What Christmas means to me and Week Three
When Daddy and I married we sat down and talked about the traditions we had for Christmas in our families (amongst other things) and what ones we would like to have together in our family. When I first started on the Holiday Grand Plan I looked again at what Christmas meant to me and every year in Week Two (last week) I look again. I thought I would share with you my thoughts based around the questions asked,
Do I see Christmas time primarily as a time for entertaining friends and renewing long lost acquaintances or as a time for family?
Christmas is all about family. Every December I attend one Christmas party and that is my works Christmas Dinner. I keep in touch with distant friends and family throughout the year, so they get a Christmas Card, but I don't need to worry about calling them.
How much emphasis do our Christmas activities place on the spiritual side of Christmas?
We have four books that we use over the lead up to Christmas Day, which we read a little each night from about Christmas and have discussions about why Christmas is important to each of us. We make sure that Christmas isn't just all about gift giving. And we always make the joke at the nativity scene in the shopping centre how religion is getting involved in every holiday these days!
How involved is my family in the Christmas preparation?
Well actually I tend to do it all, because I am organised like that and the little ones are too little. Although
they do all have a say in food for the Holiday period!
What activities are particularly important to our family at Christmas? To myself?
We always go to see Santa as a family, we always go and visit all three sets of Top Ender and Baby Boys Grandparents, we always watch for Santa coming down our road (care of the Round Table), we always go on a Christmas Light Drive (where we hunt for great outside displays) and we always like to sit in the living room in the dark with just the Christmas lights on as it is pretty. Those things are Christmas to us.
Why do we observe the traditions we do in our house?
We observe the ones that are important to us, that mean something to us and show us to be the odd family that we are (Christmas Day car wash anyone?)
How important is an elaborately decorated house, homemade gifts or food, to my feelings about Christmas?
We have things that we like to do, we like to put a tree in the living room, Top Enders room, Baby Boys room and the bathroom (yes the bathroom). We use to have one in the kitchen and still might again! They are all fake trees, because we don't think killing a tree for Christmas is the message we want to send! I batch bake and freeze cookie dough and cookies so that we always have great treats on hand and we believe that December is the month for snacks!
Daddy and I have made a pact to stop buying each other gifts and instead to spend £20 on a home made gift. We think that this is bringing us closer together and more into the spirit of Christmas.
What would my ideal Christmas be like?
My ideal Christmas would be pretty much the same as it has been since I started doing this plan. The food is lovely, the family are calm, the gifts are wrapped and we all have fun together. Being organised allows me to have fun not worry that the food needs cooking.
So knowing that in order to have the Christmas that my family and I like, that I need to get organised I had better crack on with this week! This week is Entry / Foyer Week Holiday Grand Plan Week Three
And my jobs for the week are;
*Make one batch of Holiday Goodies.
*Make one extra meal for freezer labeled HOLIDAY MEAL.
*Buy two canned food items from Menus and put them away so they won't be used before time.
*Buy all supplies for homemade gifts.
This week I also do the extra detailed work in the hallway and front entrance. I will also do more "porch" and living room work as I didn't get everything done the last week or the week before last!
On top of this we also like to start this week;
*Stocking the Mummy Christmas Shop
*De-cluttering the children's toys and clothes
*Watch one Christmas film as a family a week
You might like to go see these people, if you want to see how some others are preparing!
Krista at Typical Ramblings
Candace at Diary of a FlyBaby
Diane at DianeDenmark
Kelly at Life at the Quinn Home
Right, got to go now as we are watching Elf today and I need to get the popcorn ready!
Do I see Christmas time primarily as a time for entertaining friends and renewing long lost acquaintances or as a time for family?
Christmas is all about family. Every December I attend one Christmas party and that is my works Christmas Dinner. I keep in touch with distant friends and family throughout the year, so they get a Christmas Card, but I don't need to worry about calling them.
How much emphasis do our Christmas activities place on the spiritual side of Christmas?
We have four books that we use over the lead up to Christmas Day, which we read a little each night from about Christmas and have discussions about why Christmas is important to each of us. We make sure that Christmas isn't just all about gift giving. And we always make the joke at the nativity scene in the shopping centre how religion is getting involved in every holiday these days!
How involved is my family in the Christmas preparation?
Well actually I tend to do it all, because I am organised like that and the little ones are too little. Although
they do all have a say in food for the Holiday period!
What activities are particularly important to our family at Christmas? To myself?
We always go to see Santa as a family, we always go and visit all three sets of Top Ender and Baby Boys Grandparents, we always watch for Santa coming down our road (care of the Round Table), we always go on a Christmas Light Drive (where we hunt for great outside displays) and we always like to sit in the living room in the dark with just the Christmas lights on as it is pretty. Those things are Christmas to us.
Why do we observe the traditions we do in our house?
We observe the ones that are important to us, that mean something to us and show us to be the odd family that we are (Christmas Day car wash anyone?)
How important is an elaborately decorated house, homemade gifts or food, to my feelings about Christmas?
We have things that we like to do, we like to put a tree in the living room, Top Enders room, Baby Boys room and the bathroom (yes the bathroom). We use to have one in the kitchen and still might again! They are all fake trees, because we don't think killing a tree for Christmas is the message we want to send! I batch bake and freeze cookie dough and cookies so that we always have great treats on hand and we believe that December is the month for snacks!
Daddy and I have made a pact to stop buying each other gifts and instead to spend £20 on a home made gift. We think that this is bringing us closer together and more into the spirit of Christmas.
What would my ideal Christmas be like?
My ideal Christmas would be pretty much the same as it has been since I started doing this plan. The food is lovely, the family are calm, the gifts are wrapped and we all have fun together. Being organised allows me to have fun not worry that the food needs cooking.
So knowing that in order to have the Christmas that my family and I like, that I need to get organised I had better crack on with this week! This week is Entry / Foyer Week Holiday Grand Plan Week Three
And my jobs for the week are;
*Make one batch of Holiday Goodies.
*Make one extra meal for freezer labeled HOLIDAY MEAL.
*Buy two canned food items from Menus and put them away so they won't be used before time.
*Buy all supplies for homemade gifts.
This week I also do the extra detailed work in the hallway and front entrance. I will also do more "porch" and living room work as I didn't get everything done the last week or the week before last!
On top of this we also like to start this week;
*Stocking the Mummy Christmas Shop
*De-cluttering the children's toys and clothes
*Watch one Christmas film as a family a week
You might like to go see these people, if you want to see how some others are preparing!
Krista at Typical Ramblings
Candace at Diary of a FlyBaby
Diane at DianeDenmark
Kelly at Life at the Quinn Home
Right, got to go now as we are watching Elf today and I need to get the popcorn ready!