Planning For Christmas
Judy Bettinger
I know, I know - it's still a long way away, but I've
sworn up and down that This Year Is Going To Be Different!
So, I picked up a copy of "Unplug The Christmas Machine" at
the library and have just finished reading it. Here are
some items I'd love to see discussed here:
- has anybody here had any luck with persuading your family
to do Christmas a little differently? When I was growing
up, we didn't have a big emphasis on gifts, but took ski
trips instead (this was before skiing got to be an expensive,
status-y sport). But my in-laws are big-time into the
gift thing. Every year, they not only give my husband
and I big expensive gifts, but they also give a ton
of stuff to my daughter. I feel that it's just too
much, and I don't want her to be jaded at the tender
age of 3. On the other hand, I don't want to be ungrateful.
What to do?
- what are some "non-stuff" kinds of gifts that you've
found are well received? That is, gifts that don't
end up collecting dust in a closet someplace. We got
some friends of ours tickets to the Children's Museum,
and that was a winner. I'd love to see some other ideas.
- what kinds of gifts have you had good luck with making?
In past years, I made teddy bears for my nieces and
nephews, and we've also given things like home-made
kahlua and irish cream. This year, I may try the
painted flower pots!
- have you had success adding some new activities that
take some of the focus off of the gifts? What worked
for your family?
--
Judith C. Bettinger jbe...@uswest.com
==================================================================
Lottery: A tax on people who are bad at math.
Ann Mcmanus
>I know, I know - it's still a long way away, but I've
>sworn up and down that This Year Is Going To Be Different!
>So, I picked up a copy of "Unplug The Christmas Machine" at
>the library and have just finished reading it. Here are
>some items I'd love to see discussed here:
First of all, not only is it too early, it might already be too late!! ;
}
I make nearly ALL of the gifts we give/send to friends and relatives. I
knit a lot and most of the gifts (sweaters, afghans, even knitted
Christmas stockings and dishcloths) are well-received. Last Christmas I
made sweaters for my two sons which they adored, cotton dishcloths for my
MIL (she's in a senior place--no room to store "stuff") and a door
ornament, quilted wallhangings for my niece, toys (knitted and stitched)
for the new baby, great junkie things I got with rebates for the "little
cousins" --all boys (this year they are getting sets of walkie talkies
that I got for free--just add batteries). Everyone got books. I watch for
sales at Barnes and Noble and other bookstores.
Around her, planning for Christmas starts on December 26. The cost is
negligible.
Ann
Lisa or Nicole Shannon/Lass
>- what kinds of gifts have you had good luck with making?
>In past years, I made teddy bears for my nieces and
>nephews, and we've also given things like home-made
>kahlua and irish cream. This year, I may try the
>painted flower pots!
What are the painted flower pots? That sounds intriguing (I haven't
decided what the craft project is going to be this year!!!)
I've been making Christmas presents for years 'cause I've got a BIG
family!! Budget is usually $2 per person tops. Usually I give one of the
little gifts to everyone and then add something extra for my parents,
and then more extra for immediate family. Crafts are fun cuz you can get
kids involved.
Over the years we've given out:
-assortments of cookies, which were packed in cardboard boxes lined with
wax paper & tissue. We drew a picture with a holiday theme & then glued
it to the top of the box
-sewed small Christmas stockings & stuffed them with small things: candy,
soaps, erasers. Sewed the stockings from clothes destined for the rag bag
or remnants from the fabric store. We also once made little velvet
pouches with a separate fabric lining: in between the velvet & the lining
we put rose petals from an herb store. I crocheted little strings for
them.
-made xerox calendars. We drew pictures for the top part, then cut up a
calendar for the next year, pasted the calendar pages on each page,
xeroxed on 11 x 17 paper at my office... uh, I guess that was kinda
white-collar crime. Sorry. Forget how we did the binding (that was a
while ago).
-Last year I was on a business trip just before Christmas & so since there
was no time for crafts projects I went to this funky antique mall in
Pomona, CA near where I was staying and bought old photographs,
stereoscope pictures, and pretty gilded or clear glass saucers. Each cost
50 cents but looked really cool.
-Christmas ornaments: some styrofoam balls with thread & glued
decorations; some tiny canvases painted with acrylics; some tiny canvases
with collages.
-I'm also lucky in that I do beadwork & have tons of beads around the
house: so some years the women all got earrings or necklaces and the guys
got something else - maybe a bought thing like food or an Xmas ornament.
-One more great idea wasn't mine but my stepsister Tracy's: she's got a
great record collection so lots of times for Xmas she makes compilation
tapes for people according to their taste in music. I love her tapes!
she decorates the boxes in pen & ink.
Lisa
--
----
Lisa or Nicole
Bethesda, MD
M Brudnicki
Judy Bettinger wrote:
>
> I know, I know - it's still a long way away, but I've
> sworn up and down that This Year Is Going To Be Different!
> So, I picked up a copy of "Unplug The Christmas Machine" at
> the library and have just finished reading it. Here are
> some items I'd love to see discussed here:
>
> to do Christmas a little differently? When I was growing
> up, we didn't have a big emphasis on gifts, but took ski
> trips instead (this was before skiing got to be an expensive,
> status-y sport). But my in-laws are big-time into the
> gift thing. Every year, they not only give my husband
> and I big expensive gifts, but they also give a ton
> of stuff to my daughter. I feel that it's just too
> much, and I don't want her to be jaded at the tender
> age of 3. On the other hand, I don't want to be ungrateful.
> What to do?
>
> - what are some "non-stuff" kinds of gifts that you've
> found are well received? That is, gifts that don't
> end up collecting dust in a closet someplace. We got
> some friends of ours tickets to the Children's Museum,
>
> - what kinds of gifts have you had good luck with making?
> In past years, I made teddy bears for my nieces and
> nephews, and we've also given things like home-made
> kahlua and irish cream. This year, I may try the
> painted flower pots!
>
> take some of the focus off of the gifts? What worked
> for your family?
>
> --
> Judith C. Bettinger jbe...@uswest.com
> ==================================================================
> Lottery: A tax on people who are bad at math.
Last year, with my Dad's side of the family, we did a "yankee exchange" We
had a men's pile and a women's pile. The idea was to buy a gift that you
would like. (Lot's of tools for the guys) Then we drew numbers. Number one
took a gift from the pile and opened it. Number two could then choose another
gift from the pile or take number 1's gift. If this happened, number one
picked another gift out of the pile. And on down. After everyone had opened a
gift, Number one had the option to trade his/her gift. Last year, the 15 year
old in the family choose to participate, the 12 year old and the little ones
were all given gifts from each family. (I kept it to a couple of dollars,
crayons and a coloring book, books...) My Mom's side of the family we draw
names.
The grandparents will shower the little guy with presents. There is no way
around that. My MIL only has us and her daughter to buy for. I always felt
bad that she and my SIL got us more than we got them, but then last year I
list all the people we give gifts to and they said it wasn't a problem. But
at our house, this year we will make a big deal out of the move to a big-boy
bed and get sheets, comforter...Santa will bring him a big ticket toy and
that will probably be it. (The grandparents and aunts and uncles will take
care of the rest of his toy needs.. Hopefully puzzles, books and simple,
classic toys.)
