I wouldn't feel too stupid. Sometimes the things that seem obvious to others just don't come to mind, but that's the beauty of this forum. Just ask, that's what we are all here for. Nice to have this support system.

Don't worry about having a duh moment! Sometimes when things are under our noses we don't see them. If I had a dollar for each duh moment I have had....I wouldn't need to stretch the ones I have!

Only one craft in here- Christmas is my December hobby! 

We do Christmas- I like to have 50 or so people here for a potluck and Chinese gift exchange, family and friends.  Asked the kids in the car today- they dressed up, but we didn't carve pumpkins or roast pumpkin seeds, which they complained about, I said we can't do everything- what they really wanted for Christmas.  Ivy, my 11 yo said- To have people OVER!  We missed it last year, my baby was due on Christmas- she was induced on the 28th, and born on the 29th.  She'll be our little elf!  

I like to get presents, and give presents, and bake, and the whole thing.

I'd like to go sing a community Messiah, and see if my dad wants to come along.  I think the in-laws are coming for a weekend.   19 yo dd will sing in a  university women's choir, they have a holiday concert, we'll go see that.

Presents- I bought dd age 11 a cool handpainted bike from a thrift store- needs new wheels.  So far have spent $15.  Ds was at the thrift store, picked for himself a lava lamp and phone for about $5, also a little alien looking thing you can put your mp3 player in and it is speakers.  He has lost his birthday mp3 player, however.  Should I get him one for Christmas?  He is saving for a Wii, we have a catering job weekly for a coffee shop, I think, he makes his signature eggnog cupcakes, 36 of them a week at 62 cents each.  I could give him $30 towards his fund or a replacement mp3.  Dd 19 will get some money towards airfare if she is going to the Netherlands.  Dd age 8 loves frogs, she usually gets a stuffed frog toy and some books, and a craft for the vacation. Dd 5 likes little toys, she'll get a few tiny stuffed toys and something else.  I'll have to ask her what she wants. Dd age 3  got a barbie for her birthday, I would like to go to the senior center boutique and get a few clothes for her, maybe a barbie case.  The baby gets a beanie or dolly.  Some get new pajamas, and the stocking have soaps, shampoo, chap-sticks, candy- they all like Christmas nerds, I don't know why.  Some years I go to the Disney store and get the washclothes for their stockings, they love these.  I think I might this year, we're down to absout 10 washclothes.  I have manicure sets, bath color tablets, and nail polish for stockings.  I have a handmade soap for dd 11's stocking.  I have handmade maple lollies. We will have a family present, I bought a big TV from work for $100, I don't know when I get it.  I would like to buy the DVD Ratatoille (sp?) or ask someone else to get it for us- the in-laws, maybe.  Dh is hard, last year we limilted our gifts to each other to $25, he wanted a new heating pad, and I got a purse at the senior center boutique.  This year I'd like to gt him a prepaid phone, he would really like one, I think.  The phone would be $29 and the minutes- 1000 that would last a year- would be $100.  I think it would last him several months. It's an indulgence, but I think this is the year, as he has been working two jobs for over a year, that he might need a little indulgence.

For my parents we either buy or do shoveling for their drive, with my siblings.  Dh is supposed to buy for his family, they give him a list of what they want, all of them- My family draws names for a $20 gift, I have 7 siblings.It connects us once a year, we rarely gt to see each other.  My sister got married this summer, it was the first time we had all been together in 10 years.  At my house we have the white elephant exchange, we have a set of bobbleheads that have been a hot item.  I see quite a bit of regifting here! Also things with company logos are fine.  We do an adult one and a kid one.  Some of the kids bring toys they have outgrown but are still nice, the younger cousins like them. 

My friends and I sometimes make each other cookies.  We like to try each others. 

For the teachers I have snowman mugs and raspberry coffee beans I got and froze.  I am hoping they are all coffee drinkers, or that they can re-gift.  I guess I'll ask as I also have canned apple pie filling or jam we could give them that I made. 

I am hoping to make one more present for my family, if you peek at this website they have a puzzle mat-

http://organizedchristmas.com/

it's about three items down.  I guess I should make it soon.

We also buy a tree, they are about $20 here.  

I stopped sending cards a few years ago and don't miss it one bit. The tree and stockings are about it for decorating.

I know it seems like a lot, but everyone should get two or three things they like and will use the rest of the year, is always my thought.  We really enjoy Christmas, it's my favorite day of the year.  I have most of the stocking things already, and have paid for the TV, the bike, the thrift store things, and I have some stuffed toys from my brother- hand-me-downs, but perfect for the little girls.  To buy- Phone for dh?  Barbie clothes, case, something for 5 yo dd, something for 13 yo ds, and a stuffed frog. 

Tracy   

Tracy, we ended up having 45 people here for Christmas and not everyone showed up. LOL My husband said "Never again" Not enough room for that many people. Another step daughter has moved in with her 10 year old daughter. That makes the upstairs off limits. So, lots of people crowded into a smallish area.

Hi,

  my name is Marilyn, and I just read your response on dollar stetcher. and I was wondering if you would want to share your recipe of coconut brittle. I have never heard of it and I love anything coconut.

