Have Yourself a Thrifty Little Christmas Wednesday, Oct 21 2009

I love Christmas, and it’s not too early to start thinking about it!   I love to give gifts. I have a lot of people on my gift list. And that can add up.

When my husband was a senior pastor, each year he took a special tree ornament to church and showed it to everyone from the pulpit. He made it out of the credit cards he melted a few years before we got married! The point: it’s not worth going into debt for Christmas. It’s possible to have a great holiday and give awesome gifts without breaking the bank.

Here are a few of my favorite ways to save money on Christmas gifts.

1. Buy throughout the year. Don’t let Christmas sneak up on you and end up looking for the perfect gift on Christmas Eve. Then you spend more money than you intended to on an impulse purchase.

2. If you have any craft or creative skills at all, use them to make gifts. Again, start early enough that you aren’t pressed for time when Christmas is almost upon you. This could be anything from clothes sewn by hand, to handcrafted Christmas tree ornaments, to stories written for your children, or favorite books read aloud on CD.

3. Shop discount or closeout stores like Marshall’s, Big Lots, or Tuesday Morning. Also check out local individually owned discount stores. You might have to sort through some junk, but you can find great buys at discount stores on everything from name brand clothes to stationery to housewares.

4. Buy in bulk and divide into inexpensive containers. Here’s an idea: Buy 50 lb. of steel cut oatmeal (cheap bought this way, but like gold if you get it in small amounts), package in quart jars tied with ribbon and a recipe for how to cook it.

5. Family and friends who live far away love to receive photos, especially if you have little ones in the house! Use inexpensive frames or pretty little photo albums.

6. Don’t feel like you always have to buy full priced, new off the shelf items. If someone on your list is a biliophile, find a book by their favorite author to add to their collection on Amazon or Ebay. You can often find items new with tags on ebay or at garage sales. Someone else payed full price for them, but you get them–still new–for a song! People frequently sell items in perfect condition that were probably never used. Add to someone’s collection with beautiful but inexpensive antiques from garage or estate sales. You might even find something brand new for free on Freecycle. But shhhhh, it will be your little secret!

7. Give the gift of time. Offer to rake leaves, babysit, or fix a meal for someone on your list. Make a certificate for a special tea time with your daughter or a fishing day with your son.

So you see, it’s possible to give a lot of gifts for not too much money. Use your imagination! You’ll find ways to save at every turn.

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Cooking, A Lost Art Friday, Aug 7 2009

Al Mohler has a very interesting article on the loss of cooking in Western culture.  Also worth checking out is this NY Times article by Michael Pollan (author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma).  It’s long, but has some great insights into the importance of cooking and why it’s fallen from fashion in our culture.  You can also listen to an NPR interview with Pollan here.

What do you think?  Were you raised in a cooking family or taught to cook as you grew up?  How has that affected the way you do or don’t cook today?  Do you think the notion of cooking is overrated in these articles, or is it something we should try to do more of?

These articles coincide with the release of the movie Julie and Julia, which is about Julia Child.  It’s at our local theater–I want to go!  Here’s the trailer.

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Simple Fun for Kids Saturday, Jul 11 2009

I found this great post at an Australian “simple living” blog that gives ideas for activities for little boys.  Be sure to read the comments!  They are chock full of creative ideas!

And we don’t want to leave our girls out, do we (although most of the boy ideas are good for girls as well)?  Here’s a link to some adorable printable paper dolls.

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Kid Craft Ideas Sunday, Jun 28 2009

I’ve wanted to do more crafts with my kids this summer, but sometimes I just come up empty for ideas.  This week, I’m checking out The Crafty Crow, a collective blog for kids’ crafts!  Thought you all might enjoy it too!

Here are a few more cool kid craft blogs/sites I’ve come across. 

