Ahh the threat of Santa Claus watching over your children's every move during the holiday season...it's a beautiful thing. I can't tell you how much Sprout's behaviour has improved since I told her about the "Nice List" and the "Naughty List". I even made one of those videos from Santa for her and clicked the box for him to challenge her to listen to her Mommy better! Hahaha...the things we do to our children. Temper tantrums aside, I absolutely love Christmas.
I grew up in a family that also loves Christmas. Maybe a little too much. The last time we all stayed over at my mom's place, there were presents spilling out into the middle of the living room, and the stockings were not hung with care, they were stuffed to almost bursting and stacked with more gifts on the couches and chairs in the basement. My mom taught me that Christmas was all about giving from a very early age. Finding that perfect gift for someone that will just make them light up is such an amazing thing. We also did a lot of the charity things around Christmas - buying a gift for a child whose name & age were on the Salvation Army tree at the store, filling shoeboxes for underprivileged children in third-world countries, etc. I still love buying gifts for my family, and coming up with that great idea that will make their day just a little bit brighter.
Here's where I run into a snag. Obviously, there should be a happy medium. You can't (well...some people can...but maybe shouldn't) buy everything that everyone has on their wish lists. Especially when it comes to your kids. This is just my personal opinion, but from what I have seen, the kids that get absolutely everything that they want grow up with such an air of entitlement...it makes me want to vomit. No appreciation for anything; they seem to take advantage of anyone who will give them something that they want. My mom had my sister and I when she was very young (think teenage school years), and we didn't have a lot of extra money floating around when we were kids. What she did do around Christmas though was make sure that we felt like we were special, and that the magic of Santa Claus was around enough to make our eyes sparkle on Christmas Day.
I know that feeling of wanting to give your kids everything. Sprout will see something new and it's all I can do to not just swipe it off the shelf and give it to her. It kills me. Seriously. The 'good mom' part of my brain stops me (so does my bank account) 99% of the time, but I definitely kind of sort of went overboard for Christmas this year for Sprout. And Seedling. But I found some really awesome deals, and great ideas, and I wanted to share some of them with you!
1. Build-A-Bear (http://www.buildabear.com/)
For Sprout's first Christmas, we built her a teddy bear and recorded a message from myself and her Daddy for her to have as a cuddly keepsake (what else do you get a 5 week old baby?!) and we are doing the same this year for Seedling's first Christmas. Although, he will be 7 months old, and will probably realize that it's something new and it talks...with Mommy & Daddy's voices...
2. Consignment Stuff/Kijiji/Ebay
These were the BEST finds this year! From a lovely lady on Kijiji, I ended up with a gigantic bin of Fisher Price Little People sets (Surprise Sounds Zoo, Racing Garage, Circus) and other various toys for $40! They were in immaculate condition, and the best part about those toys - throw them in a sink full of bleach water and scrub...and they're good as new! Seedling will get a few great things for a couple months down the road.
I got a bunch of toys and dress-up clothes for Sprout through consignment sites on Facebook. They are so awesome, and were so reasonable - plus, they delivered them right to my door! I didn't have to brave the icy roads (which haven't been that icy lately) or bundle up the kids and drive to SEC or Leduc to pick my items up!
Ebay is a great place to look for things that you can't find in the stores. I bought one of Sprout's most treasured items on her Christmas list (a stuffed Maximus horse from the movie, Tangled) through a seller on Ebay who actually reduced her price in half when I messaged her and asked if she would be willing to let it go for less. The darn things are sold out in Disney stores across North America, and are selling for exorbitant amounts of money online. It never hurts to ask - people are usually willing to negotiate, especially around the holidays!
3. Online Ordering
Man, there are some incredible deals online during the holidays. I can't really elaborate without giving away some of the things that I got...tee hee. Sorry, family. Not going to let that cat out of the bag just yet!
The best gift that I found I can't blog about yet...you're just going to have to wait until after December 25th, just like the rest of us!
Of course, Christmas isn't just about gifts. I have been explaining to Sprout the reason why we even give gifts at all during Christmas, and she has been extremely receptive. I think it is extremely important for her to know that it's not just a time for people to give her stuff that she wants - this is the time of year that we celebrate Jesus, and the gift that he was (and is) to all of us. The other lesson I have been trying to teach is being thankful and having good manners about gifts, even if it's something that you don't really like. Hard for a 2 year old, but she has amazing intuition and perception about things like that. If there's one thing that drives me nuts, it's people being ungrateful for the gifts they receive. I understand if it's a clothing item that doesn't fit or suit your style that needs to be returned or exchanged, but it's having the right attitude about it all. Ha. And I totally sidetracked back to gifts. Good grief.
Here's hoping that everyone's Christmases are merry, bright, and full of laughter, good company, even better food and treats, and that you all get to thoroughly enjoy the company of your children during the holidays. To me, the magic of Christmas is seeing my children's faces when we sing carols, light up and decorate the tree, turn on the outside lights, sit with Santa and share Christmas wishes, bake cookies and treats together, make crafts, play in the snow, open presents, and lastly - when we all take the time to reflect and remember why it is that we celebrate this beautiful holiday.
I can't wait to teach you more about the story of Christmas, Sprout & Seedling! And I am so excited for Santa Claus to come and pay us a visit on Christmas Eve - remember to continue to be good so that you stay on that all-important "Nice List"! I love you so much, and I hope that you both have a wonderful Christmas this year!
xoxoxo
Mommy
