Spending Spree?

FREE ONE POT
RECIPES!

Name

Email

sign up

(I shared this post last December, and it was oh-so-timely when I came across it again this morning. Maybe it will be some encouragement for you today too! You may want to read this too.)

Time for a break from hunting down the deals and a real heart-to-heart about this Christmas stuff. As I've posted at least a jillion (ummm. . . what feels like a jillion?) Christmas toy, video game, and electronics deals, I'm still reminded of what we really need Christmas to be for our family. I absolutely love Christmas, can't wait for Santa to “surprise” my kids with gifts underneath the tree, and even at a whopping 37-years-old (yikes!), my child-like heart has yet to make it through a single Christmas Eve with even a wink of sleep.

I'm just too excited about the wonder of it all.

That however doesn't mean that Christmas at our home looks like Santa dumped the entire North Pole underneath our tree. Instead, it means my kids come downstairs absolutely delighted by their stockings (which usually include candy, a new toothbrush & toothpaste, some fancy post-it notes, and a baseball card or play-do if they're lucky), and then hurry to see if the fairy wings they requested actually made it down the chimney. They can't wait to start Christmas breakfast when we're finished un-wrapping, and know that some Happy Birthday Jesus cake will end the meal. It's a really, really wonderful day.

Of course, my kids are getting older. My oldest at twelve definitely gets that Christmas here at our house will never be what it is down the street. I don't know quite how much that bothers him (hopefully he won't be in therapy for years?), but he won't be getting $199 Beats Headphones, a fancy phone, or even any of the high-end video games I've posted here. It's not because we can't afford it, or think any of it's awful (at all!), it's just because they don't need it, absolutely can't appreciate it, and it isn't where we've chosen for our hard-earned dollars to go.

This year, he's dreaming of a crazy-fancy pair of basketball shoes that I think are absolutely ridiculous, but my hubby's on his side, so we'll see. 🙂 Trying not to keep up with everyone around us is hard, but I really do want my kids to understand there are so many out there who have nothing. . . and something just seems wrong for my kids to have thousands spent on them when there are those in other parts of the world who'll go without this Christmas.

Please don't go beyond your budget this Christmas to “make” Christmas for your children. Instead, make Christmas by creating special memories, choosing a few very special gifts just for them, and warming your home by the kindness of your heart instead. (Can I just tell you how much I need to work on that one myself?) Especially if your children are little, think small because it's just so much easier to stick with when you start the way you mean to go on. (We've messed up so much as parents, but I'm so thankful my husband was wise enough to decide that for our family when our babies were tiny!)

Trust that Christmas will be just enough, and remind your children (and yourself) what this whole Christmas thing is all about. I promise . . . they'll really be okay (or maybe they'll be sitting right next to mine in therapy for years. . .) 😉

And on a very short side note, I struggle CONSTANTLY with posting so many deals encouraging you to “buy-buy-buy” all the great deals this Christmas, however, it is what allows me to do this work each day. I pray that you've created a budget, and use discernment as you purchase. (I also work very hard to only post legitimate deals… so if you're looking for a deal, know that I've done the research to make sure these are the lowest prices out there!) Thanks for your support of PPP ~ I really couldn't do it without you.