Simplifying Christmas . . .

[Michelle in MO]

I'm sure this topic has been talked about before, but I want to bring it up again.

 

Would any of you mind sharing what you are doing this year to simplify Christmas at your house and with your family, particularly with gift-giving? I think because of the economy this is a good idea.

 

We've had a couple of thoughts at our house:

 

1.) For the grandparents, I'm going to take a couple of videotapes that were made of the kids when they were younger and have them turned into DVD's.

 

2.) My oldest is going to put together a tea basket for her dad---just an inexpensive basket, a few types of tea, a mug, and maybe an interesting type of honey (i.e., orange honey).

 

Can anyone else share, please, what you're going to do to simplify things at your house?

 

Thanks!

[LisaKinVA]

We started with a list of gift types for each of the children:

 

Book, Outfit, Movie or Video Game, Toy and Craft/Activity. When those categories are filled, we're done.

 

For families/relatives, we usually send a White House Christmas Ornament for the parents, and baked goodies for the remainder of the family. I have 19 nieces and nephews, so doing individual gifts stopped a looong time ago :D, Sometimes, there are exceptions to this -- for example, if there is a particularly good book we want to share (Do hard things), we may send it along too.

 

Our parents usually get a little something extra (my dad is getting mixed nuts, a book, and a gift card to Lowe's -- but we live with my dad right now :D).

 

We've cut our Christmas spending in half this year (not a need, but a want). So, this is working pretty well for us.

[Jen in PA]

We don't tend to have much money this time of year in any event, but I've been planning subtle changes for this year. We usually give store-bought chocolates to the folks at the bank, library, and post office, but this year they will be getting homemade cookies. I started baking and freezing them a couple of weeks ago, and I have picked up attractive tins as I came across good deals. I got a fantastic deal on some very nice tea last month, so my younger sisters, all in various stages of grad school and college, will be getting tea and cookies in the mail, with postage being more expensive than the gift! I am actually getting everything out early enough this year that I can save a bit on postage as well. No studio picture of the kids this year -- I'm having copies made of ones I took during the year. There will be a tiny gift exchange with the sisters who have families, with a $5 per child limit, so that won't break the bank. My mother and grandmothers will be getting tea and books that I picked up on sale, and my father and his new wife will be getting something local, probably an ornament, and a picture of the kids in a nice frame. My in-laws will be getting something similar, plus a bunch of homemade goodies since they live nearby. We don't usually go overboard with the kids, and that will not change this year, and I am planning just a few small and useful things for dh. Don't tell my kids, but a couple of their presents are for school -- more blocks for my preschooler, and a science encyclopedia, instructional chess set, and book of Greek myths for my 1st grader. I convinced one grandmother to cover the cost of dance lessons as her Hanukkah gift to them, and the other sends a check each year for me to use as I please, which always means a museum membership. I wish I could say that we would come in under $100, but I think when I factor in postage and baking supplies, $150 would be fair.

[Jane in NC]

Among the things that I try to do is support my local economy. Also, I have been having a blast sewing.

 

For my eighty-something year old father: I made a fabric bucket (tutorial here) which I filled with pecans from my favorite local farm and an ergonomically designed nutcracker purchased from the local cooking store. Arthritis is starting to plague my dad's hands but I think that this nutcracker will actually provide a bit of therapy for him.

 

I have commissioned a friend (who is a single Mom) to make some pottery that we are giving.

 

My sewing projects have include cloth luggage tags, a zippered wristlet, a fabric belt. Did I already say that I have been having a blast sewing? While the rest of the world was out shopping on Friday and Saturday, I had my machine out.

 

My son is making ornaments for gifts. He ties flies (for fly fishing) from red and green materials, then places the fly in a clear glass ball. A bit of an offbeat ornament that guys who fish tend to like.

 

ETA: Last year my son gave his aunts note cards featuring a photo that he had taken. I think that it is important for guys to get involved in the gift giving/making business since later it seems that the burden of gifting falls on women.

 

Whether this is more "simple" or not is probably up to the individual. Some may get stressed out by the thought of sewing or crafting anything. For me, handwork is meaningful and comforting. I also enjoy baking. Neighbors annually receive Moravian Sugar Cake (a yeast risen coffee cake) while family members have received since my days of absolute poverty while in grad school homemade caramels. I announced that the caramel tradition was coming to an end when my son was a baby. Recipients made it clear that they would rather have homemade caramels over anything I could purchase so the tradition lives on...

 

Not everything is homemade. My sister has taken to using her bike in her neighborhood so I ordered a beautiful bike basket from Peterboro baskets--a New England company. I am trying to avoid purchasing things from China.

 

Simple? For me that was. I love the Internet...

 

Best regards,

Jane

Edited December 1, 2008 by Jane in NC
afterthought