Christmas Planning

It’s the middle of August. It’s time to start thinking about Christmas.

Crafter’s usually plan out the following year’s gifts, well, about a year in advance. I used to do this when I was younger. I’d pull out a notepad and jot down names and what to make them during the winter break and start working on projects by spring break. By the time summer break would be over I would be well on my way to finishing my list. The older I got, the further my list would get made and the later my presents would be finished. By college I’d be up the night before starting most of my handmade presents up until it was time to leave for the Christmas party.

Now I find myself wanting to at least do some planning. I’ve scaled back on gift giving tremendously. No longer do I feel compelled to make something for every single person I know. Instead I try to focus mostly on the kids and, if I’m up to it, an ornament for the adults. This year I’m thinking it would be nice to make something for my parents (all sets of them) since it has been some years since actually making gifts for them.

Gift Giving

This morning I started contemplating the origins of gift giving. With so much cerebral research about to be had, I figured doubling my normal amount of morning coffee would be in order.

Giving gifts for special occasions is nothing new. It predates written history and has continued throughout, continuously evolving while at the same time remaining quite traditional. People have given gifts to celebrate the birth of children, coming of age, marriages and everything in between. However, who decided what events to give gifts for and what events in life are just not considered gift-worthy? It seems this is also something that varies culturally as well as religiously. But I’m not here to raise a philosophical debate over which religion or culture is the right one because, honestly, I don’t think there is any one way to live life. I am, however, going to try to attempt to explain why we give gifts.

It depresses me to no end when I see pictures or video of people trampling each other the day after Thanksgiving, also known as Black Friday, just so they can get the latest toy or gimmick the store has on a super sale. Especially when, chances are, that same toy or gimmick will end up in the trash before the following Christmas. I don’t understand if it is some kind of challenge or bragging rights these people get out of it or if the underlying factor is a sense to feel like you are one of the Joneses, even though you are barely getting by. Another part of me feels bad for these people, knowing the societal pressure to spend hordes of money on presents so their kids don’t feel left out or worse, picked on by their fellow classmates.

I grew up poor and yes, was made fun of for not having the latest fashionable clothes or the newest Transformer or He-Man action figure, but never had a sense that I was somehow not loved enough for receiving second hand Christmas presents and clothes. Don’t get me wrong. I knew that some of my friends indeed had more than we did, but also had friends who had considerably less. The point is not how much you have, but the thought behind such gifts and the recipient understanding the reason for getting it. Instilling these values in our kids seems to have gone by the wayside as I see more and more of them growing up with a sense of entitlement and very little in the way of gratitude. This is a general assessment, mind you, and I know that it doesn’t speak to everyone, but it does seem to be a growing epidemic.

As a kid I used to spend months making Christmas presents for my aunts, uncles and cousins, as well as siblings and parents. I didn’t do this out of an expectation of getting something in return, but because I simply wanted to give. I continued this to an extent as I got older, making annual Christmas ornaments, even taking time off work to accomplish everything I wanted to do. For me, the act of giving means a lot, especially when money is at its tightest. It definitely means a very lean January and February to make up for it, but in the end the sacrifices are worth it. So perhaps I shouldn’t condemn the people fighting over the last twenty dollar DVD player or pushing their way through the crowd to grab this year’s Elmo craze because maybe, just maybe, they get the same satisfaction of seeing the smile on the recipients face as I do.

So while we may not get the same gifts the baby Jesus received from the Magi of gold, frankincense and myrrh, may we continue to live a life of giving of ourselves for others without expectation of anything in return. You may surprise yourself by how much more meaningful it is to give than to receive.

Twelve Days and Counting

Only twelve days until Christmas. Let the Freak-Out-Mode officially commence.

Okay, so perhaps I’m not the only procrastinator in the world, but the closer it gets to Christmas and the lack of presents under the tree tell me someone has been slacking off. I won’t name names, but I’ve got a pretty good clue of who it is… me. I guess that means I should be on Santa’s Naughty List.

One way to remedy absent presents is to simply go get some. But me being me, I’d rather make what I can and only buy when necessary. This isn’t always an available option, and the closer it gets to Christmas without anything really finished (or started for that matter) the more I resign myself to thinking store-bought is what will end up getting done anyway. I suppose if I wasn’t me, this wouldn’t be such a big deal, but alas, my procrastination sometimes gets the best of me.

