Not Sure if I Should Be Ashamed or Proud

I cleaned up the mess from opening Christmas presents in record time this year. I think it was partly because of my new method. Santa left his gifts in the family room, while all of the nicely wrapped presents from Mom and Dad waited in my nice room. Surprisingly, opening presents in two different rooms did not create double the mess, it made managing the miles and miles of ribbon and wrapping paper manageable.

A couple of days after Christmas was trash and recycling day. It might seem strange but I love piling the trash and buckets of bottles, old newspapers and food packaging by the curb every week. Every time I get rid of stuff-donations to the thrift store, garbage, recycling-I feel like a little weight is lifted. Of course I just fill the space with more stuff, but purging still feels good.

I dragged the two cans from the side of the house to the street. On the left was our garbage can. It was light. and easy to move. The handle is broken off so we rigged it with an old dog leash-which actually makes it easier to pull-but looks really pathetic. The recycling bin was really heavy, and overflowing with paper. I placed it toward the right side so that there would be enough room for the rest of the pile which was stashed in the landscape trailer that we keep in our driveway. The HOA hates us for it because it's ugly-but we don't pay too much attention to the notes they leave on our door. 

As I lugged bag after bag of used wrapping paper, perfectly stacked Barbie and Fisher Price boxes neatly bound with string, and electronics's Styrofoam packaging to the curb, I created a neat and organized pile-well mountain-of recyclable waste. It was beautiful I thought, especially in comparison to the single, lowly can of trash next to it that would undoubtedly sit in a landfill for the next hundreds or thousands of years. I was proud of my dedication to recycling instead of discarding recyclable materials as trash. Then I started thinking about what other people would think about my pile. Would they see it as an accomplishment or a failure? Should I be proud of the huge pile of recycling that I saved from the landfill? Or should I be ashamed by the amount of waste my huge family creates every Christmas?

I have more to say-and a picture of the pile-but it is so late I have to sleep. I will write the rest tomorrow. Good night.

All Wrapped Up

One of my favorite parts of giving gifts is the wrapping-so they bring joy even before they're opened. Maybe that's why I buy my paper months in advance and rolls of ribbon too. When I see the perfect print I buy it, whether it is January, or June. 

This Christmas I started shopping early, and wrapping early. It has made such a huge difference on my checkbook, and on my sanity. I feel for each and every person who is running around like a nut right about now, trying to track down those last few presents and dreading the late nights to come taking care of last minute wrapping, assembly and finishing touches. I have certainly been there. But this year it is different.

I started wrapping before Thanksgiving. Instead of hiding presents all over the house-well, I did that too-I wrapped them immediately. If the kids found them, which I am sure they did because they were stacked in the corner in my less-than-clean, disorganized bedroom, they would have to rip open the paper to see what was inside. In late November I added embellishments; ribbon made into beautiful bows and decorative name tags that coordinate with the ornaments on our tree in lime green, pink and red.

A combination of coordinating gift wrap, ribbon
and reusable decorative boxes.

After the kids left for school each morning I set up my wrapping station and transformed each package into a decorative masterpiece. Wrapping didn't seem like work at all. In fact, it was therapeutic and relaxing, like working on a scrapbook or sewing project. I felt accomplished as the piles of gifts grew under the tree, sitting patiently, waiting to be opened on Christmas day.

Today my parents arrived from NH to celebrate Christmas with us. We spent the better part of the day sitting in my nice room by the tree, surrounded by the kids and all the wrapped presents. My mother added her gifts to the pile, with her big, beautiful bows that closely mimic mine. She taught me the craft of wrapping early, and introduced me to the beauty of a carefully decorated Christmas tree decorated with thoughtful ornaments-antiques, vintage bulbs and handcrafted specialties. This year I added tinsel for a little extra sparkle-like the sparkle in my kids' eyes as they look at their gifts, occasionally turn over a name tag hoping to see their name, and imagine what's inside.

Whether you started shopping early or are kicking yourself for waiting until the last minute, take some time to enjoy the beauty of the season. From the sparkling lights on the tree branches to the gifts below, to the smiles on faces and the warmth in your heart, allow time to take it all in. Instead of worrying about what hasn't been done, enjoy what you have accomplished. Take time to do the things you love-sing out loud to Christmas carols, decorate a gingerbread house with your favorite candy (and favorite children), turn the most special presents into decorative masterpieces. But remember, the best gift you can give yourself and your children for Christmas is time to enjoy what makes the season special.

Our kitty Olive whose favorite holiday past time
is clawing at the  Christmas tree and presents.

