The Mighty Christmas Preparation Thread

[Smokering]

I thought we could use a thread to share gift ideas, swap reminders and generally coax each other towards having a frugal/eco-friendly/multicultural/memorable/calm/handmade/whatever Christmas. (See the 'Mighty' in the thread title? That means you're not allowed to let this thread peter out after three posts, or I'll feel silly. K?)

My goals for this year are, so far:

--not to let ourselves be bullied into going over to either family on Christmas Day. DH's family can have Christmas Eve, my family can have Boxing Day. I will be strong-willed... Mum hinted last year that DH and I shouldn't spend Christmas alone because 'you're not newlyweds anymore, so you don't need to'. This year it's 'Well, it's different now you have a baby!' Um.

--to make enough fabric gift bags that we don't need to giftwrap anything for the immediate family. I have the fabric, and I've made about five bags of various shapes and sizes already.

--to finish Rowan's Christmas stocking.

--to bake some traditional Christmas breads like I plan to do every year, and never actually do.

I've already started Christmas shopping, what about you? I found some lovely owl earrings on Etsy for MIL, who collects owls; and another piece of jewellery, also on Etsy, for a friend. I know the perfect CD to get my sister for her birthday (Dec 20th, blast her), and will try to find it this week. DH is a problem; I might make him some geeky T-shirts at our laser copy place. I love these notebooks and he would too, but they're v. expensive. Mum loves hydrangeas, so I'd like to get her something hydrangeoid--any ideas? She sews--I thought maybe these, but I'll ask my sister for her advice first.

Things I do every year include:

• making my own Christmas cake
• making truffles that look like mini Christmas puddings
• selling those truffles, along with choc-coated fudge truffles and apricot-coconut truffles, at DH's work (will be harder this year with a baby!)
• making spiced nuts
• making tiny gingerbread cookies decorated with lemon icing and cachous balls
• wanting to make a Stollen and forgetting

So what are your gift ideas, plans, menus, recipes, traditions..? I want it to be really special this year. It'll be Rowan's first Christmas! Any gift ideas for her? We're kinda broke, but I'd like to give her something that will last forever. Maybe a really nice copy of AA Milne or something..?

[becoming]

I am making truffles and putting them in snowman tins (which I already have, paid $1 each last year after Christmas) for my older two children's teachers and my daughter's dance teachers. I also plan on bringing a big tin of them to the office I work for (I work at home and only go in maybe 2-3 times a year).

That's probably it for me as far as homemade gifts. We're only buying for the kids in our family this year, and we're keeping it pretty simple. We're getting each of our kids one large Santa gift, stocking stuffers from Santa, and 5 small gifts from us. We'll get my sister's girls one gift each, my cousin's boys one gift each (I'm ordering soft-soled pirate shoes for her new baby, and I want to get him a cute bib/burpcloth set from Etsy), and 2 or 3 Goosebumps books for DH's little brother. I've already got DS1 two stocking stuffers and DD an actual gift for under the tree.

We're going to try to keep the total under $500 this year.

[EineMama]

:

[Garden~Lover]

to bake some traditional Christmas breads like I plan to do every year, and never actually do.>>>>>>

curious, do you have any recipes?

anyone know where to get the small paper cups to put truffles in?

[Alyantavid]

Our Christmas is going to be scaled way back this year and hopefully the gifts we give will mean more since they're mostly made by me.

Our boys are both getting Christmas ornaments (bought last year on sale), pjs (again, on sale), some clothes (which I'll get on ebay or at a small store here in town), books (clearanced), a toy, and then something bigger for each of them. Bedding for my 6 year old and I haven't figured out what else for my 2 year old.

Dh, I have no clue. The boys are getting him a wallet but I don't have any ideas for him.

My mom is getting a large canvas bag filled with a cookbook I made, some breads and cookies I'll make and hopefully some cheeses if I can, a picture of both boys and some honey facial stuff I'm going to make.

My dad is getting a basket of sausages, cheeses and crackers and a picture of the boys.