[Disclaimer: Just because I link to a site doesn't mean I endorse everything on the site.  These are sites that have inspiring ideas for things to do with kids, but obviously I haven't had time to read every post on every blog...Read with discernment! ]

Little Elephants

Marcel’s Kid Crafts

Unplug Your Kids

Chica Schmica

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Summer Fun Ideas Needed! Saturday, Jun 13 2009

School is out.  It’s sometimes too hot for outdoor activity.  What ideas do you give your kids when they complain that there is nothing to do?  It would be great if the ideas were things they can do at home without excessive adult supervision…We are doing lots of fun things together this summer, but I need some things they can do on their own too!

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Blessings Banner Wednesday, Nov 12 2008

I made this simple banner for autumn. I actually started a tutorial, and then forgot I started it and completed the banner without taking pictures of the process.

Long story short: Cut paper squares in graduating sizes and glue them together. (Click picture for a better look.) I’m OK with my handwriting, so I freehanded the letters, but you could print letters if you’d like it to be more polished. I used a utility knife to cut slits for the ribbon–one inch grosgrain. Easy peasy. However, since I don’t have much time for crafting lately, it still took me several weeks to complete! Oh well. I’m just glad I got to make something pretty.

Here’s another simple garland idea that I think looks so cute and easy.

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Link Love Thursday, Oct 9 2008

My sweet friend Erica gave Reviving Motherhood the Brilliante Weblog Award awhile back–and I haven’t yet acknowledged it. Thanks so much, Erica!

The rules are that you tag 7 other blogs with the award. I’m going to make up my own rules since I’m kind of rebellious like that. (Or something.) I can’t say I’m technically passing on the award, but I do want to share links to some really helpful and inspiring places. Since I can’t seem to find time to write lately, maybe this will provide some reading material for you!

1. Crafty Crow is a “children’s craft collective”. In other words, it’s a center for all kinds of simple crafts for kids, from all over the internet. How nice to have someone else do the collecting for you, yes?!

2. You might recognize Jan Brett’s name from her children’s books. She has an amazing and generous web site chock full of coloring pages, alphabet sheets, and more. There are probably hundreds of free printable pages. And cute!

3. Recently, Simple Mom wrote a series called How To Be Disorganized and Unproductive at Home. Brilliant. Lots of great ideas for streamlining and making the most of your time and energy.

4. I love to read 4 Reluctant Entertainers, which is essentially a blog about Christian hospitality. Sandy offers an abundance of ideas, recipes, and encouragement to share your home with others. Plus, it’s a treat for the eyes. Good stuff.

5. If you need a laugh and you’re one of the 3 people in the universe who does not read Confessions of a Pioneer Woman, run, don’t walk there–now. Oh my. I laugh till I cry.

6. This list wouldn’t be complete without recommending my husband’s blog, The Disciple’s Journey. What can I say? It’s great. I just wish he’d write more often. (For that matter, I should be writing more often…)

7. I absolutely love the art of Belle and Boo. Beyond cute. If I was shelling out cash for art (especially for my girls), I’d buy it here.

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Frugal Decorating Thursday, Sep 18 2008

If you’ve ever been to my house, I’m sure you’re laughing by now. I really should have enlisted the services of a guest blogger for this one. Or I could just say, “Watch Design on a Dime.” I’m about as qualified to write a post with “decorating” in the title as I am to write a post with the words “fitness,” “organization,” “spotless home,” or “gourmet cooking” in the title. In other words, not.

But I’ll give it a shot and show you some pictures of Silas’s room from our last house. (Here in the new house I haven’t really figured it out yet.) I ended up being pretty pleased with how it turned out, all things considered, and it was frugal.

He loves to sleep with his army sleeping bag, which is just fine, but it didn’t look very inviting, or very neat. I’ve been wanting to buy him a spread, but for now I simply asked, “What Do I Have in My Hand?” I dug around in the cedar chest, looking for something, anything, to put on his bed, and found this pretty afghan that Billy’s great-aunt made us when we got married. I had forgotten all about it. It was just right. No money spent.

The bed itself came from a garage sale. I am not sure; it might have even been free.

