Our Birth Announcement we posted at Christmas

We are expecting baby #4 due July, 2015!  It has taken me a while to write this and get it posted, between kids, life, my volunteer work and feeling tired from being pregnant I have not blogged much lately.  

We are very excited, my boys are a little older and understand at a greater level what a new baby means, which heightens the excitement in the house.  They each talk to the baby and rub my belly and I love that they are more aware of our new addition.  When my oldest was two and 2nd brother was on the way, he knew a baby was on the way because we told him, but not like he knows know at the age of eight.

I have three boys and of course I would love to have a daughter, I’ve wanted a daughter and imagined having a daughter since the birth of my first child.  With that being said though, I ultimately believe that each child is a gift from God and that He is the creator and giver of life.  God knows what we need and I believe as the scripture says in Psalm 139:13-16 For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.  I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.  My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.  Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.  And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.

I know many people who announce they are expecting right away, we waited.  We waited for a couple different reasons, one I had a miscarriage prior to this pregnancy and although you end up telling family when you’ve gone through a miscarriage I don’t know the fullness of it, but part of me wanted to wait till after that 8 week period, I had miscarried at 8 weeks with my last pregnancy so I wanted to wait.  Also with three boys, I knew there would be non-stop comments about is this baby going to be a girl, and I hope you’re having  girl, and so many others that I really wanted to hold off on all the comments for as long as possible.  Who really wants to go through 9 entire months of comments from both strangers and those who mean well about what your baby will be.   And last but not least we had family from out of town scheduled to visit at Christmas, so we figured we would wait to tell everyone at Christmas.  

I gave my parents a wrapped Christmas present, with a baby diaper, and baby cradle ornament and we told my husband’s family at our Christmas Dinner, which was nice to have everyone together and announce it at once.  

I think having gone through a miscarriage helped me choose, decide well in advance, no matter what this baby was going to be a girl or boy, ultimately that is my greatest desire, for a happy, healthy baby, no matter the gender.  My sister-in-law had also recently lost her baby shortly after giving birth in the hospital, so even more so I stand in awe of the miracle of childbirth and do not take for granted the gift of each pregnancy and child.

I love my boys and boys are all I know, so even though part of me would love to experience a little girl and all things pink and frilly, I am used to all things blue, sports, and rough and tumble.  I am okay with being a boy mom, I hear so very often from moms with girls, that tell me how much easier it is to have boys and so I encourage myself with that as well.

I have not only wanted a girl for myself but for my boys, especially my two oldest who are six and eight years old.  They often voice the desire for a sister.  I frequently reminded them throughout my pregnancy prior to finding out what we were having that no matter what this baby is boy or girl, we are going to be grateful and reminded them what a blessing they each were and we wouldn’t trade them for anything and how each of them has added something to our family that is irreplaceable.

Our 20 week Sonogram
When it came to our 20 week mark, where we were scheduled for our ultrasound, I wanted to do some kind of gender reveal for my boys, nothing too big but something.  My husband had mentioned to me “why, this is baby #4 we can just tell them when we get back.”  But I wanted to make it special, I didn’t want my boys to be disappointed if you will with either gender announcement, I wanted them to be excited and sense excitement and joy over whatever this child would be.  So I made cupcakes with pink and blue frosting, the frosting in the middle revealing the gender, of course since I didn’t know myself I had to make both kinds.  My husband said “why are you going through all this work”.  I also had pink and blue juice, cotton candy and candies.  Since everyone kept asking when our ultrasound was I couldn’t really wait another day and keep that secret even longer.  Even during our ultrasound we were receiving texts and calls asking so have you found out yet?    Of course we also had a really long ultrasound to find out and so the wait kept on going for us and everyone else.  

After our ultrasound we arrived at Abuela’s house my mom who was watching my boys and we did our big reveal, my youngest who was only 3 was actually really excited it was another boy, I’ll never forget his giant “YES”!  My older two I could sense slight disappointment, but with the cupcakes and since dad and I were excited, they quickly recouped.  Which I am grateful for, because recently I attended a class where they discussed the effects of rejection in your life, even rejection that started when you were in the womb and born.  Which I have heard before that babies sense the stress, and any other negative or positive feelings the mother is experiencing during her pregnancy.  I’m grateful that I purposed well in advance how special this baby is no matter the gender, this baby is so loved already by brothers and all of us.  
Our boys finding out with cupcakes!

