New Tradition

Everyone has been asking me if I am planning a BIG Christmas this year. My answer is no. I had made myself the promise that when I had children, I would not go crazy at Christmas. I am only going to buy each child 3 presents. It was good enough for Jesus(gold, frankincense and myrrh) so it is good enough for them.
I am also promoting the Advent Conspiracy. This is a movement to encourage people not spend so much at Christmas and spend time in worship and sharing what Christmas is all about. Make gifts instead of buying them. If you do buy, buy gifts from charities and foundations that support charities. Etsy.com is a good place to find these gifts. I am going to try to post a list of some good sites for purchasing gifts later. You can also go to rethinkingchistmas.com, it is a site linked with the Advent Conspiracy website. It is a listing of alternative gifts.
Consider joining the conspiracy. Get your whole family or church involved and pledge your money to a cause and see what big things you can do. Who needs to play 'Dirty Santa' again?
I am also going to try to add another part to the conspiracy. I saw this on another mom's blog last year. Each day in December, like an Advent Calendar, my family is going to do something for someone else. Like bake cookies for a neighbor, rake leaves for an elderly person, or adopt a soldier for Christmas. If you have any ideas of things that you do please leave me a comment.