Christmas-less-ness

Last year I looked around the room after the Christmas hub-bub and thought "Right, I better find a place for all this new stuff."  The problem was, there really wasn't much space. 


Apartment living is cramped. Even in a fairly average size apartment like ours.  And I also had this nagging feeling I might have missed the boat with my gift giving in some circumstances too. Did Aunt Mildred really need a new tea cosy?  Really? 


So this year we are working towards Christmas-less-ness. Here is what we are doing;

• Meeting up with friends for events/dinners where everyone brings part of the meal instead of gifts. Time spent together, especially with people we don't see often, is worth more than the gifts. 
• Joining my Mum and Dad, and Brother and Sister in law for a weekend away as a family rather than buying gifts for each other. Each couple pays their own way and we get to spend time together.
• Making and Baking rather than buying
• Buying things that are usable, useful and thoughtful rather than cheap and convenient. I make my list before I go to the shops rather than looking around 'window shopping'. That way it is quicker and less painful in the pre-Christmas rush at the shops. I also look online at a stores website to get the best price and plan around upcoming sales. 

Maybe one day I will feel confident to buy all our gifts here and here. I'm praying that it will be so. 

How do you avoid Christmas craziness?