Merry Christmas!

Since I can't send you all a personal Christmas card, I thought I would do the next best thing. HERE'S WISHING A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS to all my favorite bloggy friends! You are all wonderful,and I hope you all enjoy your day!

P.S. Don't forget to save all the cute little gift bags and ribbons from your gift unwrapping revelry. It is the    frugal thing to do, after all.

Anatomy Of A Frugal Christmas Tree

  

(This is what happens when a Charlie Brown tree gets it's BLING on!)

 Every year Dear Hubby and I argue over real vs. a fake Christmas tree. When we bought our house, the person we bought it from sold us his Christmas tree for $50.00.  The tree is 8 feet tall (we have a vaulted ceiling in our living room), and it would not fit into the smaller home he had just bought. We used that artificial tree for 10 years (he had used for 10 before that), but sadly the tree is on it's last leg. It's an some assembly required  project. It's kind of like a Christmas tree jigsaw puzzle. Each row of the tree limb were color coded. I say were, because, the colors have worn off or faded until they ALL look the same. One year I tried to recolor them with Sharpie markers, but that all rubbed off quickly. So, now it just "Russian Roulette". If you follow the picture diagram included, and you argue with your spouse for two hours if those are the red or orange limbs, the tree might come out looking normal, or it might not. Then there was the problem of the branches just popping out of their allotted slots at any given time and falling on the floor. This freaks out the dog who was sleeping under the tree, sending her into with corner with a nervous tick!  This also freaks out the stressed out Momma, and sends her into the corner with a nervous tick, too! Needless to say, two years ago, I made the corporate decision to retire the tree. I have been on the look out for the past two after Christmas sales to buy a new tree on clearance, but so far I have been unsuccessful! :(

The last two years we have had a live tree. We are lucky to live in a semi rural area. We can purchase a tree permit for $5.00 from the U.S. Forest Service. Dear Hubby and the kid's have been making an after Thanksgiving trek into the woods to find our Christmas tree. Dear Hubby's brother lives on the way to the place designated to cut our tree, so sometimes his family buys a permit and tags along too. Sometimes Grandpa tags along to offer advice. There is the cost of the gasoline we use to drive to where the tree is cut (about 40 miles from where we live), but they always stop and visit Dear Hubby's brother's family, and they are making family memories. I consider it money well spent. Now that you know way more about my Christmas tree adventures than you ever wanted to know, I will get back on track!

Artificial Christmas trees are definitely an investment purchase. You want to buy something you will be happy with for along time, and will hold up to some wear and tear. After Christmas clearance sales are a great way to find a cheaper Christmas tree. I have been going that route, because Dear Hubby is a MAJOR Christmas tree connoisseur . He is very finicky about the style and general "bushiness" of artificial trees; hence, my lack of success on the clearance sales.  I have also seen lovely trees at consignment shops, and thrift stores. Yard sales, Craig's List, and the classified section of you newspaper are other resources for finding a good used Christmas tree.

Decorating your tree can be a budget buster, too. I have been lucky, because my Dear Sweet Grandma started a tradition when my siblings and I were little. She would deliver a home made Christmas ornament for each grandchild along with our Christmas gifts. The theory behind this tradition was that at some point we would all grow up and go out on our own. When the time came we would have ornaments to put on our own Christmas trees. Grandma was a very wise woman! I was the only granddaughter, so I ended up with a bevy of  angel and pink themed ornaments. My mother carries on the tradition now for her own grandchildren. Each year  I alternate themes. One year I use our homemade ornaments. The next year I decorate with glass balls (bought on Christmas clearance for $.75 a box), snow flake ornaments (Dollar Store purchase) and candy canes (grocery store purchase). Dollar Stores are great resources for ornaments and garland. They are especially great for finding cheap filler ornaments. After Christmas clearance sales are also a treasure trove for ornaments and decorations, you can get very nice decorations for super cheap! Thrift stores are another great resource, too. I  have found boxes and brand new ornaments at thrift stores for $.50 to $1.00. Some are new and never been opened.

Making your own ornaments is another great option. The second Christmas we owned our house I was in the mood to create a themed tree, but we were on a very, VERY tight budget that year. My two oldest children were 5 and 2, and I was pregnant with Child #3. One afternoon, I invited my neighbor and her little kid's( who was also on a tight budget) to come over an make ornaments with us. First walked over to the common area in our neighbor that was loaded with pine trees. We gathered pine cones and brought them home. We painted the pine cones with craft glue and sprinkled them with white, silver, and gold glitter. After they had dried we attached Christmas ribbon to the fat end of the pine cone with a gold thumb tack. We also whipped up a batch of Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments.  Since I was going with a cabin theme I cut out fish, mouse, and lob cabin shapes. My friend used bell, angel, and star cookie cutters. We also whipped up a few Reindeer ornaments, too. Our little kid's had so much fun helping the Mommies make Christmas ornaments, and we use items we had salvaged from around our house. Oh my, I seem to be in a Reminiscent mood today, I apologize!

