Christmas: Gifts Ain't Nothin' but a Number.

It's apparently Christmas time. I wasn't aware that that season now started on November 1st, was there a memo I missed? Some festive lights have been popping on in our neighborhood my house is still happily living in fall. I've decided not to be a bah humbug about it, but I am definitely not there yet. Yesterday I tried putting on my Christmas playlist in the car....yeah no.
Since I cater to a larger audience that just myself, I decided to start giving out some holiday advice now to help you better prepare for your holiday. Today I'll tackle budget setting.
I have already been answering questions from family and friends inquiring about what my 3 kiddos would like for Christmas. They tell me their budget on occasion to help me with ideas. I give them a few suggestions, but I add. "Don't feel the need to price match the kids, if Aiden's gift was $20 and Sophies was $12 please don't find 8 bucks worth of crap they don't need just to be fair". Save that money or donate it to my kids favorite charity if you must spend equally  (yes my kids have favorite charities). It sickens me to see that Christmas has become so commercial that we are programmed to think that it needs to cost more to be a great holiday.

When I was little, and still under the impression that Christmas was a special holiday full of joy, food, family, and the Peanuts gang, I never would've thought to question the dollar amounts of my gifts so I could compare it with my brothers. I'm assuming that since my kids aren't cynical adults, that they too, won't be concerned with actual cost. Now saying that, I'm not telling you to buy your favorite niece or nephew an effing pony and the rest chewing gum; but if Johnny really wants a baseball (but you set aside $20), so you buy more when all he cared about was the baseball, that's just silly.
Christmastime should be more about the time spent with family, warm nostalgic feelings, and dirty martinis (does everyone not associate this holiday with Bond's favorite beverage, so they drink copious amounts of them?) instead of breaking the bank.

This year I fully intend to go "all out" with Christmas cheer (on the day AFTER thanksgiving, the way God intended) and I can't wait to start shopping for gifts. I absolutely love gift giving. I do it all year long because I love it so. If my friends are ill, sad, happy, etc...they get a gift. I will buy gifts whenever I see something that reminds me of a loved one. It can be a bottle of wine for Missy or some Sasquatch cup for Brett- it is just something I love to do. Recently I started to think about what I will be getting some of my friends and family this holiday. I had read an article that suggested picking a theme for your holiday gifts to keep you on track. This idea sounded right up my alley! So I'm going with a secret theme for most of my gift giving this year. I will not be setting a budget, but a budget ceiling. "I will not spend over $whatever on this person." It sounds cold, but I think it'll help me actually expand my ideas. What about all the great stuff you can find under $50 that you'd never see if you're skipping right to the $100 +.  My husband recently turned me on to the best website. It's called, thisiswhyimbroke.com and I have already got a ton of great ideas from them. Expand your horizon! Get people you love things that they'll instantly love, instead of gifts they immediately move to their re-gift cupboard (admit it, you have one). Roll with this premature Santa spirit, and start researching some ways to change up or improve your holiday experience. Also homemade gifts are awesome too. I know I'd rather get ridiculous amounts of strawberry rhubarb jam from my Aunt Helen or salsa from my Aunt Irene than anything else they would buy me; hint hint.

So, that's my first bit of holiday advice. I'll be focusing on that "theme" of advice for the next month or so. I'm even going to start up an Accidental Housewife Pinterest page and Instagram. Be sure to look them up and follow!