I’ve been wondering for quite some time now when Christmas became less about things that I was given as gifts, and more about giving something to someone else and seeing their reactions and faces as they open up gifts which you bought purposely for them. Obviously, it wasn’t always that way.

Perhaps it was a gradual thing, as you grow out of being a child and teenager into being an adult (with kids of your own in some cases)– perhaps you sort of don’t feel the same excitement when opening up gifts? Nah, that can’t be it.. I still get excited about Christmas gifts, very much so… but nowadays I’m more interested in making others happy. Is that wrong that I can’t wait for my little nephew to turn 3 so he has a better understanding about Santa and gets really excited? I don’t think so – but I also don’t think that it’s wise to spend an obscene amount of money buying things like new cars, Polaris ATVs, and generally crazy expensive, material things.

I think I know the reason why I personally feel this way. The reason that I love doing the giving now is simply that I don’t want for anything. When I get downtime (if you consider 10 minutes each way to work downtime), I tend to do my best “thinking”. And today I was thinking about the Christmas season and how I wish I seen more of my family this year, certainly nothing to do with receiving presents. If this Christmas storm has reminded me of anything, it’s that when it really boils down to it I have everything I have always wanted. A beautiful and wonderful girlfriend, my awesome and caring family, my amazing beagles, our home, my buddies, my health, my job, my hobbies, I could go on and on. I am one lucky guy in that regard.

If Christmas was nothing more than a few days off in which we could all spend with our families over dinner, drinks, good conversation and warm home to spend the days – what more should anyone even ask for? Seems to me at least, that while we spend our time stressing over what to get whom and who we have left to shop for, we are really missing the whole point. I’m trying to say if given the choice of obtaining a gift from someone I know or sharing some laughs and stories with them for a few hours… I would choose the latter. I guess I just don’t know when it changed (cuz I would certainly rather the gifts as a kid!!)

My mother would try to recycle Christmas boxes/bows/bags every year, and it was noticed in the mid-90′s that the game box that I received was not only being re-used every year to either myself or my two brothers, but it was standing the test of time of durability. One of our added bonus’ to laughing and opening presents on Christmas morning, was the “who was getting the gift in the Indy box”. As the years have now gone on, the box has increased mileage travelling across the country multiple times, as well as across the border in California.

We also started writing in the box who received it each year to extend the legacy…and share the story with the new members of our growing family. I don’t know what will confuse our grandkids more in the future…who is Indiana Jones…or what is a Commodore 64?

This year I hoped to do things a bit differently. I was thinking the other day on what to get Liz for Christmas when it dawned on me that we haven’t had a good vacation together in quite some time. Don’t worry, I’m not spoiling this as she reads my blog all the time so it’s not a surprise But the problem with vacations – especially with me – is that I have to book my vacation time very early (as in this week) for 2011. Due to this, I figured I had better tell her about my plan and chat about it as I was originally going to surprise her and have her vacation time booked without her knowing – unfortunately that surprise can’t happen as there are too many variables which need to be in order before we go anywhere.

So we went for a walk two nights ago and I asked her about the idea of going on vacation somewhere as a Christmas present instead of giving each other things we don’t want nor need, like another GPS System. Don’t get me wrong, I love GPS – but when you can get them on the iPhone, not much point of owning another one. Do you know what the best part of the idea was? She was thinking the same thing!! Yeah!! So we’ve pretty much decided that this year.. we’ll give each other a budgeted amount of stocking stuffers – and then mid-Winter we’re gonna get our asses out of PEI and head somewhere warm!

Now it’s another conversation altogether, do we go somewhere on an ‘all-inclusive’ type of deal or do we head somewhere like Vegas? She’s always wanted to go to Hollywood and I know my brother’s girlfriend Jen is in Monterey, CA so it may work out to be a pretty good time if we can go that route. I guess it’s a pretty good problem to have eh? “Which vacation do we want to go on??”. Anyhow stay tuned for our decision.. it’ll likely happen sooner than later.

Man I can’t wait for some Rum n ‘Nog!

Merry Christmas Lily and Everyone!

Well it’s finally here – Christmas Eve.

I’m not going to write much today as I still unfortunately have some errands to run (So much for being done on November 25th eh??). I did however, want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I’ve been run off my feet the last few weeks doing up photo shoots, picking up relatives in Halifax, shopping, helping others get their Christmas presents done, and working. Truthfully I really hope that over the next few days I get to just sit back, relax, and enjoy my Nephews 2nd Christmas along with the rest of  my whole family – home for the first time in a LOT of years

So I’m off. Going to stop doing the computer and tech work – get Liz to stop doing her call center services and finish up wrapping & printing the presents and have myself a Rum n Nog!