A tree skirt is the only thing I ever struggle with. I don't believe I have ever owned one. Every year  I have had good intentions of buying a pattern and  whipping one up on my sewing machine. Of course, that never happens. Then I decide that I will watch for one to go on clearance, but I never do. I have always ended up draping a fabric tablecloth,  an old twin sized quilt, a piece of Christmas fabric (bought on clearance), and this year a crocheted throw (afghan) I rummage out of a clearance bin at Walmart for $5.00. Maybe, I should put "Get Yourself A Decent Tree Skirt" number one on my Christmas To Do List!

Now that your have endured my "Stories From Christmas Past" monologue, hopefully, I have given you some ideas to help you decorate your own frugal Christmas trees! Which do you prefer, a  Live or Artificial Christmas Tree?

Have A "Jelly" Christmas!

I'm a big fan of giving home made gifts for the Holidays; made with love (and a little sweat), of course! I especially like to give home canned items and baked goods, because everyone is so busy they rarely make home made goodness for themselves. I don't mind whipping up a batch of something or other, or two. In fact, if you have read my earlier posts, you know that when my stress odometer hits warp speed, I bake or cook for stress relief! There is just something about rattling and banging a few pots around, and seeing my culinary creation transform before my eyes that brings on a kind of  bliss! Of course, there are few complaints, when I hit one of the stress induced frenzies. Generally, because the troops get to be my taste testers when I am done!

One of my favorite things to make for Holiday gift giving is jelly! In my humble opinion, home made jams and jellies are far superior to the store bought variety. I like to whip up several different varieties to have on hand to put in home made gift baskets, a simple gift for a co worker, or a  last minute hostess gifts. I live in a very close knit neighborhood, and a jar of jelly is a nice way to say thank you to our neighbors who do so much for my family all year long!

If you are thinking that jelly making is an advanced placement project, it's not! In fact, for anyone who wants to give home preserving a try, this is the perfect beginner project. I will also let you in on a little secret..... I use 100% fruit juice purchased in the juice aisle at the grocery store! I usually watch the grocery ads and buy the juice when it's on sale (sometimes there are even coupons to make it even cheaper). My favorite juices to use to make jelly are:

• Welch's 100% White Grape/ Peach juice
• Welch's 100% Concord Grape juice
• Welch's 100% Grape/ Cranberry juice
• Tree Top (or store brand) 100% Apple Juice

All you need to start your project  is:

•  Several cases of small jelly jars (these can be found in the canning aisle of you grocery store, or at thrift stores and garage sales)
• A half gallon or gallon of 100% juice
• Several boxes of pectin (found in the canning aisle of your grocery store). A gallon of juice will make about four batches of jelly. A half gallon about two. You will need a box of pectin for each batch you make.
• A bottle of Real Lemon juice (I add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to each batch to increase the acidity of the fruit.)
• A 5 - 10 pound bag of granulated sugar, depending on how much jelly you plan on making.

 Just follow the directions that comes in the box of pectin.

Skip the instruction that tells you how to make the juice from whole fruit. Start your jelly making by measuring out the amount of prepared juice called for in the recipe. Follow the instructions step by step, and voila, perfect jelly. You will need to water bath (boiling water can) the jars of jelly to seal them, but that is very easy. In fact, The Simply Canning blog has excellent step by step instructions for water bath canning! If you don't have a water bath or steam canner, a large deep pot that will hold a rack in the bottom will work. The water just has to be able to cover the jars by an inch, so that your jars will seal properly. Don't forget to label your jars. I use printer friendly address labels that I gussy up with my print artist program, but here's a great link for making canning labels from Sweet Preservation.

The beauty of this project is it can be made ahead of time! Once the jelly is made and sealed they can sit in boxes in the pantry until you need them. When your ready to gift your gift,all you have to do is tie a pretty ribbon around your jar, and deliver it to the lucky recipient.  How's that for one more item checked of the Christmas Gift Giving List!

Check Out This Fabulous Advent Calender!

The majority of the turkey at our house has been consumed. There is just enough left to make a few more sandwiches and a delicious turkey pot pie! Now that the leftovers from our holiday feast are disappearing it's time to start thinking about Christmas (where has the time gone?). As I was blog stalking this morning, I came across this super darling Advent Calender!

