I am right in the holiday spirit. I love decorating and I’m already thinking about what I’d like to do this year. Two new ideas I’m looking forward to trying out: Popcorn-Cranberry Garland and a Balsam Door Swag. They aren’t new ideas but they are new for our family because we haven’t tried them yet. I’m excited to!

As far as frugal goes – the popcorn-cranberry garland is only frugal if you don’t care that it is perishable, which I don’t. I have a hot air popcorn popper, so I can make lots of popcorn on the cheap. Cranberries are on sale for $2.50 per bag in the produce section right now. I’m thinking I could make my garland for under $10.

The swag is a great alternative to a wreath. I made a wreath a couple years ago. It came  out nice but it was quite a lot of work. I’m excited to try the easier-looking swag. I’m going to model it after this one from LLBean.

So, do you have any frugal holiday decorating ideas? Share them!

Why I do what I do ~ Chloe was just asking me if we had any pickles in the refrigerator. I told her we had some but they were almost gone. She exclaimed, “We have to get more pickles because we always have them for our feast-es!”

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As I was wrapping Christmas gifts yesterday it occurred to me that I should share our gift tags with you! Unless you’re a last-minute wrapper, like me, this may not be useful to you this year, but stay with me a moment.

Last year I found this cute, little “To: From:” stamp at a craft store after Christmas for $.50. As I brought out the Christmas wrapping this year I was so happy I thought to pick it up! I had a blank ink pad at home already. I stamped, Chloe and I colored them, and then I cut them out with fancy scissors. It took about 10-15 minutes for us to do 27 of them. I made them on plain, white computer paper, but I bet they’d be even more beautiful if you stamped them on the back side of patterned paper. So much prettier than the little stickers I usually use – and cheaper! I’ll use it again next year!

Like the idea? It’s late enough that they may be on clearance already! Happy wrapping!

Why I do what I do ~ Yesterday, I told Chloe that she and I were going to a cookie swap, where we trade cookies with other people. I walked out of the room and David walked in. Chloe told him, “Me and mama are going to the swamp to get cookies.”

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Today my daughter disappeared in her bedroom with wrapping paper, gift tags, markers and tape. She was wrapping gifts for David and me. I wasn’t sure how well she’d do without help. When she came out and showed me her wrapped gifts with the little tags on them – To: Mom, From: Chloe. I nearly cried. She was very proud of her wrapping. She used a crazy amount of tape – but her gifts were concealed and she was beaming.

Ordinarily, I really can’t stand to buy things that I throw away. In this case though – there’s just no match for wrapping paper. Of course, the paper I have for this year was purchased on clearance last year – that makes it a little easier to take!

Do yourself a favor just for this week – allow frugality to slip to the back of your mind for a second and free it up to enjoy some other things

Why I do what I do ~ When Chloe finished wrapping her gifts, she liked it so much that she asked if she could wrap some more. I was relaxing and not really in the mood for wrapping gifts – but she was so sweet and relentless. So we wrapped. I gave her the duty of writing the gift tags. I decided that I wish I could freeze her adorable, little girl handwriting. It makes me want to melt …

Also, today is my 8th wedding anniversary – all my love to David, the man I am so blessed to share my life with.

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This guest article was written by Cynthia Waverly, a stay-at-home mom of two whose frugal living has led to her writing on all of the best sales, and deals.

When the holidays come ’round, so does good food, family and friends. Unfortunately, this season is also infamous for not being gentle at all on the wallet. For many, maintaining a budget is important, but so are great holiday meals so it is important to find the best foodstuffs for the lowest price. There are many different options to save on holiday meals, such as searching for coupons, as well as keeping an eye out for specials at local stores. Many stores will have holiday sales on seasonal food, it is just a matter of waiting and watching. Most stores release weekly ad booklets that not only have coupons within them, but also the week’s best deals for shopping.

Finding Creative Recipes On the Web

Using the internet to find recipes that involve inexpensive ingredients that still taste amazing is quite simple. Meats are relatively expensive, whereas eggs are not. Eggs can be used to replace meat in dishes such as a quiche, or egg strata.

It is simply amazing what a little creativity and flair in the kitchen can cook up. There are dozens of websites catering directly to those looking to spend a small amount of money on holiday meals. For instance, seasonal cranberry marshmallow salad costs between five and ten dollars for the ingredients, and is simply delicious. It is guaranteed to be a unique dish, and you will be sure to be complimented on it.

Having a potluck dinner instead of a formal holiday dinner is a useful way of making the price of the meal altogether spread over everyone who takes part. Each guest is expected to bring a dish for the buffet table, and then everyone digs in. This make the holidays easier for the host, who does not have to worry about preparing all of the dishes. This also allows the opportunity for there to be much more variety on the serving table than what might have been available if only one person had prepared the entire meal.

photo credit: ralph and jenny

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Today I made a list of things I still need to get before Christmas. Only a few small fill-in gifts for family – not bad. There are, however, quite a few people I want to thank but I can’t afford to purchase something pricey for all of them. I think we all have these people: school teachers, coaches, co-workers, friends, neighbors, etc.

