Oh, how I wish that I had an angel sitting atop my shoulder year-round. The angel would be programmed to shout to me each time I visited a retail establishment, "That knitting kit's on clearance, shouldn't you buy it NOW for Auntie Ethel's Christmas present?"

The truth is, I have always had a desire to buy Christmas presents year-round...but am also so distracted and forgetful, that the desire has NEVER seemed to pan out in ten years of married life. So, we have to start in mid-October...which I guess is better than mid-December.

Getting into the debt-free Christmas spirit begins with the realization that Christmas was never intended to be a financial burden...but a season of celebration of our Lord Jesus Christ. Gift- giving simply became part of the tradition of the holiday celebration...it was never the focus.

The holiday is not celebrated properly when the pressure to buy for everyone squeezes out every last lingering bit of joy from the holiday! Whatever happened to giving because giving is better than receiving, and giving within our means because anything else is just plain stupid?(Carey...that's not really a politically correct thing to say!)

Because we live in such a commercialist, materialistic culture...we too easily fall into traps that keep us enslaved to debt. We do things for the wrong reasons without even realizing we are motivated by those reasons. Here are a few tips to help you get your mindset out of the ol' consumerism slump:

As the leaves have fallen to the ground, and the season of Fall is in full effect, there is great opportunity to enjoy and celebrate the time of year with your kids and their friends. One of the ways you can do this is through creative craft projects that are very simple and easy!

These projects encourage them to focus on the season in both fun and meaningful ways.

What do sweatshirts, football games, crisp leaves, and soup all have in common? They can each be especially enjoyed during the Fall season. I don't know if your family is like mine, but we love to eat hearty soups in the Fall and Winter time.

One of our favorite recipes is Chicken/Turkey Wild Rice Soup. There are several reasons why I love to make this soup. One of the best reasons for me is that it is healthy. And even though it includes lots of vegetables the creamy base gives it a rich taste. Although it is a cream based soup, it is still low fat, as I use 98% fat free cream of chicken soup, and low fat evaporated milk. The soup still tastes creamy, but doesn't have all of the unnecessary fat. It is also a great way to use the leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Another bonus is that this soup stores fantastically in the freezer. You can make it in advance, and freeze it until you want to serve it to your family. Otherwise, you can make more than you need, and make small leftovers for lunches and/or future dinners.

Finally, and definitely importantly, it is easy! Check out the recipe for yourself, and enjoy this warm, healthy, and hearty soup with your family this Fall. Chicken/Turkey Wild Rice Soup Makes enough for 5 bowls of soup.

You will need:

1 green pepper

diced 1 white onion

diced 1 C chopped or shredded carrots

3/4 C diced celery

1 C chopped chicken breast/shredded turkey

2 C cooked wild rice

4 T flour Cooking spray

1 can 2% evaporated milk (cream base)

1 can 98% fat free cream of chicken soup (cream base)

5 C chicken broth

Cooking Instructions:

1. In small pan, cook wild rice according to package directions.

2. Dice chicken breast, or shred turkey meat.

3. Coat large soup pan with cooking spray. Heat pan on medium setting, and add chicken/turkey. Cook meat thoroughly.

4. While meat is cooking, chop green pepper, onion, celery, and carrots (if carrots aren't shredded).

5. After meat is cooked, add all vegetables to the chicken/turkey. Stir and cook on medium low setting until vegetables are tender.

6. Add 4 T of flour to vegetable/meat mixture. Stir until coated.

7. Add can of cream of chicken soup, evaporated milk, and chicken broth. Add less broth if you want a thicker consistency, and add more broth if you want it less thick. Stir until everything is combined well.

8. Then add cooked wild rice. Heat to boiling. Then simmer, covered, on low for 15 minutes.

9. Serve with warm whole grain or sourdough bread, or oyster crackers.

10. Enjoy!

*Feel free to add or subtract ingredients depending on your family's likes/dislikes. Oftentimes I will add more vegetables and less chicken because we like the vegetables; then I just add more broth/cream base. This recipe is very flexible, and difficult to mess-up. Cook with confidence!!!!!!!