Oh Dollar Tree, Oh Dollar Tree

This year money is tight through the whole family. Ok, maybe it's just tight for the Kalinosky clan, but it's tight none-the-less, and as such we had a family "discussion" of sorts that ended up with the conclusion that we will not buy each other presents, and instead the focus will be mainly on Nick and his first Christmas.

Turns out this is awesome on so many levels.

As someone who loves to give "the perfect gift" and often misses the boat in doing so, I can typically be found in the last few weeks of December pulling out my hair and racking my brain about what to buy my 86 year old grandfather who has everything (literally, EVERY.THING.), or if my mom is going to like the sweater I bought her, or if I bought enough gifts for each person, and spent enough money, etc. etc. I can't even tell you how many times I've had the same recurring nightmare that it's Christmas eve, we're all gathered at my parents house placing our gifts under the tree, and suddenly I realize I've forgotten to buy a present for some member of my family (the person changes each time), and I frantically rush off to the store in a blizzard (because it always blizzards on Christmas eve in my crazy dream) and I can't find any decent stores, nor can I decide what to buy, and ultimately I end up getting stuck in the blizzard, with no present, and calling Todd or my dad to come rescue me. Then I wake up in a cold sweat wondering if I've checked everyone off my list. It's awful.

With no gift-giving, comes no stress about buying said gifts, or if you've spent enough money. This has been amazing.

Obviously this means not spending much money, which is also amazing because our wallets and bank account will not be feeling the sting of over-spending on gifts that most people will probably never use...like the s'mores kit my brother bought me in 2004...or the slurpee maker I gave him in 2007. (which I'll have you know we both still own, and both have never used).

In our house, Todd and I have decided to buy Nick very few gifts, as we know he'll be receiving a ridiculous bounty from his grandparents, great-grandparents, uncles, great aunts & uncles, etc., and we also know he will probably be more enthralled with all of the wrapping paper, bows, tissue paper, and boxes to even care whats inside. But we didn't want to go completely without anything to open on Christmas day, so we've decided to do stocking stuffers for each other from...get this...the Dollar Tree. Yup -- call it a redneck Christmas, call us un-classy, call us cheap if you want...but for us, it's all about the hilarity of seeing what "treasures" we can find at the Dollar Tree and stuff in each other's stockings.

But more so than saving ourselves money and avoiding the stress (and the crowds!) that come with holiday shopping, by not buying each other gifts and solely focusing on Nick, we're all allowing ourselves to experience Christmas again through the eyes of a child. This Christmas, we'll all celebrate our own little St. Nick ;). Instead of gathering in nervous anticipation as we watch each other open presents in hopes that they will be well received, now we can gather in excitement as we watch Nick giggling in delight as he tears the paper off of toy after toy. We'll breathe a sigh of relief that we didn't all give Gramma & Grampa McDonald's gift cards again. And we'll all head back to our own homes, relieved that we don't have piles of new stuff to put away.

Oh crap. WE will have piles of stuff to put away. Where the hell am I gonna put all of Nick's new toys???

Good thing we're not spending money this year...looks like Santa's gonna need a bigger house!