I know this is not only for boy moms but for moms who have all girls, the comments are the same, this pressure to have a boy from everyone under the sun.  I think it’s really sad the pressure that is put on people by strangers and relatives to have either a boy or a girl.  We should emphasize the gift that it is to conceive and give birth no matter the gender.  Experiencing pregnancy and childbirth and loss, I know how special it is to be able to conceive and do not take it for granted.  There are a lot of women who can’t conceive, or have trouble conceiving and would give anything to experience pregnancy and childbirth that why does our society have to put so much pressure on people.  

I watched a friend of mine who had two girls first and heard the non-stop comments to her on how she needed a boy to carry on the family name and the next one better be a boy and a Jr. named after the father, and I saw the sadness in her, I didn’t see her enjoy her pregnancy.  She did end up having a boy the third time around but why can’t people compliment pregnant women with wow, how wonderful I’m so excited for you, how special, even women who have experienced childbirth don’t you remember how special it was.  

Maybe because I’ve experienced it myself is why I always comment to pregnant women how great it is, what a gift it is to be pregnant and have a baby and don’t put any emphasis on what the gender will be.  If they mention they want a girl or boy, I’ll say some positives about having a boy and even comment on how wonderful to have a girl and purchase lots of fun pink stuff, and I talk about the great relationship/friendship I have with my mom as a daughter.   I just think we should relish in whatever we are gifted, and not be so one sided and it can even be as a boy mom, I often hear boy mom’s talk about how thank God we don’t have to deal with girl drama and all the stuff girls go through.  And then girl moms who are all about having girls and say thank God we don’t have to deal with sports and smelly boys.  

So I encourage you if you are reading this the next time you are with a pregnant woman, whether stranger or someone you know, encourage her with what a gift and miracle it truly is.  Don’t put pressure on her to have one or the other gender or which gender is better or worse, the truth is both genders have positives and I won’t even say negatives, there are no negatives to having a son or daughter, yes there are different experiences, different life lessons you learn from each, there are no negatives.  Both sons and daughters are great, they both bless your life in different ways.

One thing I love about having children is getting to learn from them and see life through a child’s eyes, and that is even why I have desired to have a girl, because it is a different experience I would learn and grow through, a different lens I would experience.  

So I encourage you if you are pregnant, enjoy it, enjoy every moment, even the uncomfortable ones, because it is a gift and privilege that God has blessed us with.  Do not allow the pressures from strangers or family to only be excited with one or the other gender.  We only experience pregnancy for a short time in our life, it is a season that comes and goes too fast.  Be excited no matter what you are having and know that God the creator of the Universe chose you to be mom to that little bundle of joy boy or girl.  What a privilege and gift to be a mom or dad.  What a joy to experience a love like no other, no words can explain the love you will sense the second that baby is put in your arms, it even begins when you see that line on that pregnancy test, or when you hear the heartbeat for the first time and grows when you feel those first flutters in your belly.  

Thank you for reading if you've enjoyed the content you've read above please share with your friends.
www.BlogAboutItAll.com 

Expecting Baby #4


Our Birth Announcement we posted at Christmas

We are expecting baby #4 due July, 2015!  It has taken me a while to write this and get it posted, between kids, life, my volunteer work and feeling tired from being pregnant I have not blogged much lately.  

We are very excited, my boys are a little older and understand at a greater level what a new baby means, which heightens the excitement in the house.  They each talk to the baby and rub my belly and I love that they are more aware of our new addition.  When my oldest was two and 2nd brother was on the way, he knew a baby was on the way because we told him, but not like he knows know at the age of eight.

