Holiday on a Budget #4

As Christmas is approaching I am getting ready for the bombardment of stuff. We have already sorted out toys not played with making room for new ones. Like many families we certain gifts we look forward to getting each year and a few that we are excited to give too.

One gift that we enjoy giving each year came about in an odd way. For a time I used to spend hours baking each Christmas until 2004 when I went on bed rest days after Thanksgiving when I was pregnant with our second child. While I really do enjoy my husbands chocolate-chip cookies I didn't expect him to spend hours in the kitchen making Holiday treats. So our resolve was to go out and "gasp" buy our snacks. (Since my mother always complained that us kids always ate/took all of the Little Debbie snacks when we were at her house, I knew that they would be a hit.) This trend continued and now many of the men know to expect and look forward to the tradition of opening their box of Little Debbie snacks! My husband has fun going to the store and buying every one's favorite (much more than making them in the kitchen). He puts quite a bit of thought into who gets what, making sure to remember who doesn't like chocolate and who really would respect the great Oatmeal Creme Pies! It is always fun to see someone searching for your present you gave them because they need "nourishment" while everyone opens their gifts. Little Debbie snacks, who knew? An easy, economical present that is thoughtful, and that you know they like!

By far one of my favorite gifts that my children receive is books that they always get from their great grandparents. I like that they don't take up much room, can be passed to anyone when they out grow them, we can share them together, and they can learn and be entertained! In our house we are rather addicted to books and reading! Every night my children get to pick out a book to have their dad read before their devotionals. So many sweet memories have develop out of time spent reading great books!

This Christmas I would love to share our love of books with one winner for my Holiday Giveaway! (Sorry to keep all of you in suspense of what it was but I wanted to make sure it was here before I announced it.) There are ten titles that I have chosen from the Scholastic book order to give away. There are many of my children's favorites including Chicka-Chicka Boom Boom and a few classics for older readers. It's my hope that you enjoy these titles this Christmas!

To enter you only have to be a "follower" of my blog. On Christmas Eve I will randomly draw one of the names of my followers and announce the winner of the ten book titles in the comment section of this blog entry. To all of my readers, thank you for your time and I hope that my blog has blessed you this year!