Christmas Simplified

Tis the season. I don't know about you all, but we are inundated with lots of ads, commercials, flyers, you name it, telling us and our kids what we need for Christmas. I seriously think my 4 year old wants everything he sees. Seriously. While watching TV in the afternoons, he'll see an add for Barbie and tell me "Mommy, I need that." Oh to be 4. Well, a few years ago, my husband and I decided to "simplify" Christmas. We decided to combat the consumerism that drives the holiday season that we had had enough. Christmas is about so much more that getting, and even giving gifts. So we set out for a way to still enjoy some of this giving to our child (now children), but tame it down. I'm sure you know what I mean if you have a child, because man, my son's first Christmas it looked like Toys R Us threw up under our tree. And he was seriously done after opening about 2 gifts. So we decided to nip it in the bud early, that way he wouldn't know the difference as he grew up ;) So, with the help of Pinterest we came up with our new tradition, 3 years strong in our house. Christmas Eve we exchange a new set of PJs. For everyone in the family. Why not wait until Christmas morning you ask? Well, this way the entire family has on fresh, CLEAN pajamas on Christmas morning for pictures and whoever may be stopping by. Plus, I don't know about your family, but mine relishes the PJ Day. A day where all you do is hang out in your PJs. All. day. long. Yep, best day ever, plus it cuts down on some laundry ;) Then Christmas morning the kids get something you want, something you need, something to wear, and something to read. A Santa gift, which is usually educational. A gift that the boys pick out for each other. And their Christmas stockings, filled with snacks, toothbrushes, toothpaste, bubble bath, and a few knickknacks. Then we do a family gift. One for each child to unwrap. Usually a movie and a game to watch and play together. Done. I find that my oldest really only plays with a few gifts anyhow and sometimes he would rather play with his old toys. Not to mention grandma and grandpa are really good at loading him down with toys, and we really want to simplify. What do you do to simplify the season?