Home decor isn't the only thing that we can have trouble working into our budget. Sometimes in our efforts to make memories with our children, we can go overboard trying to give them experiences that either we enjoyed as children, or we feel like we missed out on. If we are really honest with ourselves, though, most of us would have to admit that it is the simple things about growing up that we remember and cherish the most.
This month, I stumbled on an idea to create memories with our children that was basically free. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I asked my 3 yr old daughter what she was thankful for one day while she was eating lunch. I asked again the next day, and the next, and the next. At one point, I decided that we needed to be writing this down and recording her answers. I glued on a few extra leaves from our Harvest Tablescape to decorate the page and kept the list posted on the wall near our table so I would remember to ask each day what she was thankful for.
The more I thought about what we were doing, the more I have convinced myself that this is something that I want to make a tradition out of. At this point, only the oldest of our three children was old enough to give coherent answers, but next year our second child should be old enough to participate. I am still debating whether to make two separate lists next year or whether to just alternate their answers on the list. I'm leaning towards two separate lists because I would like to save these lists for them over the years and give them their "Thankful Lists" when they grow up and leave the house. I think it will be interesting for them to look back over their lives and see what was important to them at their different ages. The picture above is our list from this year.
Challenge yourself, especially over this holiday season where spending seems to be the emphasis, to see what you can do to make it special for your family without spending much money.
