Working Ahead of Time

We decided to work ahead of schedule this year. We are almost completely done with Christmas shopping. We have 4 birthdays in January, which almost always become very neglected as we are usually swimming in holiday debt by then. This year we wanted it to be different. We realized if we shopped now, we would be actually have money saved by January to be able to celebrate those birthdays a little different than normal. We also realized that by shopping ahead, we get to enjoy no hustle or bustle during December. We will truly get to enjoy the season.

We will likely have a little extra during a time of year when we are normally pinching every penny to get the kids a few things they really want. In light of that, we will have more resources to help with food drives, toy drives, etc. We wanted to start our 1st Sunday of Advent with a nice family meal and the World Vision catalog to go through as a family. We want to prepare our kid's hearts for giving, not recieving, this season. We are looking into working a morning in a soup kitchen and a few other charitable things we usually do not have time or resources for in such a busy, expensive time of year. Its a very exciting feeling to already have gifts for Grandma's, Grandpa's, Aunts and Uncles, friends and teachers along with everything we wanted for the kids. We wanted a smallish Christmas. We had one last year and enjoyed it so much more than the hugely lavish ones. I feel my kids enjoy 1 toy they REALLY want and a few other items I wanted for them instead of an entire list of every little thing their hearts desired. The more there is, the less value each item seems to hold. Don't get me wrong, they are going to have a GREAT Christmas, very lucky kids.......just not overdone!

 We are really planning a different celebration this year for the month of December that includes more thinking about others and helping and I do NOT write this here to brag or feel good about myself. I write this here to give ideas, encourage, inspire. Mostly though, these are the things I want to pass on to my children about the holiday season. Its fun to watch the kids grow from their own selfish desire towards empathy for those who have so much less and how we can help and that is the type of people I want to raise! They are really on the look out for ways to help in the community, bringing ideas to me daily and it melts me to see my kids growing into selfless, giving people.