Holiday Madness
Who out there can believe the holidays are literally AROUND THE CORNER? Why is it every year around this time days just speed up? November comes, and then BANG, Christmas is here.
So what do we do this year now that all we’re hearing is bad news about the economy? I mean, really? It’s so depressing I have to turn the radio off when I’m driving–I just can’t take more disaster. The kids are geared up for presents, and I’m feeling like Scrooge. How can we make this period fun without breaking the bank?
Here are the top three things I’m doing to try to keep a grip on life right now, while still having a good time with my family (and getting my daily work done!):
1. Making Gifts: This requires planning and can be stressful, but it teaches them so much. Money doesn’t buy everything; something made with love is worth more than something bought and then quickly discarded; effort is valuable and appreciated. Some ideas I have tried that have been really successful and fun are:
- Homemade books: this can be really fun for the children, and a great keepsake for grandparents and godparents. The kids type up a story–sometimes even the older ones need a little direction here–and insert clip art or pictures from the internet. They make a nice cover and staple it all together. Simple, but cute.
- Cooking: what child doesn’t like baking? Banana bread, cookies, cakes. It’s a nice way to spend time with the children, too. Usually when they cook I get stressed because the kitchen is such a mess. But when we do it for the holidays, I relax into it and have fun.
- Notecards: This requires a great piece of artwork and the ability to scan or photocopy, and some thick paper. Scan or copy your child’s picture onto the bottom of half a piece of paper. When you fold the paper in half, presto: a card! Give it along with some envelopes, wrapped in a simple ribbon.
- Calendars: print out all the months from your Outlook calendar on the computer. You can add special dates if you want. Then have the children, even older ones, draw a picture for each month which you mount on a sturdy piece of paper and attach to the calendar. Here a hole-punch is helpful, and some thin ribbon to bind the two sides together.
2. Celebrate early, often and in small ways. Really, celebrating the holidays is all about the rituals. This year, we’ve been careful to do all those family rituals–we celebrate advent every Sunday in December and St. Nikolaus on Dec 6, for example. This way the kids are in the holiday spirit, but it’s not all about the drama of the big gifts.
3. Do Potluck: We always have a lot of people at our house over the holiday period and we love it that way. But all the cooking and providing of food is pretty manic. This year we’re doing potluck and bring a bottle, and we think people will actually like it. It makes them feel more part of the celebration, and it really takes the pressure off us.