Now that the holidays are over, I'll admit from Christmas Day it's not one of my favorite times of year. It might have to do with the fact I work in retail, and the fact I find that Christmas more and more is becoming more about commercialism and less about the real reason for the season. More and more I see people (myself included) worried about if they got the "right" gift for everyone.
This time last year I swore I was going to primarily make the gifts for this past Christmas, two out of sixteen people got something handmade from me in the end. It wasn't for lack of time, I had worked full time before and got more done. But being a Step-Mom and wife takes a lot of time, (not that I would trade it for anything in the world), and energy. Even if I were to start today I would need to do one and a quarter present every month to finish by December, and that's without doing any projects for myself or other people (I know of three new babies in the extended family within the next six months or so). That still doesn't sound relaxing to me.
So, I think for next year for those who are older we might do "experiences" rather then material gifts. I got this idea from my Step-sisters present to us this year. She bought us a package to get family pictures done, which was extra special after we discovered how expensive it would have been to do with our original plan to get them done. I know the kiddos, my husband, and would in the long run have better memories from say a day trip with the grandparents, rather then a consumable gift. (Don't get me wrong, I love the yarn I will be getting. And everyone else loved their gifts too). But memories with people we love are something that we can treasure long after the material possession are gone.
I agree - and when other family members are doing a lot of gifts - the experiences (annual passes, a trip to somewhere, magazine subscriptions....) can make the whole day more pleasant!
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