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Affordable Stocking Stuffers for Christmas 2023
I am always so surprised to hear parents say they put expensive presents into their children’s stockings.
I can’t help but think about Laura and Mary, from Little House on the Prairie, opening up their Christmas stockings and being excited to find a penny, a pair of homemade red mittens, and a cookie sprinkled with sugar on top.
Laura and Mary were super excited and in awe to get such wonderful gifts for Christmas.
That was it. There weren’t any more gifts to open, and they were happy.
The world has really turned crazy over the last couple of years.
It is the perfect time to slow down and rethink the way we celebrate anything, including Christmas.
It’s time to simplify Christmas.
#1 - Food
My kids know I am not going to be fixing a big Christmas breakfast on the morning of December 25th.
They are fine with that. They just want to open their stockings.
Their stockings, whether they are small stockings or super huge stockings, end up with the same things stuffed inside of them.
So, what do they find inside their stockings?
Little Debbies.
Yup, that’s it.
I pick up two or three big boxes of Little Debbies, then divide them up between the stockings.
It usually doesn’t equate to a lot.
Typically, each child would get about four Little Debbie cakes in their stockings.
The kids were always excited to get these special treats, plus they thought it was super cool to be able to eat Little Debbies for Christmas breakfast!
You may be wondering why they would be so excited over a Little Debbie’s cake.
#1 – My children didn’t normally have store-bought treats while growing up. Their treats were typically homemade, so anything store-bought was an exciting treat to them.
You may choose to make something homemade or pick a treat your children don’t get very often.
#2 – I set the standard.
The truth of the matter is the parents, and many times the moms, set the standard for holiday expectations. Once we set high standards, we have difficulty coming down.
Here’s a rule to always remember:
You made the plan so you can just as easily change the plan.
Plan to simplify things this year.
#2 - Drinks
Of course, they need a drink to wash down their Little Debbie snack cakes, right?
I typically buy boxes of CapriSun or Kool-Aid Jammers and divide the pouches up into the stockings.
They would typically get about three juice pouches each.
One year, I bought each of my 12 children a nice travel cup and filled them up with juice myself.
It's That Simple at the Foote House
Seriously, that is all my children get in their Christmas stockings.
Don’t overcomplicate Christmas this year.
With so much chaos going on in the world, now is the perfect time to teach your children to be content with less.
The truth is, the children most likely won’t have a problem with simplifying Christmas.
We are the ones that struggle.
Either way, it is time to pull back and do less this Christmas.
Leave a comment and let me know what you will be putting into your children’s Christmas stockings this year.
Christmas Shopping Challenge
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Follow along with our Christmas Shopping Challenge each week!
Christmas Shopping Challenge #1
Christmas Shopping Challenge #2
Leave a comment and let me know what’s going into your Christmas stockings this year.
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