by Carla Stephens

Created on: December 20, 2008   Last Updated: October 20, 2010

Christmas should be fun!

But... in the current state of financial ruin most of us seem to be in, the thought of Christmas being fun seems to be a far stretch from the truth for most of us.
I can't really say that I am a crazy shopper at the best of times, but I can say that this year even conscientious buying has gone out of the window even for me(I thought no-one could work a budget like me) and my kids have learnt to have a whole new kind of fun this Christmas. Even my teenage son, who is at the alien-like unsociable stage, has been eager in participating in Christmas and all its preparations.

As much as any of us girls (and a lot of men) love to shop, I have discovered that spending time with my kids at home instead of going out shopping, and facing the treacherous world of Christmas chaos, has been more fun than any Christmas I have had, even as a child, and I'm hoping that this is a Christmas that my children will remember for the very same reasons that I will cherish this year's memories.

Well, what has happened to make this year so special? I'll tell you, and maybe you'll pick up some ideas for yourself.

1, We made all our own Christmas decorations, everything from paper chains to Christmas cookies to hang on the tree. Popcorn chains covered in glitter, toilet roll snowmen, peg angels and card holders. This gave them all the excitement of Christmas and made them appreciate the whole experience of decorating all the more. As it was so much fun, they have decided that we will be doing this every year from now on. It certainly brought out their creative imaginations.

2, All presents have been either re wrapped unwanted gifts, recycled things that were found around the home, (i.e my sister had had her eye on some of my clothes for sometime, so I altered them, adapted them to suit her taste and wrapped them for her), or hampers made up of fruit, vegetables, homemade preserves and little toilet roll snowmen, calenders made from hand and foot prints. Homemade mince pies and cookies, baubles decorated and recycled, homemade pickles. Again we had loads of fun doing this, and because everyone knows that it's all been put together by ourselves, recipients will appreciate it all the more.

3, All Christmas cards were handmade. Again, this was something that myself and my two boys could do together, and finding something we can do together in my family is tough as I have a 13 and a 3 year old. That's right, a ten year age gap. But all the same, we had plenty of fun, and it was another way of getting those creative juices flowing.

It may sound like a real scrooge way of giving gifts, but as we have made the effort to make these things, thought about what to put together and what to recycle for who, it all seems all the more worth it. After all, Christmas was never supposed to be about spending money. 

I may have had to spend a bit, and we did have to go and buy a real Christmas tree, But I for one am glad that Christmas is tough this year as it has brought my family together in ways that I never thought possible. Myself, a teenager and a toddler, creating, cooking, and laughing in perfect blissful harmony, THIS alone has made my Christmas already, and for the first time ever I really can't wait till next year.

AND!...It just goes to prove that Christmas can be fun and festive no matter what your age, or your budget.

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