As a general rule, Mr. FFB and I do not get our kids toys for Christmas. We get them things they can use: new boots, coats, clothes, etc. Sometimes I feel a little bad that we don’t really indulge our kids with a bunch of super cool toys for Christmas, but then I remember the rule of practical gifts only applies to us. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, and Santa are still allowed to restock the kid’s arsenal of toys.
Truth be told, my rule of practical gift giving isn’t limited to my kids.
I pride myself in giving people stuff that will come in handy and be useful. The reasoning for my gift giving style goes back to gifts of Christmases past. It’s difficult for me to remember one toy I was given. And I did get a few.
However, I can recall several of the practical gifts I’ve received over the years: the Husker coat, bridle, Corel dishes, Stormy Kromer pullover, and the most practical gift ever given to me, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
I think sometimes we can get so caught up in Santa, reindeer, elves on shelves, and joys of giving and receiving gifts that we forget to stop and remember the true reason for the season.
Don’t get me wrong we still celebrate with all of that (excluding the elf). But, our Heavenly Father gave us the gift of eternal life by sending His only Son to save us from our sins. And we try really hard to let that be our main focus.
Because is there a more practical gift than the one we received on that very first Christmas?
Hello! I’m Terryn – the wife, mother, food safety enthusiast, Stormy Kromer fanatic who has slightly (okay, a lot) random tendencies, dabbles in photography, and shares (maybe a little too much) here at FFB.