys to. Trying to please everyone, with the perfect gift that we cannot afford, sets us up for long term buyer's remorse.

Try carpool shopping. Set a time to go to the mall with friends. Fit as many friends as are legally safe in a car. Branch out once you get there and agree to meet a few hours later. Have a cup of hot chocolate or coffee and share your experiences with one another. During the holidays, it is often difficult to make time for friends and still accomplish all that we want. Carpool shopping encompasses both.

Take a fifteen minute break, for yourself. Paint your nails. Read a chapter of a book that you have been wanting to read. Lay back for fifteen minutes and listen to soothing music or Christmas carols. Practice fifteen minutes of yoga. A common complaint is that we never have time to take fifteen minutes out of our day, for us. However, you will find that if you make the time, the rest of your day will go more smoothly.

Remind yourself that giving does not always involve money. Loneliness, in the elderly, is most acute at this time of year. Take an elderly friend shopping or invite them to your house. Give extra canned food to a food bank or volunteer at a soup kitchen. Involve the whole family in these activities. The reward to our emotional health that these activities provide is priceless.

Take a look at the gift of Christmas past. Take an accounting of your "ah" moments which you have experienced in past Christmases. Was it the wonderful meal, baking cookies or the look on your child's face when he/she saw the tree? In your mind smell the smells, see the colors, hear the sounds and savor those moments. Now, choose three "ah" moments and give them priority, in planning this year's Christmas. Don't worry about any of the other details of Christmas. If you can produce three "ah" moments, it will be a Christmas worth remembering.

Stay in the moment. Sometimes we get so far ahead in our planning that we lose the minute, the hour and the day. The Christmas season encompasses more than one day, so don't make it about only one day. Enjoy the unfolding of the Christmas season.

Practice just a few of these strategies. You will not only avoid the Christmas letdown but find that you enjoyed this Christmas season more.

Constance Weygandt is an author, speaker and balance mentor. For more information on the holidays, visit her website at http://www.balancedwellnessonline.com

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