Happy Friday to all. I hope all those in US had a great Thanksgiving yesterday. Maybe some haven't had family get togethers yet! It seems to be a weekend of fun and SHOPPING!
No shopping for me. I used to do the crazy 'Black Friday' madness, but not for years now! Want nothing to do with all that mess. This is my weekend to just chill, relax, maybe decorate a little and EAT!
Just wanted to throw out a couple reminders and ideas for fun. Many of you are completely done with your Christmas gifts. Many of us are part way done. Many haven't started! It's all good. Just remember that Christmas Eve is a month from today!!!!!! YIKES
SHOP SMALL business if at all possible! Mom and pop shops, private owned, thrift shops, ethnic stores, crafty places, small bakeries, etc. These people are paying for their families with any purchases you make - this is there life and income. Box stores make millions of dollars and could (in general) not give a patoot about their employees or you! They act like they are giving you deals - but they are just luring you in to spend more. Keep it small as much as you can this year.
I also like experiences for those who have everything (espec. kiddos). It can be movie passes, a trip to the zoo or museum, a hiking trip, a fishing date with pawpaw, you name it. Make it fun.
Homemade can be fun and inexpensive. Kiddos like projects they can do - and they also like something that they can make and give to a grown up! Maybe a piece of 'artwork' framed and gifted to grandma or auntie. Little things can be meaningful and fun.
Yesterday I was asking some of the littles what they wanted (these kids have everything). They said craft projects they can do together, friendship bracelet supplies, fake jewelry and make-up (4 yr old), dress-up stuff. I was amazed at the simple things!!!!!!!
I would LOVE to receive a painted rock as a gift from one of the littles! (even from an adult). They pretty up gardens and pots. Super fun and easy.
So just a few things to think about. Please support as many small businesses as you can - everyday!!!! We are the life blood of those small shops. Have fun and keep things simple. Great gifts do not have to be expensive or complicated.
Have a great day!!!!!
Yes! People go nuts buying stuff that is not always appreciated, needed or wanted. Gas card for the granddaughter and money to go to her parents' vacation fund this year. Alana told me they have enough stuff and they are in a financial position to buy anything they need. We see Erin or talk to her several times a week so we'll see what her needs are.
ReplyDeleteBrrr, cold today. We are headed out to Meijer (which shouldn't be too busy) to get greens for the chickens and generic peanut butter for the mouse traps. Yes, it is an ongoing problem. I think they breed like rabbits. ha!
Donna, have you tried moth balls? Those worked like a charm when we lived on the coast. To protect other wildlife and domestic animals, I stuffed knee high ladies nylon stockings with them, tied them off and put them around the perimeter of the house. --Elise
DeleteHaven't tried the moth balls. From your experience they would definitely be worth a try. We did find another point of ingress which will be filled today. The little beggars can get in through an opening the size of a pencil. Sticky traps and regular mouse traps have done a fine job so far and the Farmer found some poison that works really well. A lady on NextDoor asked what to do about the mouse in her house as she was "afraid" of it. People were moaning about the sticky traps, saying the mouse would die a slow death. If those ladies had to clean up the destruction left in my sewing cabinet and some other places, they would probably change their mind. Filthy, nasty things. And no, we won't get a cat. My elderly Chihuahua probably would tremble and not leave his bed.
DeleteI love your ideas - it is simple easy and can be used. That is my logic too. Things are getting even more simple this year.
DeleteYES, mothballs are a deterrent. They can't stand the smell!!! I mean can you blame them. I put mothballs around the outside of the house - up against it. They last until rain. I also have filled any space I see with steel wool - they can't get through that! Good luck - they are a nuisance!
Great ideas, Cheryl! I think the rocks would be very fun for all ages. Might gather some for when my grands are here for Christmas!
ReplyDeleteThanks. Me too - I wouldn't mind painting some. I have a 13 yr. old and a 5 yr. old - that both love that kind of stuff. The 13 year old does crafts with her younger sisters. Useful, pretty and fun!!!
DeleteGood Morning! My shopping is all done and wrapped. Out of town/state boxes shipped. The only thing left is goodie bags (cookies and such) for neighbors and local folks. I haven't done "Black Friday" in years, having discovered better buys can be found throughout the year. Those are some GREAT ideas for kiddos, Cheryl! And easy! And frugal! Love the idea of the wrapped candy bars with gloves, too, for teachers, etc.
