Santa Baby

Santa Baby, hurry down the chimney with care! Well Santa is such a big man during the holidays you really can not prepare your heart, and your family without pre-deciding how you are going to deal with the BIG man.

I can tell you for me and my husband we decided that we would have to “play” Santa a little bit, because we were going to be sending our kids to public school and we did not want to have 20 parents calling us mad because our little precious one went and told the class that Santa was not real. Not a real good way to win friends and influence people is it?

So we decided to do to Santa what the world has down with Christ during the Christmas Season- we decided to “Marginalize” him. What does that mean you ask? Well for our home that means Santa brings 1 gift, and fills the stockings (usually panties, socks, and some candy) – by no way does Santa bring the coolest most desired toy. Mom and Dad have worked very hard since our kids were little letting them know right off the bat what gifts might be to big, or too much for Santa to bring. And to safeguard ourselves we have always said, parents have veto power, and Santa always checks with mom and dad before he brings anything into our home – to be polite of course.

We also do not spend time emphasizing and assigning god like attributes to Santa (like he knows when you've’e been bad or good, or he sees you when your sleeping) nope! That also means we do not use Santa as a means of disciplining or keeping our children in line during this time of year. (I love the manger idea a few post down to help with that!).

What do you do? How does your family handle the whole Santa issue??

Away in a manger

Do you like my zebra printed "manger"? Well my girls were very excited last night to receive them! We also gave each girl an envelope filled with yellow strips of paper a.k.a. hay - that they can use to fill their manger when they have done something nice for someone they can write it down on the paper strips/hay and add it to the manger bed to help prepare their hearts for Christmas, and to help combat the case of the "gimmes me!"

Mom and Dad got one to, even though ours are not zebra stripe. I have been thinking all day what I can do for others during this holiday season as a stay at home mom I will most definitely have to be creative and go out of my ways some days in order to do some of the nice things I have been thinking about.

I am looking forward to tucking my girls in bed at night and seeing what kind things they did for others that day. The only rule is that you have to spread your kind deeds around - it can't be just for your best friend or your mom and dad (same with me and Brent, it can't be just for each other or our kids only). This is going to be a fun activity - one that gets us thinking about doing for others. It is amazing how when you purpose your heart and mind to do something for others, that the time to do so just opens up!

What are you doing for others this holiday season? Do you have a favorite thing to do for others? Do you like to do your acts of kindness where the receiver knows it is from you or do you prefer to do it secretly? I think I am going to try it both ways this month, and I will report back which way was the most fun. I am also brainstorming what sweet out of the ordinary thing I can do for each of my children and husband. I hope you are looking at your calendars today on the last day of November and are making your plans for your December! Remember there is no such woman as "Wonder Woman" you can not do it all (yes, it is true) so remember to fill your time with doing the "BEST" things, not just good things!