Travel instead of Christmas?

[reservations4five]

We started last year taking a family vacation instead of buying gifts/Santa. I was just curious if anyone else out there does anything similar?

We are working on trying to simplify our lives- less stuff, less clutter.

 

[DisneyMomma81]

I'd like to eventually ~ in fact one of my kids C-mas gifts will be our Disney Cruise *early Feb 2011* but dang it all it's too fun shopping for DD *who has too much* it's harder for DS.

 

[breammom]

We do this also, much easier with a DD who is 17 and another DD who is 16. They seem to actually enjoy it more also.

 

[reservations4five]

our dd's are 13, 8, and 8. We decided to stop the "insanity" when we were finding unopened gifts months down the road. Or even worse, toys that were played with and pieces lost and then in March we were pitching it.

We have been able to pull off Santa - helping with part of the trip. I think this year he is going to bring us MVMCP tickets

 

[TnTWalter]

We try to stick to 3 gifts per kid. If it was good enough for baby Jesus....

They do also get clothes and Santa overfills the stocking...items usually spill onto the hearth. That Santa.

And every Xmas Eve, they get new pjs and slippers to open from Mom and Dad [great for Xmas morning pictures too!]

TRISH

 

[Princess Nancy]

My Parents started this about 6 years ago. Their Kids and Grandkids get something small for bdays and Christmas with a card that says...
Congrats you get to go on the family trip. LOL!!!

Every 2 years my Dad pays for the accomodations and we pay our way to get there.

We've been to a resort in Georgia, where we had all gone as kids, a cruise and next year we are going on another cruise. As soon as one trip is over, we begin to plot where to go next.

Just the other day my teenagers were discussing how excited they were about the trip!!!!

Last year the trip was Thanksgiving week. We told the kids Christmas would be smaller, so we bought one large gift per child and a few really small things...think uniform sweatshirt ---hey the kid wanted another one and I really did not think it was necessary!! LOL!!

 

[js]

I have asked my family about doing this so many times but my dh, dd-16 and ds-12 say they want to be home for Christmas instead of a trip
We do many vacations so maybe they just feel they can have both I guess but I would much rather use the money toward a family vacation than gifts and I know my mom and inlaws would probably join us too.
I'm going to ask again this year for next year but we'll see.

 

[kimsuenew]

We started last year taking a family vacation instead of buying gifts/Santa. I was just curious if anyone else out there does anything similar?

We are working on trying to simplify our lives- less stuff, less clutter.

We have booked a 14 day WDW vacation this year (while we will not be there on Christmas it will still be well into December when we are there).

This is our first year doing this and I am excited! DS is totally on board as well as DH!

We will still have a stocking each under the tree (a total budget of under $100.00 for all three stockings and no candy really... aftershave, DVD's, ect...).

I would love to make this a tradition!

 

[bcinohio]

We are not actually going over Christmas but my DS's marching band is marching at the MK the last week of March 2011 and we are going along to see him perform. We have told the two boys(16 & 13) your getting WDW for Christmas so don't expect anything under the tree. We were just at WDW in July and wouldn't be doing another trip so soon if it wasn't for the band trip. It is a once in a lifetime thing. I like the idea of no gifts and going away for Christmas. Maybe one year we will actually get to WDW over Christmas.

 

[Dr.Girlfriend]

This is actually what we're doing in a way. We booked a cruise on the Dream the first weekend in February as a combined Christmas present and bday present for my daughter and husband. The kids will get some tiny gifts to open but the "big gift" will be the cruise. We were going to go during the Christmas break but the Dream rate I found was a better deal.

 

[RooRach0906]

We try to stick to 3 gifts per kid. If it was good enough for baby Jesus....

They do also get clothes and Santa overfills the stocking...items usually spill onto the hearth. That Santa.

And every Xmas Eve, they get new pjs and slippers to open from Mom and Dad [great for Xmas morning pictures too!]

TRISH

This is what my parents did for us kids except Clothes were included. I plan on doing the same for my DD.

Dec 2012 we are planning a WDW trip as our gift. We will get our DD one gift for Christmas day(probably something she wants in WDW but we will say no) but thats it. She will be 2 1/2 that year.

 

[budbeerlady]

I think its a great idea. I keep threatening Dh with this!

Dd is the only on my side and the only girl on Dh's side. Its a LITTLE out of hand! I would love to not only give the family a trip but be GONE OVER CHRISTMAS on the trip! The biggest draw back besides Dh is the extra cost of cruises over Christmas or Disney over Christmas. I hate to spend that much more $ for the same vacation a couple of weeks difference on the calendar.

 

[The Princess]

I would love to do this but in reality my dh is in the snow plowing business and with our luck it would snow and then what?......

 

[traviesojmt]

This will be our first year taking a big trip for Christmas. We are going to Hawaii for Christmas. I have been telling the kids over and over that Hawaii IS the Christmas present. I guess we will have to wait and see if they truly understand that come Christmas Day. LOL To be honest, they will still have plenty of presents from my parents. We are giving each of them a small sum of money for souvenirs while in Hawaii but the trip is everyone's big gift. I guess I will put together small stocking so that they will have something Christmas morning.

Question for those who aren't home for Christmas: Do you still put up a tree?

 

[daileyad]

We went to Disney last year and got back Christmas Eve. I loved it! It was so relaxing doing something else other than buying into the Christmas stress. So this year we are doing Hawaii.

 

[DisneyMomma81]

I don't think you necessarily have to be on the vacation on 12/25 for it to be a gift ~ I can see taking the trip after Christmas day working out better - C-mas morning they could unwrap the trip *details/where you're going* they might ? the lack of gifts under the tree but you could come up with something to tell them or wrap empty *well not empty they should have something in them for weight* boxes

 

[cseca]

Yep, that's what we're giving our extended family this xmas. Lodging for DL...
The kids will get some cash or gc but the adults will get zip because we're paying for their hotels...

 

[klacey1]

I suggested this to DBF once and he was horrified, lol. I think it's a nice idea, but will never happen for us or our future family. I wouldn't feel right doing the trip before or after Christmas and saying it's a "Christmas present" and we do way too much with family and friends around the holidays to ever be gone during the actual holidays.

 

[reservations4five]

We are not actually gone over Christmas day either- we go the week before. This year it will be the 11th- 20th. We still do stockings for the kids on Christmas morning. I will continue this until Santa retires.

Last year we took my grandparents and we had a BLAST. This year we are taking them again and my brother who has never been. We were going to take my parents but they are having a crisis with my youngest brother and some legal troubles. My DH's parents give the kids a gift card to use for their souvineers. around 50.00 a piece.

I put up my tree and decorations, no where near what I used to though. It is AWESOME!! I was so not stressed come the holidays last year and we made some great memories.

 

[2disneyboys]

We are doing this this year. We leave the 26th to go to DISNEY. Both our boys know santa is mom&dad so we just asked them.. for Christmas, would you rather have lots of stuff to open, or this trip. Both of them immediately went on & on about prefering the trip. They have helped us plan it and we have actually roped some additional family members into going (literaly made the reservation this morning!) and everyone is excited.

We are putting up a tree, but we are only putting up 1 (we usually have 3 trees - Living Room (that's moms!) Den (Family) and then a small tree in the boys bedroom - this helps keep thier hands off the other two. and are toning down our decorations. We kind of get the best of both worlds... we have actual Christmas at home, but leave the day after for our trip.