If you have a little time to devote to it then thoughtful gifts are the way to go. When people receive a gift that was handmade it means so much more and it can cost a lot less. I’ve been sewing these little snowflake ornaments. I just love them. I made them a couple years ago too. I plan to give these away with Buckeyes to the people I want to thank. The sewing and baking takes a little time but I don’t mind. I like my time to be consumed by things like that, especially during the holidays.

I’m trying to soak up every moment … how about you? Any last-minute gifts you’re working on?

Why I do what I do ~ I was sweeping the floor this morning when Chloe walked over to me and said, “I can do the shovel part, mom” as she grabbed the dustpan.

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A couple weeks ago I shared the Map I made as part of a Christmas gift for Chloe. I had originally planned to give you step-by-step instructions for the Backpack but I ended up assembling it in more of a trial-and-error sort of way so it didn’t work out. I still want to share the final product with you though. It’s far from professional-looking but I don’t think she’ll care.

Here’s some basic info about it~

• I used fleece for the outer part (remember this fleece?). The lining is a light-purple cotton.
• There is an elasticized pocket on each side.
• The straps in the back were purchased (by the yard) for $1.25.
• The facial features are made from craft felt, just like the Map.
• The top flap stays closed with Velcro.
• What I wish I’d done: attached interfacing to stiffen it up.

Why I do what I do ~ I’ve found myself feeling sentimental lately. As I unpacked our Christmas decorations and began pulling out ornaments my eyes got misty. I pulled out “Our First Christmas 2002,” “Parents-to-be” and an ornament that Chloe ‘made’ with a picture of her at 18 months old. My Christmas tree is like a timeline of our little family. As I sit on the couch and look at the mismatched ornaments I can’t help but think it’s all going by too fast and feel overwhelmed by how blessed I am. I haven’t been posting as much lately – it’s because I’m soaking in every moment of this season. I hope you’re doing the same.

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Christmas Day isn’t expensive, it’s the month leading up to it that consumes all the money. Here are a few little things I’m doing right now to keep my head in the frugal game without sacrificing fun and festivities.

1. CHEAP wrapping paper. Ordinarily, I’m not a fan of buying things I throw away – it’s something I’ve been trying to get away from. However, when I came across a roll of Christmas wrapping paper that was very large (I don’t remember how many yards and I’m cozy on the couch right now), so large that I’m positive I’ll have some left over for next year and only $1.99, I picked it up.  I’ll still sew some gift bags but friends, I’m not going to pass up something cheap that’s going to make my life MUCH easier.

2. Tiny pieces of tape. This is going to sound over the top to you I’m sure but I use a LOT of tape this time of year. When wrapping gifts I use very small pieces of tape and only as many pieces as necessary to hold the paper closed. For small gifts I use 3 small pieces of tape. For larger gifts I use 5. Go ahead, laugh.

3. Taking advantage of free events. Tonight we have an event going on in our town called “Old Tyme Christmas.” There was a write-up in the paper about it listing all the different things that would be going on. I cut out the article and underlined everything that was free. Tonight we’ll see: Frosty the Snowman, Monty The Moose and Santa Claus. We’ll have free apple crisp (and other refreshments – who knows what those will be) and go on a free carriage ride with Santa. I am not even going to go into a place that will charge something ($5 for Chloe to do a craft – no).

4. Don’t leave the Christmas lights on. This one is tricky. Chloe gets very sad if I turn the lights off. She loves them. So, I turn them off at night and during nap times. I also sneak around and unplug them when she isn’t looking. An outlet timer is a great idea but I don’t have one at the moment.

5. Making ornaments instead of buying them. This is an easy thing when you have kids but even if you don’t you can make some really nice ones out of things you may already have. We made some out of pine cones, ribbon and glitter.

6. Watching TV specials. There are all sorts of great things on TV on the low channels (we have basic cable) this time of year. I’ve been making it an event with Chloe and she has LOVED it. She gets all ready for bed and then we snuggle in my bed and watch Christmas specials in our pj’s.

What little frugal things have you been doing?

Why I do what I do ~ Every now and then I get a little misty and wish I could stall time – just for a little bit. For as long as she’s know who he is, Chloe has called Clifford the Big Red Dog, “Clippord.” Today I heard her correct herself and say, “Oops, I mean CliFFord.” I want her to know the correct way to say it, but I’m going to miss the way she used to say it.

photo credit: gesika22

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This post was first published on December 8, 2008. It has a good message though and I thought it could use repeating. ~Nicki

photo credit: djfoobarmatt

Some of you may not know that my dad is a minister. He pastors the church I attend so I am exposed to some high quality preaching (I love you dad!). Today he preached a sermon on Peace. He said that world-wide, December is the most stressful month of the year. Isn’t that sad? It’s exactly the opposite of what I’m trying to achieve. That really got me thinking. It’s no huge shock with tragic stories like the Walmart employee that was trampled to death by eager shoppers and the two men that shot each other in Toys R Us.

