December 5, 2007

The sign boldly proclaimed - “Only 26 more shopping days before Christmas!”

Huh? are you kidding me!?

For most people, it’s Christmas all year long when it comes to shopping. The retailers know this. Any and every holiday is an opportunity to free separate consumers from their hard-earned savings for something they really don’t need - but have been persuaded they really should have.

Honestly, I’d rather have something handmade. Something that somebody took the time to personally make - a crocheted throw, a picture in a frame, a card.

In that regard, I’m exceptionally proud of my son, Nick. Granted, it is Christmas for him all year long and he does gets his fair share. But, his Christmas list is of simple wants, nothing extravagant. He’s kind, and giving, and would be happier seeing someone in need receive a gift instead of himself. It’s an admirable character trait that will carry well with him through his life.

Handmade gifts. For the past few years now, we’ve designed and personalized the Christmas cards we send out to family and close friends. It’s fun coming up with the design, and waxes nostalgic the sentiment contained within. I would like to think the recipient enjoys it almost as much as we do making them.

Here’s a sampling of recent cards (click on each for a full-size view). Each of these are from pictures I have taken.

The 2007 card is almost ready for mailing - should go out in the next few days, or so.

Back to gifts. In my family - my mother, (grown) brothers and sister - used to draw names and buy for that person. A couple of years ago, we decided to stop drawing names and start contributing to a favorite charity. My charity of choice is St. Jude’s. I will make several donations to St. Jude’s throughout the year - a lump contribution, and several smaller ones at the malls and grocery stores.

In addition, this year, I’m doing something special for my family. For the past 8 years, I’ve worked on our family tree, and have been able to successfully trace our ancestry up to 66 generations back (on one particular line). I would estimate there are in excess of 5000 names - each complete with it’s own respective set of data. For Christmas, I’m giving everyone a copy of the GenoPro software and the complete family tree data. It’s been a labor of love, and hope it’s enjoyed as much as I did putting it together.

Do you do anything special for gift-giving in your family? And, what’s your favorite handcrafted gift someone gave you?

Click here for a full listing of the 25 Days of Christmas Challenge.

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