ReplyDeleteWhen we mailed the box to my Sis, her Hubs and my mom, it cost $80.50 at USPS for the ground shipping. I share that because We'll probably do gift cards from here on out; those can be tucked in with the (mailed) Christmas card. Some stores even have days where you can save 10-20% off of the GCs... or get a coupon for $$ off your next shopping trip. Yes, it takes the fun out of it in a way, but...
:-/ --Elise
You go girl - done and wrapped!
DeleteGift cards are definitely the way to go if mailing! A stamp!!!!
Once in a while store cards will go on a special like that around here - not often though.
I'm not done and wrapping is usually a gift bag - so easy.
One of the main reasons I try to get things done EARLY (aside from always shipping gifts to out-of-state family, which is going to have to change) is I hate crowds. That's why I gave up Black Friday sales long ago. Although shopping is fun for me otherwise, I get a little panicked in crowds. --Elise
DeleteGood morning, I love painted rocks! I have several. A couple that have mandalas painted on them and some from a friend that I barely got to know when we first moved here, sadly she passed during covid. But I have Connie around me everyday.
ReplyDelete*We had a nice dinner, just the 2 of us. Lots of leftovers!
*Currently it's 28* so not to sure if I'll be going out. I did do an online order yesterday though.
*I might start on my decorating today.
Gotta love those leftovers, LaurieS. It's cold here this morning, but above freezing (37*) and I won't be going out. Oldest son is here and he'll go see a movie with his younger brother. I'm looking forward to seeing/hearing about others' Christmas decorations! With the two dogs, Poppy still a puppy who chews, we'll be keeping it very simple; a tabletop tree and some stockings hung here and there. Hubs did get my gnomes up above the cabinets in the kitchen (tucked in among vintage cookware/cannisters), which makes me smile. --Elise
DeleteI think painted rocks are just so pretty. I love you have some from the lady that passed. Sweet memory.
DeleteIt is chilly here today as well - not that chilly though. We are about 38* right now.
Yay on leftovers - get the most out the food and don't have to cook for a while! I made a turkey breast today - so will enjoy that for a while. Love me some turkey!!!!!
The kitties will love the decorations I bet!!!!
I just love this post today, Cheryl. We need to stop supporting big corporations and help our neighbors out if we can't produce what we need ourselves. 10 F here this morning; ice forming on the lake.
ReplyDeleteHave a great day!
Thanks Rita. I agree. My gr. niece has started a cookie business, and I will say they are the bomb - but they are expensive. My first thought was no one would pay that - word of mouth has spread and she is selling like crazy. Small businesses supported other small businesses. We all need to try harder at this and help our neighbors and our communities.
DeleteBrrrrr - sounds too cold to me!
Amen to small business Christmas shopping! My kids never wanted for anything, and my son's favorite gift ever was for his birthday from a classmate (they didn't have much, but he didn't know that) - it was an art box - an inexpensive plastic tote filled with stickers, paper, popsicle sticks, crayons, glue, googly eyes... he used it every day and I refilled it for years. The friend wrote his name and 'art box' on the lid with puffy letter stickers. ;)
ReplyDeleteLove it! Little ones don't care about money. IF they do - shame on mom and dad - because that is probably where they learned it. I love that your sons friend gave such a thoughtful gift that kept on giving. Kudos to his mom and to you.
DeleteWe're supporting Black Friday ;-) by going to a locally owned restaurant for an early dinner and then to our college football game (cost supports college athlete scholarships!). So take that corporate 'merica!!!! We don't do gifts unless one of us has an aha 'he/she would love that' moment. We are Blessed with enough.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a wonderful evening, Elle! Hubs and I--having been married MANY years--agreed our Christmas gift to each other this year is paying the surveyor on 12/4. Last year it was tons of rock delivered for the front 1/2 acre. The year before that was planning our move here. :-)
Delete--Elise
Sounds like a nice time for you both. We stopped with gifts for each other years ago - G and I got what we wanted anytime of the year - so it seemed silly to spend to be spending on something. Love the comment "we are Blessed with enough".
DeleteYep.
I haven't done Black Friday shopping for years. We focus on activities for the holiday season instead of gifts. We don't need anything.
ReplyDeleteFantastic! Most of us don't need a thing. The kids always ask what I want - I say just be here and spend the day with me. Let's talk, laugh and eat and have some fun.
