Christmas

My poor, dear four year old boy...the last few days before Christmas must drag by like being in stuck in traffic behind somebody driving 20 miles per hour on an interstate rated for 75 and you can't go around them! Everyday he asks, "is today Christmas?!" I find it to be a difficult task to tone down the overwhelmingly crazy Santa and gift ideas he gets primarily from school. We don't watch broadcast television, so he doesn't see commercials but boy oh boy does he think Santa Claus is going to bring him lots & lots of toys! I hope he isn't too disappointed.

I'm not going to tell him the truth about Santa, but the jolly old man is rather de-emphasized at home. We discuss the real meaning of Christmas - Jesus's birth, the arrival of God's son on the earth. We do not overdo Christmas with gifts. We do overdo Christmas with food, family time, crafts, and holiday movies and activities.  Mostly food. (My personal love language is food! If I offer it, accept it, eat it, like it...lest I may think you don't love me back! :)

Christmas becomes stressful when we try to buy more than we can afford or attend too many events and parties or constantly stay on the go or in a rush. I don't care for that at all. There are so many people out doing their holiday errands, it makes the regular, everyday, routine errands much more difficult. I look forward to January when I can go to the store without battling traffic or hoards of people. Where did all these people come from anyway? It took me over 35 minutes to get to a store that generally takes me about ten minutes to get to the other day! I actually stocked-up and purchased most of my groceries and other necessities for more than a month back just before Thanksgiving - to avoid these insane crowds. So ready for the world to return to it's "normal" flow.

Somewhere in our culture, people got it mixed up in our heads that we have to go into massive debt to afford the "right" Christmas.  Again it's the media and marketers working their evil magic on us! LOL If you can't tell your children "no" or you're in credit card debt or other financial situations, you have other problems than just Christmas (no offense - I've been there!) but let me just state that you can have a beautiful Christmas, create wonderful memories, and have a blessed time with your family for very little money.

I encourage gently-used and homemade gifts. There is absolutely nothing wrong with finding the "perfect" book, sweater, jacket, lamp, wall art, wine rack, jewelry, toys, housewares, etc. at an antique, consignment, or thrift shop and giving it as a gift. I'll take a great item and that you recycled and saved money all at the same time - win-win! :) And if a person takes the time to make me something, whether it be food or beverage, artwork, crafts, bath & body products, candles, jewelry, photographs, knitted or crocheted items - that is the most wonderful gift of all! Not only are they giving me something awesome I get to eat, wear, or use but they made it with love and nothing else could be sweeter than that!

My daughter and I have been making things for weeks now.  I can't list them all here because, well because you'd know what you were getting! :) Next year we're going to be more proactive about creating gifts for people starting in October!

Oh yeah, I don't send Christmas cards either. But I love Christmas, don't think me a grinch! Just drop by "Ramsey Farms" during the season - our tree is gorgeous (thanks to Uncle Jimmy, Chris, and my kids!), the house smells of pine tree, cinnamon, bread baking, pumpkin spice,  peppermint, coffee, cookies, and chocolate and the sounds of children yelling and laughing, holiday music, and conversation fills the rooms, deliciousness is being baked up in the kitchen, puzzles are being put together, wood is being chopped, gifts are being crafted, debt or bills are not being accrued, cards are not being mailed (they are received and thank you!), and oh yeah - Jesus's birthday is coming up in a few days, family is coming to spend the night, and we are going to eat a five-course feast to celebrate!

Happy birthday Jesus!