Don’t stress about presents this Christmas, my
advice…pretend you have no money….or even better if you are like me and
actually have no money all of a sudden Christmas becomes a lot more creative
and a lot less about the presents….
I have always been a gift giver, it is definitely my ‘love
language’ which means I appreciate a well thought out, not necessarily
expensive gift where the giver has really put me into their heads and thought
up something I will absolutely love. So naturally I like to give gifts to
others, and when Christmas rolls around I love nothing more than to think about
my kids, and hubby and what I can get them to put a smile on their faces…
However this year, as funds are a little tighter than usual
(and by little I mean a lot!) I have had to get a lot more creative in the gift
department. I have set myself limits (financial ones) which means you really
put a lot more thought into whether they are actually going to love it, or use
it once and send it to the back of the wardrobe. I have come to the realisation that it really
doesn’t take much to thrill the kids. For example (now this is quite left
field) my 18 month old will this year be receiving from Santa a pack of fly
swats from the $2 shop.
Now…you may either be cracking up at this or disgusted….or a
mixture but let me explain, my 18 month old girl is OBSESSED with our fly swat,
she likes to chase her sister with it, she likes to pretend she is swatting flies
and she likes to lick it…hence the need for her own which I am sure will never
come within a metre of actually hitting a fly.
Now I know that she will love this gift. I know she will be
delighted when she opens it, and yes I will try and get her reaction on camera…and
it cost me…da da daaaaa $2. She will love this so much more than a computer
thingy where she presses the buttons, more than a miniature guitar or tiny set
of drums that look oh so cute, more than a watchamacallit with lights and
things that make noise….
So she has a few more gifts all along these lines where
instead of just thinking ‘ohhh that is gorgeous’ and shelling out big dollars
for beautiful things, which I have done in the past, I have thought about the things
that actually tickle her and her sisters fancy and things which also don’t
necessarily have to match the décor….
And guess what….? It’s all been far less stressful, more fun
and waaaayyyyy less expensive. Leaving me time and money to spend on us having
fun together as a family this summer, and if she doesn’t like the fly swat then
there’s always the pack of wash cloths I got her…
