Give Your Children Gifts that Matter

What’s on your Christmas shopping list this year? Have your kids been asking for the latest, greatest toy or gadget? Have you searched the stores or online and found it on sale yet? If not, stop and reconsider. And if so, consider taking it back.

The problem
You’ve probably noticed that many youngsters don’t even know what Christmas is about. And I’m not talking just about the birth of Christ. I’m talking about Christmas, a spectacular holiday that should bring joy to all, having turned into a commercial nightmare that breeds greediness and discontent, especially in children.

The solution

Think about what you want your children to learn and talk it over with your spouse and/or your child’s other parent. Then choose to give gifts that matter instead of perpetuating the commercial glut that is so prevalent each year on Christmas morning.

Three suggestions for gifts that matter

Anything that expands your child’s mind or enhances your child’s life experience can be considered a gift that matters.

1. Lessons of some sort, a season or annual pass to a museum or planetarium, or some other hands-on experience. If the gift involves you or a grandparent or two, so much the better!
2. Books and interesting but educational DVDs also fall into the gifts that matter category. Age-appropriate fiction or picture books foster a love of reading, which matters greatly.
3. Art/craft supplies may seem like all fun and games but also expand the mind and foster creativity. And now that I think of it, I suppose some games (the real kind – you know, where you play with other people? NOT video/electronic gadgets) could even be considered as gifts that matter.

So what do YOU think?

What are your ideas about gifts that matter? Is this even important to you?

How to Save Money on Christmas Card Postage

It’s that time of year again and Christmas cards will soon be traveling across the country and around the globe! With ever-increasing postal rates, sending Christmas cards can be expensive. Follow these tips to save money on postage.

Modify Your List

The first step toward saving money on Christmas card postage is to reduce the number you send through the mail. Look over your Christmas card list and remove the names of people with whom you are no longer close. Of those remaining, which recipients MUST receive a card by mail and who can receive greetings in person or by email instead?

Send Postcards

Recycle old Christmas cards into postcards.

The cost of mailing a postcard is significantly less than that of mailing a regular greeting card. To qualify for the postcard rate, the postcard must be rectangular and at least 3½”x5” by 0.007 inch thick but no more than 4¼”x6” by 0.016 inch thick. Postcards outside these dimensions will require extra postage.

For added savings, recycle old Christmas cards into postcards. Just cut the fronts to the required dimensions and add your message, the address and required postage to the reverse side.

Consider E-cards

Although there are lots of online e-card sites available, many people (me included!) are wary of commercial e-cards. So opt for a more personal touch and make your own card or Christmas letter on your computer, convert it to PDF and send by email to friends and family. Remember to include photos!

Final Thoughts

Keep in mind that you can edit your computer-generated card or letter to postcard size/format and print on cardstock to send to those who will not be receiving it by email. And be sure to check with the post office for information on size restrictions and postage requirements for international mail.

Warning! Even if the grandparents on your list have email, they still want a real card with a handwritten message!

How to Save Money on Christmas Gifts

The gift of time.

With Christmas just around the corner, are you worried that you can’t afford to buy presents this year? Don’t despair! Nice gifts for family and friends don’t have to be expensive. Be creative! You can make presents yourself, find nice but inexpensive gifts, or give the gift of time. The following tips will help you keep Christmas affordable.

First, Get Some Perspective

Most everyone is in the same boat and need to limit expenditures. Your family and friends will appreciate your thoughtfulness much more than they would an expensive gift. So often gifts are chosen in haste and then quickly discarded by the recipient. While lavish Christmas celebrations may be fun, a simple Christmas is more in keeping with the true spirit of the holiday.

Then Make a Plan

Realistically assess your Christmas list. Decide what level of spending is feasible this year and allocate your resources accordingly. Consider giving gifts to children only – their parents will understand and be appreciative of your generosity. Couple or family gifts are often a more affordable option. For adults, consider a card with a personal, heartfelt message. Be sure to remove from your list anyone to whom you’re no longer close.

A Few Ideas

Delicious homemade fudge!

• Homemade Goodies - Baked goods and homemade candy are popular during the holidays and provide an inexpensive way to affordably share the holiday spirit. A plate of special holiday cookies complete with the recipe, festively wrapped miniature loaves of pumpkin and zucchini bread, a small box of delicious homemade fudge or gift-in-a-jar mixes are just a few simple and inexpensive gifts that are appreciated year after year.

