5 Ways To Spend Less And Give More This Christmas

1. Buy gifts before Thanksgiving.  Unfortunately there is so much holiday hype around Christmas, that I begin to lose the Christmas Spirit quick.  I try to avoid that by shopping early and intentionally, purchasing gifts that are unique to the recipients.

2. Avoid Credit Card Purchases.  Ask yourself when you are considering using a credit card: "Will I be able to pay this off when I get my next paycheck?" If the answer is no, don't purchase the item.  It has taken me three years once to pay off Christmas credit card purchases.  That's just wrong!  Creating a budget and shopping early and carefully to stay in that budget makes Christmas morning and the whole next year more enjoyable.

3. Avoid overkill.  Have you ever bought your kids too much for Christmas?  I have and I learned that at a certain point, the WOW! factor begins to fizzle out.  It's best to take purchases back before Christmas if you realized you might have over-bought.  Especially if you factor in what relatives are planning to give your children.  Children should be excited about those gifts as well so that relatives can experience your child's joy.

3. Limit expectations ahead of time.  When deciding to have a Christmas where we remember the reason for the season, scaling back the commercialism might be hard for some family members and helping children (and spouses!) prepare for the cutting back requires a little planning.  Begin by planning and emphasizing all the traditions that cost little money but create lovely memories.  Number five has great ideas to help family members appreciate Christmas more and Santa less.

4. It really is "The thought that counts."  Remember less is more--think of tasteful, timeless gifts.  Knowing that someone actually spent time thinking about you and what would truly be meaningful to you is a gift in itself.  It encourages empathy for others--a trait sorely lacking in today's world.

5. Simplify by

• Helping out the less fortunate
• Restoring meaning to the ritual of gift giving
• Make your own traditions.  Identify which are really important.  8 Traditions To Add To Your Bucket List identifies traditions that are more on the "spiritual" side including having a birthday party for Jesus.  It is His birthday for Heaven's sake!

Retro Yo-Yo Quilts

Here's what you can do with all those little bitty pieces of fabric you have left over from sewing projects.  It's a yo-yo quilt!  Yo-yo quilts became popular during the Great Depression, and I fell in love with them from the first time I saw a yo-yo quilt.  Making yo-yos are great because you can take the materials in a little baggy in your purse and sew no matter where you are--even in church (yes, it's true)!  You can make pillow covers, table runners, coasters, decoration for a guest towel...the possibilities are endless!

Quilts Can Represent a Lifetime

My throw may not look like much but it means a lot to me because each yo-yo represents an outfit or project I sewed for my family over the last twenty-five years.  My original inspiration came from a photo in Better Homes and Gardens (I think?).  This clipping is beat up cause it was kept in my idea notebook and referred to often.

Probably published in Better Homes and Gardens many moons ago.

Yo-yos Are Easy to Make

I just kept the quilt in a storage box and added onto it as I had more yo-yos and yo-yo squares completed.  I found the instructions for yo-yo quilting in an old craft book from the library, and I'm sorry to say I didn't keep the source info. on the book :(  I just made myself plenty of circle patterns out of old manila folders I planned on throwing out.  Then I would pin my pattern to leftover scraps of fabric and cut the material out.  This can be done assembly style (all the pinning and cutting done at once) so that the yo-yos are ready to be sewn.  Make them whatever size you want.  Put two yo-yos right sides together and sew a few stitches (whip stitch is fine) to attach them.  Use a thread that will not be too obvious.  I prefer quilting thread for this project because it is a lot stronger than regular thread.

source unknown

Resurgence in Yo-yo Crafts

Yo-yo quilting has become popular again and Hobby Lobby keeps instructions and durable circle patterns in the hand-sewing isle.  Instructions and ideas can be downloaded from their website as well.  This is a great beginning sewing activity for youngsters and my children have really enjoyed having something useful to do while watching television or waiting in the doctor's office.  

