Creating a Simple Christmas {Giveaway}
Photo Credit: keibr
We were able to celebrate Christmas with my side of the family last weekend. Growing up I always treasured the simple things that made Christmas special – attending church together on the weekend of Christmas, singing carols with my mom, fixing cookies and milk for my dad to eat when he came home from midnight shift, gazing at the Christmas tree in the dark, reading the Christmas story from Luke 2, watching A Charlie Brown Christmas year after year.
Once again it wasn’t the extraordinary gifts or gestures; It’s the simple things I treasure most.
So how are YOU simplifying things this Christmas?
Are you cutting back your budget and making it a more financially responsible Christmas?
Are you taking the stress out of decorating?
Are you making homemade DIY Christmas gifts instead of fighting the crowds?
Are you filling your holiday with less stuff and more purpose?
Are you limiting activities and instead giving to others and building traditions?
Are you making the holiday menu more simple by easy recipes or even ordering in a meal?
Bob Evans has a Farmhouse Feast Holiday Meal To Go that includes a slow-roasted turkey or boneless ham, four delicious sides, pumpkin bread, dinner rolls, and pumpkin pie for $74.99., which feeds 6-8 people. We ordered a hearty delicious meal recently and enjoyed a night off in the kitchen with an easy clean up!
Along with feeding my family, they’ve provided a $25 gift card to offer one of my readers.
Leave a comment about how you are simplifying your holiday season to enter.
(If you are reading this post in an email or reader you must click over to 4tunate.net to enter.)
This giveaway ends December 28, 2010.
Additional entries: (Enter a comment for each)
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I am simplifying by letting my daughter wrap the presents. Ahhh…they look like an 8 year old wrapped them, but they are done and she is proud. A win in my book.
I left half of our Christmas decorations down in the basement this year. The house still looks great, and my constantly-exploring toddler was not as tempted to cause nearly as much trouble as he might have otherwise!
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With my daughter’s birthday the 21st, a new baby in our home and my sister due any day, plus the addition of two family members that have 3 children between them, this year we decided to not partake in gift exchanges with the family. This year it was just about our kids. 90% of our shopping was ebay, saving us a ton of money!
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I just refuse to get stressed out this year. It is what it is. A simple Christmas. A delicious meal shared with immediate family, a tree, a wreath and some presents.
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This year is about the kids, we didn’t buy presents for any adults. It saves money, time and stress of finding that perfect gift. Win, win, win!!
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Our Christmas is almost too simple. No decorations, very limited gifts, very small dinner. But I will be with the people I love and that is the true gift.
This year we decided to downsize the “stuff” our kids get for Christmas. We cut enough money out of our Christmas budget to buy 2-day Disney World tickets for our family. The kids will find out on Christmas morning that we go over spring break. More memories, less junk to purge later. They’re still going to get gifts… I just bargain shopped and bought things on ebay. One gift is even used but my 3-year-old isn’t going to care (or probably even notice!). We also didn’t buy for extended family (got family pics done instead).
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For our friend’s children we didn’t exchange gifts this year…we had a party and made ornaments & decorated gingerbread houses instead. Memories are worth far more than a Barbie any day! =)
Merry Christmas from our family to yours!
We are giving gifts that are useful not cute. The older I get the more stuff I have. W are making alot of gifts this year. We are giving coupons for our services to friends and family. We are trying to make special memories with family and friends this year.
Although all our traveling will not be simple (1400 miles roundtrip), We will have a wonderful simple Christmas and see almost every member of both sides of the family!! Less gifts and more family time ….& food!:)
Jenny B
We bought less… stressed less… and enjoyed more. I think we drove through the Free Pepsi Lights display in our town at least a million times. My little girls love it – and who can say “no” when they beg to go one more time?!!? (:
We didnt put a giant tree up and tons of decorations. We bought a smaller tree and put just our favorite ornaments.
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Staying home and having family come to us for the first time to avoid traveling with a 3 yr old. Adds a bit of stress to cook for them, but plan to make a simple non-traditional Christmal meal so that I am not eating leftovers for weeks.
I am not going to great lengths to wrap gifts. In paper is fine, making them look out of a magazine, not. Also, cutting down on the number of gifts to each person!
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Follow you on twitter. jenndiggy
Follow bob evans on twitter. jenndiggy
We are simplifying by cutting down on the # of gifts to each person and concentrating on letting the kids “give” to each other wether it be material things or from the heart!
I did most of my shopping online which saved me tons of time. We had time to bake and decorate cookies with family and friends, go look at lights, and try to really enjoy the season.
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We have started making gifts for the kids teachers. It saves us so much money and hassle!
This year we will be staying home, instead of running around to four different places, we cut down on presentd, I just did a little baking(instead of making cookies for the entire year!!!) and we have really tried to slow down and remember as a family what Christmas is all about.
