In an effort to not spend a million dollars this Christmas, I'm just going to offer Santa a nice peice of ass.

It's just become crazy, Christmas around here has gotten out of control.

I am/have been shaving down my Christmas lists. I've been giving the kids a "heads up" as to this year........"I will not being spending a fortune!" along with the ole Christmas lecture about giving and love and all that good stuff. I've got my spreadsheet in the works and i intend not to fill it up. My kids arent little anymore, (With the exception of 4-boy who is unbelievably easy to buy for) but those girls? The girls lists include things like: A browning jacket (Remember I have 3 girls, so thats 300 bucks) Ipods, (Thank god I got 13's already---USED BUT IN GREAT CONDITION) Thankyouverymuch!) Stereo systems, Fish Tanks, Clothes (Abercrombie, Aeropostle, Limited, no less) and the list goes on. and on. and on.


And let me remind you, that 50 bucks for something may not sound to high for a teenager, but multiply it by 3 because god forbid one get that browning jacket and the other 2 girls not.

And yes, they are getting most things on their list. Through the years, the've had alot of gifts to open Christmas morning. It's wonderful for me. I love to watch them and then cook. I couldnt ask for a better day of the year....... And this year will be no different. HOWEVER, this year i will purchase their couple of big gifts, The brownings, I already have the ipod, the stereo, the fish tanks..... and i will be done..........Grammice! can do the little things. (Got that Grammice! ? Make sure they have little things to open! - Because I'm damn near 450 bucks into it with them so i'm done)

Now before you admire me for pimping my mother into buying all the "smaller" items for my kids (i.e. slippers, CD's, DVD's etc.) please remember that it's just always worked out that way. (Not to mention I have the ONLY grandchildren and by time my Bro has kids, mine will be grandparents themselves) Christmas Eve we (my household family) go to the in-laws house for Chinese Christmas (Thats a 'nother entry) while my mom and dad come over to MY house and pack "Santa gifts" into MY bathroom. Then, when we return home, we put the kids to bed, I hassle hubs to get started on putting whatever 4boy needs put together, and we start moving those "santa gifts" under the tree. Christmas morning, we wake up and ta-da....... Santa's come! So it's a win-win for everybody. (Besides, I, too still get Christmas from my parents like i am a 7 year old kid)

But this year, there are changes......
I'm simply not going to buy gifts for extended family members. Through the years, i've picked up some inconsequential, "on sale, who cares if they like it, it's a gift" for my husbands relatives because they buy my children/us the same kind of gift. I am just not going to do it this year. My kids need no more .99 cent lotion in a fancy wrapper, and i certainly dont need ANOTHER bar of smell pretty soap that sits in a basket on the back of my toilet. So i've already put out the word, "NO" Heatherg 's family is not going to buy for you-you or you this year, so she ask's that you spend your money on your family and not purchase anything for her's.

And i wonder why they dont like me all that much? They think i've chosen "not to participate" in this years festivities. We are going to our Chinese Christmas but i'm not gift exchanging with nieces and nephews and In-Laws. I'm not even exchanging with the kids, we have 17 nieces and nephews. With a $10 limit, thats still almost 200 bucks plus gifts for his parents.............Nope, dont think so. I've explained as nicely as possible and now i'm moving on........ and as for the hubs? He's saying "Hell yeah babe, i'm glad we're not gettin' in all that this year" (Because i told him, if you wanna do it, then YOU go do the shopping/wrapping/giving and we know he's dodging that bullet!)

So i've made those changes, I'm getting the girls gifts together and in order, (4boy is so easy its gross) and i'm well on my way to a happy holiday.

(Now........remember I an a neurotic so i will prolly post alot about getting my christmas shit together in the next 2 months.)

People I am buying for?
Grammice & Dad
My Bro & his Girl
M&F In Law
Hubs gfather & gmother (Small cheapy items)
Hubs other gfather & gmother (Small Cheapy items) (They cant have much because they are in retirement homes and have no space, we usually get them arts and crafts something....)
My grandparents (Of which i'm crocheting them a queen sized blanket, per my grandmothers instructions)

and the kids.

Thats it. I'm not going broke this year. AND i'm buying everything with CASH. Take that! And so far? I've gotten 1/2 of whats on my purchase list. So HA! I'm on a roll!

*If your name is not on this list, please refer to the paragraph above that states i will not be purchasing for every living human this year because my children have sucked me dry financially and i'm still waiting on Santa to get back to me with a hotel he wants to meet me at.