My 2016 Christmas Tips
Christmas can be a very stressful time of year no matter your situation. If it is family, travel, money or just plain old stress it can be hard and make such an amazing time of year feel less amazing.
Shopping:
- Stick to a budget. I know it is hard but it is a stress relief for me to know that I am not going to break the bank with gifts. I plan out how much each person in the family gets to have spent on them.
- Plan ahead what you want to get. I try to plan in advance (about 4 months) what to get my kids so that I can look for it on sale or second hand. This year it paid off a lot! I was able to find a Bitty Baby Doll for E with a bunch of accessories for $40! It definitely saved my budget and I was able to make her a few things to go with the doll. (tutorials to come)
- Look for things second hand. It is great to be able to give things a second life. I have gotten a lot of my kids books from places like the Goodwill. I take my time and find well taken care of books/toy/clothes and with a bit of cleaning they are good as new. I also found the doll on a local classified Facebook page.
Gift Wrapping:
- I like to keep a roll of wrapping paper that is "Santa Wrap." It is one the kiddos don't get to see and is not in my normal stash for them to pick from when wrapping Mommy and Daddy gifts.
Christmas Tree:
- Kiddie Christmas Tree. I love my Christmas Tree it is beautiful and makes me smile, but good heavens the kids love to mess with it. That is why I made a felt Christmas Tree and felt ornaments for the kids to play with and keep them off my beautiful tree. (I will write a tutorial for this later)
- Kid Friendly Ornaments. As much as I love my beautiful glass and fragile ornaments little hands tend to break them. When E was born I got a set of very nice looking plastic ones from the Dollar Store. Yes that is right the Dollar Store and that way I am okay if one or two break a year. This year with little M I am glad I have them because he loves loves loves the tree.
Family Time:
- I love my extended family but sometimes it can be very stressful. Try to be sure you make time for just you, your partner and your kiddos. I like to do this on Christmas morning before church, with a yummy breakfast and Santa presents. Also make sure that you can divide your time with extended family so that no one feels left out. (it has been a problem for me in the past) The hardest part is saying no and standing up for time alone with your family. Make sure to stand your ground.
Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year,
Jenna
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