I tend to go into the holiday season with good intentions and high expectations. I go through the Auburn-Opelika Parents magazine and local Facebook pages jotting every fun and exciting activity into my calendar. I dream of a quiet (ha!) cozy house with candles and Christmas lights and homemade hot cocoa and cookies in the evening. Usually about 5% of my ideas turn into reality. Calendars fill up with school activities and work deadlines, time flies by, kids get sick and then before I know it January has stolen my holiday joy. Now I try to lower my expectations, pick my favorite (and affordable) traditions and take it one day at a time. This year, we will be adding baby #5 to our family right smack in between Thanksgiving and Christmas/Hanukkah so I’m trying my best to prepare ahead of time, and to schedule in some of these cheap, but fun, holiday traditions. None of these ideas are “new” but hopefully I can offer you a simpler and more cost effective way to partake in these holiday favorites.
Advent Calendars
I absolutely love the idea of advent calendars. As a kid we had the simple cardboard calendars from the grocery store with a little chocolate in each window. We’ve bought the Lego City advent calendars a couple times over the years, and our kids absolutely love them. That being said, they’re a little pricey and we’ve found that the pieces are pretty similar from year to year. This year, we bought a “people pack” of Legos from Amazon and a reusable advent calendar (thanks, Hobby Lobby!) to put together our own Advent Calendar with MORE Lego people for less money. Win win! My biggest suggestion is to keep it simple. Pinterest is filled with hundreds of beautiful advent calendar ideas, but it doesn’t have to be like that. What are your kids into? Check out Amazon for bags of mini Pokemon characters (72 for about $20!), knock off Lego guys on eBay, or miniature animals or dinosaurs. Little candies are also fun and easy. Check out World Market for some fun out of the ordinary candy ideas. Brown paper lunch bags numbered 1-24 can be clipped to a string for a cheap way to store your goodies.
Lights, lights, lights!
Is there anyone that doesn’t love how their house or room looks with tiny lights strung up? I think that’s why the fairy lights and string lights have become so popular. Let your kids put up some string lights over their bed or windows to create a cozy holiday vibe. The itty-bitty fairy lights in a mason jar make a great nightlight! Dirt Cheap has had these off and on for months! Cheap and exciting (and temporary!). My kids just love the chance to “decorate” their rooms in general, so this is always a favorite way to get in the holiday spirit.
Holiday Books
I love to pick out themed books that relate to the changing of seasons or whatever holiday is coming up next. Try grabbing a few books on fall or winter, Christmas, Hanukkah, or other commonly celebrated winter holidays. It helps me get in the mood for the holidays, especially if our house isn’t decorated yet, or the weather is unseasonably warm. It’s also a fun way to learn about holidays that other families might be celebrating over the next month or two. While new books are so tempting, utilizing the library makes this tradition FREE. Some families I know have even created a holiday book advent calendar. You can totally do this with library books, just be sure to return by the due date so the rest of us can get in on the fun!
Santa on the Corner
If you’re looking for a cute photo op, and Santa’s your thing – be sure to put Santa on the Corner on your calendar. This year it takes place on December 7th and 8th right downtown at Toomer’s Corner. We’ve done this the last couple years and it’s so fun. It’s a quick and cheap way to get a holiday photo to share with family and friends. Plus, the kids get a chance to tell Santa what’s on their wish list. The photos are complimentary but donations to the United Way of Lee County are appreciated.
Cookies! And Other Treats!
I’ll admit, this is an area where I have high expectations and low patience. I want to enjoy this, but usually put it off several times before finally giving in. Then, once we’re done I wonder why I waited so long. The key is (once again) to keep it simple. For some reason I feel inclined to pick the scratch version of chocolate chip cookies, or the recipe with homemade chocolate syrup. Why? It doesn’t have to be like that, although if baking is your thing then go for it! There is no shame in a recipe that includes a box. Or one that has only a handful of ingredients. The kids have such a good time! Another option is to buy already made sugar cookies from the bakery, or cut and bake sugar cookies and just let your kids join in for the decorating part. Our boys also love sharing with neighbors, so pick out some cute Ziploc bags or tins and let your kiddos deliver them to neighbors.
Ornaments
This is a tradition we started as a family a few years ago. Each of the kids gets to pick an ornament, and then we all decide together on a family ornament. We love going to Target where you can get super cute and unique ornaments for under $5 each. We always put the year and initials on each one so we can reminisce about what everyone picked in years past as we decorate the tree. We’ve also bought simple wooden shapes from Hobby Lobby and decorated them ourselves which turns this family outing into activity time when you get home.
These are just a few of our favorite traditions that can be done on a tight budget (both time and money). The holidays don’t have to be chaotic or fancy. It’s usually the little things that we remember the most. Some of my favorite holiday memories revolve around a ceramic Christmas tree, digging out the same ornaments year after year, bread made in a bread machine, and of course, lots of twinkling lights. I can’t wait to hear about some of your favorite traditions, I’m always up to try something new!