• Homemade Gifts - Simple homemade gifts can be more meaningful than the most expensive item. A photo memory jar, for instance, filled with photos on which memories have been recorded is a personalized gift that will be treasured. Think of other homemade options based on your interests and hobbies. Are you a woodworker who can make picture frames or wooden toys? Can you knit or crochet winter hats or scarves? Do you sew or craft? By putting existing skills and materials to use, you can make a variety of unique and inexpensive gifts.

• Gift of Time - Giving of your time can be the best gift of all. Taking an elderly person shopping, babysitting so that parents can go out for an evening, inviting a child to the park – these gifts cost you nothing but are invaluable to the recipient. For added fun, make a coupon book so the recipient knows how many times and for which activities you are available.

• Family Gifts - Consider giving a single gift that the entire family can enjoy. Board games are inexpensive and will be used repeatedly. To get the most bang for your buck, stick to the classics like Clue, Monopoly or Life. Yahtzee and Rummikub are also a lot of fun and, with a little help, can even be played by preschoolers.

• Start an Inexpensive Tradition - Many families choose to draw names to reduce the expense of Christmas gift giving. If your family hasn’t done this already, consider it as an option, at least for the adults. Another inexpensive tradition that can take the place of regular gift giving is an ornament exchange. Ornaments can be purchased or homemade, either in bulk or specifically for each individual recipient.

Parting Thought

When planning your holiday this year, keep in mind that it is not the specific gifts but rather the time spent together and the Christmas traditions that will be remembered.

How to Create a Stress Free Holiday

If you'd like to create a stress free holiday this year, check out Beyond Eggnog and Mistletoe by Sandy Fowler. I proofed this book and it's GREAT! Not only does Sandy give you permission to scale back to what is comfortable and meaningful to you, she also provides a lot of practical tips on how to do so.

So if you're tired of the stress, frustration and overwhelm that is prevalent this time of year, grab yourself a copy of Beyond Eggnog and Mistletoe and create the holiday of your dreams!

11 Reasons I am Thankful in 2012

 

Photo collage by Karen Balvin, Sunlitway Photography (sunlitway.com)
Thanks, Karen!

 

Thanksgiving is nearly here. What are you thankful for?

All You Need to Know About Life

I don't know who said this so I can't give proper attribution - but I had to share it anyway.

Life is like a coin. You can choose to spend it any way you wish, but you can only spend it once. Make your choices wisely.

~ Unknown

Give Consumable Gifts for a Stress-free Holiday Season

For a truly stress-free holiday, give consumable gifts to everyone on your list. Think about it – consumable gifts are always in style and you have no worries about getting the right size or color, consumable gifts are affordable even on a tight budget, and consumable gifts are appreciated and used (and used up!) – what more could you want?

So, what are my favorite consumable gifts?

For small to middle sized children, you can’t go wrong with crayons and a coloring book. If you want to encourage a budding artist, choose watercolor paints or modeling clay.

For older kids and teens, it gets a little trickier. My favorites for this age group are food gifts. Think a batch of their favorite homemade cookies. Or better yet, a cookie-of-the-month club subscription with a small plate of homemade treats delivered fresh from your very own kitchen at the beginning of each month throughout the year.

And what about adults? Well, it’s usually food gifts again! For women, I prefer chocolate. Delicious homemade fudge is always a big hit. For men, I tend toward salty snacks, such as Chex Mix.

What are your favorite consumable Christmas gifts?

Looking Forward to the Change

The time change, that is. Yep. Tomorrow is the day – time to ‘fall back’ for those of us who must adjust our clocks twice each year. I’ll get up in the dark, but by 6:45 when we prefer to go for our morning walk, it will be light! Come evening, however, I’m sure I’ll be whining about the earlier darkness...

Oh well. It’s a tradeoff and one that I’m looking forward to this year. Lately, we don’t have adequate light for walking until about 7:10. Beings I don’t eat until after we walk, waiting that extra 30 minutes or so for breakfast when I’ve been up a couple of hours just isn’t working for me.

As for that other change (you know, the one that hits women around age 50) – well, I welcomed it, too. For someone who is usually totally resistant to change, isn’t that amazing?