How Do You Budget for the Holidays?

There is so much around the web this time of year addressing gift guides and spending and consumption, but very little about how to responsibly prepare for the holiday spending. I am so interested in getting better at budgeting and being a good steward of what I have, so I wrote this post partly to share what I've learned, and in hopes that you all have some great tips to share in the comments section, too!

The holidays can be a tricky time. So much life, fun, love and energy. So much family time. So many shared meals, gatherings of friends, decking of the halls, sparkling of beverages and opening of gifts. But all the celebrating can be hard on the budget. I've spent many years trying to figure out how to best manage our finances when it comes to the holidays, because in our own family (extended - on my side and Stevie's side), we have over a dozen birthdays during the holiday months. Which makes for even more celebrating - and even more spending. Being a person that really values gift giving and selfishly enjoys giving presents, I never want to skimp on gift season. I just want to figure out how to get the most bang for my buck and also give really special, quality, meaningful and unique presents to my people. It's so so SO much fun when you give your loved one something they really wanted - or even better, something that had never crossed their mind, but that they adore. I just love those moments, the glow of excitement in their eyes. I've included below 5 budget tips that I follow every year for holiday spending.

1. Create a Budget.
If you don't already follow a budget for your normal spending, I would highly recommend creating one, at least for the holiday season. It's so easy to get out of control with spending, with out necessarily feeling out of control! Stevie and I have followed a budget for years, though it has changed significantly based on our season of life (one or both of us has been a student for 7 out of the 9 years we've been married - school has a way of keeping the budget tight!) We used excel spreadsheets to keep track of our budget for many years, then we transitioned over to Mint.com and used that tool for a while. Last year we took the Dave Ramsey course Financial Peace University and switched our budget over to using an app called You Need a Budget (or YNAB, as we call it). We have continued to hone in on our budget over the past year, identifying our areas of spending and setting reasonable expectations for how we plan to spend. For the holidays in particular, this has been super helpful, because it takes a good bit of foresight to prepare in advanced for the extra expenses!

2. Make a detailed gift list and estimate your spending.
I create a separate holiday budget every year in Google Drive, using the spreadsheets tab. I can go back and look at the previous years and the record of how I spent, what I spent, and where I spent. It's super helpful to look back on the previous year and use that to guide the budget for the new year. Then I write a list of all the people I buy for - immediate family, extended family, friends, neighbors, bosses, teachers - everyone that we plan to give to. I create estimates for all those gifts, and I input the estimates into the spreadsheet. I have a range of what I spend on friend gifts, family gifts, even niece/nephew gifts. This helps build the basis of the budget, and get an idea of exactly how much cash I expect to be working with. I also include miscellaneous holiday-related expenses, and budget for "extras" like hostess gifts and larger grocery bills, Christmas trees (yes, we buy two...), and even Christmas cards. I try to include everything, though I admit, every year I seem to forget something.

Once the estimate has been made, Stevie and I have a finance meeting about the Christmas budget. Yes, we make hot chocolate and pull out our lap tops and compare spreadsheets. We are dorks, but this is the only way to actually get on the same page. This is when we agree on a dollar amount to spend for Christmas. And then we make a blood pact to stick to it. Just kidding. But seriously, we do come to an agreement before I begin the spending spree.

3. Add in a buffer.
This helps when you do the inevitable, and like me, forget to budget for something important! Like stocking stuffers or a party dress. This buffer is always discussed in our budget meeting, and included in the overall budget. I've learned that I always need a buffer, and usually, I need a bigger buffer than I allot for. But nothing is worth blowing the budget over, so I make sure to utilize the buffer only when necessary. Not like, when I see another sale at Williams Sonoma, even after I'm done with all my gift shopping :) The temptation is strong friends.

4. Sync your budget.
Stevie and I are able to sync our budget using both YNAB and our Google Drive, so we can see each others spending. This is super helpful for accountability and just making sure that we are both on the same page with our gift buying. I am the one making most of the purchases, but it's helpful to see what he's spending and where, so that it all gets filed away in our tools. It gets a little tricky when I am actually shopping for him, because I don't want him to see what I'm getting him for Christmas! But I usually create a separate Google doc so that I remember what I got him. And I just keep the totals in our synced spreadsheet. We always agree on what we will spend on each other ahead of time, so the totals aren't a problem if he sees them - I just don't want him to know what Santa is bringing!

