[Alana]

I'm all about Santa Claus.
Christmas in our house is pretty typical. Tree, presents, stocking full of goodies Christmas morning. When it's all said and done though, I don't spend that much on Christmas. I'm big on garage sales and flea markets. If I spend a lot on a present, it's because it's something I know the person really wants, or is going to buy anyways. I find that we have a lot of fun with Christmas, we decorate a lot (and early) we make it a huge celebration. We have presents, it's an EVENT. At the same time, do we focus on Christ? Of course. Really though, we do that every day. Not a day goes by that there aren't scriptures and prayer and hymns sung in this house. I'm trying really hard to help my children get to know their Savior, to know they can always turn to him. Christmas is a fun thing for us. The focus isn't the presents, even though there are presents, but on the season, and the feeling and family. Oh, also would like to say, we celebrate all holidays, from St. Patrick's day (leprechaun traps and corned beef!) to May day (does it get better than leaving flowers on peoples doors?)

As far as what we do with presents, I probably spend around $150. Not bad considering I'm usually really cheap and never buy my kids anything lol. This includes our family of four, my siblings and parents, my husbands siblings and parents, my day care kids families and one 'big' present in the present draw from all the extended family. Oh here is a thought. One thing I DON'T like about Christmas is the expectation people can have. Judging if someone spent enough on a present, worry about people spending too much, be disappointed if what you got isn't what you asked for. I get presents based on what looks good at the moment, it's ok if I spend more money on one person than the next. Most of the presents are just home made things anyways.