A girlfriend and I were at the gym a few months ago, walking the track when she told me she watches Biggest Loser (and admitted she has no problem enjoying an episode while on the couch with a bowl of popcorn). I confessed to watching Hoarders, but had the exact opposite problem: I could not get through an episode without jumping up and grabbing a trash bag to fill for Goodwill. I have never exactly been a neat freak or an organizational queen, and because of that I've realized having more stuff than I can manage is disasterous.
So, with two kids + eight nights of Hanukah (or one big Christmas morning) how does a mom maintain her composure during the holidays and not look like a candidate for the new season of Hoarders? It can be done. Let's be honest: having your home look the Target toy department isn't the goal of the holiday season, right? So, I've been working on some fun, homemade gifts for the girls. Things I think they'll enjoy more than just another Baby Alive, Thomas the Train engine or other toy that'll end up in a box going to Goodwill next time I watch you-know-what on TV. Besides, it is good for our budget, the environment and most importantly it is super-good for our girls to learn about having "less."
Kids Day Out Cards
My favorite idea so far is simple: I designed a fill-in-the-blank card to create special outings for the girls. You can get the printable here, and print out as many as you would like (I plan to do one for each night of Hanukah. You could do one for each month of 2012, or one for each season). The cards are sized to fit in a business envelope (and I found cute hot pink ones at Target!) so they are easy to prepare. Just trim along the blue background (I used my fancy scissors).
Now, fill them out! Read the article "Take Your Child on a Date" with tons of awesome ideas of things to do with your kids all around Kansas City. Or browse tons of ideas all over KCParent.com. Be creative and detailed when filling out the forms. And don't forget to take photos while on your outings and keep the cards for their scrapbooks. Hmmmm.....maybe even a photo album gift idea for next year?! Enjoy!