Did you meet most of your goals? Make things yourself? Not buy on credit? Did your kids like their gifts?


I'm proud of our holiday and was totally happy until we went to the ILs yesterday.
I did well. As I was hiding gifts (put out clues to find them) I was being mindful of what I actually paid for: a $6 sticker for DH (from his school), some bendies from Dannielle, a felt phoenix from Katie, a used book and a mag subscription for the kids. I made or traded for other things. My kids didn't receive a lot (comparative to other people, past years, etc.) but were so happy with things. Just thrilled. DD said it was the best christmas ever and thanked me profusely throughout the day. We used things we already had and decorated the kids room for them, rearranged and hung a couple pictures and brought in a houseplant from the living room. The day was theirs.

But something has to sour it. DD knows that santa is the "spirit of giving" and not a person and I didn't want to "do" santa this year. So yesterday we visited with family and my BIL asks dd what santa brought and she says "nothing". His response: "You must be a bad kid then."

Then after telling everyone how it took their dd two hours to open gifts (and naming as many as they could remember) they asked dd what she received so she spieled her list: blanket, shirt, mug, bendies, toothbrush, book, magazine and chocolate bar. The response "Really, that's it?" :eyes:

Do people not THINK before talking to a child?

Anyhow, if I can wipe that 30 minutes of conversation from my mind, we had a fabulous holiday. :)

Now I need to get to work on my two Feb birthdays.

It amazes me how some adults can say such idiotic things. Gabe's bestfriend who is 7 was sitting at the breakfast table with his grand dad last week and his grand dad asked him if he still believed in the whole Santa thing. I can just imagine the look on this kids dad's face. He was pretty livid as I feel he had the right to be.

We had a great Christmas and as you our kids only got a couple of gifts. We did spend more than usual since Gabe asked for a camera but it has been something he has wanted for quite some time and he is very responsible so we bit the bullet and got it for him.

Our kids each got a few used books I bought on ebay, games I bought on a very good sale last year, a huge tub of Lego's we got at the Goodwill for $10, the boys got $8 skate boards and Gwen got a scooter from Santa, and then their big gifts were Gabe's camera, a teepee I made for Gwenny, and Gavin got a squid sub made by matchbox that he wanted.

My kids were fully content even though they only got a few gifts each. It gave us alot more time to play and spend time as a family and no one got the "is there another gift for me or I want more" attitude.

My parents also pared down by about half of what they have bought in the past. It was great to only come home with a few laundry baskets worth of gifts instead of a full vanload full.

We had a wonderful, relaxing, funfilled, and loving Christmas. Our best yet as far as I am concerned.

Ours was really nice. My parents are back in New Zealand for Christmas, spending it with my sister and her family this time (Hi Belinda!). We usually in the past have stayed over at their house for Christmas Eve, and it was actually really nice NOT to do that. To wake up and have stockings, gifts, breakfast in our own house instead of stressing out in my parents' mansion about who's touching/breaking/messing what. So I hope we can do that again next year without feeling like we're rejecting my parents.

As far as gifts, the kids got cheapy backpacks for school. A spinbrush each. One special toy each, Naomi's was secondhand. And a secondhand original playstation. That was what they got from us, and it was nice. They were really happy. I put a couple of things in Dave's stocking I got free with points from the local radio station fanclub. A couple of things came in the mail like the Shrek 3 movie from Naomi's birthgrandma, and a wooden toy each from Dave's sister. Dave's Mum signed the kids up for a children's church magazine subscription. So not alot of clutter. It's all good.

Then we went to my Aunt's for Christmas dinner and hung out there the rest of the day. And it was much more relaxing.

Kerri

we had a really great christmas. we stayed within our budget and felt so proud of that. i almost went out and got something else for my dad when i realized while i was wrapping his gift that i had only spent $22 on my step mom and him. i decided to remember the point of it all (umm...the point not being to spend some certain amount of money...which we were totally out of) and not get anything else. he absolutely loved his small gift, and i felt so great about it all. staying within the budget took trading, buying used, asking mil to make some things for me for free (which she was happy to do), freecycling, baking. it was all so worthwhile and bonding for dh and me. we had a great time baking together this year, which neither of us have ever done in the past. dh and i spent $50 on each other instead of our usual $100 budget, and we both felt special and loved by what we got and didn't want more. we spent almost a full day with each set of grandparents (3) and felt great about that. we loved having everyone here on christmas eve rather than going to the IL's for the day/evening, as we've done every year in the past. we all snuggled in bed and continued reading "a christmas carol" out loud on christmas night, and that was a fun memory.

