Christmas Cravings

I know, I know most people haven't put any thoughts towards their Thanksgiving meal, much less Christmas plans. But, I LOVE Christmas and because my family is HUGE , preparations are well underway! And just so we're clear when I say HUGE, I mean HUGE! My kiddos have 3 sets of Grandparents, 11 Uncles, 7 Aunts, & 10 cousins w/one on the way...that's HUGE baby! (That's just the immediate family!)

So planning for Christmas is a must. We live near most of our family and split the day most years. This year we are having three separate celebrations and I can't wait! What I can do without is all the hoopla centered around gifts. I shop year round for deals and typically have Christmas done before the summer time...this year it was Valentine's Day with the exception of the new baby! However, we are aiming for a homemade Christmas with the adults. Time and planning will be the factor if I can pull it off. I would love to share my ideas, but some gift recipients read my blog (at least I think so even though 'they' do not leave me any comment love!) .


Randy and I really wanted to try harder to emphasize Christmas being about Jesus and not gifts, so we mulled over ideas that would have greater impact. One idea was to purchase TOMS shoes explaining the effects of the purchase. TOMS provides one free pair of shoes for each pair purchased to kids in underdeveloped countries. I also read a post @ My Litter of Six, where Tiffany shared her idea of giving each child three gifts symbolizing the three gifts Jesus received from the Wise Men. I LOVE that & think we will start it as a tradition this year!

So, I wanted to share some sites that I thought were great opportunities to bring impact to your Christmas purchases.

www.tenthousandvillages.com
www.everytribeimports.com
www.tomsshoes.com

I also, would love you to share your thoughts, tips, & favorite Christmas recipes. So let's have it...share & share alike!