Christmas is coming!

Wow, I just heard Wal-Mart is starting the Christmas season. And, Target put out their Christmas Decorations a few weeks ago.

How early do you start getting ready for all the upcoming holidays? How full do you let your calendar get? Do you try to stay within a budget? Do you have major Martha Stewart moments?

I used to start stock piling presents months in advance. We would go all out for Halloween. Thanksgiving was a weeklong cooking marathon. I admit, it was fun. But it was also tiring!

This year, we are making a firm pledge to have a simple holiday season. The kids are old enough to put up Halloween and Christmas decorations. We will rejoice in staying home to make cookies instead of dropping a bundle on new clothes and a sitter to go to yet another party. We will get the kids one nice present each for Christmas, but that is it. We are also curtailing our extended family shopping list, as are they.

In short – we are focusing on the important parts of these times!