I can't wait for next years Christmas!!

After speaking on the phone to my stepdad yesterday- we will be doing something different for Christmas next year! We got onto the discussion that me and DH would only be getting stockings from each other this year since buying presents for other people is getting really expensive. Well- dad (I refer to him as dad) told me that he was thinking of just focusing on the kids next year- well maybe just one small thing for everyone but focus on the kids, since seeing their faces light up is the only thing I like to see at Christmas (that is the one thing I enjoy the most!). I am so excited! I need to talk to my mom about it as well (she is the one who usually goes overboard!).

So after all of these years that I told dh that I would love to buy just one small thing for people for Christmas and just focus on the kids- I think it is finally going to happen! The only problem now would be DH's side of the family- we would probably do away with getting them presents and just focus on the nephews and niece!

Yeah for you! I am at the step right before that. This year I made gifts for my parents and inlaws, but it still ended up being more than I wanted to spend. We all have everything we need, so next year we will not be giving gifts to anyone outside of our immediate family. JUST our own kids and our only niece. DH are taking a cruise next November and that will be DH's b-day gift (Sept. 24th) our anniversary gift to each other (Nov. 6th), Christmas, and my b-day (January 5th). We will stil have a get together/meal type thing with family, but no gift exchange. This is VERY hard for DH, as he feels obligated and doesn't want to make people mad or look cheap. I keep telling him that if we want to get ahead we have to buck up and just do it! Same with birthday outside our family.

yay for you! you will love the new simplified christmas-any reason why you can't just start with it this year?? why wait for next year?

good for you!!! for years we have been doing the kids on dh's side i'm hoping to cut that out all together since we see these people 3 times a year christmas,easter, and thanksgiving... and instead just have a potluck... mil claims she is going to only get my kids 1 present each but she has been saying that for 3 years now lol...

We already do this. I've had to go a step or 2 farther, though. My parents and IL's tend to go way overboard for my kids. I already go thru toys before every holiday and birthday to make room, but it still seems as though you need a paddle to wade thru the toys! I finally placed severe limits on gifts. Each set of grandparents are only allowed 1 toy, 1 book gift and 1 outfit per child. It usually takes a couple of hours to unwrap gifts and it's insane, so no more!

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~*JAMI*~ GO RED SOX! WORLD CHAMPIONS!

This probably sounds bad. My ILS go WAY WAY overboard for Christmas. So our rule is you can unwrap gifts at Nana's but can only unpackage one to play with right then. All the rest gets stuck in the trunk and brought home. DH and I go through the heap and keep what seemed to really wow the boys and the stuff they will remeber they got and the rest goes back to TOYs R Us in exchange for a gift card. We use the $ for when it is time to buy them a gift or they need something. We have begged for years for the grandparents to cut back, but they still give each boy around 10 or more gifts of toys +clothing.

Congratulations on cutting out some of the craziness. I tactfully try to remind some of my inlaws that I do not want my child's focus to be on presents and things at this time of year. So far, they don't get what I mean.

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~Jeweled