How do you Christmas?
Hey yall! Happy Monday morning! yee yee....Last week was full of sicknes and sports. Ha. We have to have a better week this week. I'm thankful we got some down time this past weekend and I forced my oldest to watch some of the Twilight saga. I was a true Twilight fan but she was very indecisive over them. Ugh. Who am I raising? I kept asking her, well are you Team Edward or Jacob. Haha. I havent had nearly enough time to sit by fire and watch movies this season and Christmas is exactly 13 days away people!! How is that possible? Are you done shopping? Amazon has been my bestie this shopping seaon. I am pretty well finished up except for some random gifts.
Today I wanted to talk all things Christmas. How we Christmas! Everyone does Christmas differently and I think it also stems from maybe how you were raised. Each couple in a relationship obviously grew up different and they take bits and pieces from each to make their own family traditions. I love traditions and things that I sure hope my girls remember and maybe even take along when they raise a family someday.
Growing up, my Mom made Christmas extra special. My brothers and I joke that from September and on, if you wanted something, Mom would say, well add that to your Christmas list. Ha. All joking aside, growing up we had really great memories of Christmas. We would wake up and find what Santa brought us, stockings and then eat a big breakfast and open wrapped gifts. One year, my Mom didnt label who's gift belonged to who and it drove us all crazy. There was no shaking and peeking of boxes that way. This year, I wrapped each girl in seperate wrapping papers and didnt label them. I do think they have probably figured out by now who's who due to the size of the boxes. Looking back though, I cant remember what I got all those Christmas' BUT I do remember the love, happiness, good breakfast made by my Mom and family traditions. I truly think that is what sticks and I try to keep that in mind, when I am searching for that hot toy or suede Birkenstock clogs that my girls asked for.
How do we decide how much or how many gifts? Well I feel like this varies year to year. We try and get the girls most things that they might want. Yes they are spoiled beyond belief but my husband and I work hard to provide everything they want for. You have kids, you do just that, obviously within a limit. No one is getting a llama, unless its Mama. So we spend the same amount on each kid. This has gotten harder as they have grown, mainly because my oldest wants custom or aka expensive Air Jordans or clothing. Our youngest wants toys, so she ends up with more gifts obviously. This year our youngest is asking for an XBOX. We have never been a gaming family so this is a new venture. If its not the OG Mario Bros, I dont know what is happening. One thing to help be able to spend more on kids, my husband and I dont buy for each other. We just havent ever really bought each other Christmas gifts and it actually is much easier. We buy what we want thru the year honestly and need for NOTHING. Plus my husband is difficult to buy for! Friends, I never do very good on his bday or Fathers Day so the pressure of Christmas too, forget about it.
Extended family Christmas gits.? We both have fairly large families and nieces and nephews who we adore. Christmas for me, is about the kids. We buy for all the kids but dont buy for adults. Easy peasy. We buy for our pastor families, grandparent, teachers and some close friends but yeah otherwise thats really it. I feel like narrowing your shopping list down to a select group makings your holiday season a little more enjoyable. You will not catch me in TJ Maxx, Target, the mall etc on the weekends from now until the new year. It is so painful and steals my joy having to run the race of holiday shopping. I read a study that said brick and mortar shopping is up this year vs just online shopping and I think that is great, especially for small business, but nah, Amazon in my pajamas. Yep. here for it.
I am linking my Amazon Storefront here for yall, loads of great gift ideas. Check it out!!
https://www.amazon.com/shop/rusticwifestyle
Hope your week is wonderful and you are kicking off some Christmas celebrations! 13 days peeps!!
