Looking Back on Christmas of 2009

My daughter and I just had a long talk about the past year and of course, the conversation ended with a focus on Christmas and how things turned out. We talked about what went well and what we might want to do a little differently next year.
As we talked about shopping and planning for our gift buying we decided that this year we would do most if not all of our Christmas shopping early and do it online. Over the past two or three years I have done more and more shopping online and now I feel very confident that I can find what I need and save money, time, and hassle in the process.

Because I work from home as a freelance writer, I spend lots of time on the Internet and I have learned that there are many websites which offer online coupons. A simple Google search will bring up lots of sites you can choose from in order to find the coupon you need. You’ll find that some coupons are good for a certain percentage off of any purchase, others are good for discounted shipping rates – oftentimes free shipping, and still others are only good for specific products. I suggest that you visit these sites from time to time to find the coupons you need for whatever you desire.

The discussion about Christmas also included the fact that we wanted to be more organized with our decorations and other Christmas related items. That process has already been started, as we tried to be more organized in storing our Christmas things.

Just as in the past two or three years, Christmas of 2009 included the fun of the kids receiving personalized letters from Santa. These letters add real fun to the holiday cheer and the anticipation of Santa’s visit. That’s a tradition we will continue.

We also enjoy having the kids write their letters to Santa Claus and do simple Christmas craft projects on Thanksgiving after dinner. This keeps the kids busy while the adults enjoy dessert and conversation. The kids love it and we enjoy their enthusiasm as they begin thinking seriously about the Christmas holiday.
Something we plan to try for this Christmas is having our own 12 Days of Christmas. We haven’t quite worked out all the details yet, but we want it to be fun for all. I’ll keep you posted on whatever we decide.

So how about you – have you thought about your Christmas of 2009? What will do differently this year and what are some of the things that you absolutely must keep? Let us know – share your ideas!