A Plan For Gifts

Krisann: Growing up, my mother always madegift shopping is moreorganized, and I actually look
sure that I had ten gifts toopen under the tree.forward to finding gifts for my childreneach year.
Some gifts were very inexpensive althoughThe children suggest ideas for each category and
shewas selective about what she gave. Therethen lookforward to finding out how creative
was only one large gift andthen the other ninemom was in her gift decisions. Manyof the gifts
were mixed in price, some of them priceless.have become items they will keep for years, and
Havingtwo young children in more modern timesI am surethis is a tradition they will take into their
means there is always a newand updated versionown families one day. So I passthis tradition on to
of something to be purchased. After severalyou in the hopes that your gift shopping can be
yearsof giving my children more gifts than theyasrewarding for you and yours as it is for me.
really needed, I decided tochange the type of©2002 Krisann Blair
gifts they received. I decided to adopt mySusan: When I was a little girl, Hanukkah meant
mother'sten-gift rule, combining it with ideasmaking decorations,lighting candles, singing prayers
learned from an attendee at one ofmy retreats.and opening presents. Now that I havechildren of
Now at Christmas my children get gifts based onmy own, I do the same; however, with three
thefollowing:children in theelectronic age, gifts started to get
Each Sunday leading up to advent, they eachquite costly, so I started a new familytradition.
receiveI saw a product in a catalog with eight boxes filled
A religious item such as a nativity piece,with goodies, one foreach night of Hanukkah.
devotional book, or BibleAfter ordering and trying it out, I found that
A tree ornamentIwould have to purchase one for each of my
A clothing item to wear on the first Sunday ofthree children. That wouldbe too costly. And the
advent and new pajamasfunny thing was that the Dreidel and gelt
On Christmas morning, they each receive(chocolate money) was not to be given until the
Something to readfifth and seventh night.
Something to cuddle, such as a stuffed animal,That is when I decided to make my own boxes.
doll, pillow, blanket, orquiltFor a couple of yearsnow I have used the same
Something to play with such as a toyboxes. The first night a few dreidels and
Something to make such as arts and craftsHanukkah gelt are given. Other trinkets fill the
Something for a keepsake such as jewelry, aother boxes, such asmovie tickets, fun pens and
heirloom, or collectibleitempencils, jelly beans, stickers, gift certificates,hacky
Something hand-made, either hand-made by mesack, squeeze ball, cookies, jewelry, fancy socks,
or by someone elsecrayons, andmarkers. It varies according to age.
A video, board, card, or electronic gameNow the focus is back on thetradition instead of
By using the above list as a guide, my Christmascostly gifts.