Christmas!

This year Christmas in our home will be a little different. Since we don't have the money to buy presents I have been looking for things I can make. I can make fudge & other treats for friends & family. I have found a few sites that have games you can print for free. There are a ton of crafts out there that my kiddos can do. I can sew some (when I have the time).

For our family it is not just Christmas this month. My hubby's b-day is on the 12th in the past I have given him a game for his birthday!

I saw in a magazine an advent calendar that you make where you decide on events & things to do each day 'til Christmas. I decided to take it a little father, since my oldest is now in school & will have over 2 weeks off. I have my calender going from November 29th (Put up the tree) through January 5th (game night). Some days were easy because of Church & School activities. On the 23rd we are learning about Joseph Smith since that was his birthday. The 24th we will read T'was the night before Christmas & on Christmas we will read Luke. Other days are craft nights, cooking/baking, trip to the local Children's Museum (free on Thursday nights), trip to play at Chick-fil-a, taking treats we make to friends, making Ice Cream Sundaes, etc. You get the idea. Somethings may have to be rearranged, but this gives us a starting point. Someway to try to make the Holidays a little more fun & a little more about giving.

We don't have family near by. The closest is my mom & brother 5oo miles north of us. My sister is as far north as I am south! She lives almost 2,000 miles from me :( We call, text, & of course Facebook! My family does not do gift exchanges because most of the time we are all broke at this time of year. But my hubby's family does! We have a list that rotates for the siblings & one of his sisters draws names every year for the cousins to swap gifts! This means that this year we have 8 kids to do Christmas for plus his sister & her hubby! This is why I'm looking into free stuff online!