Around this time of year we get people rushing furiously trying to do their Christmas shopping. I've heard enough of the "Black Friday" horror stories to last me a lifetime. Well, I happen to love shopping and Christmas shopping has become a habit for me. However, I don't like rushing about trying to make every perfect. With that said, I would like to offer a few tips for people who want to shop and make everything perfect for Christmas:
1) First and foremost, don't aim for perfection when you shop and prepare. Too often I hear of people trying to out-do the previous Christmas or other celebrations (birthdays, Thanksgivings, Easters, etc.). If you do, you'll only break your brain and cause trouble for those around you.
2) Check your budget. You may want something big and extravagant, but you will find that you might have to go for something a lot smaller; which brings me to the next tip:
3) Keep it simple. This goes for both parties and decorations.
a. Use what you have in terms of tableware. Okay, so you don't have any good China or fancy pitchers but you do have plates that are plain but presentable. So use those instead. They may not be super nice, but if their at least presentable and clean, you'll be just fine.
b. Plan the meal carefully. Buy the turkey, ham, beef, or whatever big roast you want to serve at a reasonable price. Don't try to buy something that costs too much, and you'll want to inspect it when you bring it home to make sure that it's okay. And you'll need a back-up plan in case you can't serve the meal the way you wan to.
c. For Heaven's sake, if you want decorations, don't go for some ostentatious kitsch-palace decor for the lawn or home. It's hard on the eyes and makes you look like a spendthrift. Go for something smaller. Pine boughs are okay and Christmas lights are somewhat useful for outdoors; but inflatables, store-bought standees of Christmas figures, etc. are silly and look weird. Nativities are excellent, but if they're huge and right there on the lawn, even they become hard to look at and annoying, and as a Christian, I don't want that to happen. Nativities are best if they are small and inside. Indoor decorations should be kept small.
4) You can have a big party, but don't overload yourself. Limit yourself to only a few people, don't try to invite your entire extended family. They may not be able to. This same goes for if you want to go visit family. You have to check the budget, and be sure that everyone's well enough to even do this sort of thing. Often your best bet is to just send a greeting card or call the relatives on the phone.
5) Don't go shopping on Christmas Eve unless you have no other choice.
6) And when you shop, bear in mind the budget and what people want. Here are a few ideas:
a. If your child wants a toy but they have so many already, you're not required to not buy the toy. But you will have to talk to your child and let them know that they may not get it this year. it may be that you don't have the money, or the child is too young (or too old) to have it, or it could be that they already have enough. It may also not be safe for them right now. They need to know that you love them, but that you won't be able to get a new time for them every Christmas.
b. Practical does not mean boring. People seem to think that useful gifts are always dull and not fun. Well, if all you can afford is to buy socks for your family, get them socks that are cute, cool, interesting, etc.. If your daughter likes interesting pink and purple combinations, get her socks or something else she needs that have those colors in curious patterns. If your son is a Packer's fan, do the same thing. Make a seemingly uninteresting gift into something interesting.
And
7) Seriously, appliances don't really make good gifts. I've heard the old cliched story of a husband buying his wife a dust buster or some other appliance for Christmas, Valentine's Day, etc., and the wife is not impressed. Dust busters were never meant to be given a gifts; they were meant to be something you clean your house with. And you only buy one if you need it.
Pots and pans only work they happen to be fancy and/or unusual (like the fancy ebelskiver pan my aunt gave me last Christmas). And usually I only hear about people getting kitchen supplies for Christmas if they happen to love cooking.
If anyone finds this at all useful, feel free to comment.
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