Happy Tuesday! How is everyone this new day? I hope well and safe. This month has flown by and here we are at the end of it. Gosh, hard to believe Friday is November. Here is the U.S. Thanksgiving will be here before you know it, then BOOM Christmas!
It is a warmer morning here today. In the 60's already and going to 80* today!! They say windy but very warm.
The time change falls BACK this weekend. UGH! I hate it! Yay, it gets dark at 4PM or 5PM says no one!!! "You get an extra hour sleep" they say! HA - obviously 'they' don't have animals!!!! I think here in US, AZ is about the only place that doesn't change. Not sure about other countries.
Elections are a week away. Big changes ahead - regardless. NO political opinions here please - just a reminder to VOTE! It truly is important - not something to be taken lightly.
Let us talk holidays today. I have all my canning yet to do - much of it goes in Christmas baskets. When weather cools, I will be ordering my summer sausage I get every year from Walnut Creek.
I have started getting smaller things for stuffers in baskets and for the littles. I need so much more.
I LOVE the above meme.
It says a lot to me. I think we need to get away from super expensive gifts - whether for children or adults. I can hear people now saying "well, they will just throw things away". That is so not true for many people (not all). I happen to have a family that loves getting goodie baskets - teens included. It is like a treasure hunt!!!! They get fun things they may not make or buy themselves.
I "listen" all year to things they all say.
Small businesses are important - more than ever. These people are just trying to support families - not corporations. You find so many neat items too.
Great fun for someone in a nursing home as well - little bottles of things they can use, puzzles, word search, stamps, pens, envelopes packets of cards, warm socks, etc.
ALSO - time to start getting gift cards you might want to give. I can buy about any card I choose at Kroger and with a digital coupon I get extra gas points for myself as well. Win-Win!
If you need to mail gifts - think gift cards. No extra postage needed. If you have mailed a package as of late - you know how crazy expensive postage is.
Just a few things to get that mind motivated and thinking of maybe doing something totally different this year. Have fun with it.
Check holiday bazaars are well - they are starting up about every weekend here. Lots of cute homemade items to buy! Ideas to be had.
What are some neat ideas you all use? What homemade gift seems to be a favorite for your family?
Love to hear new ideas.
I will be giving 'foody' ideas over the next few weeks.
Have a great day. May it be bright and joyful!
Yes...VOTE!!!!!
ReplyDeleteMy gifting is usually an article of clothing similar to what I've seen the recipient wearing, a pan of my fudge, a quilt or tablerunner (I always ask if wanted though), a LARGE!!!! cutting board made by hubster. My family is huge so we exchange names and these days, individual households. No one wants to give gifts to 43 people....too stressful. And hubster and I quit gifting nearly 25y ago with the exception being....."you had to have this" 😂
I want to be on your list!!!!! LOL
DeleteIt all sounds so cool. Those large cutting boards are great for cutting and/or charcuterie boards! Fun
I have a big family too - so it has gotten cut back a lot over the years. Neat that you draw names.
Hubs and I quit gifting each other for many, many years. We both got what we wanted or needed when we wanted it - so it was silly. Never regretted that at all.
I do bake at Christmas time, not only for us, but to share with my brother and his family.
ReplyDeleteMy gift giving list is short - just my adult children, my grandson, my younger brother, his wife and two adult children. My son doesn't enjoy Christmas, and will be on his own again this year (his choice) so I had decided to give him the gift of snow removal. I originally was looking for a company to come and do the work, but I left it too late in the fall. So I've offered to purchase a snowblower for him to use for many years instead. He has to do the research though.
I'll make some sort of fun ornament for my brother's family - just haven't decided yet what that will be. Oh, and then there are ornaments for Eli's teachers as well. Sheesh, I better get busy!
However, the majority of the remaining gifts will be purchased. I have a bus tour booked to Bismarck, ND later in November.
Mmmm - baking sounds good. What a great idea on the snow blower! The gift that keeps on giving.
DeleteYou better get busy - Ms. world traveler!!!! You are always on the go - that is so neat. Glad you enjoy traveling.
It certainly is windy today. The laundry I hung on the line will dry in no time. Not looking forward to the time change. Feel like we are messed up for weeks. ugh...
ReplyDeleteThe wind is really something! The tulip tree is close to being leafless. The maple hasn't even started.
DeleteIt sure feels good though.
I don't think the time change is going to mean anything around here - we've been so messed up with weeks of no power, and everything being closed or opening limited hours and schools on 2-hour delays so drivers can see where the roads are (or are not)....
ReplyDeleteMy usual gifts are cookies: ginger snaps for some, chocolate chips for others. Those were always the most popular so I quit fussing with the other kinds! :)
Son and daughter-in-law get something to open on The Day and $$$ towards whatever else, as do the grands - only their $$$ go towards those "529" college funds. Maybe by the time they're big enough for college the funds will have added up and grown enough to be helpful?
