I know November isn't even half over, but have you seen the stores? Have you been to the mall? Have you noticed that the Christmas music channels are suddenly available on t.v.???
This week, I visited a nearby MOPS (Mothers of Pre-Schoolers) group with a friend. It was a pre-Christmas meeting with lots of ideas about simplifying and enjoying the holidays, not to mention incorporating Christ back into Christmas.
We began the meeting by answering a few questions. Consider answering these for yourself:
- This year, I want my Christmas to be...(my answers were joyful, purposeful and festive)
- List your three top family Christmas activities. Now ask your family about their top three and decide what needs to make it on the calendar this year.
- Are your Christmas traditions stressful or comforting? How would your family answer?
After answering all of these questions, sit down for a family meeting to assess your priorities this Christmas season.
The speaker shared a statistic that shocked me: $2.8 billion is put on credit cards EVERY 10 MINUTES between Thanksgiving and Christmas. $2.8 billion. Every. Ten. Minutes.
Do you know how much you spend on Christmas? Have you ever considered making a budget? It should include things like: extra meals for visiting relatives, gifts and wrapping paper, cards and postage, extra grocery money for baking supplies, even post-holiday sale purchases.
I know it feels early, but consider taking a few minutes this weekend to decide what you want your Christmas season to look like this year. Interview your family and talk through everyone's expectations so that no one is disappointed. Lower your own expectations about having a "perfect" experience or memory or turkey dinner...whatever the case may be. Look at your answers to #1 (above) and keep the end goal in mind every day during the month of December.
Can you tell I'm already getting into the Christmas spirit? Expect more Christmas posts from me...I'm feelin' festive!
I know it feels early, but consider taking a few minutes this weekend to decide what you want your Christmas season to look like this year. Interview your family and talk through everyone's expectations so that no one is disappointed. Lower your own expectations about having a "perfect" experience or memory or turkey dinner...whatever the case may be. Look at your answers to #1 (above) and keep the end goal in mind every day during the month of December.
Can you tell I'm already getting into the Christmas spirit? Expect more Christmas posts from me...I'm feelin' festive!
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5 comments:
Hi Katie,
How funny your post is opposite of what I'm feeling right now. For the last 4 years my spirit for Christmas has dwindled. I feel too much pressure to have the perfect Christmas and get all the shopping and wrapping done, decorating it all adds up and is so overwhelming for me. Funny about your comment about the Christmas music playing now. I've heard it at walmart for at least 9 days now. I just wish they would slow it down and remember Thanksgiving which is my FAVORITE holiday. I just did a post on my blog about it. Anyhow so much for us to be thankful for this month then start to think about Christmas.
Sorry if I dampen your spirits. Not trying to, I actually am looking forward to hearing what your doing for the holidays and decorating and such. Just don't need to see/hear it everywhere I go. I like your last statement. We no longer use credit cards, all cash. Also going to do mostly outings with the kids and only a few presents this year.
What kind of speaker was at your MOPS group? I would love to have someone speak on that exact topic at ours. I am our new coordinator and don't know now where to find these great people/speakers :) Thanks for starting my mind a thinking on perspective in the holidays.
Well, considering I will be about 38 wks pg when christmas rolls around, my one word to describe christmas this year is SIMPLE! I'm not taking out the big christmas tree or many of our decorations. we have purchased a small christmas tree and i'm going to let my 4yo son decorate it. then for years to come, we can have both - a small kids tree and a large festive tree. it will help me not stress doing so much right before the baby comes, and i really need to spend all of that energy on getting ready for baby and resting (since energy is practically gone anyway).
as for shopping - i have a christmas account that i put money in each paycheck. it is an ING Direct online account, and whatever balance is in that account is what i spend on christmas. i have the same thing for a vacation fund as well. i've started shopping a little, but i'm a black friday shopper, so i'll probably get about 75% of my shopping done that day (and mostly online lately)...
oh, and I know it is way early to be decorating, but the last few years we have started our christmas decorating on vet's day. we have nov. 11th off usually, so that is a great day to get started...that way i can relax after thanksgiving dinner and enjoy that weekend - and still have everything decorated. however, i usually take everything down the day AFTER christmas. by that point, i'm ready to have the house back to normal!
finally - one thing that is very hard - making it to 5 thanksgiving dinners and 5 christmas dinners (family related), plus all the other events it gets crazy! I've learned to pick ONE dinner/event per day. If we have more than one, we alternate each year between families. it is stressful on me getting food ready, presents ready, etc for each party - so i have to start preparing in advance or i would go crazy.
so - maybe for your wednesday q&a - how do you determine your budget for christmas? what did you elimiate? how many gifts do your kids get each from Santa? (we are trying to just do a few gifts)
looking forward to your festive posts!!
I love this time of the year!!
Hi again katie,
Just wanted to say I've been doing a little better since you posted this. I liked the questions that you were to ask yourselves and the family. I'm going to do that to and take it from there. This year after 3 deaths within a month of family/friends I've decided I just want a simple holiday, not much into gifts but would rather do some homemade gifts and just spend time together. So on Wednesday could you post your answers to those 3 questions and I liked Nat's questions too. Thanks again for all your thoughts and your posts.
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