Like the rest of you we are working on simplifying our lives. I am trying to get most of our family to donate to charity instead of buying us stuff. Giving our kids money as that is what they need most at this phase of their lives. Things are not nearly as hectic at Christmas as it used to be. Life is good.
Lynnie wish I was there to help you with those stockings, so generous of you!

I save $50.00 a month in my Christmas fund - I generally go over it with gifts, but it is all paid off by the first of January. I love giving to my family and friends. I do not go overboard, but I really have fun doing this. This year is the corker. I got my son a gift card from a pig farm for two baby pigs when they are born this Spring. I found a Wrought Iron "When Pigs Fly" figure and he can put it in a window in the pig house or whatever you call it. I also got my daughter in law a gift card from a Cheese making company. They got a cow and she wants to learn how to make a good cheddar cheese - she already has the goats for feta cheese. So I got her a Wrought Iron "When Cows Fly" she can put in the milk house or wherever she is going to make the cheese. I am so excited for Christmas this year. I also am in the process of making and planning to make six quilts this year as gifts for when I finish them.

Happy Christmas and God Bless us Everyone - Edie

I haven't done secret santa at work for quite a while because it seemed to get out of hand with people overspending. Decided to this year since it's my last year teaching. There is a set price for gifts that is reasonable. A few of us went to a craft sale yesterday and I got some perfect gifts for it at reasonable prices. So that was helpful. Am turning down an invitation for a quilt class I thought I wanted to do this week. Afraid I wouldn't enjoy it with all that has to get done.

Trying to keep things reasonable! While still enjoying the season...

I know this sounds like scrooge. I'm getting the oldest DGDs thrift store shopping cards. With the cards they gave me a half off coupon. SSSSOOOOO after Christmas we will all go shopping. They love the thrift store and with them all growing so fast their money will stretch pretty good. It gives them a day with Grandma and shopping.

My DGD - only one, spent the night. We made Barbie doll clothes out of socks. We had a couple dirty looking socks to experiment so she pretended Barbie had to work on her car and got a little dirty. We did Barbie clothes out of the socks and a little sewing then all of a sudden she quit. She said we needed to wait for the other girls so they could have fun MAKING the doll clothes. Miss M is hoping for a big bag of mismatched socks for Christmas.... Then we found pintrest had all kinds of ideas for making doll houses. So guess what else we might try to do...

We have a large extended family on my side. We used to buy for everyone.....when we both worked and were rich!!!! Now that we are retired we buy for all the grandnieces and grand nephews. I think that we are going to have to cut that back. We have 3 children, their spouse's, 7 grands and 2 greats. I like to enjoy Christmas, give homemade gifts and forget the hassle! We do use the cards but pay them off in Jan. Like the perks for Disney and airline tickets!

My youngest son married into a large, well-to-do family. They are lovely people who love giving parties and always are generous when it comes to giving gifts. For several years we exchanged gift cards but it started to feel like they would give us a gift card for X amount, and we would give a gift card for X amount, so we were really just trading gift cards back and forth. So this year we will be giving them a card that says that we have made a donation to St. Jude's Children's Hospital in their name.

I have four grandchildren and THREE of them have birthdays in December. So December turns into a very expensive month for me. I try to give them *one* present off their list and then everyone shares a Night Before Christmas box, which has new PJ's for all the kids, a DVD they can all watch together, and hot chocolate and popcorn.

Choose what is comfortable for YOU to participate in. Do not let outside forces "dictate" to you. Or make you feel guilty! In the end, you are in control and that is what matters.

i would not bake goodies to last me thru the middle of January. I am fully aware that we will gobble them
up by Jan. 1!

Blessed Christmas!
sandy

DH will not pay a finance charge if he had to sell blood to not do so. LOL. All cc bills are paid in full every month. So I only buy what can be paid off. I buy my adult kids more then I buy for the grandkids. It's my children's place to buy the grands their Christmas. But I want my adult kids have a good Christmas too and many times the adults get left out. Just the way I think. I don't do much baking or cooking. There is a great bakery close by and a very good catering business that will cook all the side dishes for me. I bake the ham or turkey. It's my holiday too and I don't like being in the kitchen with a big mess to clean up afterwards.

Exactly, so well said I would not change a thing you have said. All too often some of us get so carried away to the point that they will be carting us away by the time we get it all paid off. I am not going to do that.

I use to make everything for Christmas for family & friends. We have 4 children & spouces, 15 grand kids & 4 Greats. With my DH disabled now, I just can't do it anymore. Way to many to do for & they all understand. With them all living far away, the postage alone is way more than we can afford. I do still make things for them, but they only get them when we are able to see them all at different times of the year. We & they like it knowing they get goodies when we get together & we get to watch them open them. That makes it special for all of us. Our Christmas is spent thanking or Lord for what he has given us.