I met with our social worker today for our last check-up. YAY! The paperwork is in. I just have to mail her 3 pics and we wait for our court date/finalization! FABULOUS! I feel like I can relax a bit now…ok, maybe after I take the family pic tonight and print the pics, I WILL relax. After our appointment, Mila and I did a few fun errands. I am beginning to think about Christmas. And Christmas on a budget. I love getting ready for Christmas! I thought maybe I would post my Christmas on a budget ideas. Here is what we got today:

1. The most important thing for me at Christmas (as far as decorating goes) is having live, fresh flowers/topiaries/greenery and twinkling lights/candles.
2. Also a cheap must have for me is frankincense and Myrrh essential oil for burning. There is something so rich and magical and old world about these smells!
3. For music I adore Lorena McKennitt’s A Winter Garden I listen to it over and over again (it is only 5 songs)! It is Cristmassy in such an unusual way.

I think I might need this one as well! Don’t you just love the look of this cd?
And maybe this one too?
3. I LOVE coming up with a theme for wrapping presents/paper/ribbon etc. (I know it is weird. Last year was Victorian soap paper and the year before that was Gypsy Christmas-so fun!). This year it is Marie Antoinette (a lot of the colors/paper that I have left over from last year will be perfect for Marie Antoinette)! I am just not that into red and green I guess (although in the past I have done Swedish Christmas and that was pretty, but expected, you know?).
4. Also, BAKING, baking and more baking. Any chocolate and gingerbread combination is my favorite and really says Christmas fun to me!
5. As far as presents go…We have a fun tradition of exchanging new jammies on Christmas eve. This is super fun to me and it wouldn’t be Christmas without this tradition.
6. Lastly, I adore a good Christmas stocking! Presents are nice, but it is all about the stocking for me. I am sure I’ll post more about this later! Etsy is fabulous for stocking stuffers!
SO, this is where our Christmas money will go!

I got 2 boxes of these ($5 each at Walmart). Because I am feeling like a lot of white this Christmas. You get a lot of life out of bulbs. I get them every year because it is like having fresh flowers for much longer and for less money.

And 2 boxes of these ($5 each at Walmart). And…

And 2 boxes of these flower lights. I think I am going to put them on my ficus. I have wanted some pretty flower lights for a long time! ($ almost 7 each)
And I bought a second hand Christmas dress for Mila at Lucy’s ($10)

It is a black, organdy fabric and the brand is April Cornell kids (Cornelloki or whatever). It is kind of vintagey-right? I know, it is a little bit off. Not 100% sure I will keep it. I just have to keep the tag on, just in case. Again, I am not really into red and green. I do like plaid, but not really for Christmas. So, I was just looking for something different and interesting that she might be able to wear for other things, not just Christmas. Is black weird for a one year old? What about if I do something interesting for the shoes and/or sweater? And I was thinking that we could all wear black and white for our family pic for the adoption paperwork and then use this pic for Christmas cards? What do you think? Keep it or no?
So, I think the important thing when you are trying to do Christmas on a budget, is to decide what makes you feel all Christmassy and in the spirit. Think about what says Christmas to all five of your senses. Then check and see what you have to work with already and go from there. That is my plan anyway!
Total spent $35 on decorations. $10 Mila’s dress.
What are your Christmas must haves?