MIL is getting a canvas bag of cooking dishes I'm picking up at a few places, the breads and sausages and a picture of the boys.

FIL lives out of state and will be getting a picture.

My brother and sil are getting a canvas bag filled with a few different kinds of meat, a cookbook, honey facial stuff and something else I can't remember right now.

My neice and nephew are 5 and 8 and I don't have a clue what to get them.

The daycare lady is getting a gift card to Applebee's and some homemade stuff. The gift card I got as a result of spending enough at the grocery store.

My oldest's teacher needs something and I don't know what yet.

[wendyland]

My plan is to have a simple Christmas as far as gifts are concerned, but have a big Christmas as far as memories are concerned. We are going to get a real tree this year for the first time. We're going to make ornaments with the girls and bake cookies and do things that they'll remember and give them warm fuzzies. I'm just hoping that the toddler will stay out of the tree.

[Smokering]

curious, do you have any recipes?
anyone know where to get the small paper cups to put truffles in?

Not recipes per se, but I wrote an article about traditional Christmas breads (and indeed, one about Christmas truffles) that might give you some ideas. A lot of traditional Christmas breads are pretty similar to each other--highly spiced, lots of dried fruit--but hey, it works.

I get mini cupcake liners from my supermarket. They're not the tiny tiny foil kind you use for chocolates, they fit perfectly in a mini-muffin tin... or, as I do them, into the depressions in an egg carton. Nice fat truffles snuggled in an egg carton are a very pleasing thing!

[texanatheart]

: I definitely need some work getting ready for the holidays this year. They always just sneak right up on me!

[audsma]

Toys are already wrapped for nieces and nephew and DD, DS. Santa lists still need to be made-- DD is so fickle, that we can't mail that list too soon. Everyone else is getting framed pictures of the family/new baby. We're keeping it simple. We also bought scrip from DD's school fundraiser and will be giving that to the various teachers and aides and forgotten friends-- I can pull that out on a moment's notice.

Cookies-- I'd like to try some new recipes this year and start a baking tradition with DD, since the grands never really follow through with her on this.

I'd like to make my own bags, but realistically, will probably not get around to it.

[becoming]

Oh, I'm doing easy cheater truffles with just cream cheese in the inside and melted chocolate/chocolate powder/powdered sugar on the outside.

[TEAK's Mom]

I'm working on getting organized for my baking projects and am totally swiping some of these ideas...

[limette]

I just ordered some mini clothespins from esty so I can make an advent calendar with envelopes.

Inside each envelope will be instructions for a holiday related activity. The first activity will be to decorate the tree. I usually cave in and decorate by mid November so this gives me a reason to wait until the 1st.

We are making dd1(3) a tickle trunk and costumes for Christmas. We have an old cedar trunk that dh is going to refinish and I have a decent fabric stash to make costumes from.

I'm not sure what to make for dd2 (will be 8 months). She's only getting a stocking so maybe I'll sew some chew toys to put in it.

I really want to get some traditions set this year, fun stuff that the kids will look forward to all year.

[TeaghansMama]

oh! i am totally on board with this thread. we usually have a low-key Christmas and i'm tired of having relatives and acquaintances judge me for it. i think it is still a very special time of year and try to make it very special for my girls, i just don't buy into the whole commercialization of it. so in other people's eyes, we are deprived. there are lots of great ideas on this thread, i love the homemade ideas! i'm subbing and will be back when i have more time to contribute!
thanks for starting this great thread! a Mighty Christmas, indeed!

[claras_mom]

Let's see....I have some small gifts already, and a few ideas for the youngsters, but the bulk of it looms. I do always make stollen (it's a family tradition; we give away 2 loaves and eat the third while opening stockings Christmas morning). I really hope to finish the advent wreath I started last year in time for Advent this year. I'm thinking about creating a "tea party kit" for some family members, with a tea cosy, good tea, and homemade biscotti. I'll know better how that will go once I test drive the cosy pattern. Homemade herb jelly for others; that's at least partly done (I made some over the summer, but have eaten part of it).