Thankyou,

Marilyn  my e-mail is countrevictorian@hotmail.com

It is time to start thinking about Christmas 2008. I have actually, I am making quilts for my daughters, 2 of them. I hope they don't read this, lol. I try to make at least one thing for everyone. We have 2 dh, 2 sil, 5 gc and db dsil we buy for each year. It is fun, we have a 30.00 limit . The white elephant sound like a lot of fun. Maybe I will suggest it to try this year. I am interested in how others celebrate the holiday. I am lucky to have our family close.  J

What a fun topic to share!

Last year I made cornbag neck/shoulder pillows for everyone... using pretty calico I had on hand and one 15 lb bag of "feed corn" (make sure it's not popcorn LOL) I sewed these large microwaveable and freezable hot or cold neck and shoulder soothers that have a neckroll and then sort of "hug" your shoulders and sides of your neck. They were heavenly to use! I put in dried lavender or rose petals for the ladies on my list.

For the kids, I made adorable sets of 3 pretty six-paneled juggling balls/beanbags each. They were essentially globes with six "slices" of fabric in two alternating colors, stuffed tightly with dried beans, and they were amazingly attractive when finished.

For everyone else, I made homemade cocoa mix with extra-rich dutched cocoa I bought in bulk at the health food store, sugar-free for the diabetics, and had bought in the summertime enough yardage of lovely Christmas print calico with Dickensian ice skaters and even a vendor with the sign "Hot Cocoa" up, and stitched pretty cloth bags for my cocoa mix (I put it in plastic treat bags first) and tied each bag with raffia and a cinnamon stick, also bought for cheap in bulk, something like $6 for a hundred cinnamon sticks! It looked great, and then I could give the bag all by itself to acquaintances or people like the mailman, and also stick a cocoa bag into a larger food gift basket with homemade cookies in various shapes and with sprinkles, for other people. Got the baskets for 25 cents each at a local thrift store in the summer and dressed them up with thrift store Christmas wire-edged ribbon, also purchased in July for pennies.

This year, I have a great recipe for cooked playdough that uses Kool-aid to color and scent, and it makes terrific playdough that stays soft, keeps well, and smells fruity. All it requires is flour, cream of tartar (cheap in bulk at the health food store!), salt, vegetable oil, water, kool-aide, and a stove. So I could make the kids homemade playdough and include the recipe for the moms.

Also this year, for some special ladies on my list, I just yesterday figured out how to make a drawstring quilted tea cosy exactly like the one that came with my Mrs. Tea tea brewing system, which I no longer have but kept the lovely china teapot and tea cosy it came with. I LOVE that tea cosy and it is 10 years old and worn, and I just made one like it, and it's so pretty I want to give them to others even though they are rather difficult to make. Pintucking pleats into quilted fabric and sewing those pleats onto a tight circle of another piece of quilted fabric requires stitching through 4 layers of quilt with tight maneuvering, and caused me to break two needles. But it uses up pretty calico and chintz fabric remnants and is stunningly gorgeous.  These cosies have slits for the spout and handle, and a drawstring to make a frill over the teapot's lid, and you do up your tea, tie the drawstring, and can serve and pour with the cosy on, and it's quite lovely. A pain in the rear to make, sort of, but well worth the effort. My friend with the teapot collection and love of teaparties is definitely getting one!

WoW Crunchymamamaine you are so far ahead of me, now I have to get cracken. The tea cozies sounds beautiful. Anyone would be lucky to get it. Bet they will think of you with every cup they drink. Home made gifts are the best. Have fun with it.  J

LOL gerbergerber, no really, those were things I made last year, before I had this baby who is now 7 mos. old. The only thing I have done this year is figure out the tea cosies, though I am probably going to keep the play-dough in mind for friend's kids this year.

So really I haven't started preparing for Christmas yet, except but talking with DH and both of us trying to get the "noncommercial/Homemade Christmas" idea across to my mother, who thinks her grandchildren are deprived if they don't have a mountain of plastic Chinese landfill-destined stuff for each holiday. I guess she's just a grandmother and who can blame her, but I also think that too much materialism will do far more harm to their characters than going without it. It's easy to get to where your idea of birthdays and Christmas are all about mountains of gifts and stuff, and that is a sad idea to adopt because it leaves you jaded and empty, whereas expecting and hoping for Christmas to be joyous because of special foods, singing carols, decorating the house, doing special kindnesses for others and those in need, and sharing cozy times together as a family... now THAT is the type of Christmas expectation that won't leave a person dissatisfied and underwhelmed and overcome by too much clutter in their lives.

The best Christmas of my childhood was the one my mother said was the poorest. She was newly divorced, making far less for the same job than her male co-workers, house-poor, in a wage-freeze while suffering double-digit increases in property taxes (early 80's, ugh!) and flat broke. But it was the best Christmas ever, because she taught us how to hand-stitch little doves of peace from scrap calico, stuff them, and hang them on the tree as ornaments, and then we lit candles, turned off all the lights and everything electronic including the refrigerator, had Christmas tea, and sang carols in the truly silent night on Christmas eve. It was the best Christmas ever for two little girls of 7 and 9, and is the one Christmas I always think of when I want to make Christmas special for my family now. Maybe that's one reason I want to keep away from the materialistic glitz blitz these days.