Christmas Gifts for Siblings

Today I want to address Christmas gifts for our married and single brothers and sisters.

All of our siblings live on their own and each lead a very different lifestyle.
Philip has 1 sister and 1 brother who are married. He has 1 sister and 1 brother that are single as do I. Usually their gifts are something from the kitchen or has a theme to them and is able to be enjoyed by the married couple as well as the single sibling alike.

One year we put together Cookies in a Jar, bought an oven mitt from the dollar store and gave those as gifts. We've also done hot chocolate in a jar, added a mug (or two) and had a gift for under $3. I normally save up mayonaise jars throughout the year to put the ingredients in or I can buy jars at our thrift store for just a few cents each.

Once we went to our local video store and bought each family a $5 giftcard. We then bought microwave popcorn and gave them a "movie night".

Then one time I found sandwich toasters on clearance for $2 each in an after Christmas sale. These were normally $10 each. I bought 7 of these, 5 to give away, 1 for our family and 1 for our daughter's hope chest.

With just a little planning, I usually manage to get gifts for our siblings for $20 or less, total.

We try very hard to live by the rule that it's not the amount you spend, but the thought that goes into each gift you give. Too many times people give to impress. Why? Why would you put unecessary strain on your family and on your budget at a time of year when our focus is especially suppose to be on the awesome Gift God gave us?

I know how hard it is to fight the urge to impress. I consistently worry that what we've given may seem cheap or cheesy to others; but I know in my heart that each gift given was well thought out for that family member.

I hope this helps to spark ideas in you for gifts for your extended family. Look around, check out those bargain bins and clearance totes...you may just be pleasantly surprised at what you find!

Blessings...