I hope you will try yo-yo quilting too.  I invite you to share ways you have used yo-yos in your crafting :)

Emergency Lunch Kit

I found this neat idea in Gifts That Taste Good, p. 103 (ISBN 0942237099).  This made a great gift for a college Christmas care package.  I just used a scrapbooking tag maker to make my tag, although the book includes a pattern for the tag and cross.  I also used a strip of cheese cloth to make my bandage.  Here are the soup and crackers recipe that go in the box.  You can also include a red mug.

Potato Soup Mix
1-3/4 cups instant mashed potatoes
1-1/2 cups nonfat dry milk
2 tablespoons instant chicken bouillon
2 teaspoons dried minced onion
1-1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried whole thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, mixing until completely blended.  Store in airtight container.  Yield:  about 2-1/2 cups of mix.  To serve:  Place 1/4 cup soup mix in a soup bowl or mug.  Add 1 cup boiling water and stir until smooth.  Let soup sit 1 to 2 minutes to thicken slightly.

Parmesan-Herb Nibbles
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon Fine Herbes (in grocery spice section)
1/3 cup butter or margarine
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 egg yolks
2 teaspoons water
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large bowl, sift together first 4 ingredients.  Stir in herbs.  With a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in butter and cheese until mixture resembles a course meal.  Stir in egg yolks and water.  Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 2 minutes.  Roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness.  With a paring knife, cut dough vertically into 1-inch wide strips; cut 1-inch wide strips horizontally to make small squares.  Carefully lift squares from surface with flat side of knife and place on greased baking sheets.  Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool completely before storing in airtight container.  Yield:  about 6 dozen squares.
Tip:  I didn't have the patience to roll out the dough to make the nibbles.  I formed the dough into a log and put in the freezer for about an hour, long enough for the butter to get solid again.  Then I sliced the log into 1/8 inch slices and baked as mentioned.


Here's the instructions from the book on how to wrap the package (p. 123).

The Best Banana Bread Recipe

No really--It Is The Best!  The recipe makes that really good crust, but then it's all moist inside.  For easy slicing, once it is cooled, wrap loaf in plastic food wrap and refrigerate overnight.  This allows the crust to soften.  However, we can't wait that long!  I prefer the crust fresh from the oven and I've never had trouble slicing.  Makes great mini loaves for gifts--just cook for less time.

The Best Banana Bread Recipe

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 eggs

2 medium (1 cup) ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (may be omitted)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda (change your soda out often so that it's always fresh--use discarded baking soda to clean fridge and sink

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (secret ingredient)

Heat oven to 350 degrees (325 degrees for a glass loaf pan--may have to cook slightly longer so be sure to check often).  Grease and flour 8x4-inch loaf pan; set aside.

Combine sugar and butter in large bowl.  Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy.  Add eggs; continue beating until well mixed.  Stir in all remaining ingredients.

Spoon batter into prepared pan.  Bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, (loosely cover with foil, shiny side down, when the loaf begins to get brown).  Cool in pan 10 minutes.  Remove from pan; place onto wire cooling rack.  Cool completely.  .

Fragrant Vintage Ornaments

Satisfy your handcrafting urge by making Fragrant Vintage Ornaments.  Though mostly made from items in your pantry, these ornaments are not edible.  This recipe makes about 12 ornaments.  They can be used for tree and package decorations, bookmarks, necklaces, pins, and/or drawer fresheners.

First combine 1 cup of cinnamon, 1 tablespoon ground cloves and 1 tablespoon ground nutmeg with a whisk in a medium size bowl.  With hands, work 3/4 cup applesauce and 2 tablespoons of Aleene's Tacky Glue and mix with hands 2 to 3 minutes to make a mildly wet dough.  If it is too dry and another tablespoon of applesauce.  If it is too wet add a little more cinnamon.

Divide ball into four balls and knead dough like Play Doe.  Keep the other balls of dough covered with a damp cloth until you work with it.  This is a good time to pass out dough to as many as 8 children by dividing into 8 pieces.

Placing the dough between two pieces of plastic wrap, roll or pat to 1/4 inch.

