Frugal Christmas giving...?

[Teah]

I have dehydrated my own veggies to put into jars of soup mixes as gifts and it always turned out well. I use the Ronco food dehydrator.


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[monapoe]

Originally posted by Teah
I have dehydrated my own veggies to put into jars of soup mixes as gifts and it always turned out well. I use the Ronco food dehydrator.


Thanks for the reply! I think I may try my hand at some of the soup mixes this year. And thanks for the idea of spray painting the baskets! Gonna keep my eye out at yard sales from here out!

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[jskarp]

Thanks Teah! MY DH received one of those HUGE commercial ones for his birthday! Glad to know we can put it to some practical use!! LOL! ~Joy

[driverx]

Buy some black and white film from your local drugstore (they have it in back of the register here in Chicago at Walgreen's). It's cheap. I think about $3 for 24 exposures.

Take some pictures of things you and/or the recipient find interesting. For instance, you could take a picture of their house, or an old house that they miss if it's close by, or their dog or their kids or whatever.

Have the pictures developed, and throw your favorite in a magnetic, plastic, see-through frame (I also found these at Walgreen's).

The results can be quite striking, and the gift is original, creative, and thoughtful.

Just an idea,
Bill


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[TeresaD90]

Wanted to bump this up, because we are getting very close to x-mas for crafters. Never hurts to hunt your recipes down early!

[Nightowl69]

Im a baking machine around the holidays

[cata5]

What did people do last year that turned out great??

[Nightowl69]

bump

[3tbear]

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Here's a no bake pie recipe, takes just 5 minutes. Happy holidays!

[eldo]

Some of the Cookie Mix links mentioned in this thread when it was started last year don't work, so here's Nestle's:

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I have never given cookie mixes in a jar as gifts, but last year I received 2 and loved the idea! When the kids wanted cookies it really came in handy to have most of the ingredients at hand.

I'm thinking of making a few of these this year.

Nestle's website has recipes and cute printable recipe tags for Oatmeal-Chip Cookie Mix, Pumpkin Cranberry Bread Mix, Hot Cocoa Mix, Mini Pumpkin Muffin Mix, Chewy Brownie Mix, and Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix. Yum!

[teddy2948]

I have a receipie book at home with soup and chili recipies for the gifts in a jar I may do some of those they look extremely easy! I was thinking of maybe doing hot cocoa for teacher gifts with a Christmas mug.

[theloo]

Every year, I try to do something crafty and then everyone gets a variation of the same thing. One year it was wheat weavings. I have also done candles and jams. This year, everyone was supposed to get loofahs (bath sponges) that I grew in the garden together with soap or bath gel, but they are still on the vine and might not be ready by Christmas!

[Twinplets]

Originally Posted by sdlee

I'm also trying not to give my kids too many gifts this year. They get a bit overwhelmed, especially at Christmas. There is no need to spend a lot of money on toys they don't have room for and won't play with. I think they will learn to appreciate gifts more this way too.

We do the semi-traditional Chanukah thing of giving the kids one present each night. The kids don't need 24 new toys, especially with the twins' birthday being in late November. Books are always good, some nights we give one present for the kids to share, and last year the kids had just gotten "big kid" beds (August and September) so they each got a set of sheets one night. Another night was a new sleeper. I wonder how long we can get away with this, before they start insisting that presents have to be toys.

[cata5]

Originally Posted by Twinplets

We do the semi-traditional Chanukah thing of giving the kids one present each night. The kids don't need 24 new toys, especially with the twins' birthday being in late November. Books are always good, some nights we give one present for the kids to share, and last year the kids had just gotten "big kid" beds (August and September) so they each got a set of sheets one night. Another night was a new sleeper. I wonder how long we can get away with this, before they start insisting that presents have to be toys.

If you take your kids to movies or places like that, you could buy the tickets for gifts or make up coupons. Then in January, February, and March plan on taking them and using their "gift" tickets. They will feel like they got a cool present and it is something you would've forked over money for anyway. Fast food coupons would work, too especially if the kids like to play at the maze there. We don't do either very often.

I have played these tricks on my kids for years! LOL

If you rent movies often, maybe get them a gc so they can pick their own movie. OR buy some $1 movies from Overstock and think of it as 4 movies to keep for the price of a rental.

This year 2 of the kids will get a $10 Target gc ( that I got free with a new prescription!) for xmas. It is like a shopping spree for the after holidays clearance sales! I suggest to them that they not blow it on candy, but it's their gift so whatever..BTW, they are 11, and 13 so it is harder to find stuff for them anyway.

Ds (11) likes to ride his bike to Subway with his friends so I may get him a gc for there since he doesn't have much money to do that very often. He really enjoys going there. I want to concentrate on what they truly get a kick out of...not just buying something because it is the popular toy. KWIM?

OK I am a bit off topic....sorry...

[Nightowl69]

I shop all year round also..never know when your going to run into a good deal