The big middle picture is a signed pen and ink print that we got at a garage sale. I got the other pictures from an outdated calendar I bummed off my brothers, and framed them in frames people had given us. Total cost for this little arrangement: $1.

These beautiful signed lab prints belong to Billy. I believe he got both of them as gifts. They went perfectly on the big wall opposite the bed.

This kid-sized gun rack came from a garage sale, too. I think Billy got it for $2 or $3.

The thing about “What do I have in my hand?” decorating is that you can’t be too much of a perfectionist. I think it boils down to contentment. Silas’ room does not look like a designer room, although if I had the time and went to the effort I could do that for a reasonable cost as well. But I’m happy with it the way it is. He is too, and that’s what matters. Thrifty decorating also means patience. Most of the time, if you want to save, you don’t just go out and buy the whole ensemble at once. You have to wait for those good deals to come along. But I don’t mind. I guess I’m strange, but it brings me a great deal of satisfaction to have made my little guy a cozy space so frugally.

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What Do I Have in My Hand? Thursday, Sep 18 2008

Many years ago I received a (now defunct) magazine for Christian women in which the female editor frequently encouraged us ladies to ask ourselves, “What do I have in my hand?” The idea was to be creative with what we had rather than feeling that we had to buy something new, or even new supplies to make something. While the magazine went down a sad road and eventually disappeared (as far as I know), the question stayed with me. I still often ask myself, “What do I have in my hand?”

Honestly, I don’t get out much. It’s not that I can’t; it’s just more practical not to. I don’t know when I’d have the time to get out more. And I love staying home. Going out with four small children is hard, and in this day and time, especially in an urban setting, a little dangerous. Also, it’s cheaper. So I’m home a lot. Consequently, I frequently find that I won’t be going to the store for a few more days, but I have a need or want at the moment. Maybe it’s a meal; maybe it’s a craft I want to make. Maybe I need a gift for someone, or a costume for my kids. Asking, “What do I have in my hand?” has saved me money—probably a lot of money.

I’ve always thought that I wasn’t a very creative person, but I find that the more I have to be, the more I am. Necessity is the mother of invention, you know. I also get wonderful, inspiring ideas from other bloggers. They have no idea.

Last year (or maybe longer ago than that…) a group of people around the nation learned to ask this question in a greater way than ever before. They joined a movement called Compact, committing to buy nothing new for one year, except for what they needed to live, like food. As I understand it, it wasn’t against the rules to shop for something you need, like a coat from Goodwill, the goal was just not to buy anything new. Each had different reasons–paying off student loans, for example.

Imagine the money you would save if you didn’t buy anything new for one year. While I don’t see my family going to that extreme any time soon, I admire Compact members and their example inspires me to waste less and ask, “What do I have in my hand?” In this way, I can help my family and steward well God’s gifts to me.

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Girlie Stuff Tuesday, Aug 19 2008

Well, this will not have any great recommendations like my post about boys, just a couple fluffy ones for girls. I’ve been making these simple headbands for my girls. (Don’t look too closely, there are some loose threads and other imperfections, not to mention that the picture’s dark.) You can download the free pattern here, and it’s simple if you have even rudimentary sewing skills. And actually much cuter than my picture.

Totally unrelated, Elizabeth saved all last summer for and American Girl doll and has really enjoyed their web site. I am super-duper-very-much NOT a fan of computer games for kids and rarely allow mine access to the internet, but I will even let her play the American Girl games every now and then for a treat. They are exceptionally wholesome and play pleasant music, which is a huge plus for me. The only slightly objectionable thing I’ve found on their web site is the occasional mention of green this and green that, which I simply steer to a conversation about stewarding well what God has blessed us with (including creation), rather than radically saving the earth by human effort. But that’s just me.

Anyway, if you have a little girl and need a safe place for her to go online, I highly recommend the American Girl site.

A side note: If you allow your children on the internet at all, make sure you keep the computer in a common area of the house and I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to use a filter!!!

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