Take off the top plastic and cut dough with cookie cutters.  When doing this project with children, cookie cutters with few corners works best.

As long as the dough has been well kneaded and not rolled too thin, the dough should be easy to peel away and reused.  The cutouts can be gently peeled off the plastic and placed on a cookie sheet.  I like to line my sheet with parchment.

Using a straw, make a hole at the top of the ornament, but not too close to the edge.  Place in an oven no more than 200 degrees for 2-4 hours, turning over halfway through.  Or place in a sunny window on a cooling rack turning over time to time to ensure even drying.  This could take up to 4 or 5 days.

When ornaments dry, you can insert ribbon--cut to 22-inch lengths--through hole and tie ends into a knot.  Tie another length into a bow around first ribbon near ornament top.  Ornaments can be decorated with opaque paint markers found in arts and crafts stores, if desired.  I used white Puffy Paint to make it look like royal icing.

Retro-Christmas Stockings

The first time I saw this idea was when my Aunt Phala brought one for each family at my Grandma's annual Christmas party.  These are what I call Retro-Christmas Stockings.  When I was still a newlywed, my husband's mom gave each of her children's family's one of these stockings. Growing up, he and the other siblings got at stocking each year and his mom would put their name on a slip of paper at the bottom of it so that they wouldn't get mixed up (seven children in the family).  I'm not sure of the actual history, but it seems they come from the Depression Era.  If you're thrifty, you use old, (clean) knee-hi pantyhose (stockings as we called them), however, I buy the cheapo new ones.  Then in each "stocking" you place

• about a cup of mixed nuts (in their shells--very pretty)
• an orange, couple of tangerines, and a red and green apple (I like the smaller apples)
• Christmas candy (something that won't melt!)
• and a small gift or two (could be a handmade ornament for the family tree, or for an individual, socks, gloves--a tie for men or missionaries, scarf for a woman, small toy for a child)

Distribute the items evenly throughout the stocking.  Then tie with curling ribbon.  They can be made assembly line fashion and generic so that each family gets the same thing, or you can make them by males and females each sex getting the same items.  Or if you do them for your own family members like I do (five in all), I make the small gift a little more personal.  This is also a nice gift for visiting and home teaching families and employees or coworkers.

Spa-Rific Bath Mixes to Give

Fragrant Bath Salts Mix 
(Wonderful as a foot soak!)
1 c. borax
1/2 c. sea salt or Epsom salts
1/2 c. baking soda
1/2 t. lavender soap fragrance
1/4 t. orange soap fragrance
1/4 t. sandalwood soap fragrance
Combine borax, sea salt and baking soda in a mixing bowl and mix well.  Stir in fragrances.  Pour into decorative 1-pint container with tight-fitting lid.  Attach gift tag with raffia or ribbon.  Yield: 2 cups.
Fragrant Bath Salts Directions:  Pour 1/2 c. Fragrant Bath Salts Mix into tub of running warm water and swish to dissolve.

Victorian Milk Bath Mix
(Use up powdered milk that's a little too old to drink!)
2 c. powdered milk
1/2 c. old-fashioned oats
1/2 c. dried lavender flowers
1/2 to 1 t. plumeria or other floral soap fragrance
Process powdered milk and oats in blender or food processor until fine; transfer to medium bowl.  Stir in lavender flowers and fragrance.  Pour into decorative 1-pint bottle or jar with tight-fitting lid.  Attach gift tag with raffia or ribbon.  Yield:  3 cups.
Victorian Milk Bath Mix Directions:  Pour 1 cup Victorian Milk Bath Mix into knee-high stocking, knot and toss into tub while filling with warm water.  Squeeze stocking a few times to release all the oats' skin-soothing features.