5. Shop - and then stop!
Like I said, I am the one who does most of the purchasing in our family. And that's in all areas of our life, not just Christmas. And this year I started Christmas shopping early because I have a baby arriving sometime around this wondrous holiday, so I want everything to be ready ahead of time. I am almost done with my Christmas shopping, with the majority of gifts already wrapped, too. The great thing about shopping early is getting it done - the bad thing is the temptation of holiday promos and hello - Black Friday sales! But if it's not already budgeted for, then I really can't get sucked into the "deals". Nothing is worth blowing the budget over, because that only leads to arguments and marital drama. After doing this thing for almost 10 married years, I can attest to the fact that no sale is worth a Christmas-related blowout with my spouse. Nothing. So once I'm done shopping, I turn a blind eye to the email promos and spend more time baking, wrapping and watching Christmas movies (which includes Pride & Prejudice). It's actually really good to shift the focus off of the buying and devote energy to the traditions of this delicious season.

I hope this helps as some of you are getting prepped for your holiday spending! What tips/resources have helped you and your family with holiday budgeting? I'd love to hear from you in the comments section!

Christmas & New Years Cards with Minted!

The golden foil. The curly, twirly wreath. The perfectly off-centered photo. The rustic background juxtaposed by the gilded font. The whimsical stamp and the flourished address. I LOVE CHRISTMAS CARDS.

I LOVE THEM SO MUCH.

I can't gush enough about how much I loved using Minted for our family Christmas cards. This is the second year I have used Minted, and I am still surprised at how quality the cards are and how excellent the Minted service continues to be. Seriously. I've used other services and this one is my absolute favorite, absolutely unparalleled both in quality and elegance.

Truth be told, last year we didn't order enough Christmas cards. So a few days after I mailed out our last card, I placed another order for cards through Minted - but this time for a tiny batch of New Years cards. There were just a few work people and long-distance friends that we really wanted to touch base with and I am disappointed that I didn't get their addresses in time for the first round of cards. However, I'm sharing all of this with you because even though it's too late to place Christmas card orders, Minted has some gorgeous New Year's card designs that have me swooning. You can check out the design I used last year for our Christmas/Baby announcement and, haha, for our last-minute New Years greeting. This year's Christmas card design is one that I LOVE, especially with that gold foil lettering. As I get older, I am becoming more comfortable with the fact that I like things to sparkle a bit. I used to think that made me too girly or something, but I don't think it does anymore. I'm owning it - I just like a bit of gold sheen!

Minted is offering 15% off all New Years cards before the clock strikes 2016 with the code WINTER15. Grab a few while you can!

Also, if you're hosting a New Year's Eve party, be sure to check out Minted's new Online Invitations - FREE for a limited time and optimized for a rich, cinematic experience on desktops, smartphones, and tablet devices. Kind of makes me wish I was hosting a little shin-dig now, but... too late! We are doing a romantic night away for New Years :) And I seriously can't wait.

What service did you use for your Christmas cards? Were you happy with how they turned out? Do you ever send New Years cards? I'm a mail geek, so I'm interested in hearing from you. Also, how cute are this year's Peanuts stamps?? LOVE.

Only a few days until 2016, friends! Live it up!

Christmas Snapshots 2015.

I hope your Christmas was wondrous, full of surprise and brimming with love.

We had an new set of experiences for Christmas this year, because we celebrated on our own in our new home! It was wonderful. However, in the week leading up to Christmas, Everett got a wicked case of pink eye (in both eyes!) and a virus that kept spiking his temperature super high. We were working around the clock to get him healthy, trying every remedy in the book (on top of antibiotics and fever-reducer) including lukewarm baths and tons of water with a little bit of juice thrown in for good taste and lotttttts of snuggles. And Elmo in pretty much every form - on TV, in books, in stuffed animal form, wherever we could find him, we would take him. Everett is in a hardcore Elmo phase right now. It's pretty cute. Anyways, we kept calling the doc (and went in twice - we are such first-time parents) and asking what else we could do for him, and they just said it had to run its course.

Babies should never ever get sick. It's just wrong.

Like the Christmas miracle that it was, Everett finally woke up from his second nap on Christmas Eve without a fever, the first in many days. We celebrated so big. There is truly nothing better than being in good health, especially when you've spent four days home bound with your sweet little boy. We were all feeling pretty stir-crazy, between being stuck in the house and all the torrential rain we've been getting (this weather! Why is it a steamy 75 degrees everyday in DECEMBER?!) But alas. All came together in perfect timing for Christmas day. And Everett was 24-hours fever-free before he saw any of his cousins the day after Christmas, which felt like a real win (not contagious!)

