Planning Christmas Without Breaking the Bank

It’s that time of year again.   Time to start thinking about holiday plans and gift-giving.   We tend to be very low-key for the holidays.    We  spend Thanksgiving with my husband’s family most years – and will do  so this year as well.   For Christmas, we’ve invited my family to  our house, which will be a first for us.   There will probably be eight of us, which is not a  huge gathering, but it will require that  people eat in the living room, since our dining table fits four comfortable, and six like sardines.   My  parents will come early in the day and my mother will help me cook – I have never cooked a turkey, and I think that will be her domain.   I’ll come up with the vegetarian entree, since that’s more my style of cooking anyway.    

It will be fun to have everyone here.    This will be the first time since 2003 that we’ve had guests for Christmas (my husband’s parents spent the holiday with us that year).   We haven’t had a tree or decorations since 2003 either, so I’m thinking maybe we’ll do a little something this year.   Last year  some friends of ours  had the cutest little  Charlie Brown Christmas tree.   They got it from  a forest-service distribution place that  sells saplings that are cleared from local forests to prevent  uncontrolled wildfires.   It was so unique – didn’t look like a traditional  Christmas tree at all, and we both really liked it.   I’m going to  get more info from them on where they got  their tree and I think we’ll go get one this year.   Then we  can dig our ornaments out from  the crawl space and make this place look a little more  festive.    

I ordered Christmas cards from Snapfish  a few days ago.   I love  photo cards – and I think they’re the only kind that don’t just end up  in the trash after the holidays.     Snapfish  has an option to put two pictures on one card, which I  really like.    My total card order, including shipping, was $33.    I also ordered 100  pictures to use to make photo notecards that I give people at Christmas.   I always get rave reviews, and I enjoy making them.   I  used 10 pictures  of flowers, wildlife, and scenery that we took recently, and had 10 copies made of each one.   Total cost – $12.   Then I’ll use 40% off coupons from Hobby Lobby to buy  two 50-packs of blank cards (should be about $10 total) and make ten sets of cards.   That will be ten  presents taken care of, for a grand total of $22.    That will take care of gifts for my coworkers, as well as a few  family members who have  expressed interest in getting cards again this year.  

I’m still pondering what to do for my in-laws.   They  are so kind to us,  and  always shower us with  presents at  Christmas.   But they spend the winter in a motor home in  Arizona, and don’t have a lot of extra room.   And they pretty much have everything they need.   I tend to do  sentimental gifts for them –  craft things that incorporate pictures of their grandkids  have been successful in the past, but I’m having a creative block right now.   Same goes for our nieces – I make ornaments for them every year, but I’m stumped this year; the ideas aren’t flowing yet.   Good thing I have several weeks to go!