Real Tips from RealMama.org

Last week I received a package of wrapped Christmas gifts for the kids! We have family that alternates spending the holiday with us so they send gifts for the kids (and vice versa) ahead of time. Needless to say, I haven’t focused on Christmas yet and was still struggling with whether or not to buy an organic turkey (I did) but it is motivating to see someone so on top of things!

Everyone has people in their lives who are always ahead of the game and do everything with grace & poise. In my case there are many: the neighbor who makes homemade play-doh on a whim, the family member who always remembers birthdays and sends card, and the family member who wraps gifts in beautiful paper and ribbons for every occasion.

I often want to be able to pull off what others do (including cooking a healthy balanced meal that my kids will actually eat besides chicken, peas, and mashed potatoes or plain pasta) but have to remind myself that I do the best I can. When we ran out of bubbles after the summer, I found a recipe and made some for the kids to enjoy on a warm fall day. This year, I have made an effort to send e-cards for birthdays (and for Christmas cards a few years ago). For Christmas I have been saving brown paper bags from the store (yes, I often forget to bring my reusable bags) to wrap gifts in to others. Although I try to reduce and reuse where possible, I don’t want to be a Scrooge for the kids and ruin the magic of Santa. Beside wrapping Santa’s gifts in more flashy traditional wrapping paper, is there a way to keep the magic of Santa intact while being more green? Let us know what you think!