The Christmas Pledge

This Christmas I commit myself to:
Believing in the true spirit of Christmas
Remembering those who truly need my gifts
Expressing my love in more direct ways than bought gifts
Examine my holiday activities in light of my deepest values
Be a peacemaker within my circle of family and friends
Rededicate myself to my spiritual growth


*I have this printed out and in a small frame. It came out of a book, sorry I don't remember what one or I would have credited it. If you know, let me know :) I like to read this each year....it's just too easy to get caught up in the business of it all. This year I have opted to keep things simple and I am SO pleased and stress free over it all.
We've gotten a new inside kitten, so the tree is very simple this year. Just a few strands of lights and only the soft unbreakable ornaments. We usually put red beads (like garland) on and then white garland....but we skipped those this year. We went more simple because our kitty was adopted from outside, so I wasn't sure if she'd climb all up the tree and knock it over. I wanted something simple so if that happened I could clean it easily. So far she hasn't opted to torture our tree. I HAVE had to use a small spray squirt bottle the first couple of days.....now she seems uninterested, so...... YAY!!! I like the toned down tree...very country simple without all the glitz.
I also opted to only decorate in one room. Usually it's everywhere! Bathrooms, kitchen, hallways, staircase, anywhere. But cleanup is just too much. Everything still feels homey and nice!! I just simply have too much "stuff" for this one house. We used to have a big old farm house that it seemed could never hold enough Christmas cheer....but this home is much smaller. I think when the season is passed I'll sort through and donate the things that just don't seem to get used anymore.
I'm keeping the cooking and baking simple too. Nothing complicated. I am hosting my side this year and have opted for easy lasagna. I will assemble two pans the day or so before in disposable pans and serve with a fresh salad and garlic bread. I think I'll put together a fresh veggie tray too. All this will be done ahead so I can really enjoy my company....this is the only time each year that I get to see some of my people, I want to be at ease and really enjoy them and make them feel welcomed! No slaving over the stove for me! I will make I think just two cakes this year for our feast. I've already made simple cake mix cookies and have those in the freezer. I will be doing my fudge in the next week or two to have for quick gifts.
We are blessed this year as we are each year to not be stressed over money. If you have not gotten into the practice of starting a Christmas account, I urge you to do so. Just calculate what you think you'll need and divide by 52 weeks to have a target to save for. It is such a blessing to know the funds are there for our needs. We also do not use credit. We only have one credit card but it is only for emergencies...and Christmas is not one :P I get a certain amount each week for grocery.....sometimes when I'm really frugal, I'll end up with some accumulated funds in my checking account. Most times that overflow is used for school supplies and clothing, but a few times a year I'll transfer that overflow to the Christmas account instead of frittering it away. If you don't direct your money to where you want it to go, you'll end up spending it on little things here and there and not even realise it! Even just 10$ a week will have you over 500$ for Christmas.....