Awfully glad the power is restored as it would be a real challenge to bake cookies over a candle or campstove! :D We could benefit from potable water in the system, but it's not here yet.
Those little battery candle-lite things are a great idea, very cute. :)
MaryB
You are probably very right - the time change probably won't affect many in your areas - as so much is still disrupted. Maybe just the darkness.
DeleteThe cookies sound perfect. Give them what they like. Neat idea on the '529' plan.
Sure hope you get good water soon.
Great ideas. Cookies are a favorite kitchen gift to give - white chocolate/cranberry oatmeal, orange cornmeal w/ cranberries. I also gift liquor. This year, I plan to make a rum coffee topping. I also gift antipasto & salsa. One of my son's favorite gifts was a freezer pack of meats.
ReplyDeleteOh the cookies sound decadent! Yum. Fun stuff.
DeleteMine always look for salsa, jelly and summer sausage - everything else is a plus.
We do a lot of baskets too for gifts. They really are so much fun to put together with the items you know someone will enjoy. I love all of the Christmas ideas you shared.
ReplyDeleteBaskets are fun gifts, just don't give out any baskets of deplorables.
DeleteI think they are fun to make and receive. I like getting them almost as much as giving them.
DeleteHey, we all got to eat.
I always give various types of cheese as gifts, they are always on sale and everyone likes cheese. It's also not the usual, so everyone is surprised to get out of the ordinary cheese gift.
ReplyDeleteI would love that!
DeleteCheeses sound great. I am a cheese fanatic. Maybe some nice crackers too - yum!
DeleteEtsy is always a good resource for Christmas - a way to support small businesses even if you don't have many where you live. If I am giving a small $$ gift, I like to give something small but indulgent - I think a $10 small tube of fancy hand cream is nicer as a gift then a big bottle of cream from WalMart for the same price. Something someone wouldn't buy themselves. And I agree, I always love homemade anything!
ReplyDeleteSuper idea. There are so many who make lovely lotions, cremes, soaps, etc. - that would be wonderful. I agree a luxurious gift is so nice. Thanks.
DeleteWe don't do a lot of gift giving and receiving. My side of the family has done kids only for a long time. It's just my two right now since my brother's kids are all adults. We mostly just do a huge family dinner and get together and there so much food everyone takes a bit of everything home and have a couple more meals from it. We finally got my husband's family to go to kids only a couple of years ago. There's so many of them we draw names and this year each family has three to buy for and we do his parents. I don't really do homemade since most all gifts are for kids. Toys for younger, cash for older. I have made a couple of things in the past (not for family, work related) and got told I was cheap for not buying stuff so I just don't even bother (not that it is an issue now since I don't work and my husband works remotely).
ReplyDeleteMy brother and sis and I have a nice dinner together and reflect back on the 'good old days' We do give homemade stuff - but that is it. Other adults get homemade goodies too. Kiddos get gifts.
DeleteI like that people just want to gather for a lovely meal and time together.
Oh my gosh - how hateful on someone. I think any gift means more when someone took the time to make it - anyone can buy stuff. Too bad we didn't work together!
It sounds like it will be fun at your gathering.
We only exchange gifts with the sons and each other so I have always made the gifts. Harvey usually says not to get him anything so I watch his clothes and buy him things like socks, undershirts and will make him pajama bottoms or something similar. I have also made a donation on his behalf to our Salvation Army.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
That sounds nice. Small families make it easier at gift giving times such as holidays. I like getting something that is truly needed. I love the donation idea.
DeleteI bought two very large but nice purses. I will fill each small pad, pen, lotion, soft soap, chapstick, Vaseline, Vicks Vaporub, cotton balls, Qtips, a pair of socks, gloves, hat, hand warmers, nail polish, remover, gum, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, other nice stuff if you cannot afford it. I did this with a brand new purse, I bought and hated. It was red, so perfect. I went to a parking lot at a grocery store in a poor neighborhood. I saw a woman, stopped and asked her if she would take of gift of goodies. I got out and she cried and hugged me, saying her favorite cousin died a few days before and she was sad and had no one. I cried, too. This year, I will find an older woman who will like these purses and give on o each.
ReplyDeleteWhat a very lovely idea. We have a lot of homeless around our area - and I used to make up bags of essentials to hand out. They were always appreciated.
DeleteYou never know when a small gift will be so loved and welcomed. Thanks for doing that.
I forgot to say that I add candy, small assortment of Christmas candies, and a $20 bill.
ReplyDeleteSuch a lovely gift
DeleteOh my gosh Linda! That is fabulous!
ReplyDeleteIndeed it is.
DeleteInstead of just saying, "Vote!" I think we need to say "Vote Informed!"
ReplyDeleteSadly, I think a lot of people vote because of soundbites, not based on the issues.
That is very true. Be aware of the issues.
DeleteLast year, my adult kids wanted bowl cozies and hand knit socks. I'm behind on knitting, so I'm not sure what I'll do. I need to buckle down and figure out my plan fast!
ReplyDeleteLaura of Harvest Lane