By 
I don’t know about you, but when I was younger I always felt a bit left out of my friends’ Christmas conversations. It seemed to me that my friends’ parents spent hundreds of pounds more on my friends’ Christmas entertainment than my parents did on mine, they went to Pantos, Lapland and other things that must have cost a fortune.
However, I often felt that my friends were being cheated, because even though they had the most desirable places to go, they always gave me what I wanted or needed. My parents had time. I’ll have to ask my mom, because looking back, everything is slightly tinted pink and I know it wasn’t all Sunshine Lollipops and Rainbows, but it certainly felt that way!
We did a lot of stuff over the Christmas period that cost next to nothing and for me it’s part of a frugal Christmas. So if you have a lot of time and little money, I hope some of my ideas and traditions for frugal holiday entertaining will become yours!
When I was little we used to go on Christmas Drives, chasing after Rotary Club Santa. It was always printed in the paper what area he would be in on what night, but my sister and I didn’t know that. For all we knew, we really were looking for Santa. Top Ender has done this for the last few years and loves looking for it, taking a look and having to try to find it again. It’s a great way to spend time together, as long as you don’t mind spending some gas money or as long as you can all walk fast!
Starting the first week of December we go hunting for Christmas lights. We know of three or four areas, where the decorations outside the houses in the area are fantastic, so we love driving around and looking for new ones!
Then of course there is our annual trip to see the Christmas lights in London. We are lucky that we now have a Picasso with a giant sunroof so we can look up and see the beautiful exhibits. This works for us in our local town as well, as I think every town puts up some kind of Christmas lighting these days!
For the past three years, Top Ender and I have been going to see the Christmas tree lights go on in our local square. It’s really beautiful and we enjoy the countdown before the lights go on. Our city council has made an effort to make it more enjoyable, with a small amusement park and a parade of lights in the first place.
One thing we love to do is turn off the main lights in our living room once the decorations are up, and just turn on the Christmas lights or light a few candles. Top Ender, Dad and I have curled up on the couch staring at the twinkling lights for a long time, Baby Boy tended to fall asleep, but he was only seven months old!
Watching movies is something that Top Ender and I do every week, we have a wide variety of options and often we will see one that I have recorded in the week on one of the children’s television channels. Making this with popcorn or some Christmas snacks (and with the lights off and only the Christmas lights on) will only add to the Christmas excitement!
Learning Christmas carols as a family is great. Top Ender giggled a few years ago when we sang “In the Bleak Mid-Winter.” It took us a long time to realize that she thought the line “Snow had fallen snow on snow” was the funniest thing she had ever heard! Even now when we sing it, she’ll give us a knowing look on that line!
Christmas stories abound and they can be classic (“It was the night before Christmas, anyone?) or new, but they always bring a smile to someone’s face… a life choice instead of a name!
And of course you can always use the Great Robinson website as reviewed by Top Ender here and put in a Panto.