This Christmas season has been very different for us. This year we added a new family member, I am on maternity leave so financially we are in a different situation than we have been in Christmas’ past.
I don’t want to be a Scrooge on Christmas so I decided to make some personal gifts for our family. We opted to not participate in all the “dirty Santa’s” gifts ($20-$30 gifts add up when you have to buy male and female). I printed out pictures of our son on Black Friday from Wal-Greens. They had 50% off sale! I printed off his birth announcements and pictures of him. Then I went to the Dollar Tree to get some frames. You have to do some searching at Dollar Tree for specific frames if you have a color scheme. I decided to choose a faux brushed metal frame that can be hung or displayed on a table. They have holiday bags 2 for $1, and tissue paper bundles for $1. All in all the gift was approximately $3 for each. WOW! A personal gift and it looks like you spent more than what you did.
For my son that is 5 weeks this week, I was torn. What to buy? He won’t remember? He doesn’t need anything? What to do? I decided that I would re-wrap some gifts he got at his baby showers. Yes they were purchased by someone else, but they are for him. The ultimate “re-gifting” at its best. He has several things under the tree and things we can photograph on Christmas morning.
For my husband, we decided not to exchange any gifts. Our son was our gift this year. However, he has been such a great support to me during my maternity leave I decided to make him a photo collage and put it in a magnet frame. He works in Tool and Dye so he has a tool box that he has at work, and no pictures yet of our son. I also wrote him a very heartfelt card. Again, Wal-Greens for the win, I got the picture for .33 cents with a 25% off coupon and the magnetic frame for $2.99. The most expensive item was the card, $5.99, you could totally write or make your own card to save even more. So, his gift was about $10.50 total.
Of Course, Christmas isn’t about the gifts it’s about Jesus’ birth and the gift of salvation. I have so much to be thankful for this year. We have been blessed beyond measure. I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas!
My Three Names 