Christmas day is another place in our lives that has morphed and changed over the years.
When Jody and I first got together, I had been doing the secular Xmas experience with my girls. He, on the other hand, had been a Baha'i for alot longer than I and had not been doing the Xmas thing at his home. Their family had gone to grandmas for Xmas but no tree and gifts at home.
We had both had wonderful Christmas memories from our childhoods.
So, when we married we started doing Christmas with our newly blended family. Well with 6-7 kids and a limited budget that pretty quickly became a problem. We both felt guilty about not being able to reach beyond our budget to 'keep up with the Jones'....ie: the other kids in public school. Over time the whole material aspect really began to eat at me. My kids didnt need anything and just feeding the wants list.....to momentarily amuse them....was so against everything I believed in. And, the only reason I had been doing this was not so they had happy memories or to build tradition but so that I didnt feel guilty...and it did just the opposite.
We also cut back the Xmas budget. They kids were getting bigger and past the Santa part so we set a budget of $60, then $40, then $20. The kids got one gift and possibly something inexpensively hand made. "Strangely" they have been just fine with the adjustment and have really enjoyed the low key...low pressure....happier mom Christmas experience.
Anyway, so this year we have a new little one in the house who we had to roll into this way of thinking. This was not easy.Her experience has been different than ours. I decided to create an inexpensive recycled gift for both she and Maya Rae. (the only two at home this Dec)
I bought two kitchen cabinets at a ReUse center. Total $40. I stripped them of the doors and hardware, patched holes with wood putty, put a new front on Maya's and used lewon to create walls. Its all glue, few nails. I added tops (w a support inside so when the munchkin eventually stands on hers it will not crack) and added moulding around the edge.
The rest is just paint. Painting the inside of these was really not easy at all. All those little edges!
I bought Maya Rae a few lots of miniature furnishings on Ebay. Her entire gift was recycled.
For the munchkin I bought all new sets of Ryans room furniture on Amazon at $9-$14 a room.
This was a big hit. In the end it was neither cheap nore modest....but was well received and will serve them for years to come.
Doll houses wrapped with sheets.
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