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I shopped online and stayed out of the stores. We did lots of “together” things like visiting the free model train display at our library and reading Christmas stories by the tree at home – a wonderful one we just discovered is Christmas Day in the Morning by Pearl Buck.
We are doing several things to simplify this year. We cut down on how many presents per child.
We are ordering our Christmas dinner from HoneyBaked Ham Co. I actually cancelled cooking Christmas Eve dinner for some extended family members because my children were overwhelmed with some of the activities we WERE involved with.
We always keep our decorating simple. Instead, I let the kids make crafts and I hang those up. 🙂
we did a few different things such as cut back on stress and the amount of money being spent this year, We are enjoying more quality family time rather than the hustle and bustle of the season
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like you on facebook ID angie stewart church
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I kept Christmas decorating simple by doing it little by little (instead of stressing about getting it all done at once). I also tried to keep myself in check when shopping for my daughter. She’s at such a fun age to buy toys for – but I don’t want to spoil her or set a precedent or forget that Christmas isn’t REALLY about presents and toys!!
I shopped early so that I would not be running around at the last minute. The kids exchanged names with their cousins to cut down on the stuff and the spending.
We are cutting back financially by buying our kids 3 main gifts this year instead of a ton. We like the idea of 3 gifts since that is what the Wise Men brought Jesus.
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I’m simplifying by necessity this year. It was a very difficult summer and fall for me with almost no work, so money is pretty much non-existant. It was actually a pretty major splurge for me to get my little Charlie Brown Christmas tree, but I decided I couldn’t allow Christmas to be skipped altogether in my house. So I put up my little tree with a few, choice decorations. For presents, I either bought very small things, made things, or did volunteer work in honor of ppl I wanted to get something for. For me I requested only edible presents or gift certificates to grocery stores, as I really just can’t handle “stuff” right now. We’ll see what happens!
we’re simplifying by making as many of our Christmas gifts as possible…not as many as last year, but still a few!
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I simplified Christmas by spending less and using gift cards I’ve saved year round. I did less decorating than previous years but made my home feel festive with homemade decorations.
I simplified our holidays but not caring this year about the little things (like has the floor been mopped anytime recently!!)
Samantha D
I follow Bob Evans on twitter
@giveaway_queen
Samantha D
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Samantha D
Making a list before going to stores. Saves so much time from just wandering around or standing there wondering, “What was I getting again?? Did I get everything??”
I’m simplifing by staying home and doing a home cooked meal and just celebrating with family!
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I don’t have kids of my own, but I guess the most simplifying I did, was by giving everyone just 2 gifts. Not necessarily 2 things, but 2 gifts, so I didn’t have a lot of presents to lug around. It was so much easier!
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I like Bob Evans on Facebook
I shopped sales with coupons etc to get stuff for very cheap/free plus we didn’t do many gifts… those we had to do for church memebers I got tins for 50c at the Dollar tree on Sale after Christmas, and I filled them with homemade cookies 🙂
I shopped sales with coupons etc to get stuff for very cheap/free plus we didn’t do many gifts… those we had to do for church memebers I got tins for 50c at the Dollar tree on Sale after Christmas, and I filled them with homemade cookies 🙂
Just taking time to enjoy the fresh snow and laugh a lot.
vickie
We are simplifying by cutting back on spending.
ms0812(at)zoominternet(dot)net
We are simplifying by cutting back on spending.
ms0812(at)zoominternet(dot)net
we simplified this year by not putting up a tree, and having just a few decorations
we simplified this year by not putting up a tree, and having just a few decorations
i like Bob Evans on FB
i like Bob Evans on FB
i follow bob evans on twitter
i follow bob evans on twitter
i follow u on twitter
i follow u on twitter
I simplified by reminding myself Christmas is about spending time with family, not about the gifts. i did as much online shopping as possible to save on shipping, and bought thoughtful gifts, even though they might not have cost much.
Laura
laurasu82 at yahoo.com
to make things easier–i shop online, use coupons and plan ahead as much as i can 🙂
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I am simplifying just by taking things slowly and not trying to do “too much” which I have a habit of doing!
Thank you for the giveaway!
tigpooh1516{at}yahoo{dot}com
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Felicia B
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I am following Bob Evans on Twitter
@tigpooh1516
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I “like” 4tunate on FB
Felicia B
tigpooh1516{at}yahoo{dot}com
I am following you on Twitter
@tigpooh1516
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Hi! I had almost no choice in simplifying this Christmas because our fourth child was born on the 15th of Dec! So, we did minimal traveling, had family come to our house for the most part, and for the big family meals, I volunteered to cook the ham and turkey – and everyone else did sides! This really helped out so I didn’t go crazy! Thanks! Paula
I simplified by shopping online instead of going to the stores.