New Posts  All Forums:
 

Frugal Holidays 2008 - Page 3

post #41 of 389
6/2/08 at 4:55pm
:

You may also like:

Sitting or Squatting: What's Really Best in the Bathroom?
There Is Not Always a "Fix" For the Difficult Child
10 Things You Don't Need For a New Baby
post #42 of 389
6/3/08 at 5:06pm
Thread Starter 
Thank you to whoever (sorry can't remember) told me how much airfare was! HOLY BALOGNE!!!! 400 bucks a ticket!!!! and it's only June! We have four tickets so that's 1600 bucks!!! That's WAY too much!!!

It's kind of frightening that things are so expensive that we can't even see our family...I don't like that feeling.

I have been thinking a lot about the holidays though, they really make me happy...the smells, the dark evenings, the lights...I love being with family

Anyway, I have been googling and found this great little poem site where there is a little saying and then a small gift. Such as, I just wanted to give you a hug and you give them hugs, etc.

Also, I am thinking homeade aprons, and pillowcases, and things I can stamp my kids hands onto for grandparents.
post #43 of 389
6/4/08 at 4:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by holidaymama View Post
Anyway, I have been googling and found this great little poem site where there is a little saying and then a small gift. Such as, I just wanted to give you a hug and you give them hugs, etc.

Care to share? : Sounds cool...
post #44 of 389
6/4/08 at 6:51pm
I really do need to start thinking about this. I'll plan to come back and update when I've given it some consideration.
post #45 of 389
6/5/08 at 11:29am
Great thread, I have to start planning now, and the budget is WAY slashed this year. We've been mostly focused on the kids on my side of the family which is great, DH's family (who might I add, aren't at all involved and we hardly ever see) always make a big deal about gifts though.
post #46 of 389
6/8/08 at 10:07am
Thread Starter 
I looked and looked and looked, but I didn't find the exact thing I printed off...I had copied and pasted into a word document.

However, I did find this site after looking around, and it's almost the exact ideas! I think they are clever and fun!

http://www.deseretnews.com/dn/print/...109038,00.html

I am thinking these are nice gestures for teachers and neighbors, maybe even family that is kind of distant but you get together with!

Good luck!
post #47 of 389
6/8/08 at 10:44am
Those were cute, holidaymama! Thanks!
post #48 of 389
6/8/08 at 11:18am
:
post #49 of 389
6/8/08 at 12:36pm
We're cutting back this year too. We have been progressively trying tothe last few years, but this year, i'm determined. I love the food baskets, and wish people did that for us. I'd much rather have something yummy and thoughtfully handmade than anything store-bought.

I would LOVE the chai recipe mentioned earlier!

I'll probably follow the same lines: Homeade apple butter, granola, some sort of confection. I also like to can homeade soup in the fall. It allows us to have a nice dinner when one of us is ill, or we are on the run. I may give some chili or veg. beef soups to the family.

Another tip is to shop thrift/Goodwill for books all year. For the readers in the family, I can pick up nice novels for $2. We used to spend a portion of the money alloted for each child on books every year. Now, I shop thrift year-round and find some amazing books to sock away until Christmas. Last year I got a 2 inch thick animal encyclopedia in new condition for $2!
post #50 of 389
6/8/08 at 12:49pm
Just made my first Christmas gift of the year. A purse for my mom!

Oh, I saw this elsewhere on MDC and thought maybe someone on this thread could use the info. Car Organizer Tutorial. I am thinking of making one for my dad. I like to make everyone at least one handmade gift each year but coming up with something for him that isn't food is a toughie.

Will try to add more to this thread later. Loving all the info you guys are sharing.
post #51 of 389
6/8/08 at 2:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mallori View Post
We're cutting back this year too. We have been progressively trying tothe last few years, but this year, i'm determined. I love the food baskets, and wish people did that for us. I'd much rather have something yummy and thoughtfully handmade than anything store-bought.

I would LOVE the chai recipe mentioned earlier!
lining up ....

WE WANT THE CHAI RECIPE!!!!

please
post #52 of 389
6/8/08 at 3:18pm
For you crocheters out there, i've done this one, using sport weight white yarn, a red ornament ball, and a ribbon to hang it with. Simple, quick and quite pretty:

Christmas Ball Cover
post #53 of 389
6/8/08 at 3:51pm
Some more ideas:

1. If you usually send out a family holiday "newsletter" - try turning it into a .pdf file and sending it via email! Send via email to everyone you can and only email to the folks who don't have email. You might send mucho postage that way! If you wanted to do a "card" - maybe your kids draw something on 8"x11" paper and you scan that in and it gets emailed with the newsletter.

