Christmas Club

In the days of old, people had little savings accounts that were ear-marked for Christmas. The Christmas Club.

I am a year round shopper. I just tuck away little things here and there as I come across them. Stow them away for the next Christmas.

I was on a post about saving for Christmas and someone else shared one of their secrets; gift cards.

Many of us give gift cards for Christmas, for those difficult to shop for folks.

She had a great idea. Every pay day she adds money to gift cards. To Amazon, for shopping later in the year. For stores that her recipients will get a gift card to.

I love this. Just a few dollars each month, and at the end of the year, you have a little Christmas nest egg.

Elf on the Shelf...Shelved.

We were formerly an Elf on the Shelf household. Our elves were the fun sort, mischievous even.

My youngest is of the generation where parents have turned the elf into a spy. A threat when you want your kid to behave. Santa is gonna be mad at you kind of thing.

I really hate that. My daughter cried when we spoke of the elf this year. 

So my elves were shelved. Like possibly permanently. I liked Jingle and Jangle and their baby, Holly.

Last year, I donated my girl elf, Jangle, to a friend. Her kids were excited for the elf. She had two and their current elf was a boy.  The littlest in her house wanted an elf of her own. So, as mine has shunned the elf, I rehomed her.

This year, Jingle stayed in the Christmas bin. Holly, she was graduated to a grown-up elf ( a redheaded vintage elf that I found a couple of years ago) but she never got to come out.

I'm thinking next year I'm going to make the elves fun again. Show my daughter that the elves aren't something to fear.

I mean, if I wanted to scare her, I'd use Krampus.