It's the final countdown to Christmas, the fat tree is up and decorated in the living room with a few gifts underneath from Aunt Amber. My shopping will really begin this weekend. To that end it got me thinking about all the stuff the kids already have and the very short list of things my teenagers are asking for. Don't confuse short list with cheap however, Bridget wants a hedgehog yes a real one, Broderick want's a loop machine and/or effects pedal for his electric guitar or a 22 pistol. Thank you Dad for showing him just how fun shooting at the gun range can be. The little girls however want basically everything that comes on a commercial during their favorite shows. My children are not lacking in the toy department and generally play with most of the things they have, however that doesn't mean that I want vast quantities of toys littering the floor any more than they are now.
To this end I started thinking about New Year's and the resolutions most commonly made, #1 being to lose weight. Well I did that last year, quite successfully thank you. I'm not saying there aren't a few more pounds to dispense of, from a few too many fat laden foods, but it is something manageable. Instead the fat trimming I think that needs to occur is from excess in general. Excess buying for Christmas for example. I think the plan is to get the kids 4 gifts each, something they want (within reason), something they need (think new socks and such) something to read, and something to do (crafts, puzzles, board games or accessories for instruments). A few other areas that need some trimming, gym memberships that aren't used, cable tv that is most likely going to get very costly after our initial period of low rates disappears this month, my fancy smart phone is probably going to be on the chopping block once my contract runs out on it. I do use it for music during work outs and to chat using googletalk but it is probably something I can do without. Making sure to really use up leftovers from meals as lunches or something else entirely and not forgetting about it in the back of the fridge. I'm sure there are more things I'll stumble upon as this gets going. I already frequently clean out closets and take things to either a consignment shop or Goodwill, even if I can't use there probably is someone else who can.
What am I hoping to accomplish with this fat trimming? Well, to take some financial pressure off with things that will most likely only be missed for a short while and to use those funds to pay off bills and have money to actually go and do things with the family like ice skating or weekend trips, maybe a concert or ballet to see. More family doing time and less electronic zombie time sounds like a good plan to me!
