The gifts that I am REALLY giving to my children this Christmas

If the advertisements on TV are any indicator of how Christmas morning will go in homes across America, many kids will be unwrapping iPhones, iPads, Wii game consoles, and Kindle Fires.

My kids won't be finding any of those under our tree. But they will receive several very nice gifts from their dad and I. As you know, this year is a tight year for us, financially. However, we've never been ones to buy over-the-top luxury gifts for our kids in past years, anyway.

Some of our "biggest" gifts that we gave to our kids in past years, included an easel for one daughter, a musical instrument for the other, and an Erector set for our son. We chose gifts that we felt they could use to continue pursuing their individual interests, and still provide years of enjoyment. It's not because we're cheap. It's because we think about which gifts could foster development in our kids' lives the most, without putting us into a financial hole.

But, you know, the equipment and playthings were really just tokens. The real gifts that we're giving to our kids this year are two parents who won't be stressed out in January when the bills roll in.

We're giving our daughters an education at the university that they chose. By giving them this education, we are also giving our daughters hope for their future careers.

We're giving our son the peace of mind that his parents are saving enough money for retirement, so that he won't have to support us in our later years. This is a gift of freedom, really. Our son won't need to choose the most lucrative career path for our sake, but can choose that which brings him greatest joy.

We're giving the entire family a savings' cushion, so that we can handle any misfortune that may happen in the coming year.

We're giving our children a fully-paid for home with heat, plenty of food, and family harmony.

We're giving all three of our kids living examples of how to be good stewards of their resources. Those are the real gifts our kids will receive at Christmas, and throughout the year.

Will my children be hindered in any way by not receiving iPhones, iPads, Wii consoles or the like? Not one bit. In fact, I think they will be better off, for the more modest gifts that we did choose. We put real thought into each gift. We chose items that filled needs for each child. I'd never send one of my daughters off to university with a new IPhone, but no decent coat to wear, or off in canvas sneakers to tromp through cold, wet grass, instead of good new boots. Gadgety electronic devices are fun, and we certainly like fun, too. But sometimes, I think parents have to be just that, the parents, and choose gifts that meet needs before wants.

Our Christmas morning will be full of the fun and excitement of giving and receiving gifts. I don't even feel sad or guilty that we're not buying more extravagant gifts. I feel like we've chosen some of the most appropriate gifts that our kids could receive, and that is a very satisfying feeling. When you know that you're doing the right thing, you can stand tall and have peace over your choice.

Hand-made stocking stuffers for my daughters

I wanted to share with you a fairly easy project that I've been working on this past week. These will go into my daughters's Christmas stockings. I know that they'll be pleased, and the headbands will fill some of that "stocking real estate". (Our Christmas stockings are too big.)

The couple of times that I've been down on campus at my daughters' university, I've seen all the girls wearing knit headbands. And they were even selling them in the general merch section of the campus bookstore (for about $15 a piece!)

We have a lot of yarn hanging around the house. I feel that we might as well put it to use. I made knit headbands for each daughter, using this leftover yarn, some wooden buttons and paint, and a small choker charm from my own girlhood (remember the 70s and chokers?).

One headband takes about a half ball of yarn. I knit these in the garter stitch (knit on both sides), and doubled up the yarns to make the headbands thicker, and knit faster.

And lest you think I must knit quickly or well, let me tell you, this is definitely a beginner's project. I knit like a 6 year old! One daughter keeps telling me that someday she'll teach me how to knit like a grown woman.

But these turned out pretty nicely, and didn't take too many afternoons of work (an experienced knitter could probably crank these out in 2 to 3 hours).

After sewing the bands into loops, I added some trim to each -- a knit bow with a center made from a piece of my girlhood jewelry (a china "cameo"that I stitched to the bow), and two doubled crochet flowers, with button "centers" (the buttons are wood ones that I painted with acrylic paints).

These projects were made entirely from materials that I had on hand, which makes me happy. You know how it is. If you knit, leftover yarn seems to fill the corners of the house.


Busy days! What do you like best -- making or buying gifts? I think I find fun in both activities. I was out shopping on Friday, and really enjoyed the "choosing" part. But I also take pride in the things that I make.