Oatmeal Facial Scrub
(For amazingly softer skin!)
1-1/2 c. old-fashioned oats
1/2 c. cornmeal
1/2 t. jasmine soap fragrance
Process all ingredients in a blender or food processor until oats are very finely ground.  Pour into a decorative 1-pint container with a tight-fitting lid, or into cellophane bags.  Attach gift tag with raffia or ribbon.  Tip:  If your gift recipient has especially sensitive skin, you can make an even gentler scrub by substituting baking soda for the cornmeal.  Buy soap fragrances at arts and crafts stores.
Oatmeal Facial Scrub Directions:  Pour 1 teaspoon Oatmeal Facial Scrub Mix into palm of hand.  Moisten with a little water and gently massage into skin with fingertips in a circular motion.  Rinse off immediately with plain water.

See Also:  Aromatherapy Bath Potpourri Bags

October Traditions: Fun with Cookies!

These are my absolute favorite cookies!  I made some today and realized when it was time to add the flour that I only had a little all-purpose flour left.  So I used half wheat and half all-purpose.  They turned out sooo good!  In fact everyone said they liked them better.  I think they taste better a little thicker, so I only make a dozen/recipe.  Spook someone with this Trick or Treat Family Home Evening idea!

Autumn Owl Cookies

1 c. packed brown sugar

1-1/2 sticks butter, no substitutes

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2-1/2 c. all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1-oz square unsweetened chocolate

1/4 tsp baking soda

Reece's Pieces

whole cashews

In a mixing bowl, cream brown sugar and softened butter. Add egg and vanilla; mix well.  Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture.  Remove two-thirds of the dough; roll into an 8-inch square on waxed paper and set aside.  Combine chocolate and baking soda until thoroughly blended; beat into remaining dough.  Shape into an 8-inch-long roll; place on edge of white dough.  Wrap white dough around roll and pinch seam together.  Wrap in waxed paper; chill for at least 2 hours.  

Cut into 1/4-inch slices.  To form owl's face, place two slices side-by-side on a lightly greased baking sheet (I like parchment paper on my baking sheet instead of greased).  

Pinch dough at the top of the circles to form ears.  Place Reece's Pieces in the center of each circle for eyes.  Place a cashew in the center of the face for the beak.  Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.  Cool for 2 minutes before removing to a wire rack.  Yield:  about 1-1/2 dozen.  (From Taste of Home's Halloween Food and Fun)

October through December, we enjoy Baking Days which includes these chocolaty cookies my son loves and which we like to mail to missionary friends:

Kitty Cookies

1 c. butter (no substitutes), softened

2 c. sugar

2 eggs

3 t. vanilla extract

3 c. self-rising flour

1 c. baking cocoa

candy corn and red-hots

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Beat in eggs and vanilla.  Combine self-rising flour and cocoa in a separate bowl. Gradually add flour mixture to creamed mixture.  Roll dough into 1-1/2-in. balls.  Place 3 in. apart on lightly greased baking sheets.  Flatten with a glass dipped in sugar.  Pinch top of cookie to form ears.  

For whiskers, press a fork twice into each cookie.  Bake 350 degrees F. for 10-15 min. or until cookies are set.  Remove from oven and immediately press on candy corn for eyes and red-hots for noses.  Remove to wire racks to cool.  Yield: 2 dozen (From Taste of Home's Halloween Food and Fun, p. 14).

Here are some tips I found in the magazine, Quick Cooking, on packaging cookies: 

~When choosing recipes, look for bars, drop cookies, slice-an-bake cookies and sandwich cookies, which are fairly sturdy and less likely to break when shipped.

~Avoid delicate cutout and shaped cookies, which may break; chocolate, since it will melt easily; and items with perishable frostings or fillings.

~When packaging the goodies, wrap bars individually in plastic wrap.  Drop cookies can be bundled back-to-back in packages of two.  Slice-and-bake and sandwich cookies can be wrapped in plastic wrap in bundles of two or three.

~Pack soft cookies in containers or tins separate from crisp cookies.  If packed together, the moisture from the soft cookies will make the crisp cookies lose their crunch. 

~To help retain the best flavor, don't pack strong-flavored cookies like gingersnaps in the same container with mild-flavored ones like sugar cookies. 