I have three boys and of course I would love to have a daughter, I’ve wanted a daughter and imagined having a daughter since the birth of my first child.  With that being said though, I ultimately believe that each child is a gift from God and that He is the creator and giver of life.  God knows what we need and I believe as the scripture says in Psalm 139:13-16 For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.  I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.  My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.  Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.  And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.

I know many people who announce they are expecting right away, we waited.  We waited for a couple different reasons, one I had a miscarriage prior to this pregnancy and although you end up telling family when you’ve gone through a miscarriage I don’t know the fullness of it, but part of me wanted to wait till after that 8 week period, I had miscarried at 8 weeks with my last pregnancy so I wanted to wait.  Also with three boys, I knew there would be non-stop comments about is this baby going to be a girl, and I hope you’re having  girl, and so many others that I really wanted to hold off on all the comments for as long as possible.  Who really wants to go through 9 entire months of comments from both strangers and those who mean well about what your baby will be.   And last but not least we had family from out of town scheduled to visit at Christmas, so we figured we would wait to tell everyone at Christmas.  

I gave my parents a wrapped Christmas present, with a baby diaper, and baby cradle ornament and we told my husband’s family at our Christmas Dinner, which was nice to have everyone together and announce it at once.  

I think having gone through a miscarriage helped me choose, decide well in advance, no matter what this baby was going to be a girl or boy, ultimately that is my greatest desire, for a happy, healthy baby, no matter the gender.  My sister-in-law had also recently lost her baby shortly after giving birth in the hospital, so even more so I stand in awe of the miracle of childbirth and do not take for granted the gift of each pregnancy and child.

I love my boys and boys are all I know, so even though part of me would love to experience a little girl and all things pink and frilly, I am used to all things blue, sports, and rough and tumble.  I am okay with being a boy mom, I hear so very often from moms with girls, that tell me how much easier it is to have boys and so I encourage myself with that as well.

I have not only wanted a girl for myself but for my boys, especially my two oldest who are six and eight years old.  They often voice the desire for a sister.  I frequently reminded them throughout my pregnancy prior to finding out what we were having that no matter what this baby is boy or girl, we are going to be grateful and reminded them what a blessing they each were and we wouldn’t trade them for anything and how each of them has added something to our family that is irreplaceable.

Our 20 week Sonogram
When it came to our 20 week mark, where we were scheduled for our ultrasound, I wanted to do some kind of gender reveal for my boys, nothing too big but something.  My husband had mentioned to me “why, this is baby #4 we can just tell them when we get back.”  But I wanted to make it special, I didn’t want my boys to be disappointed if you will with either gender announcement, I wanted them to be excited and sense excitement and joy over whatever this child would be.  So I made cupcakes with pink and blue frosting, the frosting in the middle revealing the gender, of course since I didn’t know myself I had to make both kinds.  My husband said “why are you going through all this work”.  I also had pink and blue juice, cotton candy and candies.  Since everyone kept asking when our ultrasound was I couldn’t really wait another day and keep that secret even longer.  Even during our ultrasound we were receiving texts and calls asking so have you found out yet?    Of course we also had a really long ultrasound to find out and so the wait kept on going for us and everyone else.  

After our ultrasound we arrived at Abuela’s house my mom who was watching my boys and we did our big reveal, my youngest who was only 3 was actually really excited it was another boy, I’ll never forget his giant “YES”!  My older two I could sense slight disappointment, but with the cupcakes and since dad and I were excited, they quickly recouped.  Which I am grateful for, because recently I attended a class where they discussed the effects of rejection in your life, even rejection that started when you were in the womb and born.  Which I have heard before that babies sense the stress, and any other negative or positive feelings the mother is experiencing during her pregnancy.  I’m grateful that I purposed well in advance how special this baby is no matter the gender, this baby is so loved already by brothers and all of us.  
Our boys finding out with cupcakes!

I know this is not only for boy moms but for moms who have all girls, the comments are the same, this pressure to have a boy from everyone under the sun.  I think it’s really sad the pressure that is put on people by strangers and relatives to have either a boy or a girl.  We should emphasize the gift that it is to conceive and give birth no matter the gender.  Experiencing pregnancy and childbirth and loss, I know how special it is to be able to conceive and do not take it for granted.  There are a lot of women who can’t conceive, or have trouble conceiving and would give anything to experience pregnancy and childbirth that why does our society have to put so much pressure on people.  