 (photo courtesy of Jaimie Cook's It Up)

 I just love Advent Calenders. It's a fun way for the kids (big and little) to count down to the big day! Jamie at Jamie Cooks It Up (One of my most favoritest blogs, by the way! She's a kindred spirit, don't you know!) shared this great idea, and I couldn't stop thinking that it would be a fun and frugal gift for some lucky person on your Christmas list! Bake ware is always on sale this time of year for cheap, so keep your eyes peeled for mini muffin pans! Of course, and candy can always be bought in bulk! So, all you crafty bloggers out there, go take a quick peek at this cute Christmas Creation at Jaimie's place!

Merry Christmas!

I am so tired tonight from trying to wrap up all of the last minute holiday to do's that I can't even think straight. Most of my plan A's are now down to Plan C or D. The rolls are store bought instead of homemade, the brownie cups (which I was going to wow everyone with on my blog tonight) stuck and look like misshapen UFO's (unidentifiable food objects), the fudge is grainy, the popcorn popper exploded (because SOMEONE was chit chatting and forgot to put the measuring cup back on top of the popper) and there is popcorn everywhere, the new toilet for the guest bathroom is sitting in the garage instead of in the bathroom (I have 17 people coming for a Christmas Eve party at noon tomorrow), the dog has had way to many holiday treats and will probably be sick tonight, the house is dirty, I couldn't even remember my 3rd child's name a little while ago ( he was called all of his siblings names, including his sister, and three of my brother's names before I got it right), and I think I'm coming down from my Diet Coke induced high. I am definitely NOT going to earn my Martha Stewart merit badge this year! But you know what, none of that matters because it's CHRISTMAS (yeah!)! Tonight I have nothing productive, clever, frugal, intelligent, amusing, or noteworthy to say other than MERRY CHRISTMAS to everyone! Thank you for being wonderful people who support me, and love me despite myself. You are all truly a blessing! I love you all! Have a wonderful holiday!!!!!!

Gift Tag Idea

Today's tip is the product of desperation. I needed a last minute gift tag to tie to a gift bag (one that I am reusing from last year, of course). As I dug through my gift wrapping box I noticed a Christmas card that had been saved from last year. It had a cute picture on the front of the card so I used a tree shaped cookie cutter as a template and traced around the picture. I cut it out with a pair of scrapbook scissors. After punching a hole on the top of the "tree" tag; I attached it to the handle off the gift bag with a piece of Christmas ribbon. I hate to use sticky tags on gift bags because the person receiving the gift can't reuse the bag. Plus so many cards have such darling pictures on them I hate to throw them away when the holiday is over!

Decadent Cocoa

My mom gave me this idea a couple years ago, and I thought I would share! If you want to make a cup of hot chocolate extra yummy place two Hershey kisses in the bottom of the mug with the cocoa mix. Pour boiling water into your mug and stir until the kisses have dissolved (make sure to let it cool a little bit if serving it to kids, or add a dollop of leftover whipped cream to cool it down). It tastes like pure heaven! My favorite is two cherry cordial kisses in Stephen's milk chocolate cocoa. A container of cocoa and a bag of Hershey kisses is another great idea for neighbor or friend gifts this year (add a tag that says Wishing you a Merry "Kissmas" Love the ---). Kisses come in tons of great flavors during the holidays so watch the after Christmas sales, and stock up on discounted bags! Milk chocolate will last in your pantry for six months to a year. Save your candy canes too! My kids love to stir their hot chocolate with a candy cane, and I don't have to wash spoons when they are done. (Heads up! Stock up on mini candy canes on the after Christmas sales I have a darling Valentine's treat to make with them that I will post in February!)

Holiday Gift Idea

Here's a darling idea for an inexpensive gift to give to a teacher, neighbor, visiting or home teaching families, or friend this holiday season. You will need a large candy bar; they are on sale right now at Smith's or Fred Meyers for around a dollar. Copy and paste the image below into your Print Artist program, and print it off onto white printer paper. Wrap the the paper around the candy bar, and tape in place. Next take a knit glove (you can find them in a two pack at the Dollar Store)place it on the "snowman", and tie the fingers together with a piece of holiday ribbon (a great way to use up scraps)to create a "pompom". Take another piece of 3/4 to 1 inch wide ribbon, and tie it under the face to make a scarf. Place the other knit glove on a square of colored tissue paper; bring the corners together. Tie them together with a piece of curly ribbon; it should look like a little bundle or sack. Tape the bundle underneath the scarf.




When your done it should look like this:



My kid's gave these to their teachers and friends last year for Christmas. They were a huge hit! Who couldn't use a chocolate fix and an extra pair of gloves this holiday season!