Lori Russell
In article <32063C...@coefmd3.mnet.uswest.com>, Judy Bettinger
<jbe...@coefmd3.mnet.uswest.com> wrote:
>>> I know, I know - it's still a long way away, but I've
>>> sworn up and down that This Year Is Going To Be Different!
>>> So, I picked up a copy of "Unplug The Christmas Machine" at
>>> the library and have just finished reading it. Here are
>>> some items I'd love to see discussed here:
>>> - what are some "non-stuff" kinds of gifts that you've
>>> found are well received? That is, gifts that don't
>>> end up collecting dust in a closet someplace. We got
>>> some friends of ours tickets to the Children's Museum,
>>> and that was a winner. I'd love to see some other ideas.
I think that is a GREAT idea, and I, for one, am going to use that idea
for a couple friends of mine. A nice idea for parents of young children
who don't seem to get out much is a gift certificate for a restaurant
(then they can afford to pay the sitter!) or to a concert/play in the
area.
>>>
>>> - what kinds of gifts have you had good luck with making?
>>> In past years, I made teddy bears for my nieces and
>>> nephews, and we've also given things like home-made
>>> kahlua and irish cream. This year, I may try the
>>> painted flower pots!
I'm doing the flower-pot thing this year. I've make some for all my own
plants and received so many compliments I decided that everyone over the
age of 18 is getting one this year! Besides painting, try modge-podge (we
used gift wrap one of my daughter's birthday presents was wrapped in, cut
it into 2 in. squares, and modge-podged it on), decoupage, etc. Sponge
painting, everything -- it looks neat!
>>>
>>> - have you had success adding some new activities that
>>> take some of the focus off of the gifts? What worked
>>> for your family?
I found that my in-laws (and others) were overly generous with my kids
when they were very young, but once they got to school age, it tapered
off. It's not too bad now -- one gift, not expensive.
--
Lori Russell <loru...@cln.etc.bc.ca>
Andrea L. Winkler
I start planning for next Christmas very early. Like Ann, I make many of
my gifts, and watch for potential gifts throughout the year. One of the
things I do is keep a "Christmas basket" in an out-of-the-way place.
Every time I find a present, finish a projet, or just find something
giveable, it goes in the basket. (Books from Half-Price, books given to
me that I only need to read once but that someone else would treasure
longer, etc., all go in the basket.) It makes Christmas much easier--and
is also good for those last-minute gifts.
Best,
Andrea
Dawn Draper
Judy Bettinger (jbe...@coefmd3.mnet.uswest.com) wrote:
> - what kinds of gifts have you had good luck with making?
> In past years, I made teddy bears for my nieces and
> nephews, and we've also given things like home-made
> kahlua and irish cream. This year, I may try the
> painted flower pots!
If you do home preserving, this is the time of year to get
started on those Christmas gifts of homemade goodies. Lots
of local fruits and veggies are now (or soon will be) at their
best. I picked some green tomatoes yesterday and made several
jars of bell pepper/green tomato relish. The sweet cherries
are great at this time of year, and if you prepare brandied
cherries now, they'll be ready to eat at Christmas. If you
can get Rainier cherries, the colours make this an exotic-
looking gift (Rainier cherries are mostly yellow, with a
blush of pink on the bottom). Even if you've never done
any home preserving before, the equipment to get started
is not expensive.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Dawn Draper Sending unsolicited email advertising to
ddr...@chat.carleton.ca this address constitutes acceptance of
liability for a $50.00 proofreading fee.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Who? What? Huh?
Speaking ex cathedra from his belly button, Judy Bettinger
<jbe...@coefmd3.mnet.uswest.com> said:
>- has anybody here had any luck with persuading your family
>to do Christmas a little differently?
The "this is the way it is" approach works surprisingly well - there's
usually one year of transitional "yuck," and then it works quite
nicely. Been there done that (from the kid's POV even!).
> But my in-laws are big-time into the
>gift thing. Every year, they not only give my husband
>and I big expensive gifts, but they also give a ton
>of stuff to my daughter. I feel that it's just too
>much, and I don't want her to be jaded at the tender
>age of 3. On the other hand, I don't want to be ungrateful.
>What to do?
Well, if the in-laws have the moola and they're determined to give it
to you, ask that the expensive gifts be constructive ones. (My family
does the "wish list" thing - does yours?) Maybe a new refrigerator or
washing machine, or a nice gas grill for cookouts, for you and your
husband (instead of some pricey doodad *grin*). You DO have the right
to control what's given to your daughter - ask them to get a small toy
or a piece of clothing for her, then put the rest of what they'd
intend to spend on her into savings bonds for her college fund "so
that she will value their gifts even more when she grows up enough to
understand them." (Yes, it sounds tacky, but it's very effective
according to my kid-enabled sister-with-spendy-in-laws.)
>- what are some "non-stuff" kinds of gifts that you've
>found are well received? That is, gifts that don't
>end up collecting dust in a closet someplace. We got
>some friends of ours tickets to the Children's Museum,
>and that was a winner. I'd love to see some other ideas.
Museum tickets are great, as are tickets to sporting events, concerts,
and so on. Unfortunately, those can get expensive but occasionally
it's worth it. We've always been really happy to get gift certificates
for such "ordinary" things as supermarkets, telephone service, and the
like. If you happen to live nearby, a "coupon book" of things you can
do for the person is great - cooking meal, washing a car, watching the
kids for an afternoon or evening, cleaning a bathroom (this was my
favorite one - I _loved_ getting that one!!), and so on.
>- what kinds of gifts have you had good luck with making?
>In past years, I made teddy bears for my nieces and
>nephews, and we've also given things like home-made
>kahlua and irish cream. This year, I may try the
>painted flower pots!
Personally, if it's something I like and can use, I'd prefer homemade
gifts to things people shopped for. Sadly, some of the garbage that
has come into my life in the name of "homemade presents" is neither
usable nor likeable. (I'd rather have a nice bottle of hot-pepper
vinegar - simply a pretty bottle of white wine or cider vinegar with
dried red peppers stuffed in, costs about a quarter to make - than any
number of strangely patterned knitted sweaters or the Perpetual
Pantyhose Potholders.)
My homemade liqueurs have always gone over VERY well, even to
teetotalers (if I include recipes to use the liqueur in cooking). I
use the Grolsch brand beer bottles, with the rubber seals and wire
tops - you can even buy replacement sealing rings at many homebrewing
shops! (I get them from the redemption center for a quarter each, but
most of my "recipients" actually return their bottles to me for a
refill!)
>- have you had success adding some new activities that
>take some of the focus off of the gifts? What worked
>for your family?
We didn't have a tree last year (no room) so instead we decorated the
apartment. We used a staplegun to run lights _all over_ the apartment
so there wasn't any centralized "Christmas area." Then again, there's
just the two of us.
Our pet "Christmas distraction" was food. :-) We cooked together a
LOT, making all kinds of international traditional foods, not just
sweets but things like the special Italian fish dishes served on
Christmas eve. It was a lot of fun to have the "surprises" of things
we'd never had before. We had friends over for cooking parties
(hysterical in a 7'x9' kitchen! *grin*) - we'd split the grocery bill
and have a feast that we all cooked.