2. For local friends/relatives: give meals for their freezer (especially good with older relatives who might not get around as good as they used to, they can just nuke them) or give a certificate for a meal(s) that you take over. Perhaps they might enjoy it if you actually cooked the meal at THEIR home and then spent time with them. Or you can give certificates for a monthly: loaf of homemade bread, homemade quick bread/muffins (banana, nut, etc.), pie, etc.

Use plain index cards for the certificates and let your kids decorate them, or perhaps you might have fun yourself with the crayons and markers (I know I do!). Or if your kids are old enough, perhaps they might enjoy making the certificate on the computer with clip art, etc.

I especially like these because they cost you nothing at the holidays (people usually cash in certificates later) and the cost of ingredients, etc., can be spread out. Families with new babies are especially grateful for this (this is my usual baby shower gift, too).
post #54 of 389
6/8/08 at 7:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by scrapadoozer View Post
Just made my first Christmas gift of the year. A purse for my mom!

Oh, I saw this elsewhere on MDC and thought maybe someone on this thread could use the info. Car Organizer Tutorial. I am thinking of making one for my dad. I like to make everyone at least one handmade gift each year but coming up with something for him that isn't food is a toughie.

Will try to add more to this thread later. Loving all the info you guys are sharing.
I SO NEED THESE...
A thought about the top, if your headrest wont remove how about just making it elastic. that way it can slip over the top and sorta tuck under the headrest?
post #55 of 389
6/8/08 at 10:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MonkeyPrincess View Post
I love the holidays, too. Everyone thinks I'm crazy when I start saying "Its time to think about Christmas"...in May.

I am going to do homemade gifts - jam, candy or beeswax candles - for family and friends. (I will probably also get my nieces and nephew a nice holiday themed book.)

With the kids, we do the Twelve Days of Christmas, with 12 different activities each day. (Used to be activities and/or gifts.) Like, one day we'll drive around looking at lights drinking hot chocolate while listening to holiday music, another day we'll bake cookies, another build gingerbread houses, another make ornaments for the tree, etc. Basically turning all the traditions into an "event" in and of themselves - helps us not focus on just that ONE day.

As far as gifts go, we usually do three gifts for all the kids, but I'm hoping we can transition to one Christmas gift for each. (That might not happen until next year, though.)
Love, love, LOVE the 12 days idea... I will need to file that one away for when I am a mumma to more than just furbabies.
post #56 of 389
6/8/08 at 10:34pm
I love that 12 days idea, too!

This year I'm going to have a 10 year old and an infant... I'm trying to think of some low-stress (but still fun) activities that would work. The looking at lights while drinking cocoa sounds very doable.
post #57 of 389
6/8/08 at 11:16pm
I love the 12 Days, too.

I actually got that idea from my grandparents. Every year my Poppop comes home from work with a 12 Days of Christmas present for my Mommom. Sometimes its a big gift, sometimes it was lottery tickets or her favorite candy. I just adapted it to fit my kids...I love that it was a tradition from my family and the kids love it too!
post #58 of 389
6/13/08 at 2:54pm
I'll be watching this thread eagerly. Our holiday budget is waaaay down this year. We've got about $430 for everything, down from around $1200+. We've wanted simpler (and believe it or not that WAS simpler - don't get me started on my family's $10,000 Christmases) so now we have it. I would like each person to have several things to open Christmas morning. I need to shop mostly for DH, and my two girls who will be 3 and 5 by then. The older one really likes dress up so I can hit thrift stores looking for that stuff for her. She also likes dressing dolls and such. Anyone have any ideas for that? She also likes musical instruments. We have friends who let her play their trumpet and sax. Ideas for this? I am totally clueless about what to do for the little one. What do I get a 3YO?
I think the relatives will be getting jams, sweets, sundried tomatoes, etc. The in-laws will think we are cheap. There will be much consternating because we usually get all a calendar with pictures of the girls but that usually runs us $200 for 5 so that's out. I'd love help with ideas for my girls. I need a lot because they also have birthdays in November and January! Thanks for getting this going!
post #59 of 389
6/13/08 at 3:39pm
My 3 year old dd loves art supplies of any kind. Stamps, chalk, coloring books. I got a large chalkboard at the school supply store for $8, so she could 'chalk' during the winter. The office supply store wanted $40 - 50 for something similar. You could paint her name or a border on it, but I just left our undecorated.
post #60 of 389
6/14/08 at 9:11am
i love the 12 days idea! very sweet!

we are doing an advent calender (non-chocolate one) and i need some ideas for cheap daily fillings for a then would be 4yo and 2yo (both girls)... haven't been able to think of much except christmas themed stamps and stickers.

any ideas?

You may also like:

Sitting or Squatting: What's Really Best in the Bathroom?
There Is Not Always a "Fix" For the Difficult Child
10 Things You Don't Need For a New Baby