There’s no way I’m the only one prepping for Christmas!

In fact, I know I’m not the only one because I was just chatting with my friend this morning and our husbands agree that it’s too early to start the holiday talk, but for the planners… The Christmas season kicks off December 1st! The budgeting for advent adventures started in mid-June. So actually… the tree should already be up and Christmas tunes already playing. Am I right? 🎄

And yes, we did watch a Christmas movie over the weekend. We started the season off with The Grinch in October. Too soon? The kids loved it, so I think we are in the clear!

I love Christmas! All of the time spent planning out how to best surprise the kids! (Although our matching PJ’s came and I had my kiddo open the box thinking it was something else- so now she knows what they look like…🙄)

Now I’ve moved into the junk folder in my inbox looking for deals and trying to come up with ideas for “quality time gifts” instead of just more stuff. We really do have everything in abundance over here. God has been so good to us!

The husband and I already had our Christmas planning meeting where I told him what I wanted to do and he just nodded in agreement. And actually, I think the overall ideas for this year are going to blow all of the following year out of the park!

SHHH!! Don’t spill the beans, but we are planning to do little trinkets for the girls to unwrap on Christmas morning, but the EXCITING gifts will be spread throughout the year. I’m thinking maybe a little clue as a gift and then they will have the suspense of going somewhere or doing something that’s been on our bucket list each month for an entire year. For instance, we have always wanted to go horseback riding in our favorite place in Southern Utah. So the gift might be a toy horse with keychain or sticker from said place… Then when it’s time to go, we will remind them of the hint from Christmas. This serves 4 purposes-
1- It leaves us with less stuff in our house that we have to pick up over
and over again.
2- We already do once a month family date nights so this is like a
preplanned year of dates.
3- It checks off the bucket list we have created as a family without flying
by the seat of our pants and hoping we get to everything before they
turn 18.
4- It gives us time to save money for each thing because we can pay as
we go.

They’ll get traditional gifts like a book to read (or 12 because my kids are both avid readers), a new game to play for family game night, obviously the matching PJ’s and a a cash donation toward clothes that they’ll shop for themselves because they don’t let me choose anymore.

What do you think? Is this a good idea or is this Christmas morning being set up to be a huge let down?

What are your plans for Christmas this year? And I welcome any advice on my ideas for my family.