-------------------------------------
Mari Morgan
mor...@argo.net, http://www.argo.net/~morgans/
"Everything in excess! To enjoy the flavor of life,
take big bites. Moderation is for monks." --Lazarus Long
Doug Mounce
My wife is planning to do shaker boxes out of cardboard, and then cover
them with gift wrap for cookie and other food presents. Doug
--
Susan Hough
In article <4u7h6o$d...@bertrand.ccs.carleton.ca> ddr...@chat.carleton.ca (Dawn Draper) writes:
>Judy Bettinger (jbe...@coefmd3.mnet.uswest.com) wrote:
>> - what kinds of gifts have you had good luck with making?
>> In past years, I made teddy bears for my nieces and
>> nephews, and we've also given things like home-made
>> kahlua and irish cream. This year, I may try the
>> painted flower pots!
>
>started on those Christmas gifts of homemade goodies. Lots
>of local fruits and veggies are now (or soon will be) at their
>best. I picked some green tomatoes yesterday and made several
I was going to suggest this also :o) . People who've never
made jam seem inclined to view it as something terribly complicated
and/or mysterious, and it really is neither. If you buy liquid
pectin (2 pouches to a box), it comes with a sheet of instructions
for jams & jellies, and you don't need anything more than canning
jars & lids, a large pot, and some common kitchen utensils. It
doesn't even take that long.
Sue
M. & J. Hunter-Kilmer
M Brudnicki <mbru...@erinet.com> wrote:
>Last year, with my Dad's side of the family, we did a "yankee exchange" We
>had a men's pile and a women's pile. The idea was to buy a gift that you
>would like. (Lot's of tools for the guys) Then we drew numbers. Number one
>took a gift from the pile and opened it. Number two could then choose another
>gift from the pile or take number 1's gift. If this happened, number one
>picked another gift out of the pile. And on down. After everyone had opened a
>gift, Number one had the option to trade his/her gift.
We did this at work one year, and we did just one pile. It was a
blast! We laughed so hard!!!
Melissa
hkon...@ids2.idsonline.com
http://www.idsonline.com/userweb/phantom/index.htm
go...@halcyon.com
Judy Bettinger <jbe...@coefmd3.mnet.uswest.com> wrote:
>I know, I know - it's still a long way away, but I've
>sworn up and down that This Year Is Going To Be Different!
>So, I picked up a copy of "Unplug The Christmas Machine" at
>the library and have just finished reading it. Here are
>
>- has anybody here had any luck with persuading your family
>to do Christmas a little differently?
>found are well received? That is, gifts that don't
>
>- what kinds of gifts have you had good luck with making?
>take some of the focus off of the gifts?
Some ideas I've used in the past (successfully)
-quilts
-canned jams/jellies/etc
-MacDonald's coupons for youngsters
-gift certificate to a local fun park for kids
-hand made vests
-boxer shorts for the teens in fun fabrics
-cut glass/crystal purchased at summer Yard Sales for those who collect
it
-make up a photo album from pictures you have.. I made one for a friend
of over 30 yrs and he cried! Couldn't believe he hair wasn't always
grey! ;)
-a memory book.. written with stories you remember from times shared with
the friend.. Add poems and cut out pics or articles
-a night out on the town
-a coupon for a Hot Tub date
These gifts have seemed to go over better than otrhers, even more
expensive ones.
Graciously,
Goldi
Heather Newman
In article <32063C...@coefmd3.mnet.uswest.com> Judy Bettinger <jbe...@coefmd3.mnet.uswest.com> writes:
>In past years, I made teddy bears for my nieces and
>nephews
I'd love to hear some more details on this. Where did you get the fabric/fur?
What did you use for stuffing? Eyes? Etc.?
Thanks.
Heather
Donkerns
Last July my family decided that instead of establishing spending limits
etc., for gifts, our only rule would be that whatever we gave could NOT be
new (i.e., store-bought). It gave me a whole new zeal for going to yard
sales! Now instead of spending $5 on "nothing" gifts from the store, I was
able to find things like a complete Mixmaster mixer and mixing bowls for
my sister, a boombox for my niece, and a beautiful sweater for my BIL.
One sister owns an upholstery business and made large floor pillows from
leftover scraps of fabric. It was a big hit, and we're planning to do it
again.
<Denise K.>
Teresa Lopez
Last year we did a twelve day of Christmas thing. We had a tree, but
no presents under it. I made some really neat stockings from
unbleached muslin (79 cents a yard on sale) and appliqued Christmas
things on them. On Christmas Day everyone got to open the things in
their stocking, we had a nice brunch, listened to Christmas music,
watched a movie and read some books together. On each of the twelve
days between Christmas and Epiphany each child got one gift. A lot of
them were handmade, others were items of clothing - both kids got new
shoes, but none were too elaborate, On Ephiphany (Three Kings Day)
they each got three small gifts. I think this worked very well for a
couple of reasons. There was no gimme, gimme or overwhelming greed
over a pile of presents. Since there was only one gift they really
looked at the one they had and focused on it. Also, I had talked
about how we were going to do Christmas so there was no rude surprise
on Christmas morning. We focus more on the religious aspects of the
holiday and less on the material ones. I have taken a fairly hard
line with people giving the kids gifts. Close friends are no problem
- they either live a similar lifestyle, or have enough respect for us
to do things our way, The biggest problem has been my MIL - who not
only goes overboard, but goes overboard with JUNK - stuff I wouldn't
buy for the kids if it was on sale for 90% off. I have tried talking
to her about it, but with no results. So, a lot of her things went
into the closet, and have yet to come out! I will probably end up
donating them. I feel that is it my house, and I have the right to
decide what comes into it. Just call me Scrooge.
Teresa
SB Public Library - Eastside Branch
This is also a crime. Copying songs/records instead of buying them
deprives the artist of his/her right to make a living from his/her craft.
Marge in CA
Lisa or Nicole Shannon/Lass (lisa...@access2.digex.net) wrote:
:
: -One more great idea wasn't mine but my stepsister Tracy's: she's got a
SB Public Library - Eastside Branch
The best Christmas our family ever had was when our kids were about 10 and
12 yrs. We spent $25 on Christmas (dinner ingredients not included).
With that $25 we bought a tree and made popcorn garlands, tied doodads we
happened to have on the tree with ribbon (like miniature collectibles),
bought supplies to make gifts with, etc. It was like an adventure - as a
family we read one of the Laura Ingalls books that made making do seem
charming and creative. Marge in CA
Annette M. Stroud
In article <hnewman.4...@tennessean.com>,
retired it, it became bears.
Depending on age of recipient, buttons for those beyond the choking stage
(or rather, the putting-small-objects-in-mouth stage). Embroidered for
the younger ones.
I sprung for the store-bought polyester fill. If living up to a dress
code means that you are in possession of runny nylons, you can chop those
up and stuff animals with that.
Or you can make frogs instead of bears and fill with beans.
Annette
Lisa Hetherington
--
Leslie Harnish
A few years back, we bought our first home in early December, and after
tapping our bank accounts to the maximum possible for this, we were
totally broke. Here's how we "saved face" with the relatives at
Christmas time. With brothers, sisters, neices, nephews, aunts, uncles,
grandparents and the like, I had about fifteen families that I wanted to
acknowledge with something at Christmas. I baked like there was no
tomorrow.
The first year, I baked three types of cookies: shortbread, chocolate
chip and something else with a Christmas theme. I baked a few types of
loaves: pumpkin loaf, zuchini loaf, chocolate poundcake loaf, and banana
bread. I did the baking over two full weekends, freezing the items until
I was ready for them.