I watched a friend of mine who had two girls first and heard the non-stop comments to her on how she needed a boy to carry on the family name and the next one better be a boy and a Jr. named after the father, and I saw the sadness in her, I didn’t see her enjoy her pregnancy.  She did end up having a boy the third time around but why can’t people compliment pregnant women with wow, how wonderful I’m so excited for you, how special, even women who have experienced childbirth don’t you remember how special it was.  

Maybe because I’ve experienced it myself is why I always comment to pregnant women how great it is, what a gift it is to be pregnant and have a baby and don’t put any emphasis on what the gender will be.  If they mention they want a girl or boy, I’ll say some positives about having a boy and even comment on how wonderful to have a girl and purchase lots of fun pink stuff, and I talk about the great relationship/friendship I have with my mom as a daughter.   I just think we should relish in whatever we are gifted, and not be so one sided and it can even be as a boy mom, I often hear boy mom’s talk about how thank God we don’t have to deal with girl drama and all the stuff girls go through.  And then girl moms who are all about having girls and say thank God we don’t have to deal with sports and smelly boys.  

So I encourage you if you are reading this the next time you are with a pregnant woman, whether stranger or someone you know, encourage her with what a gift and miracle it truly is.  Don’t put pressure on her to have one or the other gender or which gender is better or worse, the truth is both genders have positives and I won’t even say negatives, there are no negatives to having a son or daughter, yes there are different experiences, different life lessons you learn from each, there are no negatives.  Both sons and daughters are great, they both bless your life in different ways.

One thing I love about having children is getting to learn from them and see life through a child’s eyes, and that is even why I have desired to have a girl, because it is a different experience I would learn and grow through, a different lens I would experience.  

So I encourage you if you are pregnant, enjoy it, enjoy every moment, even the uncomfortable ones, because it is a gift and privilege that God has blessed us with.  Do not allow the pressures from strangers or family to only be excited with one or the other gender.  We only experience pregnancy for a short time in our life, it is a season that comes and goes too fast.  Be excited no matter what you are having and know that God the creator of the Universe chose you to be mom to that little bundle of joy boy or girl.  What a privilege and gift to be a mom or dad.  What a joy to experience a love like no other, no words can explain the love you will sense the second that baby is put in your arms, it even begins when you see that line on that pregnancy test, or when you hear the heartbeat for the first time and grows when you feel those first flutters in your belly.  

Thank you for reading if you've enjoyed the content you've read above please share with your friends.
www.BlogAboutItAll.com 
Read more »
Each year around Easter I have used Resurrection Eggs in helping teach my children at home and the children I teach at my church about the true meaning of Easter.

It is a fun, easy and interactive way that my kids now ages 7, 5, and 3 still enjoy each year, and I started with my 7 year old when he was just 1 year old.  Each year he is still excited to open the eggs and go over the meaning of each object in the eggs.

Since I work with 2-3 year olds in my church during Sunday School, I have used the resurrection eggs before, and an obstacle to overcome each year is at this age we are still learning about sharing, taking turns, being patient, etc.

I thought there has to be a way to still use my set of resurrection eggs but have something for each child to have in their hand to open. So I used google and stumbled across this website: http://teachingheart.net/blog/ with this free download http://www.teachingheart.net/ressurectiioneggs.pdf.  I love this idea, and so I share it with you!

 

Depending on what time frame you are working with, you can spread out the lessons of the Resurrection Eggs.  I usually use the 4-5 Sunday’s leading up to Easter, for many reasons.  My number one reason is with the toddler/pre-school age, repetition is necessary for greater impact.  Also due to time restraints and my desire to discuss the Easter Story with questions and coloring activities and other crafts alongside the resurrection eggs 4 Sunday’s opening just 3 eggs at a time each week, keeps the kids engaged and looking forward to the next week to see what’s in the next egg.

