Christmas Wishlist

It’s time to start thinking about what we want for Christmas and getting prepared for getting gifts for others.

I made an advent tree (look for it next Sunday on design Sunday), and with the 25 days of gifts we have split it up between the 4 people and 2 dogs in our family.  I have been having fun trying to come up with little gifts to give everyone (and I think Jesse is too).

But I think we live a life where there isn’t anything that we need, and I get to the point where I feel bad asking for things.  And the things that we actually need say diapers for both kids, are boring and no one would want to gift that.  So we spend time trying to come up with something that can be given.  Both kids have so many toys that we don’t need anything there for a couple of years, at least until Oliver outgrows all these toys.  Oliver is a growing boy, so there is a slight need for new clothing.  Jesse and I have a few wants, but again we really don’t need anything.  So I sometimes feel like the meaning of Christmas is getting lost.  I feel like we should adopt a family and give them all what we would receive, or give toys to the kids at Children’s Mercy hospital who will be stuck at the hospital for Christmas.

I am completely guilty of saying I just want cash or gift cards to go towards something.  And even if that’s true, when you are also returning cash or gift cards to the other person, it just starts to seem so silly.  Why just pass cash back and forth?  Some of the most fun times I have had with Christmas gift giving as an adult have been when you do something like a white elephant gift exchange, or a secret santa where you have to guess who gave you the gifts.  These gifts are always small things that can be funny or meaningful, but it’s the joy in the giving for these versus the gift itself.

I also have been wanting to forgo the gifts for a year and just go on a family vacation.  Where we can have time to spend with each other and not worry about all the other things we need to get done around the house, or the hours of traveling in the car to see everyone (hoping some extended family would want to go on a trip too).

Now I will be out shopping on Black Friday with the best of them, hoping to score a good deal.  But that doesn’t mean I can’t have feelings of Christmas being too materialistic!  I love the Christmas season, the music, the lights, the traditions.  I can’t wait for Oliver to get gifts from Santa.  I just feel like some things are getting lost, or maybe it’s just because we tend to buy whatever we need or want and don’t wait for holidays and birthdays.  Maybe we need to go a year without buying anything that we can’t prove is an absolute need and delay the things we want to be gifts.  Maybe then I wouldn’t feel the same.

Well that’s my ramblings on Christmas…..hopefully not too scroogelike.