Gearing Up for Black Friday Shopping

I look forward to Black Friday shopping like kids look forward to Christmas. they wake up early full of anticipation and excitement wondering what Santa brought, and I wake up at 4 o'clock in the morning ready to shop-til-I-drop on Black Friday. Everyone else is in bed and it is chilly and dark; either you love it or you hate it.
I have been a Black Friday shopper for as long as I can remember. I've mastered the process of getting my hands on the best deals, the ones that seem to disappear as soon as the doors open. Years ago when I learned about price matching I stood flustered at the registers, fumbling with the ads while trying to remember which store had the best price. I later learned that price matching begins long before you get in line and can not be done without being armed with the ads, sticky notes and a pen and a good memory. From the time you get your hands on the Thursday paper, the one on Thanksgiving that weighs more than any other because it is filled with good tidings and great deals, to waiting in the check out line with an overflowing shopping cart, there is a method to the madness of Black Friday shopping that starts now.

Make A List
Make a list of all the people that you have to buy Christmas gifts for. Keep it in a spiral notebook. Include EVERYONE that you buy for-teachers, cousins, the baby that is due in early December, your secretary, your mail carrier.

Go Through Your Inventory
I shop for Christmas gifts all year while saving the bulk of the shopping for the holiday season. It is important to spend some time locating where those gifts are hidden around the house, taking an inventory of what you have bought and matching it with the names on your list to see what's left to buy.

Purge
If you have kids you know that over the course of a year their toys, clothes and shoes start to pile up. Before starting the holiday shopping clean and organize the kids' rooms. Donate toys that are no longer used to make room for new toys. Don't forget to go through books and clothes too. If there is no space in your daughter's room for the perfect shaggy pink chair she has been asking for then don't plan to buy it.

Start Saving
If you haven't already put money aside for Christmas shopping it's not too late to start. Curb spending for the month. Pick up a few extra hours at work. Bring returns and exchanges back to the store that you have been putting off. The store credit slips and cash back into your account or your credit card will come in handy on Black Friday.

Buy Black Trash Bags
Don't wait until you have a trunk full of toys and no way to discreetly get them inside, buy black trash bags and keep them in your vehicle. While some stores like Target make special shopping bags for the holidays that are large and dark red, you can't count on that treatment everywhere. Black trash bags are handy at concealing gifts until there is time to wrap them.

Buy Me That: Teaching Children to be Smart Consumers

Visiting the toy store can be a nightmare. The season's hottest toys are strategically placed at a child's eye level where they can't be missed. Excited kids scan the isles looking for something to buy, toys to add to their Christmas lists.
What actually makes toys "hot" has almost nothing to do with quality or entertainment value. Advertising budget determines how popular a toy is. How many times the image of the toy is imprinted in your child's mind-through paper and TV ads-determines how likely they are to want it.
Make your next trip to the toy store a learning experience. Teach kids to be better consumers through fun, simple lessons.

It's the Size of the Package that Matters
More so than the size of the actual toy, the size of the package is what attracts attention. Point out the size of package compared to the size of the toy. Read the small print which usually states that the product pictured is larger than actual size. Talk about value for the dollar. Lower priced toys are more likely the result of less overhead-less advertising and packaging-than poor quality.

This Looked Cooler on TV
Show your child specific toys that she has seen on TV and has said she wants. Compare the real toy to the way it appeared in the commercial. If it is a doll that eats and wets, explain that once the food and diapers run out the doll may not be as exciting. Show her that the joints don't bend, the skin is hard and the doll is heavy, for example.

Avoid the New Toy Trap
If your son is just dying for the new version of his favorite hand-held gaming console, talk with him about it. Does the new system require new games or is it compatible with the old games? Are the new features features that he will really use? Check out reviews and be sure that it is worth the money. Just because it is the newest version doesn't mean that it is the best or most useful version.

Buy Me That: The Power of Toy Commercials

Resist the power of advertising and help your children be better consumers this holiday season.

Because young children don't read or can't read quickly, 30 and 60 second toy commercials send messages through pictures and music. Pretty little girls in matching outfits play in professionally decorated rooms, with two or three friends. They laugh, giggle and have perfect teeth. The message, "If you buy this toy you can be just like us. This toy is more fun than any other." Advertisers aim to hook our kids, who will then whine and beg until we buy their product.

It's mid-September and Christmas-toy marketing campaigns are in full swing. It isn't a coincidence that the new and improved versions of all the same toys and video game consoles-that we spent hundreds, even thousands of dollars on last year-are released in the fall. Introducing new new characters and cartoons is also part of the plan; a multi-billion dollar holiday marketing campaign. The advertising push starts well before the official "holiday shopping season" which runs November 1st through December 24th. In 2010, approximately 37.2% of Americans began holiday shopping by Halloween, according to the National Retail Federation!

Advertising tactics are already working on 3 year old Davison. He calls me at every commercial. "Hurry Mommy!" he yells, "That's what I want."

When I don't run fast enough in response to Rowan's calls to the TV he is brought to tears. "Now, you'll never know what I want!" I assure him that advertisers wont let me off that easily and the commercial will be on again, and again.

When Austin and Cal were little they both prayed to Santa and asked him directly for the toys on TV. They would look at the sky and say "Santa, please get me that." After a pause "He said yes," followed.

Pay attention to toy commercials for the next couple of days. Talk with the kids about them. Check back for some neat tips for helping your kids make smarter choices about what they really want for Christmas.