Well....a good happy morning to all of you too!
I know you are probably asking...."Why does she have Christmas trees on this post." I am asking myself the same thing!
No.....really.....I do have somewhere that I am going with this....
Christmas decorations are out in all of the stores......and this drives me nuts!! I kinda do understand why the retailers put them out..(because they want us to buy from them first) but, can't they just wait until after Halloween or Thanksgiving??
I definitely want to be able to enjoy my Thanksgiving and to let my Tummy enjoy my Turkey before having to think about shopping for Christmas....but I guess this is just not how it works....
Do you realize that there are only about 62 shopping days left?
Every single year....I say that I am going to start my next year's shopping the day after Christmas......But do I?? NO!!
I have good intentions that never seem to go anywhere...
For starters....I don't know what to buy....then there is the fact that the kids are growing so fast, so clothes are out of the question until about 2 weeks prior to Christmas.....And then, you have the constantly changing fashions!! (Boys are just as bad as the girls when it comes to fashion)
Who knows what to buy when it comes to toys??? I can't be guaranteed that if I bought the toys they had been asking for, that they would even still want it when Christmas rolled around ...OR....that their parents would not buy it for them some time throughout the year.... (they are rotten for sure)
Dilemma's for sure! With 6 grandchildren to buy for and four adult kids....the cost of Christmas shopping keeps getting bigger and bigger.......
Sooo.....here is another issue....How much am I gonna spend on each one of these little rascals?
When does it ever reach the point that enough is enough?
Are we spending enough??....are we NOT spending enough on each one of them WHAT IS ENOUGH??
Since the government likes to give us charts for the taxes we must pay and everything else we do, then perhaps they need to make us a gift giving chart!
You know....kinda like this....
You make $ dollars then you have to give one gift to each person ranging from
$5.00 to $25.00 each.
You make $$ dollars, then you have to gift each person two gifts, but the gift must cost at least $50.00 and can not go over $100.00.
If you make $$$ dollars....then the limit is 3 gifts each ranging in cost from $100.00 to $200.00 each.
If you make $$$$....no limit on gifts...no limit on cost!
Wouldn't this make life easy?!?!
I have a few questions that you might want to answer and again, you might not....I just think it would be fun to know what others think about gift giving at Christmas....
1. Do you have a budget for each member of the family and what do you base it on?
2. Does everyone get the same number of gifts?
Are the number of gifts that each individual gets determined on the dollar allowance for that particular person...you know...what is someone wants a gift that cost as much as their budget....do they just get the one gift?
Are the number of gifts that each individual gets determined on the dollar allowance for that particular person...you know...what is someone wants a gift that cost as much as their budget....do they just get the one gift?
3. Do you prefer to buy gifts that your kids (family) needs or things they want?
I would love for the focus to be all about the Birth of Jesus....
and not the gifts, but kids...they want to open packages....
For me, it's kinda like the song that Ronnie Dunn sings....
"The Cost of Livin".......is going up!!
These are my thoughts today....
Sending you hugs...
Shug ~
Hi Shug!
ReplyDeleteYou are so right - about everything!! I wish that Christmas decorating would start in December, not August, it drives me nuts too!
Oh, the agony of gift giving! I love to give gifts to my children and grandchildren, but . . . . I believe that through the years, it has gotten so out of hand! Every year, I say that I am going to keep it simple. Why does it seem so hard?!
1. I do have a budget for each adult, I have six adults to buy for.
2. I try to keep it even - sometimes it's hard, depending on what you give. I try to keep it within the budget.
3. I just give them something I think they would like. This year I am making or buying, (depending on time)pajamas for my grands and a book, as they all love to read.
I so agree, we need to keep our focus on the birth of the Savior, not on the gift. Just getting together as a family and celebrating such a wonderful blessing should be enough... :0)
I've taken enough space!! Oops!
Hugs,
Barb
Sure shootin' I have a limit with eight grandkiddos!!! I haven't started yet. I hate to see everything out for Christmas before Halloween and Thanksgivin' is over. Now catch me the day after Thanksgivin' and I've got the Christmas throttle all the way down! Heeehehehe!
ReplyDeleteNow I've been at my Mama's down in Brownsville Tx (on my 'workcation') and I did her Christmas shoppin' for her while I was there.
God bless ya sweetie and I'm with ya all the way...Christmas is all about Jesus!
Okay I always complain I have a small family - but in this case . . .
ReplyDeletesandie
It is a little too soon to see 8 tiny reindeer flying down the mall! I haven't even really gotten the halloween costumes together yet...oops! But i'm like most of you, the early morning hours of the day after Thanksgiving you will find my mom and sister and I giggling as we rush to find a parking spot at Target!! And you better hope no one gets in our way...Just kidding!!! We pack lots of love and patience that day!
ReplyDeleteHi Shug! Good topic. I have been seeing Christmas in some stores starting last month in September. That's ridiculous in my opinion! I would like to enjoy the fall season and Thanksgiving without seeing Christmas trees and Santa everywhere!!
ReplyDeleteI have a small family and no grandchildren as yet, so I get off pretty easy when it comes to holiday shopping! :D We probably still spend too much, but we all love Christmas. We do know the reason for the season, tho!
Have a wonderful day!
I am one who usually like to decorate for Christmas early,as in the middle of November,but this year I feel very different about it.No real excitement,yet.Gifts are another hassle,and I only have one sone and oe granddaughter to buy for,technically.Oh yes,there is the sons girlfriend and her two children. So far I am not coming up with any good ideas.
ReplyDeleteWe have six children, some with spouses or significant others, and five grandchildren. Plus other assorted friends and relatives, including both of my parents. We give our kids checks--each a certain amount--all the same. The grandkids we spend $50 each. Other folks, it's just whatever I see in a store that they might like within reason. It does get difficult, especially as the family grows. Our kids have seen "raises" over the years since the $100 we gave back in 1991 really doesn't do much these days.
ReplyDeleteI really wish we could get away from all the gift giving period. Hubby and I have everything we could possibly need. Many times we receive things that we could never use or don't like and end up in the "what were they thinking?" pile in a closet. I would really rather focus on Jesus and the miracle of His birth. Amen. :)
there has to be a limit - but it's always stretched!!
ReplyDeleteMary x
Due to health reasons and never knowing for sure what to buy the kids...we started giving them money a few years ago. Course I always give them a little gift too so they will have a gift to open!
ReplyDeleteBlessings...
xoxo Gert
Well, in our extended family the adults agree to buy for the kids and not for each other. My own kids get three "santa" gifts and that is more than enough. I don't shop or decorate for Christmas until after Thanksgiving. I just feel like each holiday has their own distinct time. Christmas has just become too commercial for me.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to make this short and sweet.Pick your total budget and get gift cards to different stores for each person. That way they can buy what and you don't have the hassle of trying to figure out wht everyone wants.
ReplyDeleteSome may say this is the easy or lazy way ou t and that may be but
everyone will be happy.
melinda
Hi Shug! I have seen Christmas items at the stores. I do understand, but I wish they would wait until November 1. We LOVE Christmas time! We love the music, hot cocoa and actually using the fireplace! On Christmas Day we have "A Christmas Story" on the tv, a family favorite.
ReplyDeleteWe only have one son, so he's spoiled just a bit. I usually fill stockings for hubby, son and my parents. We buy gifts for grandma, parents and son. My son's gifts have gotten more expensive every year. You know how the teenagers are. LOL! I do plan to stick to a budget this year...never have before! :)
I think, considering your feelings about Thanksgiving, you might like this...
ReplyDeletehttp://jimsuldog.blogspot.com/2011/10/thanksgiving-comes-first.html