my dad, who is great and i love very much, did say to ds "you're not a good eater" when he ate a piece of toast, one bacon (but not both) and only some of his eggs at breakfast and "you're not going to be a singer" when ds sung a song....that he *made up* mind you. he said, "you may be a song writer, but you won't ever be a singer." uggggg. tonight, we picked up on the fact that ds was being a little clingy and needy. dh said, "isaac, you're so good at so many things. i think you're good at singing, good at pretending, a good big brother...and ds says "and i'm a good eater too?" oh boy...so...yep....he remembered papa saying that. oh well. but still...i know what you mean about comments to children. lol.

What crazy things to say! Some people just amaze me.

We had a really good holiday. We traveled with my Jewish in-laws until Christmas Eve. That helped keep it all low-key in a good way. The kids got up Christmas morning and opened their presents. They were happy with everything.

We did get clutter, but it is all mostly useful clutter not just useless toys that no one will play with.

We stayed within budget. I got each child:
-Something they wanted
-Something they needed
-Something to read

We had a great time together and are extending "togetherness time" through the break. Having some friends over today, going to Burlington w/the kids' school for First Night (NYE) etc.

I am very proud of how I pared down for my kids. Each got one "big gift" which was from Santa. (Both were bought on super sale, so Katie's mp3 player cost $5 and J's train table and full layout, around $90.) A small gift for each of them: a cool non-battery "copter" toy for J and a dollhouse family for K. Then some books for K and two DVDs for J. Then a big family gift, a snow tube for sledding from LL Bean.

I wrapped up some New Moon books that Katie ordered with me, wrapped up the issue of Stone Soup that came from Great Grandpa even though she knew the subscription was coming, and wrapped up her circus camp registration. This way there was more to open. (J doesn't need more to open, he is done after the first present, usually - although he seemed more into it this year!)

The extended family pared down, too, thank goodness! They got a couple of things per kid from each set of grandparents, plus my mom got them each some super comfy comforters. Usually my mom goes WAY overboard, but finally, she didn't. We are returning/exchanging one thing she got - I suggested it too - it was a Hannah Montana dance pad and was nothing but disappointing to K. She is exchanging it for an iDog and a HM wig/microphone/sunglasses set on Amazon that got good reviews and is reasonably priced. K really wanted an iDog so she's very excited about this. (It is a cheaper one, I see some of them are $70, but the one K liked was $35. I don't want to say how much the stupid dance mat was! It was like $50 and just such a rip off.)

Anyway as far as presents, we hit "just right" this year. :) For our family and teacher gifts, I did not go into debt. I spent $20 for the supplies for the M&M pretzel/kiss treats and handed that out to everyone, plus made felted soaps from supplies we had for the main teachers.

For extended family, I had grand plans to make/craft everything, but with working FT now, it did not work out. :( I ended up spending around $200 for everyone, and I had to put it on a CC. I feel bad about that, but I did it knowing that I have a check coming that will more than cover it (for work I've already done). So it wasn't SO bad, just had to be temporarily on a CC. I was able to pick things that everyone genuinely enjoyed, so that was fun.

It was ok. We overspent our budget but we did not put anything on the cc. I did not make anything, only one batch of Christmas cookies but honestly just taking care of the daily family needs has been all I have energy for lately and of course I got sick again right before Christmas. The IL's was overstimulating as usual. Both dh and oldest dd on the way home said they want to stay home next year for Christmas and that's perfectly fine with me.

Really well!!

We set aside a specific amount every month that goes into a Christmas/Birthday fund.

No credit card spending.

Everyone was happy. :) Especially dh and I. We put an extra $1200 on the credit card in the form of PAYMENTS in the month of December!!! Woo Hoo!! It was so hard to not spend that $1200 on a TV...ours is nearly shot. (and dh loves his TV shows...that is his way of relaxing) But we made a promise that when we pay off the CC and the Van that we'll save for a month to get the TV then as a "reward" before we start to hit the car debt.

This was a first for us....I think things are finally "clicking" in our minds/hearts towards money.

Michelle