One of the symbols in one of the eggs is a cup, representing the last supper, I love to take this opportunity to take communion with my kids and discuss why we take communion.  Another symbol is the crown of thorns.  My children’s director at my church has a real life, large size crown of thorns, I love to bring this and show this to kids.  It brings the crown of thorns to life for them.  I also use Thomas Nelson’s Read and Share Bible DVD on Easter to help incorporate the Easter lesson.  It’s geared toward ages 3-7 year olds it is only 30 minutes long, this makes a great gift to include in your children’s Easter basket.

As a believer in Christ I believe it is vitally important to share with our children the true meaning of Easter, it is about celebrating the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2014 Cousin Easter Egg Hunt
We still color eggs, have a family egg hunt and fun annual family get together with all the cousins.  With delicious family favorite recipes might I add.  I find though too often with holidays and celebrations we can get caught up in buying a new Easter outfit, taking pictures with the Easter Bunny and forget to pass on to our children the “why” we celebrate Easter.  I encourage you to take a moment with your children at home and discuss the true meaning of Easter and other celebrations that you celebrate.  I encourage you to remind your children of the importance of spending time with family and enjoying each other, that it is not just about finding eggs and getting candy.  Although that is a great benefit we get to enjoy!
2014 Cousin Easter Egg Hunt

I purchased my set of Resurrection Eggs at my local Christian Retailer, I have seen them at box stores and on-line, they are quite easy to find during the Easter season.

I hope this post helps you celebrate Easter with the children in your life.  You don’t have to be a parent or teacher to share the Easter story, maybe you are an Aunt, babysitting your nieces and nephews one night, maybe you’re a grandparent, this is a great way to spend quality time with your grandchildren.  Share with your loved ones the true meaning of Easter!  Make it fun, interactive and memorable, a tradition that they will share with their children one day.

Making Ninja Turtle Eggs with Grandma
Symbols in the Resurrection Egg Set:
Blue Egg - Little Donkey, Light Pink Egg - Silver Coins, Light Purple Egg - Cup, Orange Egg - Praying Hands, Green Egg - Leather Whip, Yellow Egg - Crown of Thorns,
Light Orange Egg - Nails on the Cross, Light Green Egg - Die
Purple Egg - Spear, Light Blue Egg - Linen Cloth, Pink Egg - Stone, White Egg - Empty

Thank you for reading if you've enjoyed the content you've read above please share with your friends. 
www.BlogAboutItAll.com 

Celebrating Easter - Resurrection Eggs
Each year around Easter I have used Resurrection Eggs in helping teach my children at home and the children I teach at my church about the true meaning of Easter.

It is a fun, easy and interactive way that my kids now ages 7, 5, and 3 still enjoy each year, and I started with my 7 year old when he was just 1 year old.  Each year he is still excited to open the eggs and go over the meaning of each object in the eggs.

Since I work with 2-3 year olds in my church during Sunday School, I have used the resurrection eggs before, and an obstacle to overcome each year is at this age we are still learning about sharing, taking turns, being patient, etc.

I thought there has to be a way to still use my set of resurrection eggs but have something for each child to have in their hand to open. So I used google and stumbled across this website: http://teachingheart.net/blog/ with this free download http://www.teachingheart.net/ressurectiioneggs.pdf.  I love this idea, and so I share it with you!

 

Depending on what time frame you are working with, you can spread out the lessons of the Resurrection Eggs.  I usually use the 4-5 Sunday’s leading up to Easter, for many reasons.  My number one reason is with the toddler/pre-school age, repetition is necessary for greater impact.  Also due to time restraints and my desire to discuss the Easter Story with questions and coloring activities and other crafts alongside the resurrection eggs 4 Sunday’s opening just 3 eggs at a time each week, keeps the kids engaged and looking forward to the next week to see what’s in the next egg.

One of the symbols in one of the eggs is a cup, representing the last supper, I love to take this opportunity to take communion with my kids and discuss why we take communion.  Another symbol is the crown of thorns.  My children’s director at my church has a real life, large size crown of thorns, I love to bring this and show this to kids.  It brings the crown of thorns to life for them.  I also use Thomas Nelson’s Read and Share Bible DVD on Easter to help incorporate the Easter lesson.  It’s geared toward ages 3-7 year olds it is only 30 minutes long, this makes a great gift to include in your children’s Easter basket.

