12 Days of Christmas~ all unwrapped......

In honor or Epiphany I thought I would share a little bit about how the 12 Days of Christmas look at our house. Initially the thought of 12 days of presents may seem like a lot to some, but since we don't purchase books on a whim, and save some clothing and personal care purchases for Christmas presents, it really isn't as crazy as it might seem. 

My favorite thing is that the kids actually enjoy and appreciate each thing they open, as they focus on that one gift per day. No crazy wrapping paper flurry (I know... some people love it, but I hate it), and no let-down the day after Christmas... plus, they exhibit gratefulness for each present, whether large or small.

Tonight, (Epihany is also our wedding anniversary, another reason we like the 12 Days of Christmas...) we opened our last gifts under the tree. We will enjoy the lights for a another couple of weeks, and then we'll finally take the Christmas Decorations down. 

I thought it might be fun to share what everyone opened this year. I will mention that I don't think that I paid list price for hardly anything (In case there are frugal shoppers out there... retailmenot.com is a great place to look for coupon codes when shopping online, and Amazon had some great deals!). In addition to the retailmenot coupons, I also used gift cards that were "Free with purchase" earlier in the year, and membership discounts from bookstores and book clubs. I may post again, with some of our "hits" and more details, but for now... without further ado, here is what our 12 Days of Christmas looked like from a concrete perspective:

Eldest

Christmas Day~ Stocking and Quilling Books, supplies, carrying bag and cutting mat
1st Day~ 1 small mermaid set Playmobil from Middlest
2nd Day~ Heart Charm~ traditional gift from Daddy~
3rd Day~ Littlest Pet Shop from Youngest
4th Day~ Penguin Pin
5th Day~ Lemon Vanilla B&BW shower gel and body cream
6th Day~ Glow in the Dark "Aura" Thinking Putty
7th Day~ Mattimeo book by Brian Jacques from Middlest
8th Day~ Black long sleeve T-shirt and knee socks
9th Day~ Pajamas
10th Day~ Hallmark Ornament (13th in the series "A Pony for Christmas")
11th Day~ Thomas Kinkaid puzzle
12th Day~ Susan Cooper's "The Dark Is Rising Series" in one volume

Middlest

Christmas Day~ Stocking and Skateboard Ramp and Element Hat
1st Day~ 2 small Playmobil "Wolf Knight" sets from Eldest
2nd Day~ Tech-Deck set with 2 boards & DVD
3rd Day~ Medium Playmobil set~Skateboarder/Biker/Rollerblader from Littlest
4th Day~ Detective's Handbook
5th Day~ Ryan Sheckler Warehouse Tech-deck Set
6th Day~ Hypercolors "Chameleon" Thinking Putty
7th Day~ Collapsible Axe (For camping) :)
8th Day~ "The Art of the Catapult"
9th Day~ Camping tool(Compass/shovel/pick/axe/saw) and Camping book
10th Day~ Hallmark Ornament (10th in the series "Snowball and Tuxedo")
11th Day~ Guitar Praise
12th Day~ Lego Contraptions Book

Youngest

Christmas Day~ Stocking and Viewfinder/Binoculars
1st Day~ Thomas the Tank Engine Turntable/Percy and Gordon
2nd Day~ Melissa and Doug Wooden Cookie Playset from Eldest
3rd Day~ Littlest Pet shop set (8 animals)
4th Day~ Little wooden "Quack-Quack" Call of the Farm Game
5th Day~ Ryan Sheckler Warehouse Tech-deck Set from Middlest
6th Day~ Color-shifting "Scarab" Thinking Putty
7th Day~ Brown Bear-Panda Bear What do you See Board Game
8th Day~ Build-a-Bear Fishing Rod from Middlest
9th Day~ Dinosaur ABC Book
10th Day~ Hallmark Ornament (3rd in the Noel Nutcracker Series)
11th Day~ Carson "Eric Carle Art set" (That I won for free! Love the help with presents!)
12th Day~ Blues Clues Big Musical VHS tape(From his sibs) and a Discovery Store Play tent and Tunnel

Mom

Christmas Day~ Stocking and Pretty White shirt
1st Day~ Velvety Black Pants
2nd Day~Calphalon roasting pan
3rd Day~ Teapot from Middlest
4th Day~ $10 GC to Local knitting store from Eldest
5th Day~ Teal Shirt
6th Day~ Opened presents from SIL families
7th Day~ Josh Groban "Illuminations" CD
8th Day~ Turtleneck
9th Day~ Pin (From yard sale.. savvy shopper!) and handmade bracelet from Middlest
10th Day~ Brown Rose Long Sleeve Shirt
11th Day~ Padded Travel Case for my laptop
12th Day~ Pretty Freshwater Pearl/sterling silver necklace

Dad

Christmas Day~ Stocking and Digital Video Camera
1st Day~ Adagio Teas
2nd Day~2 Pocket knives... one for work and one for home from Middlest
3rd Day~ Screw-driver set from Middlest
4th Day~Max Lucado Study Bible
5th Day~Turtleneck
6th Day~Opened gifts from his sisters
7th Day~Memory Card for Video Camera
8th Day~ Flannel shirt and T-Shirt
9th Day~ More Adagio Teas
10th Day~ Snare Drum Ornament
11th Day~ Steven Curtis Chapman "Cinderella" CD
12th Day~ Waffle Cone Ice Cream Cups from Eldest

My only pet peeve was the kids' shopping at our local toy store (Learning Express in Salem, NH). Eldest did  a fair amount of online research, and figured out prices, and decided to purchase there. However, AT the store, they had added on what looked like $2 to every Playmobil item. Not a big deal percentage-wise if you're purchasing a larger item, but when it's added to what should be $6, and you have a $10-$12 budget, well.. that stinks! (WOM marketing works both ways.. this time in the negative... :\  Eldest chose to use $ from her savings, but Middlest opted to only purchase one item there, and used the little he had left buy her a book. All in all not a bad plan, but not his original desire.)

So there you have it.... the 12 Days of Christmas, all unwrapped! 
Blessings!