In the meantime.. just wanted to mention a few good movies that may be worth your while downloading

Invictus (Just came out), and The Blind Side… both are DVD Screeners.. love em!

Be in touch soon! Merry Christmas!

PS: If you’re wondering how to download those movies.. do a search on this blog for ‘my birthday present’

Nope.. not even close actually.. HOWEVER, I am doing much more this year than I have in previous. And I mean much, much more, and much, much earlier. As I’ve stated in a previous post.. I am trying to take the approach that this year Christmas is on the 25th of NOVEMBER, instead of a month later. That way, for the first time.. ever, I will be able to enjoy the Holidays without the hustle, panic, and spending over the last month which I usually do. Oh, who am I kidding, it’s usually right up until the last week (or day) before Christmas!

Last night I was reading a finance book (which I will review in a later post), and an idea popped into my head. Why not set a budget for Christmas gifts? It’s not uncommon for family members to have a similar conversation with family and friends such as, “I’m only spending such and such an amount this year” or “We’re not going all out this year”. In all honesty, this makes perfect sense to me, however sticking to it is a different beast altogether. In reality, in this day and age.. if someone wants something.. they go out and get it. At least that’s what I’m certainly guilty of (as I try to hold back on my urge to get an iPhone to replace my perfectly fine Blackberry).

So I decided to do up a Christmas Budget, and the interesting part is,  the more I got into it the better an idea it seemed to be. I was not only setting price amounts, but also jotting down notes about ideas and what to get my family and friends to whom I spend Christmas money on. Of course, the only price I didn’t put a limit on or set was Liz’s, but only due to the fact that we hadn’t discussed it yet. Truth is, we always set a limit to our spending on each other, right down to the stocking stuffers.

Getting back to the actual budget, it’s a GREAT idea to do one up, and the sooner the better. I remember having a conversation with one of my best friends a lot of years ago, and he told me that for his Christmas shopping, he has a list of things to get and usually heads out on Christmas Eve.  Within an hour, all of his shopping is done. Well, as ‘last minute’ as that is, the principle is not such a bad idea, however I like the notion of doing it 2 months before Christmas even arrives!

A budget obviously also allows me to take out and pre-plan the money that I’m going to spend on Christmas. For example, if I have budgeted $100 to spend on my Mom,.I can keep an eye out for gifts within that amount of money instead of walking around aimlessly with a week to go before Christmas in a mall.

When I first decided to try to take the approach that Christmas was on November 25th, I actually thought it wouldn’t be possible. Now that I’ve got a Christmas Budget however, it’s really starting to look like one of my better ideas.

This year.. for all intents and purposes (side note: did you know that up until a few years ago I thought the phrase was “intensive purposes?”.. oh well.. didn’t google it), so as I was saying.. for all intents and purposes, this year Christmas for us is on November 25th. Not because we’re going to celebrate at that time, and not because it’s starting to snow out and that’s just really sad.. but no, it’s cuz we want to be DONE SHOPPING BY THIS DATE!

Yeah, yeah.. you all say.. easier said than done. But is it? I mean really.. what’s the difference between now and a month from now other than you’re in the 98% of all other people that are trying to shop the last month of the year. I mean, how nice would it be to be able to say ‘I’m done’.. before December even gets here??

Well.. it’s what myself and Liz are going to strive for, and since she just got back from Moncton and did a bunch of shopping there, I think it’s very do-able. So.. that being said.. I now have 37 days to finish up Good luck to me! I’ll let you know how I get along.

Some of the projects that I have planned over the winter months are:

1. add insulation (blown in) to my attic and create a better hatch for it
2. paint the living room and halls (a very big paint job)
3. tear out the carpet in the last bedroom with carpet and replace it with hardwood
4. touch up areas that need touching up.. such as paint, wood trim, etc..

Yeah it doesn't look like this now.. but still needs a paint job

You know, these things sound simple and straight forward enough… but I’ll be damned if I can’t ever seem to find the time to actually do them! That’s the problem I think with a lot of these home repairs.. getting started! It’s like going to the gym.. it’s always the hardest part to just get started!

I have a pretty long list of little repairs and touchups that I’d love to have completed on the house, I really wish I knew how to do a lot of them easily.. things like repairing a ‘rung’ in my railing, a deep scratch in the hardwood, some small tiling issues.. etc..etc..

Oh well, perhaps I can hire a cheap handyman that knows all of this stuff ! Know anyone??