Is it funny that I'm here to tell you about Christmas and all I can do is talk about my kid? It was a bit harrowing for us. But Christmas is really all about kids! Am I right?!

Once we got to Christmas morning, Everett learned what those boxes under the tree were all about. He did such an adorable job, unwrapping each gift and gasping at what was inside. He is hilariously expressive. It was so fun to give him a few "boy" gifts, like toy cars and trucks (even one he could ride around in!) and a nerf football and even a little trike. He was in Heaven. We were in Heaven. Having a kid for Christmas is more magical than any presents you could open for yourself. And this is coming from a girl who is a former present hog. But it's just so true.

My parents and sister and her new hubby came over on Christmas Day, singing like carolers and armed with gifts and breakfast ingredients. My parents make a mean eggs benedict every Christmas, and because of Everett not feeling great, they brought Christmas (and breakfast!) to us this year. They are just the kindest. After Christmas with my parents, we headed over to my in-laws and did round 3 of Christmas with the cousins - whew! When I say I was overwhelmed by so much love (and good food! and gifts!) I mean it. When the three of us finally came home from all our Christmas shenanigans, we just sat out on the porch (in the tropical weather, thanks El Nino), and sat. In awe.

I am so grateful for this family of mine. I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record these days, but seriously, my favorite gift of the year was seeing the transformation from my sick baby boy back to his healthy self. No one's baby should ever be sick. It's an injustice. And they should definitely NEVER be sick on Christmas. I'm so thankful that he healed up and that we had our sweet family Christmas morning together.

I'm learning that life never looks quite how you planned, or imagined, or expected. I am learning how to be an adaptable one, learning to be flexible with the circumstances that come our way, and learning to find ways to be "good" with things that happen. Obviously, I wouldn't wish a sick baby on anyone, but instead of letting it be the absolute RUIN of our holiday, we just decided to make the most of our time in the house with Everett for the four days. While he napped and let his body heal itself, Stevie and I cozied up and binge-watched Madame Secretary on Netflix and made popcorn and didn't do all those last-minute Target runs I was sure we needed. And you know what? Christmas still happened, without all the items on my to-do list (ahem, expectations) getting met. And Christmas was really beautiful. These are the days, my friends. These are the good old days. Let's make sure to recognize it. xox.

Unto Us.

For unto us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and peace,
there will be no end.
- Isaiah 9:6-7

I get little chills when I think about her.

Mary, that young girl, barely a woman, swelled with pregnancy and having to explain over and over again to people how she really was a virgin, even though, you know, she was super knocked up. What that must have been like for her. How brave she must have been. So brave and so young, all at once. What kind of maturity this little lady must have had, to endure the public scrutiny and yet to know in her heart, she was part of a new thing that had never happened on Earth. An earth-shaking, culture-changing disruption to the previous way of everything. All the rules changed, all the judgements banished and the quietest, most unexpected element was birthed along with the baby in her belly - grace for all.

Today we would just call her a liar. But when I read about her demeanor in Luke, I am amazed at her strength and faith in this absolutely unprecedented event that she was at the center of. That sweet pregnant girl, with plumped ankles and a tired mind, having to travel back to her home town (Luke 2:1) hand-in-hand with her trusting fiancee to register for the census. And her fiancee - did he really trust her? Did he believe in her innocence? Was he in on the spooky wonderful mystery novel that she was living out, day by day, for nine months straight? There are so many elements to this story that we question, that will go without answer until we are in Heaven. But goodness, what a absolutely hysterical experience to live through - and tell about.

I think about Mary a lot, especially around this time of year. When I see my baby son do something new, or say something hilarious, or discover something that I would deem ordinary. The Christmas tree fascinates him. I should probably be more mesmerized by it. And that's how this story of Mary is - something rather ordinary that most of us have heard before that we don't really take the time to meditate on. After having my own son, and cherishing both the big moments - he said mama! - and the small moments - he laughed at my joke which means he understood me! - I have the tiniest peephole of insight of what that must have been like for Mary and her little boy. Mary, hearing her boy say mama for the first time. Mary, having her baby cradled by the town's renown righteous man, Simeon (Luke 2:25) and hearing him gush the most curious, radical things about the boy's destiny.