Expectations

When faced with a dilemma of multiple appearances with gifts and food items in tow, a lack of funds can be a hindrance. A little creativity might be just what the doctor ordered.

I work for an extremely generous boss. The guy puts in as much volunteering time as he does work. Before working at the veterinary clinic I knew that he did a lot of volunteer work with the homeless and Heifer International, but I didn’t realize just how many hours or how much money he donated to these various organizations he’s involved with. We also go to the same church and he seems to always be busy with something there as well.

So you can imagine the dilemma we at work are facing this Sunday for our Christmas Party on exactly what to get him. However, we have a plan and figured if we all go in together on something it would have a better impact. Group gifts make a lot of sense when you don’t have enough money on your own to get something meaningful. If a group gift is not an option, something homemade might be in order. Don’t try to overdo it with something ultra fancy that will consume your every waking hour, just make something that makes sense for the recipient. A couple potholders for a cook, a coffee cozy for a latte lover or an ornament for just about anyone else you can’t come up with a personalized gift are all simple yet personal gifts that you can make.

As for food, apply the same rules. With all the busyness of the holiday season it is easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of get-togethers you may be invited to or having yourself. Make ahead side dishes and finger foods are the easiest route to take. That way when you have a little free time you can assemble the dishes so they are ready when you need them. Take the stress out of the holiday season and don’t let your perception of somebody else’s expectations drive you. We can’t all be Martha Stewart, but we can take a cue from Sandra Lee. As long as it isn’t a Kwanzaa Cake!

A Handmade Christmas

In the past I have actually made every present I gave away for Christmas, right down to the gift tags and greeting cards. I’d love to be able to get back to that again.

Before I get any further with this, let me explain a few things. By handmade, I mean I purchased materials and created presents, whether they were painted ornaments or books or family tree quilts. I did not go all out and hand blow all the ornaments and mix the paint using pigments and eggs or whatever they use for making paint or create my own paper out of pulp (okay, except for one year) or weave my own cloth and thread and dye them for fabric. Okay, so I gather you probably could’ve gotten that on your own, but just wanted to clarify that contrary to popular belief I cannot do everything.

I don’t know exactly when it started, but Christmastime always gave me a sense that I should give back to those who’ve given to me. I remember as a kid creating activity books for families to do together, and as I got older replacing those books with hand painted ornaments. Eventually I stopped making the ornaments, which is quite sad as I’ve got a ton of blank balls waiting for paint and appropriately sized boxes to put them all in. Hmmm… perhaps I should come up with a simple design, paint and box them up for family and friends. I guess we’ll see how ambitious I get, and it’s not like I’ve got much going on today, except, of course, making Peppermint Bark and maybe another candy like my famous chocolate truffles. I think I’ve got everything to make both my original and orange-ginger versions. Who said handmade presents couldn’t also be edible?

Another option for the crafty individual is to simply get them supplies to make their own stuff. For instance, quilters always appreciate needles, thread and beautiful fabrics. And, even though the internet is quite overflowing with design ideas, sewing books still make great gifts too. Heck, you could even wrap your gifts to a sewer or quilter in fabric! Painters love brushes and canvases or papers. Though, as a painter, I’d be a little skeptical about buying them paint as most have a pretty specific preference, unless, of course, you know what their preference is. Scrapbookers never seem to have enough albums or papers. Well, they usually have way more than they will probably ever use, but always seem to want more! These all make excellent gift baskets, which are both easy to assemble and attractive. But another cute way to give these gifts is in a stacked box display with three or more boxes stacked on top of one another in gradient sizes (smallest to largest) and secured together with ribbon mimicking the shape of a Christmas tree.

While I know Christmas is only a week away, there is still time to make gifts for those on your list you haven’t gotten to yet. Or, if you’re like us, really haven’t even started thinking about shopping for. Then again, sometimes it is just easier to go online, click on a few items to add to your virtual shopping cart, checkout and send those items directly to their recipients. Just saying, if you’ve got the time and are so inclined, why not make something by hand?