Holiday confusion.....

While I should be thinking about this,I can't seem to get this off my mind!Yes, folks...just 69 shopping days until Christmas. Now before you throw stones, let me explain that I am not a "Christmas junkie." While I absolutely love the holidays, I am not one of those people who start decorating the day after Halloween. I avoid the Christmas displays that are already popping up in the stores like the plague... I'll check them out come very late November. However, I do like to get a jump on my Christmas shopping! I hate staring down the barrel of the Xmas shopping-gun in the middle of December, knowing I am under pressure to get my shopping done. So I start now...buying a little here & some more there, in an attempt to be done prior to December 1st.

So now, I am plotting my strategy....who gets what & where can I get the best deal. Living in the Last Frontier, I rely heavily on web shopping. While we have a fairly decent selection of stores in Anchorage (and surprisingly growing number of stores here in the Valley), I LOVE the ability to shop at home without driving from store to store. Hmmmm...this ties into my previous blog entry...less time in my van equals less gas...yada, yada, yada........you get the picture.

The kids are actually pretty easy this year. For a while now, we have been trying to help our kids understand how to be grateful for all of our blessing & focus less on mounds of gifts. For the last couple Christmas/birthdays we have encouraged them to select one main thing they would really like. They have come to realize when they get too much stuff, they get overwhelmed & it makes us all a little crazy. I thought they would have a difficult time grasping this concept (especially little R.) but surprisingly they have totally embraced it. So we get them one main thing & then , of course, they get gifts from our extended families. The item we get them is usually fairly big & then we focus on doing things like angel trees & such....it's amazing how they've shed the "I want presents mentality." They have learned to think beyond themselves.

So this year D. wants a compound bow like this one. She loves shooting archery with her dad & is hoping to joining junior leagues at Fletcher's in January. She has been shooting a recurve for a while now, but she ready to step up her game :) And all R. has been asking for for over 6 months now is a Nintendo Wii. While video games are not my favorite thing, at least this is semi-interactive. And it is all he has asked for...seriously......Okay.....I caved. He'll be so excited Christmas morning! And I keep reminding myself that with these presents we are NOT bringing a gazillion miscellaneous toys into the house. That thought alone brings me a bit of peace. :)

So now I have begun thinking about all the other gifts that are on my list to buy. A favorite around here for the kids friends are holiday PJ's. Last year I wasn't sure how it would go over, but it was such a hit. I have been been asked once this year already if we were planning to do the pajama-thing again. You betcha! They are practical, apparently the kids think they're fun, they are reasonably priced (amazing, in fact!), and well.....you get my point. Oh, did I mention the parents of said kids love the fact their kids have matching jams for Christmas morning photos! It may sound cheesy,but believe me it is really neat! So if you are interested check out these PJ's at The Children's Place. They come in 5 uber cute colors, plus the quality is fabulous! We have bought them for the last 3 years & let me tell you the oldest ones still look like brand new! And if you do decide to purchase a pair or 5 be sure to use this awesome discount from Coupon Mountain. Seriously, how can you go wrong at only $13.20 a pair (with the discount). Anyway...enough Christmas chat for now........

So...if you have any great Christmas ideas for this year...please, oh, please share with me :)