We're not going anywhere. We flew to my mom's for Christmas last year; this year, the doors are open for any family member who wishes to come to us, but I'm not getting on a plane or in the car.

And dd's birthday is December 19, so I need to be sure that she has a nice, albeit small, party--probably at daycare, but maybe at home. Because she'll be 4 and the party is starting to matter to her.

[happyhats]

hmmm....

My list includes:
getting some gift bags from my older sister, who has saved up a ton over time, to start my "wrapping"\
get the rest of my ornaments and goodies together for the craft/bake sale my sister and mom are throwing
get out the Christmas decorations so I can see what we have, what has gotten broken since we moved, etc. before we buy anything new
do some holiday baking, both for myself (I want to have some gd friendly foods onhand for the celebrating) and for gifts

I really need to finish the craft goodies this week, and I hope that I'll get out the Christmas decorations out this week to look them over.

[MrsMike]

We're staying low key this year. Dh and I aren't getting each other much of anything. I'm trying to have all American-made or European-made gifts.
There is a nearby farm that sells soaps, balms, salves, lotions, etc made from organic herbs and I may get a few gifts there.
Ds is getting some American-made and German-made wooden toys. I'm done shopping for him already.
I'm not going overboard for friends and family and they understand. My 1 year old niece will get a wooden toy or doll from me. I'll probably get a book for my 10 year old niece. Some friends are getting jewelry that another friend of mine makes. Keeping it local and supporting a crafter. I also have an old high school friend who used to make portraits of pets...I may see if she's still doing that and get a few done for other friends. I may also paint ornaments for some folks.
And I plan to have everyone covered for well under $200 bucks.
As for traditions...we probably won't have a big tree this year. We used to have a giant artificial tree that I donated last year after learning about nasty toxins in them. I'd get a real tree, but we just don't have the room. Plus, we have four cats, two of them are still in that kitten phase and last year was a NIGHTMARE with the tree. We do have another fake tree that is 3 feet high that I may put up, but there is the toxin issue again.
Every since I was an itty bitty baby, my family has gone downtown to see a famous lightshow and stroll through a "Christmas Carol" animatronic village. We've continued that tradition with ds.
I stink at baking, but I really hope to become better. I want to try my hands at it this season. I have a cookie press and I used it once before. No one died from the cookies I made, so hopefully I'll be successful again.

[Smokering]

Ooh, biscotti! What a good idea. I made some delicious cinnamon and hazelnut ones the other day. Would be a good gift.

[texanatheart]

Originally Posted by Smokering

Ooh, biscotti! What a good idea. I made some delicious cinnamon and hazelnut ones the other day. Would be a good gift.

Yum! Recipe?

[Smokering]

Here. I added about 1/2 tsp cardamom to the dough as well. The dough was DELICIOUS; the completed biscotti were nice too, but I really recommend grabbing a spoon and eating the entire batch of raw dough! I piped arty S-shaped spirally things in dark chocolate on them; they were cute.

[anamama]

I am so excited for Christmas this year. I want my home to be cozy and smell like good things. I am focusing on baking cookies, decorating with natural things, keeping my home tidy so I can relax and enjoy it.
We always get a real tree- I love how they smell, and they make a nice shelter for the birds outside when we're through with them. I am going to get a few special candles (the natural aromanaturals holiday ones), and some new holiday music (Loreena McKennit and enya). The children will be getting a gift from me, a gift from their dad, and a gift from Santa. We always do St. Nicholas, too, so they will get a stocking of treats earlier in the month. I will probably knit up a few gifts, but I will be buying some gifts b/c making gifts sometimes stresses me out! I will be shopping at 10,000 Villages (like Oxfam) for pretty earrings or scarves for my sisters.
It's funny, I am going through a divorce, and I am so much more relaxed about Christmas already since I don't have to worry about gifts for people with whom I share few values. I can, instead, focus on the people who love me as I love them! :