If you know me, you know, I love October through December. My Halloween decorations went up on September 15th this year. It has been a challenging few years for everyone, and I needed some extra holiday cheer – even the spooky kind!
I have always found myself pushing so hard to make everything perfect, awesome, and memorable during the holidays. So, I have always pushed myself (even somewhat unrealistically at times) to make each year more memorable than the next. Like everyone else, I want my child to look back on his childhood and have happy memories. I want him to know how very loved he was. I want him to have happy memories of family to hold close to when times get rough.
I love holidays, and in my opinion, it really is the most wonderful time of the year!
Christmas is and always has been my absolute favorite holiday. But, so many times, life seems to throw curveballs my way. My big dreams of movie quality moments have been limited through the years by money, military service, sickness, emergencies, and so many other obstacles.
So I put together a little list of suggestions for budget-friendly, kid-approved, and memorable ways to prepare for and celebrate these holidays!
Can’t afford or don’t have room for a tree?
On my son’s first Christmas, we were living in Maryland. Due to a military pay clerical error, we were getting $200 paychecks, and I had an 11-month-old on allergy-specific formula.
I was devastated because I could not go all out for my son’s first Christmas. I saw a photo on Pinterest and decided to make my tree out of garland and lights on the wall. You can vaguely see it in the photo below. I thought it was awful, but now looking back, I love it. As a bonus, I got some of my favorite pictures from that time. Here is a YouTube video of someone making one similar.
Make a Christmas keepsake for budget-friendly presents.
Kids love arts and crafts! Some of the easiest, most enjoyable, and budget-friendly crafts can make the best presents for parents, friends, and families. Here are a few of my favorite suggestions:
Christmas Canvases
The adorable baby in the picture above has been replaced by an amazing young man. Around the time this picture was taken, we made some of these canvases. As the years pass, the canvases hang on the wall and remind me of the happy memories of Christmases’ past.
Christmas Handprint Crafts
These crafts are cute and fun ways for your little ones to express their creativity while giving Mama yet another keepsake.
Christmas Ornament Crafts
Canvas Factory has compiled a great list of DIY ornaments. Most of which can be made with materials from the dollar store.
Make some homemade Christmas treats.
Here are some of our family favorites:
Cocoa Bombs
These treats have probably been all over your newsfeeds. They have become a trendy winter treat.
Christmas Tree Brownies
Bake your favorite brownie recipe, cut into triangles, draw some squiggly lines with green icing, and let the kiddos decorate with M&Ms.
Rice Krispie Treats
The best recipe is on the back of the cereal box. Try adding food coloring and candies to decorate and make them even more festive.
Spend time together.
I know this goes without saying, right? But I finally realize that it is not the grand, exquisite, and jaw-dropping moments that my son remembers most. It is the silly, happy, and simple moments that we spend together that he talks about the most. Each year, we have made our own traditions that include:
Building a Gingerbread House
There are kits galore at the store. If you get ambitious, try baking your own. For us, I always get the store-bought trains and cottages. (Insider trick – instead of using the included icing to put the house together, try using sugar glue. It binds quickly and doesn’t require waiting hours for the icing to dry.)
Decorating Christmas Cookies
Store-bought (or scratch) cookies and a few packs of sprinkles and icings can make little ones so very happy.
Christmas Movies and Cocoa Bombs
We love to snuggle up on the couch or pile into my bed and watch Christmas movies. There is just something about a cup of hot cocoa and a Christmas movie in the glow of the Christmas lights. No matter what is going on, it seems so peaceful and happy when I have my whole family together and happy.
Go Driving and Looking for Christmas Lights
Big light displays are amazing, but some of my favorite times have been just driving around exploring our community with Christmas music playing. If you want big displays in the local area, you can visit Sowell’s, Downtown Pensacola, or Christmas Night of Lights in Mobile.
This list isn’t anything grand. It’s just an idea of simple and fun suggestions for the holidays.
My biggest advice? Cherish all the moments you have with your little ones. Take pictures. Don’t worry about those few extra pounds or that awful haircut – these days and years pass by so quickly, and soon they’ll be just memories.
Enjoy the time you have with your family and have yourself a merry little “most wonderful time of the year.”
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