Christmas shopping:

From a list I am on...a little insight into shopping!

1) Are you finished Christmas shopping? No, I still need to finish up Brett (16) and Cade (6) and get a gift card to finish up my parents. I need to pick up a couple more things for Jay.

2) If you have children:
a) Do you spend the same amount of each of them No, I can get everything for WIll or Sophie for less than one thing the older kids want!

b) Buy them the same number of gifts? Yes, same number. After all, they can count but the younger ones have no concept of how much things cost!

c) How many gifts do they recieve? Differs from year to year, but this year they each have 10 things to open(unless my husband goes out and does more shopping, bless his soul!), plus we are getting them a group gift. They also each recieve 3 gifts from my parents....a clothing item, a fun item/toy and a mental item (book, educational game, membership, magazine subscription) to represent the three gifts of the wisemen.

d) Are gifts they get christmas morning from you or santa? Santa (although half of them know who the real jolly old elf is).

e) Do you wrap their gifts? yes! I think it adds to the excitement....I can't imagine not wrapping presents!

3) Do you buy for your husband/SO? This year, yes, usually small things as we tend to buy what we want throughout the year. In years when money has been tight, we have forgone buying things for each other!

4) How many other people do you buy for? my parents, my friend and her two children, our favorite dance teachers. We also buy for some gift exchanges. The kids buy gifts for some of their friends. We don't do gifts with my husband's family (there are 33 grandkids and 4 great grandkids plus 18 adults), honestly a blessing as it would be such a financial strain!

5) Do you ever make handmade/homemade gifts? yes, we made ricepacks this year (heating pads) and are making candles on Wed. These will go to my parents and in with the gifts for our favorite dance teachers!