Even as a Jewish family, there are still aspects of the dominant December holiday that pull at me. The song “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” always, as well as the in-the-round, “Christmas is Coming.” I think we all can agree, especially when it comes to our green and frugal wishes, that indeed the goose has gotten a little fat. We spend, eat, and worry more than we ought to, even if we just celebrate Hanukkah! Let’s see what we can do together to get prepared, have more authentic times together with our children, be kind to the environment, and make and give gifts that last and matter.

Michelle at Leaving Excess has an amazing series up, “How to Save on Anything.” Really good advice, nicely presented, and timely, with the holiday run-up upon us. I love Kelly’s post at Almost Frugal about gift giving ideas, too. Skip to My Lou has some pretty and easy homemade gifts for adults and also for children.

It’s a good time, as I’ve mentioned before, to address holiday cards and book a family photo session (with a pro or a friend). If you’re going to be making gifts, it’s definitely time to start. If you’re like me an aspire to gift making but might fall short in the execution this year, it’s a fine time to explore local shops for fun gift ideas. If nothing else, make a list of everyone you’ll need to buy for (including, as applies to you, daycare helpers, piano teachers, the poor letter carrier who schleps millions of eBay and Etsy purchases to your door, and then some).

I promise not to post again about Christmas until we’ve at least talked a little bit about Halloween!