A few days before Christmas I did this: For each family, I took a piece
of cardboard (I used the lid from a photocopier paper box with the sides
cut off it) and covered it with wrapping paper. I then covered the
wrapping paper with Saran wrap (generic of course). I then divied up the
baked goods I had made between the fifteen sheets and arranged them in a
nice looking design, covered them with more Saran wrap, and then put a
ribbon, bow and a gift tag on it. It took about two hours to do up all
the "trays".
Then as a family, we delivered our "wares" to each of the families we had
on our list and had a nice visit with each family. We did the trays up
on a Friday evening and delivered them through the weekend, doing
half the families on Saturday and half on Sunday. These trays were a hit
(even though I didn't realize it at the time). Two families even said
they served them when they had other guests over and it actually saved
them money, as they would have purchased a tray like this at a bakery or
grocery store to serve their guests.
Not being a total tightwad at the time, I felt really cheap and guilty
because I hadn't bought "real" gifts. I thought these people were only
trying to be nice, but the next year, when we had more money and bought
"real" gifts, every place we went to, people asked why I didn't bake this
year and were genuinely disappointed. Needless to say, the next year I
did the "tray" thing again and haven't looked back. That was seven years
ago. Usually around Halloween people start asking if I've started
baking for Christmas yet and what goodies I have in store for them.
I try to remember what goodies the children in each family like and
include their favorite. Each year, I vary the theme a bit, doing muffins
one year, all cookies another, all loaves another, etc. I've also
arranged in cheap wicker baskets homemade canned goods such as pizza
sauce, jams, tomatoes, applesauce and the like to those I wanted to give
something a little extra to.
These things go over really well and I usually get requests for the
recipes I've used. I am not a great cook, but I can follow a recipe. I
usually use my family as guinnea (sp?) pigs to try new recipes out on
before using them in my trays.
Hope this helps someone!!
Leslie
Ann Mcmanus
Usually around Halloween people start asking if I've started
baking for Christmas yet and what goodies I have in store for them.
I have a couple of people on my baking list who already have their order
in for this December! For a family cookie that is lots of work (and not
too cheap) but that makes like 20 dozen.
I sometimes hit the "Second Chance Shoppe (run by a local church for
their missions) for pretty (but cheap) plates. My latest find was a half
dozen clear glass dinner plates (I may decorate them or leave them as is)
and a plate that says "You are beary special" on it that we use for
birthday breakfasts. They were a nickel each!
Ann
Lynniepoo2
In article <4uiv4j$3...@hermes.cair.du.edu>, ast...@odin.cair.du.edu
(Annette M. Stroud) writes:
>Or you can make frogs instead of bears and fill with beans.
>
>Annette
Oooh, a warm childhood flashback... one of my favorite things was a big,
fat bean-bag frog at my grandma's house...mmmmmmmm
Lynn
"If you're going to be able to look back on something and laugh, you might
as well laugh about it now."--Marie Osmond
(I laugh all ****ing day)
tam...@aloha.net
Annette M. Stroud wrote:
>
> In article <hnewman.4...@tennessean.com>,
> Heather Newman <hne...@tennessean.com> wrote:
>
> I had a cheap brown furry coat that served me well for 12 years. When I
> retired it, it became bears.
Thank you sooooo much, Annette, for a great idea!
I've had this fabulous coat since the very early 70's that I knew
wouldn't sell at at a yard sale, but I kept in a box knowing that
SOMEDAY I'd figure out what to do with it.
I was going to throw it out this week when I read your post -- it'll
make a ton of cute little bears for the police department's Teddy Bear
Project. Each TBP bear is given to a child incolved in an incident
(fire, domestic dispute, etc) where the police or fire department is
called.
Most local police departments have a program like this and appreciate
donations of purchased or home-made bears.
Claudia ** squinting into the bright sun above Hawai'i **
Mike & Lori Moffit
Leslie Harnish wrote:
> Not being a total tightwad at the time, I felt really cheap and guilty
> because I hadn't bought "real" gifts. I thought these people were only
> trying to be nice, but the next year, when we had more money and bought
> "real" gifts, every place we went to, people asked why I didn't bake this
> year and were genuinely disappointed. Needless to say, the next year I
> did the "tray" thing again and haven't looked back. That was seven years
> ago.
I crochet, and for the past 4 or 5 years, ever since I learned how, I've
made all of the gifts we give, birthday, Christmas, wedding, etc... This
began the first year mostly because I had to have thyroid surgery, and by
the time my very overactive thyroid was diagnosed, my resting pulse rate
was too high to even do the surgery. The doctor wanted me to do nothing
more strenuous than sit in a chair and crochet for the time it took to
bring it down low enough, and then for a while after the surgery as well,
so that's what I did. (it was also because we were low on cash!) I too
was afraid others would think we were cheap, but I'll tell you, the one
year I didn't do this, Christmas before last, which was the year we were
in the process of adopting our little boy, everyone, including all of our
young nieces and nephew were quite disappointed. I do things like Barbie
clothes for the nieces, stuffed dinasaurs for my nephew, hats, scarves
and mittens for all of them, a table cloth for my parents and for my
mom-in-law, tree ornaments for siblings, things like that. Everybody can
do something, crochet or knit, sew, cook, bake, etc... if not, they
surely can give gifts of service to each other.
Lori
Lisa or Nicole Shannon/Lass
Oops, I forgot this wasn't the Negativland newsgroup (sorry about the
inside joke for those who aren't familiar). Many musicians
(particularly the obscure ones who aren't getting airplay) actually
appreciate people sending a tape with _one_ of their songs on it - a
homemade compilation tape. You hear one song because a friend turned you
on to it on a tape they made for their car or something, and you go out &
spend $30 on their cd's. I'm not talking taping the whole record, but
rather making a private radio show, in effect.... But I'm not going to
debate royalties & fair use here - sorry I brought it up, guys (jeez, this
is going to be as bad as my poor aunt's potluck reception - guess my
family's a buncha boho freeloaders) :) Lisa
In article <4ugr37$j...@news.rain.org>,
Amy Verhelst
Lynniepoo2 wrote:
>
> In article <4uiv4j$3...@hermes.cair.du.edu>, ast...@odin.cair.du.edu
> (Annette M. Stroud) writes:
>
> >Or you can make frogs instead of bears and fill with beans.
> >
> >Annette
>
> Oooh, a warm childhood flashback... one of my favorite things was a big,
> fat bean-bag frog at my grandma's house...mmmmmmmm
>
> Lynn
>
Ames
(Sorry, I had to do it. Am I fired?)
Erin McKean
the latest FashionStance e-mail zine had some really interesting
recipes for making your own bath salts. It seems that
five pounds of rock salt, fifty drops of essential oils,
and (maybe) a little food coloring = cool bath stuff!
I'm going to be looking at thrift stores and yard
sales for interesting jars. I already have ribbon.
And you can get essential oils at health-food stores,
I believe.
happy christmas planning!
Erin McKean
em...@midway.uchicago.edu
Kimberley Darlene Edwards
Can you give us more information bout the FashionStance e-mail zine and
some of the recipes for the bath salts?
Thanks,
Kim
ked...@tiger.lsu.edu
Erin McKean (em...@midway.uchicago.edu) wrote:
: the latest FashionStance e-mail zine had some really interesting
Erin McKean
In article <4usnhe$1f...@tiger2.ocs.lsu.edu>,
Kimberley Darlene Edwards <ked...@tiger.lsu.edu> wrote:
>Can you give us more information bout the FashionStance e-mail zine and
>some of the recipes for the bath salts?