As a believer in Christ I believe it is vitally important to share with our children the true meaning of Easter, it is about celebrating the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2014 Cousin Easter Egg Hunt
We still color eggs, have a family egg hunt and fun annual family get together with all the cousins.  With delicious family favorite recipes might I add.  I find though too often with holidays and celebrations we can get caught up in buying a new Easter outfit, taking pictures with the Easter Bunny and forget to pass on to our children the “why” we celebrate Easter.  I encourage you to take a moment with your children at home and discuss the true meaning of Easter and other celebrations that you celebrate.  I encourage you to remind your children of the importance of spending time with family and enjoying each other, that it is not just about finding eggs and getting candy.  Although that is a great benefit we get to enjoy!
2014 Cousin Easter Egg Hunt

I purchased my set of Resurrection Eggs at my local Christian Retailer, I have seen them at box stores and on-line, they are quite easy to find during the Easter season.

I hope this post helps you celebrate Easter with the children in your life.  You don’t have to be a parent or teacher to share the Easter story, maybe you are an Aunt, babysitting your nieces and nephews one night, maybe you’re a grandparent, this is a great way to spend quality time with your grandchildren.  Share with your loved ones the true meaning of Easter!  Make it fun, interactive and memorable, a tradition that they will share with their children one day.

Making Ninja Turtle Eggs with Grandma
Symbols in the Resurrection Egg Set:
Blue Egg - Little Donkey, Light Pink Egg - Silver Coins, Light Purple Egg - Cup, Orange Egg - Praying Hands, Green Egg - Leather Whip, Yellow Egg - Crown of Thorns,
Light Orange Egg - Nails on the Cross, Light Green Egg - Die
Purple Egg - Spear, Light Blue Egg - Linen Cloth, Pink Egg - Stone, White Egg - Empty

Thank you for reading if you've enjoyed the content you've read above please share with your friends. 
www.BlogAboutItAll.com 

Read more »


With Christmas upon us, I know it easy to feel the pressure to purchase gifts for friends and family.  I love Christmas, I love gifts, I am not trying to be the Grinch but when you have debt already, it is not wise for your relationships, health or financial picture to go deeper into debt for Christmas.
There are plenty of ways you can express your love and appreciation to family members without spending a lot of money.

Ideally you should budget all year long for Christmas, and pick up gifts while on sale all year long, to avoid an extra-large surge of expense for Christmas. 

Even with budgeting for Christmas though, if you owe on your credit cards, other debts, need tires for your vehicle, shoes for your children.  Is spending that money though “allocated” for Christmas really wise?  Let me answer that for you . . .NO!  

I have had Christmas seasons where I have budgeted and planned properly and Christmas shopping and gift giving is extremely enjoyable.  I have had Christmas seasons where I went into debt and spent more than I should have on Christmas and it is not fun going into January paying on Christmas, where many times the gifts you purchased are already broken, lost, or forgotten about.  I also have had tighter financial times during Christmas where I did not purchase gifts, though it’s not the most exciting place to be in, your family and friends will understand.  You will not have the additional stress and deeper debt.  

If you are in a tight financial spot and unable to participate in the family gift exchange or purchase gifts for family and friends, let them know.  Explain, we are having a tighter financial time and we won’t be able to participate in gift giving this Christmas, don’t feel pressure to purchase my family or I presents this year, we will not be purchasing gifts for anyone.  

It’s important to discuss this with your children as well, especially if they are older, the great thing about little kids is you could re-wrap some toys they haven’t played with for a while and they would not know the difference.  You could let them unwrap their favorite snacks which are already in your cupboards and they would be excited about that.  With older kids, be honest, share with them that you have not made the wisest choices with your finances and will be unable to purchase Christmas gifts this year.  Give them ideas that you can do together that will still make the holidays special, can you pull out all your board games and play games together every night, can you bake cookies or build gingerbread houses together.  Ask them what would make Christmas special for them and remind them of how blessed they are.  Children would rather spend time with happy parents, than have the newest toy on the market with parents who are stressed and fighting on not “present” because of money spent on presents.  

