Christmas 101

Do you find yourself rushing the entire month of December?  Do you desperately want to rest, relax and enjoy friends and family without feeling the need to spend those last moments at the store buying that perfect gift?

Here are some tips on how I get things done (Thanks Mom for teaching me)..try them all or just a few.  You might find yourself enjoy the Christmas season without ALL that rushing

By the way, you have a little over 11 months to start planning for NEXT Christmas.

Christmas tip #1: Start saving $$ every month for your Christmas gifts. Set a budget on your spending. You don't need to max out your credit cards or empty your bank account for Christmas.

Christmas tip #2:  It's okay to hit those after Christmas sales NOW!  If you use wrapping paper/gift bags, name tags, bows, Christmas lights, etc, you can get them at 50% off starting the day after Christmas. You'll save bundles, if you need bundles. Oh and if you hit the stores early enough on the 26th you can get some good candy for 50% off too (like M&Ms).  But remember, to stick to your budget.

Christmas tip #3: If you have a big family and you usually buy gifts for all the siblings & sibling-in-law, try this instead...draw names.  Nieces and Nephews can draw names too. You'll save a ton!  You could also set a theme, example: board games.  Or you can set a theme like it has to be second-hand (from a garage sale or something - you can get some absolutely fantastic deals at garage sales).  Also, set a price limit, that way you won't feel bad if your brother-in-law spent a $150 on you and you only spent $20 for your sister-in-law.  Not everyone has hundreds of dollars laying around.  

Christmas tip #4: Start your Christmas shopping list now.  Oh, and start shopping now (hitting those after Christmas deals, etc).  If you have a place to store (even if it's under your bed, or in a closet), you CAN start planning ahead.  There's really no need to be shopping on Christmas Eve, especially if you plan ahead.  By the way, it makes it way more enjoyable if you shop a little here and little there, even if it's in the middle of February or July.  Again, be mindful of your Christmas budget (we use Crown Financial's Mvelopes budgeting program).

Christmas tip #5: Change your thinking.  Yes, your thinking.  We always think in the now; we're a microwave generation.  It's time to think about 11 months from NOW.   It's time to think Christmas 2011.  Plan a little or plan a lot, either way, it will help when Christmas 2011 comes knocking at your door.

There you have it.  There are 5 helpful tips for planning for a more planned out Christmas for 2011.  Keep an eye out for more Christmas tips.  

Christmas Baking with Kids

I tell you what, this Christmas season has been the best, by far.  The twins love the lights, decorations, Christmas tree, presents under the tree (they love shaking them) Christmas music that plays non-stop in the house and van, and the stories I tell about Jesus' birthday, oh and don't forget all the baking!

Joshua goes nuts when we talk about mixing; he knows exactly where we keep the two mixers.  Saray loves it too, she always asked for Daddy or Mommy to make it go "faster!"  They are learning about flour, baking powder, sugar and the other ingredients that may end up in the mix of things.

Well this Christmas season Jer, the kids and I have been baking up a storm around here.  I have lost count of how many different kinds of cookies/goodies we have made.  I can tell you that we have tried 6 new recipes so far, and that does NOT include the normal Christmas baking list. 

What do we do with all those cookies/goodies?  We give them all away, and of course keep a few for ourselves to enjoy as well, but for the most part they go to friends, family and anyone else that God lays on our hearts, like the mail-man, or a person living alone, etc.  It's been a tradition of ours since that first Christmas together.  We absolutely love all the baking and the giving.  We hope our kids will learn to love to bake, give and that they will carry the tradition when they grow up and move on with life.

A few favorites of mine:  Brazil Jubilees (brazil nuts, coffee and hershey kiss on top), Double Chocolate Biscotti (which I have yet to make...better get in it!), Peanut Butter Blossoms, Oreo Balls (a bag of crushed oreos, package of cream cheese rolled into balls and dipped in melted milk chocolate), Peanut Butter Balls a.k.a. Buckeyes (peanut butter, rice krispies, etc, dipped in milk chocolate), Pretzel Rolo Delight (small square or round pretzel, rolo and & m&m), Ritz Peanut Butter Sandwich dipped in chocolate (with add marshmallow creme)....that's just a few!

Here are a few pictures of the twins dipping pretzel sticks (they ended up just eating them).  They also got to enjoy the leftover chocolate from the Ritz Peanut Butter Sandwiches.  THEY LOVED IT!  Grayson on the other hand, did not get any sweets, but he did get sit by and watch the twins make a large mess for Mommy to clean up.

Merry Christmas to you and yours.  Give a little, or a lot, this Christmas!  Jesus is the Reason for EVERY Season.

1 Extreme 2 the Next (in faces that is)

Most of the time this kid is happy...but this one time, I just happened to catch the "sad to happy" transition.  By the way, Merry Christmas!

The Lack of Hair

For being a family of five we sure are short on hair around here.  I personally choose to have short hair due to have that it's easy and manageable.  Josh has short hair cause his hair is still extremely thin, and it's easier.  Gray has short hair cause his hair is finally growing back in.  Jer keeps his hair short cause he is losing his hair, not by his choice.
Saray on the other hand could have long hair but she twirls, pulls and sometimes eats her hair after it gets beyond the 3/4 inch clipper mark.  This time last year we had to clip her hair due to the fact that she had a large bald spot on the side of her head from twirling and pulling it out.
A year later we are still dealing with this issue.  We just clipped her hair again (oh and she HATES getting her hair cut...you think she'd learn...), shorter than Joshua's, due to the fact that she was twirling, pulling and sometimes eating her hair.
It makes me so sad as I would love for her to have longer hair so she could wear hair clips or pig-tails.  But nope, for now I get to wait this out and pray that she outgrows this silly and annoying habit; for now I will deal with the comments about my daughter having short hair and the fact she is often mistaken for a being a boy, regardless of what she wears.

Please, Saray, stop twirling, pulling and eating your hair, you silly girl.