>
>Thanks,
>Kim
>ked...@tiger.lsu.edu
I won't reprint the lengthy articles (too lazy!) but you can get
the FashionStance zine by sending email including the word "subscribe" to
jge...@lookinggreat.com.
Lynniepoo2
In article <320FEF...@v.imap.itd.umich.edu>, Amy Verhelst
<verh...@v.imap.itd.umich.edu> writes:
Well, grandma never was a great cook....
Gary L. Dare
Try to do your shopping on the Labour Day and Columbus Day
(Thanksgiving, in Canada) long weekends for great prices.
gld
--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Je me souviens ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gary L. Dare g...@prairienet.org
g...@ripco.com
Vive le Quebec libre - in Canada! (formerly g...@columbia.edu)
Laurel Halbany
Judy Bettinger <jbe...@coefmd3.mnet.uswest.com> wrote:
>I know, I know - it's still a long way away, but I've
>sworn up and down that This Year Is Going To Be Different!
>So, I picked up a copy of "Unplug The Christmas Machine" at
>the library and have just finished reading it.
My recommendation is to convert to Judaism so that you celebrate
Hanukkah instead. :*
No, seriously:
>- what are some "non-stuff" kinds of gifts that you've
>found are well received? That is, gifts that don't
>end up collecting dust in a closet someplace. We got
>some friends of ours tickets to the Children's Museum,
>and that was a winner. I'd love to see some other ideas.
Food gifts, if you are sure the recipient likes the food. Two years
ago, my partner and I made a humungous batch of hand-dipped truffles
(five flavors) with tempered dark-chocolate coatings, boxed them with
neat labels, and gave them as gifts. NOBODY complained, except to ask
why the boxes weren't bigger.... It cost perhaps $15 a person, and
would have been less if I'd made fewer mistakes in the cooking stages.
----------------------------------------------------------
Laurel Halbany
myt...@agora.rdrop.com
http://www.rdrop.com/users/mythago/
Doug Mounce
Laurel Halbany <myt...@agora.rdrop.com> wrote:
>I made a humungous batch of hand-dipped truffles
>(five flavors) with tempered dark-chocolate coatings, boxed them with
>neat labels, and gave them as gifts.
>It cost perhaps $15 a person, ...
How do you make chocolates? What should I watch for in order not to make
expensive mistakes with the ingredients or the process? Do you need to
buy a candy thermometer? Doug
--
Who? What? Huh?
Speaking ex cathedra from hir belly button, mou...@u.washington.edu
(Doug Mounce) said:
>How do you make chocolates? What should I watch for in order not to make
>expensive mistakes with the ingredients or the process? Do you need to
>buy a candy thermometer? Doug
>--
Some hints on candymaking:
Spend the money on confectioner's coatings instead of futzing around
with baking chocolate and waxes. They taste better, are easier to
handle, and aren't _that_ much more expensive.
For some candies you do indeed want a candy thermometer. I don't use
one for truffles, but for fondant fillings and other sorts of fillings
you do need one.
For working with baking chocolate, don't let a single drop of water
come in contact with the melting chocolate. It will "sieze" (lump up)
and is a royal pain in the kiester to rescue.
Make sure you have a double boiler (a heatproof bowl resting on a
smaller pan with hot water in works wonderfully). The substance in a
double boiler should rest _over_ not _in_ the hot water - this will
cause things to scorch.
Have a BIG work area - making chocolates is messy but fun.
_Joy of Cooking_ has scads of filled-chocolates recipes, but for
truffles the one I'm posting at the end of this post is my favorite.
It's very reliable, and fairly easy as truffles go. (I should know.
When I was in cooking school, I once spent three days making four
THOUSAND truffles for a large party. Long days, too. I couldn't stand
the smell of chocolate for weeks afterwards.)
SPIRITED TRUFFLES - 3 dozen
12 oz. good quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons liqueur of choice
3 tablespoons unsweetened butter, room temperature
Unsweetened cocoa powder for shaping (about 2 cups)
Ground nuts, cocoa powder, finely grated coconut, whatever for coating
the truffles
Place the chocolate in a smallish heatproof bowl. In medium saucepan
over low heat, bring cream to a boil. Remove from heat and pour over
chocolate. Let stand 1 minute and beat with a whisk until smooth. Add
liqueur and butter and beat until completely smooth and glossy.
Cover and refrigerate until cold and firm enough to hold its shape
when you roll a small bit into a ball.
Dust your hands with cocoa powder to prevent sticking and melting (it
will happen anyway, just try to keep this stuff as cool as you can. Do
not try the "dip hands in ice water" trick used for taffy, the
chocolate will not like it). Take 1/3 of the truffle mixture out of
the fridge - keep the rest chilled - and working very quickly, roll
_scant_ tablespoons of it into fairly free-form balls, then roll the
balls in your coating of choice. Drop on cookie sheet covered with wax
paper. When you get that third done, refrigerate the sheet of truffles
and start with a new one for the second batch. Repeat until all the
truffle mixture is used up.
When all the truffles are shaped and chilled firm, transfer to an
airtight container with wax paper between the layers (the foil candy
cups work _wonders_). Store refrigerated for up to 3 weeks or frozen
for up to 3 months.
Notes: You can use just about any liqueur you like, but avoid the
really light fruit ones like Midori melon. You can also use rum or
brandy, but liqueurs are really preferable as the flavors are subtler.
Make your coatings compatible with the liqueur flavoring. Ground roast
almonds for amaretto, ground walnuts for Nocello, ground shortbread
cookies flavored with some orange peel for Grand Marnier, etc. Plain
unsweetened cocoa works nicely for the fruit liqueurs like raspberry
and creme de cassis, or if you don't feel like making special
coatings. Some candy shops use chocolate jimmies or sprinkles - IMO
the waxy flavor of these detracts from your wonderful homemade
truffle.
These do NOT ship well unless you have access to dry ice or are
willing to FedEx. If you FedEx, freeze truffles for 48 hours before
packing, get them to the shipping office as close to the ship-out
deadline as you can so they don't sit around, and mark "PERISHABLE" in
big bold letters.
-------------------------------------
Mari Morgan -- mor...@argo.net, http://www.argo.net/~morgans/
"Everything in excess! To enjoy the flavor of life,
take big bites. Moderation is for monks." --Lazarus Long
*All emails will be read, although not all get replies.*
**INSOMNIA SUCKS!** (Just thought I'd mention it.)
Bill Derby
> : the latest FashionStance e-mail zine had some really interesting
> : recipes for making your own bath salts. It seems that
> : five pounds of rock salt, fifty drops of essential oils,
> : and (maybe) a little food coloring = cool bath stuff!
> : Erin McKean
> : em...@midway.uchicago.edu
I'm sure Erin typed this correctly, however most directions I've seen
for bath salts used Epsom salts not rock salts. You might want to check
another source to be sure.
Janie
Robert Starmer
> - what kinds of gifts have you had good luck with making?
Back in grad school, I made tree ornaments: painted wooden ones, a few
small cross-stiched ones in tiny round frames (green and red), and
sequins on styrofoam shapes (spheres, houses, evergreen tree--I picked
up the supplies at a discount craft store). It was relaxing to do
something other than _study_, and they were very well received.
