simply

After the engorgement we felt after last Christmas, Dan and I committed to doing Christmas more simply this year. That meant coaching our families to tone down the amount and type of gifts, as well as challenging ourselves to restrain from going overboard and challenging ourselves to purchase our gifts with creativity rather than credit.

This summer we garage saled. We found fantastic gifts to tuck away for the kids for Christmas using the change in our wallets or ashtrays. 2 Blues Clues videos, Memory game, Color Train Game, vintage jigger, brand spanking new dart board--grand total $6. Liam will be getting a scooter for his birthday in May--$2 plus some new wheels and grips--$27--little pricey, but that's OK!

Dan parted with some of his beloved CD collection on e-bay and we used the money to purchase some really sentimental, special, and high quality gifts. A vintage Cabbage Patch doll for each of the girls from a collector who had never played with them, only displayed them in her home, and an authentic Burberry cap from London for Dan. Grand total for all three "big" presents--$7 after the credit from our earnings on e-bay. While in Saugatuk with Dan's parents this summer I picked out a mortar and pestle as my big gift-$18 paid in cash. I cannot wait to start boshing things up in it!

Dan and I also shopped clearance racks and aisles last spring and bought all of the gifts for our families--2 bracelets, 3 shrugs, a jewelry box, 2 sweatshirts, a sweater, a polo shirt, a baseball cap, 2 Bibles, slippers, and 3 baby toys, custom desk calendars, and lots of Starbucks! Out of pocket--around $75. That averages out to around $4 per person. I added up the total of the items at regular price, and everything came to $448. Yeah--whoa!

Not to mention we were DONE with Christmas shopping, had no shopping stress, and everything was paid for in advance. (We took all the presents to NJ with us at Thanksgiving, so no shipping $$!! YAY!)

We sent our parents specific lists of things we or the kids needed but were fun too--umbrellas, undies, socks, clothes, PJ's, educational games, books, and a few toys thrown in. But nothing even close to last year's bombardment of STUFFFFFFFFFFF!

Dan and I asked for Macy's gift cards so we could go on shopping sprees--we've already ordered new towels and a cooking pot, and the rest we'll use for a new pair of pants each, a new pair of sneakers for me, then we'll save the rest for things we might need throughout the year for our home or new clothes/shoes for the kids.

So this year we were able to simply focus on things that mattered because our peripheries (is this the right word Heather?) weren't so cluttered. We have had lots and lots of free time together as a family and been free of the fiscal burdens this time of year usually heaps on us, and we are reveling in all the literal and emotional space we have from all the stuff we do not have cluttering us up this Christmas.

I simply love it.