So, I misunderstood the title of this post from BlogHer, encouraging everyone to commit to a Plastic-Free Holiday season. When I read the title, I got excited because I thought for sure she was talking about a holiday season where people didn't put holiday expenses for gifts and parties on their credit cards. Although I'm not committed to a plastic-and-BPA-free holiday (heck, aren't all my kids' toys made of plastic?), I AM committed to a credit-card free holiday. Anyone want to join in with me?
Because we should all be a little more than scared about our recent economic situation. We should be terrified of things like credit card debt. Because, as you know, credit card accounts have variable APRs. Meaning that, for no reason whatsoever, your credit card APR could go up significantly. What if in the next couple of years the "normal" APR on credit cards increased to over 30%? If, in two years, your minimum payment on your cards quadrupled, would this Christmas' spending (which would be just a vague memory) seem so important? Try to remember all the gifts you gave and received two years ago. Can you do it? Are you still paying for them?
Now, this is me writing to me. Because I've not been very good about money. I made some rookie mistakes and done some immature things. And it bit me square in the bum. But the wiser, more mature me is going to change things. I'm in the process of changing habits. One of them being a habitual thought process of putting something on a credit card, certain that I'll be able to pay for it later. But the thing I've realized is that, contrary to my erroneous belief, I am NOT borrowing from my future self, I'm STEALING from her. And I don't think she likes it.
Anyway, I just thought that maybe if I put it out there for the world to see, my commitment would be stronger. I love giving gifts for the holidays, but this year, they're going to be more simple and even maybe homemade. (oh, dear---I'd better get started on those homemade ones!)
So, join me! Let's have a plastic-free holiday season together!
Anyone have any good ideas on how this can be done? Share them in the comment section!
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Welcome to Murdock Cockaigne
Cockaigne or Cockayne (pronounced /kɒˈkeɪn/) is a mythical medieval land of plenty, an imaginary place of extreme luxury and ease where physical comforts and pleasures are always immediately at hand and where the harshness of medieval peasant life does not exist.
A Little Bit About Us
The life and times of the Murdocks: Adam, Emily, Nate, Aidan, and Sophie.
Adam and I have been married for nine years, we have two sweet little boys and one little princess, and we've had quite the rollercoaster ride so far! We live in Dallas, where Adam is in his first year out of residency (finally a REAL doc!) and I run a small but exciting photography business.
We'd love to open the Hotel Murdock for you, if you're ever in the area! We LOVE visitors!
Leave a comment and let us know you stopped by!
Adam and I have been married for nine years, we have two sweet little boys and one little princess, and we've had quite the rollercoaster ride so far! We live in Dallas, where Adam is in his first year out of residency (finally a REAL doc!) and I run a small but exciting photography business.
We'd love to open the Hotel Murdock for you, if you're ever in the area! We LOVE visitors!
Leave a comment and let us know you stopped by!
Nate's Quote of The Day
Nate: "Mom, do you think that there was people living in the jungle when people discovered the jungle?"
Mom: "Yes, there are people who live in the jungle."
Nate: "Oh, yeah, like Binidi the Jungle Girl!!"
Mom: "Well, I think that Bindi the Jungle Girl actually lives in a real house, in real life."
Nate: "Yeah, a real house in the jungle."
(OF COURSE...why ELSE would they call her a Jungle Girl?)
Nate: "Oh! I get it! Choose the Right! That means we should choose to go this way!" (points to the right)
Nate: "Those people have hearts by them. That means they love each other. I have love for someone. Erin. I'm in love with her."
Mom: "You're in love with her?"
Nate: "Well.......I think so."
Nate: "Mom, Erin likes me the way that Ailynn likes Demetrius. She wants to be my girlfriend."
Mom: "What does that mean, if she's your girlfriend?"
Nate: "I don't know."
Mom: "Well, I think it means that she's thinks you're nice, and she likes being around you."
Nate: "Yeah, that's probably what it means."
"Mom, I told Leslie that she is the most beautifulest I've ever seen." (This was at their Thanksgiving feast. She had a sparkly, sequinned, glittered Indian costume. She really was the beautifulest.)
"Mom, I love you so much. I'm so glad you're a part of my family." Ahh--does life get any better than THAT?
Nate: "Mom, this toast looks rusty."
Mom: "Rusty?"
Nate: "Yep, rusty and scrumptious."
(Describing the near-drowning we saw at the pool):
"Dad, she got a lot of water in her mouth. Too much. And so she had to go to the dentist."