Last year, my husband and I made huge vats of Russian tea mix and
homemade hot cocoa mix. We packaged the mixes up in small clip-top
canning jars (bought on sale, of course) and tied on the mixing
instructions with twine. We made the instruction labels out of squares
of paper cut from grocery sacks (makes for a nice "rustic-looking"
paper), and we used green and red ink for the calligraphy. Then we
boxed up the jars with $0.50 holiday-themed mugs (one mug per gift
recipient). People actually asked us where we _bought_ the gift jars of
mix so they could go get some more! Especially the Russian tea--seems a
lot of people had never had it before....
Kathleen
iapt
Could you post the recipies for these?
cl gehler
In article <321848...@pacbell.net>, Robert Starmer <sta...@pacbell.net> writes:
> > - what kinds of gifts have you had good luck with making?
>
> homemade hot cocoa mix. We packaged the mixes up in small clip-top
> canning jars (bought on sale, of course) and tied on the mixing
> instructions with twine. We made the instruction labels out of squares
> of paper cut from grocery sacks (makes for a nice "rustic-looking"
> paper), and we used green and red ink for the calligraphy. Then we
> boxed up the jars with $0.50 holiday-themed mugs (one mug per gift
> recipient). People actually asked us where we _bought_ the gift jars of
> mix so they could go get some more! Especially the Russian tea--seems a
> lot of people had never had it before....
>
> Kathleen
Would you please post the recipes for the hot cocoa mix and Russian tea mix?
This sounds like a great idea!
Coni
Robert Starmer
>Would you please post the recipes for the hot cocoa mix and Russian tea mix?
Certainly!
Russian Tea Mix:
18 oz. jar of Tang (Sam's sells this stuff in _vats_!)
3/4 C. sugar
1 pkg lemonade mix
3/4 C. instant tea (note: you can also eliminate the lemonade mix and
just use 1 full C. of instant lemon-and-sugar-flavored tea)
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. cinnamon
Just adjust the measurements proportionally to make larger or smaller
quantities. Be sure to store it in tightly sealed jars 'cause the
humidity makes it turn into an impermeable _chunk_!
Use 3-4 tsp. of tea mix per cup of hot water. Yum!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tightwad Hot Cocoa Mix:
(This recipe yields enough for one cup, so again, just adjust the
measurements proportionally to make large quantities for gift
giving--also, you may want to play around with the measurements a bit to
get it to the correct balance of sweetness and chocolate for your
tastes)
1/3 C. dry milk
1 tsp cocoa
1 tsp sugar
Note: You can also add 1/4 tsp cinnamon to this mix and then sprinkle a
bit of nutmeg on top of your prepared beverage to make "gourmet" Mexican
hot cocoa. Mighty tasty....
Enjoy,
Kathleen
Donkerns
I've really enjoyed reading and being inspired by the many various posts
I've read on this thread. Just thought I'd mention another homemade gift
my sister gave us a couple of years ago; it was a big hit. She and her
husband enjoy smoking meat (you all know what that is, right?) Anyway, for
each sibling they made a gift basket consisting of a smoked whole chicken,
some homemade salsa and chips, and a few Christmas cookies. Of course you
could only do this if you have adequate refrigerator space (or store
outdoors?) but each recipient was very appreciative. We snacked on it for
several days!
<Denise K.>
jou...@utdallas.edu
A word of caution - I made the Russian Tea mix once with either
Tang or instant tea sweetened with Nutrasweet. It was AWFUL! Experiment
before making large quantities or giving as gifts.
--
Tracey
jou...@utdallas.edu
Perhaps a Princess...
In article <4vfsl0$h...@utdallas.edu>, <jou...@utdallas.edu> wrote:
@A word of caution - I made the Russian Tea mix once with either
@Tang or instant tea sweetened with Nutrasweet. It was AWFUL! Experiment
@before making large quantities or giving as gifts.
Interesting. Our Russian Tea mix has Tangas one of its primary ingredients.
Sarah sa...@eskimo.com
===================================================
"The molecules of your body are the same molecules that make up this
station and the nebula outside, that burn inside the stars themselves.
We are star stuff;" -- Delenn, "A Distant Star"
=DOLE/KEMP=DOLE/KEMP=DOLE/KEMP=DOLE/KEMP=DOLE/KEMP=
jou...@utdallas.edu
Let me make myself clear: I made the Russian Tea mix with either sugar-free
Tang or sugar-free tea. It was the sugar substitute that made the tea taste
awful, not the fact that it had Tang in it.
In fact, it may have been a store brand and not "Tang". My point was to
do a taste test.
--
Tracey
jou...@utdallas.edu
IMBeka
I am pretty jazzed and thought I would share with you...
I was fretting about what to get a good friend for her upcoming wedding
shower. I was looking thru a Harry & Davids catalog and found the perfect
gift: A picnic basket full of goodies. The bad part was the price 155.95
not even encluding shipping. I have done this before, so I took the
discription out to the store with me to see if I could put the basket
together myself for less.
I headed to the local pottery -huge type has everything -kitchenwares,
linnens etc.
Heres what I got:
Large two opening picnic basket : on
sale 20.99
acrylic tableware (plates, flat ware, stemware) on clearance
9.99
Beautiful good quality tablecloth/picnic blanket
20.00
matching napkins
6.00
Then food:
bartlet pears
.77
gala apples
1.19
smoked salmon
4.29
"gourmet mustard"
2.49
Cheddar cheeses
2.69
Crackers
2.29
3 types of sausages
3.60
homemade lemon cakes
?
" choc. cakes
?
preserves
1.52
homemade Candies
?
PLUS items not included in the H&D basket
shortbread cookies
1.50
Taper candles
.88
book of matches
-
candlestick holders
2.00
Home made fudge cookies
?
Total somewhere around
80.00
now if I had planned a little better Im sure I could have done this for
less. But it was short of short notice. I still have a few days, so I will
be checking around some fabric stores to see if I can create the
tablecloth & napkins myself for less.
Any ideas to add to the basket would be appreciated ;)
There is one more shower I will be attending for her. I will be giving
Victoria's secret type stuff - I like the bathsalt idea, any others?
For the wedding gift I will be opening IRA mutual fund for both the bride
and groom and wrap up the paper work in shirt boxes with the starter
checks attached, made out to the MF.
Becca
Who? What? Huh?
Speaking ex cathedra from hir belly button, imb...@aol.com (IMBeka)
said:
>There is one more shower I will be attending for her. I will be giving
>Victoria's secret type stuff - I like the bathsalt idea, any others?
I had a lingerie shower too - lots of frugal people. Some of the
coolest things I got were:
-Homemade padded hangers for some of the fancies that needed hanging
(wooden hangers wrapped with cotton batting and covered in scrap satin
fabric - I think it was the leftovers from someone's prom dress)
-an old hatbox decoupaged with French newspapers with some spice
sachets (cinnamon, clove, cardamom pods, etc.) to put "folding
lingerie" in
-a small snap-fastened bag for traveling, to carry hose or other small
delicate items in (the only time I ever need hose is when I'm going
somewhere, so it was sensible!)
-a pair of homemade beaded earrings and a matching necklace - you can
get all the supplies for those cheap at somewhere like Wal-Mart - made
to match a negligee someone else gave me (the two gift-givers were in
cahoots!)