~Line the containers with crumpled waxed paper to help cushion the cookies.  Snugly pack the cookies to within 1 in. of the top.  Use crumpled waxed paper or bubble wrap to fill any gaps between the cookies.  Add more waxed paper or bubble wrap over the last layer to cushion the cookies and prevent shifting during shipping. OR
Place pieces of wax paper between cookie layers and add mini marshmallows to make sure cookies don't move around.  Tuck in a couple packages of cocoa for a great gift! (from Gooseberry Patches' Country Quick and Easy Cookbook).

~Place a layer of crumpled paper, bubble wrap or foam shipping peanuts in the bottom of a sturdy corrgated box that is slightly larger than your cookie container.  Set the container on top; then add more paper, bubble wrap or shipping peanuts.

Origami Earrings

Elise made these for me as a gift.

Here's a fun activity that my daughters enjoyed when they were in their tweens.  One summer I bought the book and materials for them and they did this completely on their own!  The book is, Friendship Origami, by Jill Smolinski (ISBN 0737398590)

Aromatherapy Bath Potpourri Bag

This made a nice personal gift for a new mom.  I gave a beautiful little gift bag filled with these bath potpourri bags to a friend who had just given birth to her fifth child.  She really loved it :0) especially since she really didn't need any more baby things.

Bath Potpourri Bag (Gift)              

dried chamomile

dried mint

dried lavender

4 x 4 muslin squares

jute or kite rope

Combine equal parts of the dried herbs in a bowl.  Mound a couple of teaspoons of mixture in center of a square of muslin, and tie with jute or kite rope.  Throw 1-2 bags into warm bath.

Spa-Rific Bath Mixes to Give

Active Meditation for Serious Relaxation

Spirit Soothers

Scents that Soothe

Meditation Made Easy

November Traditions

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday...no costumes, no suitcases, no gifts, no basket grass and half-eaten marshmallow eggs, no flags to fly, no pageants to prepare.  Just friends and family bowed together before Heavenly Father.  ~Katherine Wirthlin Cannon

"Family Night"

As a family, read the books from the book list below and finish by telling the story of the Five Kernels of Corn.  For a special treat, make the Blessings Mix as a family and deliver some of the mix with the Turkey-Gram poem to a family or special person you know could use a happy surprise.

Thanksgiving Chick Lit

Sarah Morton's Day, A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim Girl, by Kate Waters (ISBN 0590474006)

Thanksgiving Day, Gail Gibbons (0823405761)

Clifford's Thanksgiving Visit, Norman Bridwell (0590469878)

Did You Know...
Five Kernels of Corn

Many years ago during one of the early winters, the Pilgrims had very little food.  Because their corn supply was gone, each Pilgrim was given only five grains of corn to plant.  The following years they had more corn, but the Pilgrims wanted their children to always remember the sacrifices and the hardships that made the survival of their small settlement possible.  So each year when they celebrated Thanksgiving, they placed five grains of corn by each plate.  Some families still honor this tradition, so they won't forget the early days either.  

Thanksgiving Blessing Mix
Bugles corn snacks

pretzels

candy corn

dried or candy fruits

peanuts or sunflower seeds

Combine desired amount of Bugles, pretzels, candy corn, dried or candy fruit, and peanuts or sunflower seeds and place into a snack baggie.  Attach the following:  Bugles corn snacks- a cornucopia, Pretzels- arms folded in prayer.  Candy corn- the five kernels of corn each of the pilgrims were allotted per day during their first winter because food was so scarce, Dried or candy fruits- Thanksgiving is the celebration of the harvest, Peanuts or sunflower seeds- seeds represent the potential of a bounteous harvest for the next season if they are planted and well-tended.

Turkey-Gram 

Deliver goodies anonymously to your friends with this cute poem.

Turkey trot, Turkey run, Time to have Thanksgiving fun!

Turkey right, Turkey left, Placed some treats upon your step.

Turkey sandwich, Turkey ham, Gobble up this Turkey-Gram!