If you don’t have debt, have some money budgeted thought not a lot, think of witty ideas to stretch that money.  It is the thought that counts and not so much the gifts.   I don’t know about you, but I know my children, nieces and nephews have plenty of toys, no one really “needs” toys.  If you have a larger family, can the kids draw names and exchange gifts with one of their cousins, can the adults refrain from gift exchanging?  One year the adult kids in my husband’s family exchanged gift cards, we drew a name and bought one gift card for that person, this way we didn’t have to each purchase 12 gifts.   Can you do a family gift basket that has a Redbox rental, bag of popcorn and box of candy in it?  Can you purchase a board game for the entire family to enjoy?  You could do a family scavenger hunt together, you could do a cookie baking party together, where everyone brings something to bake cookies together, again, it’s the time spent together as a family that really matters more than the “things” purchased and exchanged.  

Find out what will work for your family and then get the conversation started call your parents and brothers and sisters share that you don’t have the finances to purchase gifts this year for everyone, what can we do together to express love and gratitude.  What can we do together to make it fun and memorable for the children without incurring debt.

You could offer to go put up Christmas lights on a  family members house, co-workers house, someone you want to give a gift to, that is a huge gift, I know I would greatly appreciate.  

You could offer to babysit their children so they could go on a date night, or Christmas shopping if it’s in their budget.  You could offer to help clean or organize a room, garage, house for them.

The idea is not just to avoid Christmas and gift buying, but to change your spending and planning habits so in the future you can have the Christmas you dream of.  

I have heard Dave Ramsey say he hears people say every Christmas how Christmas has snuck up on them, Christmas is every December every year, it does not sneak up on anyone, with a little planning and purpose, you don’t have to go into debt for Christmas.  

Don’t get sucked into the store sales, commercialism and consumerism avoid going into debt at all costs, the cost of your pride, the cost of shame and embarrassment.  Remind yourself of the stress debt brings, the strife it brings to your relationship if you are married, how it affects your children when you are on edge due to financial pressure.  
Evaluate your financial picture, recognize what is most important and then enjoy Christmas pressure free.  Communicate with your loved ones what you can or cannot do and then think of witty ideas of how you can express love and gratitude to those around you through acts of service and quality time spent together.  

Christmas will be over before you know it, is it really worth going into debt and paying for months to come, for the minutes it takes for your loved one to unwrap a gift that most times, they don’t even really want.  

Purpose this Christmas to make future Christmas seasons easier financially by properly planning.  You should make a list of everyone you would like to purchase a gift for and then keep that list with you throughout the upcoming year, watch for sales and deals on things for the people on your list.  Purchase something for your list each month and put away for Christmas.

Thank you for reading if you’ve enjoyed the content you’ve read above please share with your friends.
www.BlogAboutItAll.com

Avoid Debt At All Costs This Christmas


With Christmas upon us, I know it easy to feel the pressure to purchase gifts for friends and family.  I love Christmas, I love gifts, I am not trying to be the Grinch but when you have debt already, it is not wise for your relationships, health or financial picture to go deeper into debt for Christmas.
There are plenty of ways you can express your love and appreciation to family members without spending a lot of money.

Ideally you should budget all year long for Christmas, and pick up gifts while on sale all year long, to avoid an extra-large surge of expense for Christmas. 

Even with budgeting for Christmas though, if you owe on your credit cards, other debts, need tires for your vehicle, shoes for your children.  Is spending that money though “allocated” for Christmas really wise?  Let me answer that for you . . .NO!  

I have had Christmas seasons where I have budgeted and planned properly and Christmas shopping and gift giving is extremely enjoyable.  I have had Christmas seasons where I went into debt and spent more than I should have on Christmas and it is not fun going into January paying on Christmas, where many times the gifts you purchased are already broken, lost, or forgotten about.  I also have had tighter financial times during Christmas where I did not purchase gifts, though it’s not the most exciting place to be in, your family and friends will understand.  You will not have the additional stress and deeper debt.  

