Holidays and Birthdays

Re: Plans for Christmas 2009

ladyjane — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:53:59 GMT

For us, the fuel cost for all the Christmas visiting will be the biggest expense - at least four family get-togethers.

Gifts Plans:

One "pull-out-of-a-hat" present for one extended family group; I plan to make a peppermint wreath and either tie on a gift card to their favorite store or find their favorite sports team merchandise. The wreath will be under $5.00.

Gift baskets for both sets of parents and siblings using:

2 good storage baskets marked down from $15.00 to $2.75 each
6 winter bird mugs bought with store credit at a going-out-of-business sale;$120.00 worth of mugs for $3.15 cash
Pretty tea towels to wrap homemade cranberry-pumpking bread for $4.74
Pumpkin used in bread recipe for $1.78
Fruit tea and hot chocolate for $3.50
Choosy father's dark chocolate for $3.00
I still need disposable loaf pans, fresh cranberries, and a package of Almond Joys for the in-law's basket.
Total so far: $21.67

Re: Plans for Christmas 2009

gayla50 — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:25:48 GMT

we are hosting the Christmas dinner at our church the church that was going to pulled out so my DH and BIL insisted we would do it we are going to have a great time several people called today they want to come we had donations 4 hams they decided that they would rather join us

Re: Plans for Christmas 2009

zohnerfarms — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:38:01 GMT

That sounds like fun, gayla. Cookie swaps are a thing of the past for us except within the immediate family, due to the gluten issues.

I cut out 5" denim squares from a pair of black jeans & some blue denim overalls. I have enough for the first twin quilt now.

Re: Plans for Christmas 2009

gayla50 — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 02:35:51 GMT

I went to my first cookie swap today with my 3 sister in laws and my brother girl friend we baked cookies for three days there were about 11 other people my Friend IRL I met off another site Son church he is pastor .. it was cute we played a couple of cookie games then came the cookie exchange we got alot of package cookies and store made cookie only my friend had made cookies ,no one else baked cookies some one else actually put animal crackers in a baggie .. not your normal cookie swap but it was fun

Re: Plans for Christmas 2009

zohnerfarms — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:58:25 GMT

zohnerfarms:
His boots are red (and the new pair for Christmas are black), so his socks are black/white.

This morning I did the finishing work on the 3 pair of black/white socks for the 3 year old. One more present completed!

Re: Plans for Christmas 2009

zohnerfarms — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 05:25:39 GMT

Update:

As of tonight, 2 pair of black/white socks are done for the 3 year old grandson, plus a pair of black boots. 3 pair of pink/white socks are done for the 5 yr old granddaughter, plus her mother is thinking of what else she needs, maybe some mittens. 9 year old grandson is getting a jeans quilt with a blue metal camping mug, and 10 year old granddaughter is getting a handmade gluten-free cookbook with a blue metal camping mug. The camping mugs will probably be filled with the mint leaf candies ( which are gluten-free.) I have 2 log racks for their dad (SIL) and a handmade gluten-free cookbook for their mother, with a nice holiday top.

DS wants a gift card to Lowe's, but will get cash folded into a cute little shirt instead, in some Twix bars, which he loves.

Middle DD needs cash more than anything else as she is traveling to residency interviews, so she will also get a folded little shirt.

Youngest DD is getting a pair of bookmarks that are her initials, as well as significant assistance on her tuition due in December

So DS calls, & wants to "simplify Christmas" by everyone being assigned names in a rotation. (DS & his father generally shop for Christmas the week before.) I tell him I am not interested, but that is between him & his siblings, if they agree; & an hour later, I receive an email with everyone assigned, including us as "Parents", in a rotation. I sent an email back, clarifying that I am not interested, as in "I will continue to give a gift to each of my children regardless of what they give each other", & shortly after, another email came with a different rotation, eliminating the "parents".

I know this works in some families, but when DH & I were young marrieds with 4 children and not much money, we ALWAYS ended up with his sister with 7 children, which would not have been a problem except there was an "appropriate" level of present expected. It created a hardship, & since my birthday is in January, that was where the $$ came from. Same experience in my mothers & father's extended families.

I prefer to give the gift I choose to give, without there being a "rotation", and a dollar amount expected to spend. Some years are flush & some are lean, & the Christmas budget reflects that, but a few tears were shed tonight over this while I completed knitting little black/white sock #4.

Re: Plans for Christmas 2009

zohnerfarms — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 03:50:36 GMT

Three pair of 100% cotton pink/white socks are done for 5 year old DGD, and last night I did the finishing work on the first pair of black/white cotton socks for her little brother, who is 3. This afternoon I went in to the hospital for a couple of hours to teach 2 segments of the STABLE course, a certification for post-resuscitation, pre-transport for infants, so I am still knitting the ribbing for sock #3.Both of them will get 3 pair of socks they can actually WEAR, along with whatever else we give them. They both wear western-style boots, so these are little tube-type boot socks, with a ragg look from knitting 2 strands of crochet cotton together. Her boots are pink, so her socks are pink/white. His boots are red (and the new pair for Christmas are black), so his socks are black/white.

Re: Plans for Christmas 2009

zohnerfarms — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:57:52 GMT

Thank you, happy. I needed that today.

Re: Plans for Christmas 2009

happy — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:32:39 GMT

Zohnerfarms your accepting attitude of lifes trials and time/devotion to your family is an inspiration for me. I always enjoy reading your posts.

My best to you and your loved ones!

Re: Plans for Christmas 2009

zohnerfarms — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:20:12 GMT

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 $$

Re: Plans for Christmas 2009

thyme2save — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 11:09:25 GMT

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

Re: Plans for Christmas 2009

gayla50 — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 03:53:51 GMT

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 ..

Re: Plans for Christmas 2009

zohnerfarms — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 02:56:11 GMT

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.

Re: Plans for Christmas 2009

Halfpint — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 23:24:01 GMT

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

Re: Plans for Christmas 2009

livingsimple — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 22:40:52 GMT

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!