>For the wedding gift I will be opening IRA mutual fund for both the bride
>and groom and wrap up the paper work in shirt boxes with the starter
>checks attached, made out to the MF.
Now THAT is an interesting idea.
Jennifer Stevens
This year I'm planning to make homemade muelix (wheat flakes, dried
fruit, chopped up nuts, and cornflakes). I'm not quite sure how much
it costs per ound yet (I still need to do the calculations for the
batch I made for us) but it ought be at least less than the pre mixed
muelix price ($2.19-2.79/pound at our grocery store). Not only that,
those of us that don't like raisens and dates can leave them out :) (i
used dried cranberries and pecans in the latest batch).
I'm also planning on homemade dog biscuits (using the Frugal Zealot's
recipe); iI used those last year with a couple of firends with very
good results (one friend's mother wanted the recipe :)
We also make ginger cokies for Forr's grandfather every year.
Finally, of course, there's always yard sales. Stock up now....
- jen
Jerri L. Gibbs
IMBeka wrote:
>
> I am pretty jazzed and thought I would share with you...
>
> I was fretting about what to get a good friend for her upcoming wedding
> shower. I was looking thru a Harry & Davids catalog and found the perfect
> gift: A picnic basket full of goodies. The bad part was the price 155.95
> not even encluding shipping. I have done this before, so I took the
> discription out to the store with me to see if I could put the basket
> together myself for less.
>
>
>
>
Becca ... I loved your basket! I just did a similar gift on a smaller
scale. I bought a really cool wire basket at Ross for 7.99 then loaded
it with romantic stuff -- a candle for 2.99, a bottle of wine for 4.99
(cheap but my friend's favorite!), a little tube of bath salts for
$1.99, some chocalates -- $1.00, two wine glasses (from a set of 6 on
clearance at Targe for $4.00 -- I'm saving the others for future
baskets) .. and a Yanni CD - Reflections of Passion -- $11.99. She
loved the gift because it was personal.
Baskets are one of my favorite gifts to give. I "theme" them to
personalize them for the recipient. To keep them more inexpensive, I
keep my eyes open for clearances and sales on (such as the wine glasses)
and keep those kinds of things on hand.
I'd be interested in hearing more frugal basket ideas!
Jerri
Monica L. Tittle
myt...@agora.rdrop.com (Laurel Halbany) told everyone on the entire
planet, OK maybe just the ones reading this group:
>>- what are some "non-stuff" kinds of gifts that you've
>>found are well received? That is, gifts that don't
>>end up collecting dust in a closet someplace. We got
>>some friends of ours tickets to the Children's Museum,
>>and that was a winner. I'd love to see some other ideas.
>Food gifts, if you are sure the recipient likes the food. Two years
>ago, my partner and I made a humungous batch of hand-dipped truffles
>(five flavors) with tempered dark-chocolate coatings, boxed them with
>neat labels, and gave them as gifts. NOBODY complained, except to ask
>why the boxes weren't bigger.... It cost perhaps $15 a person, and
>would have been less if I'd made fewer mistakes in the cooking
stages.
I give "babysitting certificates" to the parents in the family. For
the ones with exceptionally well behaved kids I give a three night
certificate and for the kids that I just can't stand I give a one
night certificate. Luckily these parents live in different cities! ;)
>----------------------------------------------------------
>Laurel Halbany
>myt...@agora.rdrop.com
>http://www.rdrop.com/users/mythago/
Monica L. Tittle
histo...@worldnet.att.net
We all need help, so we might as well all help each other.
--Me
IMBeka
In article <4vve0j$1...@krypto.zippo.com>, mor...@argo.net (Who? What?
Huh?) writes:
>
>>For the wedding gift I will be opening IRA mutual fund for both the
bride
>>and groom and wrap up the paper work in shirt boxes with the starter
>>checks attached, made out to the MF.
>
>Now THAT is an interesting idea.
>
>
They are 23 & 21 and are just starting out. They make probably 40-50,000
at least between the two of them, yet they save nothing. They keep
*talking* about doing "something" I just want to give them a push (ok a
shove) in the right direction. :)
A lot of people give cash as a gift and the bride and groom just blow it.
Wouldn't it be nice in there "golden years" if they can sit back and know
that their retirement was paid for in part by wedding gifts given to them
30 years earlier ?
:)
Becca
Kathleen and Robert
Jerri L. Gibbs wrote:
> I'd be interested in hearing more frugal basket ideas!
I, too, am very into themed gifts. Only they don't have to be in
baskets. They can be in gift bags, hat boxes, cotton sacks,
etc.--whatever container seems most appropriate for the theme of
choice. Some of my recent creations include:
*The Pasta Dinner Basket (for a relative's second wedding): dried
pasta, bottled marinara sauce, imported olives, bottle of Italian wine,
package of biscotti, small bag of espresso beans, and a red and white
checkered table cloth. Looked very "Williams and Sonoma," but was
actually quite inexpensive because I picked up everything at Cost Plus
(they're _always_ having sales :).
*Good Scents Gift Bag (for a housewarming gift): Carpet potpourri,
scented candles, scented drawer sachets, all of them in peach and
vanilla (yum!), and everything was on sale at a craft store (?!!--who'd
have thought...?!)
*Gardener's Goodie Box (a b-day gift for my mom who just bought a house
and is starting the massive task of revamping the backyard): A small
trowel and digging fork, gardener's lip balm, a good thick canvas apron
with big pockets, two cakes of moisturizing gardener's soap, and (this
was a great find!) two aromatherapy bath sachets which claim to "relieve
the aches and pains brought about by excessive digging and
mowing"--gotta love that! Anyway, because it's the end of summer, all
the gardening stuff (with the exception of the lip balm and the sachets)
was on sale.
I guess the frugality of these gifts lies in the fact that I try to
purchase good-quality products inexpensively (i.e., the ever-popular
Sale Theme). And I don't pay for someone to assemble the gifts for me
(as in the case of the premade baskets/boxes). I suppose one could save
even more money by keeping a lookout for gift basket/bag/box stuff at
yard sales, thrift stores, etc., and stocking up on any good finds for
future use. If only _I_ could have so much forethought.... :)
Kathleen
Rick Buchanan
IMBeka (imb...@aol.com) wrote:
Another idea is to give them a gift certificate from their wedding
photographer or the hotel they will use on their honeymoon.
-Rick
: I am pretty jazzed and thought I would share with you...
--
Natalie McNair-Huff
Here are a couple more things to put in baskets on the cheap:
Bath Tea - in a section of cheese cloth combine chamomile blossoms,
lavender blossoms, some peppermint, rose hips, and some oat meal
(uncooked, not instant ^_^) tie the bundle with some pretty ribbon, or
embroidery floss. The cheese cloth can be bought at the grocery store for
a couple dollars, and one cheese cloth will make about 200 tea bags. All
of the ingredients can either be bought in bulk or tea form. Or grown, if
you have a garden. If you have a garden or access to lemon balm, add some
of it, too. Plus, if you do aromatherapy, and have essential oils on hand,
you can add a couple of drops of lavender oil to the contents of the
bundle.
Drawer Sachets - In a muslin sack or more cheese cloth, place a couple
tablespoons of store bought or hand made pot pourri. If you keep your eye
out for sales after the holidays or end of season, you can buy huge
packages of potpourri for a $1.00.