"Dad is old because he has little hairs on his face. That means he's old."
As I was typing on the computer, the boys were playing. I heard a tiny burp from 7-month-old Aidan, and Nate said: "Aidan, say 'excuse me!'" I guess he listens to me after all!
Mom: "Did you like your grilled cheese sandwich, Nate?"
Nate: "Yes, but I didn't want a girl cheese sandwich. I wanted a boy one."
Mom: "Yes, there are people who live in the jungle."
Nate: "Oh, yeah, like Binidi the Jungle Girl!!"
Mom: "Well, I think that Bindi the Jungle Girl actually lives in a real house, in real life."
Nate: "Yeah, a real house in the jungle."
(OF COURSE...why ELSE would they call her a Jungle Girl?)
Nate: "Oh! I get it! Choose the Right! That means we should choose to go this way!" (points to the right)
Nate: "Those people have hearts by them. That means they love each other. I have love for someone. Erin. I'm in love with her."
Mom: "You're in love with her?"
Nate: "Well.......I think so."
Nate: "Mom, Erin likes me the way that Ailynn likes Demetrius. She wants to be my girlfriend."
Mom: "What does that mean, if she's your girlfriend?"
Nate: "I don't know."
Mom: "Well, I think it means that she's thinks you're nice, and she likes being around you."
Nate: "Yeah, that's probably what it means."
"Mom, I told Leslie that she is the most beautifulest I've ever seen." (This was at their Thanksgiving feast. She had a sparkly, sequinned, glittered Indian costume. She really was the beautifulest.)
"Mom, I love you so much. I'm so glad you're a part of my family." Ahh--does life get any better than THAT?
Nate: "Mom, this toast looks rusty."
Mom: "Rusty?"
Nate: "Yep, rusty and scrumptious."
(Describing the near-drowning we saw at the pool):
"Dad, she got a lot of water in her mouth. Too much. And so she had to go to the dentist."
"Dad is old because he has little hairs on his face. That means he's old."
As I was typing on the computer, the boys were playing. I heard a tiny burp from 7-month-old Aidan, and Nate said: "Aidan, say 'excuse me!'" I guess he listens to me after all!
Mom: "Did you like your grilled cheese sandwich, Nate?"
Nate: "Yes, but I didn't want a girl cheese sandwich. I wanted a boy one."
My Fave Jewelry...hint, hint!
Have You Seen...
Blogs We Love To Read
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- Brad Baillio Family
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- Busath Family begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting (my fam)
- Bybee Family
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- Goodell Family (my sis Ali)
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6 comments:
I am all for this...Some times I feel that Christmas gift buying gets totally out of hand. Kal and I have really cut back a lot. Our kids do not need a million toys..one sort of big toy will do. We spend a total of $50 per child...that includes the stocking stuff. This will have to change as they get older but until then....$50 is also our limit for each other. We also this year finally drew names on Kal's side so we only have to buy for 3 cousins rather than all 6 and I have a $10 limit for that as well. I would really like to not buy any thing all together...but we will have to ease that in. Plastic Free Christmas here I come!
Hey what are your kids into this year? I'm thinking a pack of marbles ($1 store, of course) for Nate and a cardboard box for Aidan.
Great idea! I'm all for it. I love that we pick names in our family so that we don't feel like we have to do big stuff for everyone. And if we all just know that each one of us is doing something small and/or homemade, then all the better for it! No expectations, no disappointments. I just wish we could be out there with y'all for Christmas. Bums. :)
A couple of years ago I made some dough ornaments - great gift for the extended family. The 1st year I did it Jarod was just a baby, I stuck his hands and feet in the dough and made ornaments out of his prints for Daddy. This year I was thinking it would be a nice gift for Josie's classmates.
http://crafts.kaboose.com/saltdoughgifttoppers.html
I am doing all homemade gifts this year too. My kids don't NEED more toys. Last year I totally went waaaay to overboard. I'm keeping it it check this year!
I'm with ya! No plastic for us! (credit cards. I have BPA bottles for Leah that I can't bring myself to replace... haha).
As far as the money saving goes, we are doing a few things differently to help with the ol wallet. I think a big secret is planning. I have been comtemplating and researching gifts for weeks. I would much rather spend $25 on a really great and thoughful gift, than waste $20 on last-minute crap.
Of course, everything is easier said than done, so good luck to us all!!!
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