Last night I was placed on call due to low patient census at the hospital, so I worked on the gluten-free cookbook for oldest DD. Got 12 pages put together, which was the entire herb sections    Ordered a set of black bookends for youngest DD that are "a" and "z", which happen to be her initials. She loves books & uses bookends, so I hope she will love these.  Trying to think of things for DH & SIL.

I am considering getting a 2nd tattoo plier for SIL, because it is so much easier to tattoo the goats with 2 pliers, one set with the herd tattoo & the other with the ID numbers. Then instead of changing WHILE keeping the goat immobilized, we can just change numbers & disinfect in between animals.Right now we just use my tattoo pliers & numbers to save $$.  He really shouldn't be hard to shop for - he usually says he wants anything for the farm.

DS & DIL will probably get either a check or gift cards.  They just bought a house clear across the country.  Both love Twix bars, tho, & I could easily bury the gift card in Twix bars in a metal candy box to send.

Middle DD is in med school & will probably get a check.  I think she needs funds more than anything else right now, but I could tuck in some homemade roasted pumpkin seeds for her - she loves those.

A friend tipped me off that a local jewellry store was having a sale - 60% or more off all gold and silver jewelry!  I bought a pair of 10k gold earrings with semi-precious stones for mother in law ($16) and a silver cocktail ring ($15) for DH's 18 year old niece.  MIL loves to dress up with nice earrings for church. Dniece likes "bling", the bigger the better - so the cocktail ring will be perfect for her!

That took care of two gifts, both of which are well under what I had budgeted for them.  Best of all, they look like really expensive gifts!  The boxes provided by the store look a bit tacky, so I'll make some drawstring pouches out of black or burgundy velvet (remnants of thrift store formal dresses  I used for another craft project!) to "upgrade" the look of the gift!

I am SO excited about my find.  I hope that the discounts will continue for a little while longer - I'd like to get our older girls (both nearly 18) some nice jewelry, especially earrings.  Turns out that the jewelry will be cheaper than the usual tech toys they'd tend to ask for and will probably last much longer!

I went to a Blockbuster that was going out of business, bought my 7 yo dd a Wii game of Bolt, the dog, for $8.  I bought a movie of Napoleon Dynamite in just a plain jewel case for $5 for 13 yo dd.  Two good buys, I think.  

I been buying a little here and there ..  I ordered a few games from games stop  they had a good deal .. 

I am now ordering the books I have the family list shopping for deals seems to be this year motto

We're going to Dh's family in MN for C-mas.  They're a good size bunch, and we'll be drawing names.  I've been looking in cataloges for ideas, and there is a $25 limit and only have to get 4 gifts.  As far as Ds and Dd are concerned, I think they will get clothes.  Ds is flying in, and we bought his ticket, so thats his "big gift".  I won't be putting any C-mas decor out of course.  I'm not a big C-mas person anyway. Mostly because the kids are grown.  I guess our trip is our gift to ourselves.  I'd really like new bedroom furniture! 

We are definitely home for the holidays. So that's savings #1 (no travel expenses!)

Gift planning--I sell electronics and have wholsaler info, so will utilize my resources and buy personal/home electronics for my immediate family.

As much as possible, a good idea is to get rid of high mark-up retailers. We give to our nieces and nephews. Made prior agreements to not exchange with our siblings. There are NINE siblings combined my DH and myself, so that would be impossible on our budget.

I will bake more "goodie gifts" visiting. It's also fun to give away those home-made cookie mixes in a fancy glass jar with the recipe, and home-made decorations. Think I will add a couple of Christmas cookie cutters to the "kit", too.

Started shopping a few months back, so TG will NOT have last minute shopping! That used to be the most vulnerable time for me to get caught up in the marketing "hoopla" and spend, spend without any end!

Janet

zohnerfarms:

 Last night I was placed on call due to low patient census at the hospital

November is traditionally a slow month in NICU's (no idea why - it's 9 months after Valentine's Day!) , but 2009 seems to be starting in October. They called off 3 of 8 RNs tonight - I was the "lucky" one who gets to be on call for the first half (6pm to midnight) & work the 2nd half (midnight to 6 am), but it will be 7 hours due to the DST change, & I will only be paid for 6 hours.

At the start of this pay period, I had H1N1, so I was forced to take another 12 hours of the PTO I have been trying to "save" for when we are called off in November.  I simply lost another 12 hour shift outright, with no PTO, when the facility decided we had to be on medical leave for 7 days after flu-like symptoms. Since I am part time, I do not get extended illness bank hours, so that was just lost pay, period.  I did pick up an on-call shift after the 7 days were up, so made a little bit there, but on call pay does not come close to actual pay, much less actual pay with differentials.

So - - -  while I have been home tonight I have been knitting some of the cotton socks for 5 year old DGD, who can wear only cotton due to her severe eczema.  I also cut squares for the jeans quilts I am making her brothers.  

You do what you can do.

Know the holidays are coming I got my first invitation to a cookie swap,  it the week on Tuesday before Thankgiving ..

my DD 14 wants to have her cookie swap on the 4th of December or Saturday the 5th ..  she started having them when she was 4 .. with 2 other girls  last year we had 37 people ..

Tomorrow my DH will take the kids up the Mountain to pick out the best Christmas tree in world .. he already pick out 3 ...

I finalize this years menu Thanksgiving dinner .. 

gayla50:

Know the holidays are coming I got my first invitation to a cookie swap,  it the week on Tuesday before Thankgiving ..

my DD 14 wants to have her cookie swap on the 4th of December or Saturday the 5th ..  she started having them when she was 4 .. with 2 other girls  last year we had 37 people ..

Tomorrow my DH will take the kids up the Mountain to pick out the best Christmas tree in world .. he already pick out 3 ...

I finalize this years menu Thanksgiving dinner .. 

We don't do cookie swaps. Forever on the hips, you know. We are decorating a tree weeks earlier this year than we ever have. Big change for us to be Christmas ready before Thanksgiving.

-thyme2save

zohnerfarms:

I have been knitting some of the cotton socks for 5 year old DGD, who can wear only cotton due to her severe eczema. 

Working on pink/white sock #6 for 5 year old DGD.  Found a 100% cotton turtleneck on clearance at CAL stores for $3 today & bought 2 three-packs of socks for stocking stuffers today while they were on sale for about 30% off.  Also picked up a buffalo plaid shirt for DH in a color he does not already own.  He likes them in the winter & when he wears those shirts, I can keep the thermostat at 62 degrees, which saves a lot of $$