Another good basket suggestion is to make one for the car not as romantic,
but definitely practical and needed: a map of the city/state (or if
driving to a honeymoon a map with the route marked). Guidebooks/tourbooks
that can be found free at the chamber of commerce or tourist center. Wet
Wipes, a flashlight w/ batteries, some snack food like granola bars (or an
emergency survival kit), an inflatable car pillow,etc. This is a great
gift for high school graduates too, if you add jumper cables, flares, and
the other repair essentials, and even a AAA membership.
And here's one for a baby shower - Another car emergency kit: In a small,
sturdy knap sack put baby wipes, a couple of disposable diapers, a bib, a
couple of small toys, and a changing mat.
Doug Mounce
One of my friends gave us a large roll of stamps on the idea that we would
surely use them for their full value. It was his standard wedding gift.
--
Christy Venham
One of my favorite wedding shower gifts is a kitchen window herb garden. I
start cuttings of various herbs in terra cotta pots that are either painted or
wrapped in colorful paper to match the couple's kitchen. I then type up
instructions on how to care for the herbs as well as recipes that include each
of the herbs (I always do this, once I gave someone fresh mint and they had no
idea what to do with it). The recipes include everything from fresh dill bread
to quick pasta sauces. I arrange the plants in a basket, include a bottle
of two of my herb flavored vinegar or oil and tie some ribbons to the basket.
You can add more or less depending on how elaborate you want the basket to be.
I usually only give this as a shower gift. Many people do not open wedding
presents till after they return from their honeymoon so the herbs might not
last that long without light and water.
Christy Venham
Joe
We are on a roll now! Try using a LAUNDRY basket, filled with household
supplies, such as cleaners, toletries, and kitchen aids, as a house
warming gift, or a graduate leaving for college! Or better yet, a small
kitchen trash can! Or maybe a dish pan! The possibilities are endless!
Guess what I will be working on come christmas time!!!:)
--
The 7 C's
Joe & Marilyn
A, B, C, D, & E
Who? What? Huh?
Speaking ex cathedra from hir belly button, mou...@u.washington.edu
(Doug Mounce) said:
Just the thing for all those thank you notes...
*shaking a sympathetically-cramped hand at the memory*
Do make sure, if you use this idea, that stamp prices aren't going to
go on another hike in the very near future! :-(
Mike & Lori Moffit
My favorite gift I received at my wedding shower was that with their
invitations, each guest also received two recipe cards and the request to
bring them to the shower filled in with two of their favorite recipes. I
got lots of really great recipes which had been in families for
generations! After my shower, my dad took them all and compiled them
into a document, which we then copied off and included in the thank you
notes so all the guests would also get them.
Lori
Vlma...@spacelab.net
In article <96242.115...@wvnvm.wvnet.edu>, Christy Venham
<CVE...@wvnvm.wvnet.edu> wrote:
I usually only give this as a shower gift. Many people do not open wedding
presents till after they return from their honeymoon so the herbs might not
last that long without light and water.
At last I have an opportunity to give out this useful piece of
information: you do not have to bring wedding presents to the wedding!!!!!
In fact, it is rather inconvenient for the wedding couple, who are usually
not going straight home, to manage all the wedding presents. I was just at
a wedding where close friends brought all the gifts back to the house, but
in the transport many cards got separated from the boxes. So the couple
doesn't know who gave them what. We got most of ours in the mail before
and after the wedding. Much easier to open at leisure and keep track of
who gave what. Also, etiquette is that you have up to one year after the
wedding to send the wedding present. It's hard on everyone to bring the
presents to the actual wedding.
Vicki
Who? What? Huh?
On the notable day of Mon, 02 Sep 1996 07:56:31 -0400,
Vlma...@spacelab.net stood before the denizens of
misc.consumers.frugal-living and gave the following oration:
>At last I have an opportunity to give out this useful piece of
>information: you do not have to bring wedding presents to the wedding!!!!!
>In fact, it is rather inconvenient for the wedding couple, who are usually
>not going straight home, to manage all the wedding presents. I was just at
>a wedding where close friends brought all the gifts back to the house, but
>in the transport many cards got separated from the boxes. So the couple
>doesn't know who gave them what.
Zigackly. We lost many of the cards to our wedding gifts because they
were transported for us. It was really rather embarrassing to write on
our thank-you notes "thank you for the lovely gift. We actually don't
know what it was, since several cards were lost in transit, but we're
sure it was lovely and we thank you for being so thoughtful as to
send/bring a gift for us."
>We got most of ours in the mail before
>and after the wedding. Much easier to open at leisure and keep track of
>who gave what. Also, etiquette is that you have up to one year after the
>wedding to send the wedding present. It's hard on everyone to bring the
>presents to the actual wedding.
*grin* We got one of our wedding presents (we were married 10/8/95)
yesterday! The "assignment" was to figure out something useful and
permanent, and we were given a "budget" to work from. After
contemplating and discarding furniture, a donation toward a car, a
donation toward my husband's tuition, and several dozen other
possibilities, we settled on something - after taking nearly seven
months to decide!
One of the neatest things was getting several cards (greeting-card
type) with "gift IOU's" inside. The IOU's said things to the effect of
"This is an IOU for a wedding gift. In order to reduce duplicates and
needing to return or exchange something, let us know what you need
after everything else is opened" or "your gift is waiting, let us know
when it is convenient for us to send it to you." This was _most_
convenient!
CMyersTex
>We are on a roll now! Try using a LAUNDRY basket, filled with household
>supplies, such as cleaners, toletries, and kitchen aids, as a house
>warming gift, or a graduate leaving for college! Or better yet, a small
>kitchen trash can! Or maybe a dish pan! The possibilities are endless!
> Guess what I will be working on come christmas time!!!:)
>--
I received one of these at a wedding shower lo these many years ago. The
shower was an old-fashioned 'pounding'. Everyone was supposed to bring a
pound (or variation thereof) of something to fill the pantry, or a kitchen
item. I received flour, sugar, baking powder, spices, salt shakers,
rolling pin, dish towels, tea and coffee. Everything was placed in a
laundry basket. This was a great way to start my home, inexpensive for
the guests, and fun, too.
Cindi
Marion Bon
"Jerri L. Gibbs" <jlg...@magicnet.net> wrote:
:|Baskets are one of my favorite gifts to give. I "theme" them to
:|personalize them for the recipient. To keep them more inexpensive, I
:|keep my eyes open for clearances and sales on (such as the wine glasses)
:|and keep those kinds of things on hand.
:|I'd be interested in hearing more frugal basket ideas!
:|Jerri
This wasn't a basket, but I like to try to give theme gifts when I
have the time. For my sister's wedding, I went in with my parents and
brother on a TV, but I wanted to give something that was from me as
well. They were going to Disney World for their honeymoon, so I
bought a carryall bag and filled it with "Tacky Tourist" stuff such as
foot powder and foot cream, sunblock, cheap sandals, a zinc oxide
stick, one-use cameras, oversized sunglasses, really ugly hats, and
the loudest matching short-sleeved shirts I could find. There were a
few other things, but can't remember what they were. My
brother-in-law, being a bit of a squarehead, was _not_ amused, but my
sister got a kick out of it. Since I love her and tolerate him, I was
satisfied. I did this in my un-frugal days, so everything was bought
new, but if I had it to do again, I'd check the thriftshop for the
shirts at least (especially since I now know that he looks down on
second-hand anything :-\)