It's time for another Making Your Home Sing Monday, hosted by my friend Nan over at Moms The Word!
Let's talk about a topic on everyone's mind right now.
Shopping.
Not just any shopping.
CHRISTMAS shopping.
You know, Christmas shopping is hard enough, but when you add in the economic rut we're all in right now, it kinda puts a damper on things. Let's face it - America just doesn't have the funds to support the Christmas our children want.
And this is kinda a problem.
Two reasons:
1) What is society teaching our children that they feel they have to have more, bigger, expensive toys that think FOR them?
2) If our children want more and more and more, what are WE teaching them about Christmas??
So this year my husband and I have made a decision. We will be buying a few new toys for our children - nothing amazing, nothing huge, nothing overly expensive. But everything else - and I do mean EVERYTHING has come from thrift stores!!
Let me give you an example:
We went to a thrift store in our area. I found for Jacob a bag of Duplos the size of my abdomen (and I have a pretty big abdomen, let me tell you)
- about $200 worth mind you - for - ready?? -
12 DOLLARS!!!!
Can you believe it???
We also found a rock tumbler for my oldest daughter, a game for my oldest son, movies for the youngest ones, a Bob the Builder memory game for Jake, a leather jacket for Ronnie, a white elephant gift for family christmas, a combined bananna keeper and fruit bowl for me, and a few other things.
If I had bought this stuff at wal mart I would have spent WELL over $300.
Wanna know our total thrift store buy?
$82!!!
Needless to say . . .
I think we are thrift store-ing everything from now on!
Do I feel like I'm cheating my children?
Nope.
I am giving them something they will love, use and cherish.
I am also teaching them something very, VERY important.
Christmas isn't about the newest, latest toy on the market.
It's about three things:
Family
Togetherness
and
A sweet little baby given to the world as the ultimate gift.
I feel good about this life lesson I'm giving them.
If you haven't finished - or even started - your Christmas shopping yet, let me encourage you to visit your local thrift store (or three or four!!) and see what you can find! You just might be pleasantly surprised!
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2 comments:
What great buys!! THe duplo find was awesome. Buster loves those things.
Sometimes I am amazed at the things I find at the thrift store. I found a brand new toaster that was over %50.00 online, and I found a brand new George Foreman grill.
Both were still wrapped in their boxes and plastic and looked like they'd never been used.
I always figure it's not like we CAN'T afford to pay full price, but why should we if we can get it secondhand?
Thanks for linking up to Making Your Home Sing Monday!
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