These are terribly sad stories, ones I wouldn’t usually emphasize, except to ask what has your stressful December gained you? Is your December stressful because you want to make your family happy? Is it because you can’t afford what you believe your children want? Are you stressed because you just don’t have the time for everything you want to do? I urge you, I beg of you, take a step back. If you find that your chest is tightened with anxiety and you just can’t get your thoughts in order I ask you to abandon the chaos and try out a peaceful December. Here are some thoughts to consider:

What have you chosen to invest in this holiday season? If your chosen investments are gifts and activities, then by all means, continue running around. But if you’ve chosen to invest in things that are lasting like family traditions, togetherness and a simpler, more meaningful holiday, you’ll begin accomplishing all of it by slowing down and creating a peaceful home.

What have you chosen to emphasize this holiday season? What are you going to make a big deal out of? Is it the number of gifts under the tree or the number of ways you can help others? Is it building up expectations so high that you can’t possibly meet them or teaching the value of giving? What are you modeling this season? Frenzied perfection or peaceful contentment?

Do you find each year you’ve so rushed through the holiday season that it’s almost like you missed it? Having a peaceful attitude and creating a peaceful home helps you think clearer and spend your time and energy on the things that are really important to you. If your December schedule is so full that you don’t have even a moment of down-time you’ll miss out on the spontaneity of the season, like building a snowman and drinking hot chocolate or driving around looking at Christmas lights, or going Christmas caroling, watching your kids catch snowflakes on their tongues or make their first snow angel, how about a family snowball fight? These are the things you’ll remember, but they don’t fit very well into a stressful December schedule.

My dad made a good point this morning. The presence of peace is not from the lackof unfortunate circumstances. Peace comes from within and has nothing to do with the events in your life. My peace comes from the Lord. I feel it’s my responsibility as the wife/mom/lady-extraordinaire to create a peaceful environment in my home, and if I don’t have ahold of that peace myself it’s tough to conjur up. Right now, I’m drinking a mug of white peach tea, my cat is sleeping on my lap and my daughter is taking a nap. My house is so quiet that the ticking clock in the kitchen and my tapping keyboard are the lone duet. I just glanced out the window to see a light snow dancing its way around outside where it never seems to land. It feels so nice  to be still, to be quiet. I’m going to use the second half of my daughter’s naptime to pick up the house, but I’ll feel so much better doing it after taking a few peaceful minutes for myself.

What have you done to have a more peaceful December?

Why I do what I do ~ a few nights ago while my hubby and I were sitting at the table, my daughter walked up to David, and looking at his feet, said “hmmm …” while tapping her chin. We thought it was cute and she walked away. In a couple minutes she came back to the table with his slippers and said, “here’ya go daddy,” while she slipped them on his feet. David is nervous you’ll all think we’ve also taught her to retrieve the paper. I assure you she fetches slippers out of love and of her own free will.

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Last week in my Christmas stockings post I mentioned that I chose that particular pattern to simplify. I had a great idea for quilted stockings but it just wasn’t going to happen this year. I could have just admitted defeat at that point and abandoned the project but I didn’t. The original idea was good – sew Christmas stockings. I could still accomplish what I intended by choosing a simpler idea. I’m glad I did.

Making gifts is a great idea. It’s personal and frequently costs less. However, homemade gifts are time-consuming. If you’re starting to feel overwhelmed with how much you’ve decided to take on then it might be time to rethink your strategy. Is there some way to accomplish your original idea in a simpler way?

Let me toss an idea out for you. Last year The Purl Bee posted a project journal for The Eleventh-Hour Scarf. I liked it so much that a year later, I went to their site to find it. It’s a knitted scarf that uses huge needles, thick yarn and a simple stitch. All of which, makes it come together quickly. I was just thinking I have some thick yarn stashed under my bed that might be just right. By choosing this project instead of a more complicated one, I can still give a homemade gift without it being a burden.

Do you have any projects that come together quickly and beautifully? Have you chosen to simplify your gift-giving this holiday season?

Why I do what I do ~ You know you’ve been studying phonics when: David called “Chloe let’s go” and she said, “No Daddy my name is C-C-C-Chloe.”

photo credit: theurchiness

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I’m taking a short vacation for Thanksgiving to be with my family. I’ll be back next week! Until then, I leave you with this:

Thankful…

for the sounds of laughter and chatter

for knowing my hair doesn’t matter

for comfy pants when I feel that way

for the cozy bed where I collapse or lay

for having the most amazing man

that still likes to hold my hand

for laughing until my belly aches

for having an oven so I can bake

for the dishwasher that continues to run

even though I’d like another one

for everything chocolate that’s ever been made

for every two weeks when we get paid

for a family that loves me when I’m weird

for almost nothing happening that I’ve feared

for a chaotic quiet house that relaxes me

for my daily afternoon cup of tea

for being her mom and being his wife

for knowing I have a very blessed life

Why I do what I do ~ I’ve made several attempts at helping the girls understand how Thanksgiving began. They would nod their heads in understanding and say something like, “I know, like Charlie Brown Thanksgiving right?” Ummm, no. “Like Winnie The Pooh Thanksgiving?” Not exactly. Finally, I had to settle for, “Like John Smith and Pocahontas, right?” Ok, why not. I think that’s as close as I’m going to get.

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