Here we are just about 3 months until Christmas Day. Oh, how I love the seasons that we are upon . . . apples and changing leaves make way for pumpkins and fires on cold evening and then right into the holly, the evergreens, hot chocolate and Advent. Annually, I read the entire Little House on the Prairie book series from October through January. That's how much I love the Ingall's and their adventures of homesteading. My husbands says I was born in the wrong century, Ha! But I've learned a lot reading about how past generations celebrated the birth of our Savior. They probably would not recognize our season of "busy and buying" for what they saw as a season of preparation and family.
The Ingalls family would begin preparing for the Christmas season well in advance. They began with the Autumn harvest in September by putting away the pumpkins, apples, onions, and other produce into the attic for storage. The apples would be used to make applesauce, apple butter, and apple pie for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. Pumpkins would become soup, breads, and even fun Jack-o-laterns. This was also the time that Pa would make a smoker in a hollow tree and butcher the hog. Hams were carefully smoked, then wrapped and hung in the attic for winter protein. All parts of the hog were used, the bladder even became a "balloon" for Laura and Mary to play with inside on cold days.
Gifts were definitely not extravagant. Santa did come, according to Mr. Edwards, and he would leave peppermint candies, some fruit, and maybe a trinket. Ma would begin knitting new scarves and gloves for the family and Pa would usually make something out of wood for Ma, live a new shelf, or jewelry boxes for the girls. Each member of the family thoughtfully planned for the gifts they would give, earned money to pay for the materials, and spend dedicated time making their craft. Mary worked for a seamstress one summer to pay for the material to make Pa a new suit. Pa bartered his time to fixing a wagon wheel and axle in exchange for money to buy Ma a new stove.
And then there's us, in our rush, rush, spend, spend generation. As Dave Ramsey wrote, "We buy things we don't need with money we don't have to impress people we don't like". I'm not sure about the last part because hopefully we do like our family and friends but the first part has certainly been true in my life at times.
Our family has had debt-free Christmases for the past 12 years. That in itself is such a relief when the hoopla is over. It truly is over and no surprise bills will show up mid-January. But I must be truthful that in the past we at least had some money set aside for Christmas or I had begun buying gifts earlier in the year. If those apply to you, awesome! You are ahead of the game. But if you're like my family is this year and you are looking at the next 90 days with dread because Christmas isn't in the budget, please know that you are not alone! We will do this Christmas thing, and do it well. It isn't too late to make this Christmas the best yet!
Please join me as I write some tips, strategies, and yes, even give you some assignments, to make this season truly merry and bright no matter your budget amount, family size, or past Christmastime mistakes. Series will begin tomorrow!
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