The List
The first step to joyfully shop for Christmas this year is of course the list. Grab out three lined index cards, these are easy to hide and transport. On the first one write down the names of your husband and each of your children. Leave some space to write in gift ideas for each of them later. On the second, write down the names of all of the other people you want to buy a gift for. Think of neighbors, brothers, sisters, church family, nieces, nephews, in-laws, and anyone else who means a lot to you.
Once you have your names you can begin to brainstorm ideas for each of their gifts. Some may be easy and others may need a bit of thought. As you come up with the gift idea for each person on card #2 write their name on the third card along with the gift idea. Some easy gift ideas that can stretch out over a couple of your people are things like home made candles, cookies, or Christmas candies. If you plan to “batch gift” you could write the gift idea down with } next to it and the names of the loved ones so that you know they are all getting the same gift. Doing this will save a bit of space on your card and a bit of money also.
You will obviously be buying the bulk of your gifts for your own husband and kiddos. You may need both sides of card #1. I know I sure did. This card will help you stay on track and not go over budget. Remember you do not have to put every single item your kids have asked for on your list.
Give Ideas
If someone calls and asks you what they can get for your children give them an idea. I know I have had tons of those calls. I used to tell them that my kids don’t need anything and not to worry about getting for them. That was not a lie, my kids have everything they need, however those people love your kids and want to give them something. They never take the don’t worry about us advice, and often end up getting stuff that either your kids don’t like or that you don’t want them to have. Trust me it’s better to just give an idea that you know they will love. This way your kids are happy, the one who bought the gift is happy, and you are happy.
Some great ideas for little ones are: bath toys such as these, building blocks, magna tiles, baby dolls or kinetic sand. Teenagers can be a bit more tricky. I know mine love gift cards or money. Most people in our family think those are too impersonal so I usually tell them to get my oldest daughter jewelry or craft supplies. My oldest son likes getting clothes and shoes, or anything he can do outside. We got him a custom skateboard this year, along with a few new accessories for his guitar and clothes.
When I have anyone ask what I want I am equally as honest anymore. I want cast iron cookware, a new camera (mine gave up the ghost), a new waffle iron, and candles are nice. It is much better to just be honest and tell people what you really want than to let them waste their money on a gift you are just going to donate. My husband finally figured that out this year.
The Shopping Buddy
The second step to joyfully shopping for Christmas this year is to choose your shopping buddy wisely. I chose my husband, or he chose me. Usually I end up going with my sister, which is fun but not as much as going with my favorite person.
My husband usually hates shopping and moans and groans every step of the way. When it’s his idea, however he is a completely different person. He actually enjoys shopping for others, especially our kids. He also really loves Christmas. Combine the two and he is a joy to shop with. Thankfully this year everything he wanted had to be bought online. Those are words I never thought I would say. I am not an online shopper usually. Because of that I have been able to do all of my Christmas shopping with him and it has truly brought joy to my heart.
The Timing
The third step to shopping joyfully for Christmas is to time it just right. This can look different for everyone. Some people choose to shop progressively all year and stash the gifts in a gift closet or under their bed. Others start in July when there are a lot of summer deals going on. There are also those who wait until Black Friday and shop till they drop. I just want to say that I do not recommend this one as I find it a bit too chaotic, and in my area, a bit dangerous. I am one of those who like to wait until the week after Black Friday to do the bulk of my shopping and finish up in the two weeks following if I still have things to get.
If you are making hand made items such as candles, cookies and candy don’t forget to carve out a day to do so. The goal here is to be joyful, so we don’t want to stress ourselves out. Plan your time wisely. Spend a day in the kitchen with your kids. Let them pick the types of candy to make or cookies to bake. Throw something in a crock pot in the morning before you get started so you don’t have to worry about dinner. The more stress you can avoid the more joy you are able to gift yourself.
If you are knitting or sewing any gifts make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get those projects done. Maybe carve out an hour a day for a few weeks to just work on those projects. I like to knit while doing school work with my kids. I find it relaxing and I am able to get multiple things done at once.
The wrapping
The final step to maintaining joy through this shopping season is to have a plan for wrapping your gifts as soon as you get them home. This ensures that all of your hard work and effort wasn’t for nothing. It is much more enjoyable for you on Christmas morning if the reactions you get from your children and loved ones are genuine. In order to keep the surprise you need to wrap asap.
This year we had my dad take some of the kids out while we shopped. This allowed us to have only littles and the eldest to worry about when we got home. We had the oldest occupy the little ones while we carried everything in. I then locked myself and our one month old in our bedroom, and daddy took over with the kids. Everything was wrapped and under the tree before the others got home.
I can truly say that I had a joyful shopping experience this year, and hope the same for all of you. Thank you for reading today and may God bless your Christmas.