Mary, who "treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart" (Luke 2:19) and "marveled about the things said about him" (Luke 2:33). That is how the scriptures describe her over and over again. Cherishing these tender words spoken about her baby boy. Well, I can actually relate to this part of her story - I know what that feels like! I can't imagine living the rest of her story, but cherishing the words spoken about my little creation, well, every mom can attest to that feeling, right? That's what we do; we cherish the moments, the words, the glances of their eyes and the musical tone of their immature speech. And, you know, we try to Instagram it. In the best lighting possible.

In all seriousness though, I'm baffled by this story. And a bit choked up. Sweet Mary, how I wish I could have gathered near to you, made you a batch of cookies and poured you a hot cup of coffee and just processed with you about motherhood. The way all of us moms do about our kids. I wish I could ask, What was it LIKE for you? Tell me your birth story. What was the look on Joseph's face when he first saw Jesus? And also, seriously, were there sheep like 5 feet away from you while you were heaving that baby out? Because, MARY. Girl. I'm undone by your bravery. You some kind of woman.

Today is December 24, Christmas Eve. I am meditating alone on this bit of scripture. I don't mean to make Mary the focus of the story about Jesus Christ, I really don't. But as a mama, I do think she deserves some RESPECT. My perspective has changed so much since becoming a mom myself. I am so grateful that God himself chose little Mary, the highly favored (Luke 1:28) to be the quarterback of his big story. Shows how modern he is, as Bono would say, because "women of the future hold the big revelations."

I'm proud to be in the same camp as Mary, a young mom who cherishes and ponders the things about her son's future. I'm grateful to be living in a time where, yes, the dark may be getting darker, but the light is also getting brighter (Isaiah 60:2). The future is so bright, friends, when we accept the truth of Jesus' gospel and ask him to be the forever companion in our lives (Romans 10:9). I am grateful for this holiday, this celebration of our savior's grace and all the brave ones who surrounded him. Merry Christmas to you. Peace on your household. Grace for all of us.

Peppermint Bark.

Oh, peppermint bark! I started making this easy recipe with my mom a few years back when we both got addicted to Williams Sonoma's version (you know how they hand out those samples? We used to eat a lot of samples...) So we decided to start making it ourselves and would whip up an enormous batch of this stuff, giving it out to my dad's clients and family and friends. This year, I was really itching to make some more, and even though Christmas is right around the corner, my mom and sister dropped what they were doing for the chance to spend some time making this favorite old recipe. There's nothing like goofing off in the kitchen and making yummy treats with your kinfolk. I hope you get a chance to make this one over the break with your loved ones!

Ingredients:
- 1 bag semi-sweet chocolate (Ghiradhelli melts the best for this recipe)
- 1 bag white chocolate (again, get Ghiradelli if you can)
- 1/2 tsp. peppermint oil, divided
- crushed peppermints
- Optional: a drop of olive oil

Method:
1. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. Melt the semi-sweet or dark chocolate in a double boiler over the stove. This is a pretty active method, so you don't want to step away from the stove, even for a minute. Be ready to stir continuously and monitor the chocolate so that it gets perfectly melted and not burned. It's a timely activity, so stay in the moment!

Note: If you don't have a double boiler, you can achieve the same effect by placing a saucepan on the stove with about an inch of water in it, then placing a heat-safe bowl over the top of the saucepan. Place the chocolate in the bowl, not the pot, and allow it to melt slowly in the bowl.

3. Once the chocolate is almost completely melted, add in 1/4 tsp. peppermint oil and stir continuously until thoroughly mixed.

Note: if the chocolate is starting to get chalky, add 1 drop of olive oil and continue to mix.

4. Once fully melted, immediately remove the chocolate from the heat by pouring it into the lined baking sheet. Spread out the chocolate with a spoon, so that it's a very thin layer of chocolate that covers the entire sheet. Place the sheet in the freezer for about an hour and prepare for round two.

5. Quickly rinse out the darker chocolate and prepare the double boiler for the white chocolate. Melt the white chocolate over the stove the same way, adding another 1/4 tsp. once the mixture is almost completely melted.

6. Once melted, remove the chocolate from heat and pour over the top of the darker chocolate (you will have to pull this out of the freezer, but it should be fine at this point for the white chocolate to go on top). Smooth out the white chocolate with a spoon. Add the crushed peppermint by sprinkling a liberal amount over the top.

7. Return the bark to the freezer for at least another hour.

8. Once completely frozen, break into 1-inch piece and enjoy! You could share it. Or not. :)

Have so much fun with this holiday treat! I hope you're having the merriest of all Christmas weeks :)