DeleteI'm definitely doing that glove idea with the chickadees. Great idea! They have made some of those painted rocks for us and we keep them by the front door. Very special.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking I'm mostly done with Christmas shopping. Grateful to not have to go anywhere today.
The shipping costs! Argh! Something handmade needs to be given in person with the shipping costs. 🙄
Ellie
Central Az
Shipping is ridiculous!
DeleteLove you have your rocks by the door! A special and revered place!!!!!
There are just so many simple things to make the day fun - they sure don't need to cost a lot.
Glad you are about done!
Ellie, I'm thinking this will be the last year of shipping. My niece/goddaughter's box was small and cost $17.80 to ship! Add that to the $80.50 for the box to Sis's house and I'm almost at $100 in just shipping! Alas, my mom has always hated homemade or handcrafted gifts and she likes to have a lot of gifts, not just one. Next year, though, I'll send Sis a check so shipping isn't involved.
DeleteHope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! --Elise
I always try to make inexpensive gifts that mean a lot to the boys. One thing I am adding to the baskets are a small photo album with the family recipes that they love.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Love that. I did that one year - 'grandma's recipes that a lot of the younger ones wanted. Those are very special things.
DeleteOn my to-do list: make cookies within the next couple weeks. That takes care of many gifts. :) Love those candybar snowmen, that's a great idea.
ReplyDeletePostage is too high. I stopped sending gifts to my daughter because of it. I put $$ aside in a card for when she visits, then she will have fun money to spend. So far that works very well.
Thanksgiving with family was good. Lots of leftovers as DiL doesn't like leftovers, so I get them - whee!!! :)
Hope to meet some singing friends for lunch tomorrow and then go sing at someone's house for an hour or so. We have one guest from out-of-town who looks forward to this every year. :)
No Black Friday shopping for me, didn't even leave the house except to get the mail from the mailbox. :)
MaryB
How I wish I could hear that singing, MaryB. Enjoy!
Delete--Elise
Mary that sounds like a good plan to me. Keeping it simple.
DeleteYay - on the leftovers. I do not understand why people won't eat leftovers!!!!!
The singing sounds found and quaint. Neat going to a home to sing.
No shopping for me either!
When I was growing up my mom was in a cooking club which she really loved. A few Christmases ago I took all the recipes (the club made a booklet of them every year)and copied them for each of my siblings as many family favorites came from that cooking club. Each cook had her name by the recipe she'd cooked so it was fun to see what mom had contributed.
ReplyDeleteA couple of times I made "books" for my children. I filled a binder with activities and stories I found online. Lots of free stuff online like paper dolls, stories where you put the child's name in, coloring pages of course, etc. I printed out a lot of pages so there's the cost of ink & paper. I made a fabric cover for the binders and put their names on it. They LOVED them. And used them for several years.
Our Dollar Tree sells bags of rocks. I don't know if they're big enough for painting though. I do like that idea.
My daughter and her husband asked for a movie night basket of snacks as that's their Friday night fun to watch a movie and snack. So easy and they love it.
~margaret
Great ideas, Margaret.
DeleteSounds like a couple of the church recipe books I have from years back. Always listed the names. It is neat to look back and see who contributed. There are always good family favorites in them. Neat idea.
DeleteI love the book for the kiddos - how fun.
I forgot about Dollar Tree having rocks - I will look there.
I love movie night baskets. So much fun for a neat evening in.
Light snow falling this morning. The 1st of the season. It will warm up above freezing later, so won't stick. The timing of it makes me smile... as if the weather knew Thanksgiving has passed. --Elise
ReplyDeleteGlad you are enjoying. PLEASE keep it out there!! LOL
DeleteThere are some great ideas in this post, Cheryl. I really like the children's gift basket. I may do something similar here for a group of 4 children we are gifting to this year.
ReplyDeleteThanks. I would have loved something like that when I was kid. Colors, mini toys, candy, maybe a throw, so many things could be put in them.
DeleteI would love to receive a painted rock! I also like the little buckets for gifts. Each child would probably love a Hot Wheels or Match Box car. The girls never got them, so when I bought one for them, they were thrilled. Their brother did not like to share his cars.
ReplyDeleteI would too! So many things could be put in the little baskets. Kids like to play with all kinds of things - so it could be fun!
Delete