If you are in a tight financial spot and unable to participate in the family gift exchange or purchase gifts for family and friends, let them know.  Explain, we are having a tighter financial time and we won’t be able to participate in gift giving this Christmas, don’t feel pressure to purchase my family or I presents this year, we will not be purchasing gifts for anyone.  

It’s important to discuss this with your children as well, especially if they are older, the great thing about little kids is you could re-wrap some toys they haven’t played with for a while and they would not know the difference.  You could let them unwrap their favorite snacks which are already in your cupboards and they would be excited about that.  With older kids, be honest, share with them that you have not made the wisest choices with your finances and will be unable to purchase Christmas gifts this year.  Give them ideas that you can do together that will still make the holidays special, can you pull out all your board games and play games together every night, can you bake cookies or build gingerbread houses together.  Ask them what would make Christmas special for them and remind them of how blessed they are.  Children would rather spend time with happy parents, than have the newest toy on the market with parents who are stressed and fighting on not “present” because of money spent on presents.  

If you don’t have debt, have some money budgeted thought not a lot, think of witty ideas to stretch that money.  It is the thought that counts and not so much the gifts.   I don’t know about you, but I know my children, nieces and nephews have plenty of toys, no one really “needs” toys.  If you have a larger family, can the kids draw names and exchange gifts with one of their cousins, can the adults refrain from gift exchanging?  One year the adult kids in my husband’s family exchanged gift cards, we drew a name and bought one gift card for that person, this way we didn’t have to each purchase 12 gifts.   Can you do a family gift basket that has a Redbox rental, bag of popcorn and box of candy in it?  Can you purchase a board game for the entire family to enjoy?  You could do a family scavenger hunt together, you could do a cookie baking party together, where everyone brings something to bake cookies together, again, it’s the time spent together as a family that really matters more than the “things” purchased and exchanged.  

Find out what will work for your family and then get the conversation started call your parents and brothers and sisters share that you don’t have the finances to purchase gifts this year for everyone, what can we do together to express love and gratitude.  What can we do together to make it fun and memorable for the children without incurring debt.

You could offer to go put up Christmas lights on a  family members house, co-workers house, someone you want to give a gift to, that is a huge gift, I know I would greatly appreciate.  

You could offer to babysit their children so they could go on a date night, or Christmas shopping if it’s in their budget.  You could offer to help clean or organize a room, garage, house for them.

The idea is not just to avoid Christmas and gift buying, but to change your spending and planning habits so in the future you can have the Christmas you dream of.  

I have heard Dave Ramsey say he hears people say every Christmas how Christmas has snuck up on them, Christmas is every December every year, it does not sneak up on anyone, with a little planning and purpose, you don’t have to go into debt for Christmas.  

Don’t get sucked into the store sales, commercialism and consumerism avoid going into debt at all costs, the cost of your pride, the cost of shame and embarrassment.  Remind yourself of the stress debt brings, the strife it brings to your relationship if you are married, how it affects your children when you are on edge due to financial pressure.  
Evaluate your financial picture, recognize what is most important and then enjoy Christmas pressure free.  Communicate with your loved ones what you can or cannot do and then think of witty ideas of how you can express love and gratitude to those around you through acts of service and quality time spent together.  

Christmas will be over before you know it, is it really worth going into debt and paying for months to come, for the minutes it takes for your loved one to unwrap a gift that most times, they don’t even really want.  

Purpose this Christmas to make future Christmas seasons easier financially by properly planning.  You should make a list of everyone you would like to purchase a gift for and then keep that list with you throughout the upcoming year, watch for sales and deals on things for the people on your list.  Purchase something for your list each month and put away for Christmas.

Thank you for reading if you’ve enjoyed the content you’ve read above please share with your friends.
www.BlogAboutItAll.com
Read more »

Latest Videos

@instagram
© Blog About It All, Made By Underline Designs Back to Top