Frugal Christmas Wrapping Ideas

I've mentioned before that I like to wrap my online-ordered gifts as soon as they arrive at the front door. So today I thought I'd try and find some frugal ideas for doing the wrapping. My personal favorite that I have done several years in the past is to wrap all gifts in brown paper grocery store bags. I buy a few packages of very inexpensive stick-on stars in red and gold and stick them all over the package, then tie the package with raffia or a coordinating vintage ribbon. (For some reason, my husband bought a moving box full of vintage cloth ribbon a few years ago! I still have 3/4ths of the box left!) Got to love people that make use of plastic shopping bags! I've seen bags made into all kinds of things, but this is so appropriate for the upcoming holidays. Make a holiday package BOW from your plastic grocery bags! Check out the step by step instructions on the Creature Comforts: DIY blog. And God Bless Martha during the holiday season. For once I see a craft on her web site that I can actually do AND afford! I'm going to use last year's Christmas cards to make monogram gift tags! No instructions, but do you really need them? Feeling a little more crafty? Check out Carol Duvall's ideas for re-using Christmas cards - you know you have them! From McCall's Quilting is this GREAT idea for using up your stack of lone quilt blocks. I'm loving this one! Step by step instructions here.

Our Thanksgiving

Our one non-food tradition at our Thanksgiving table is for everyone to hold hands before we eat and say what they are thankful for. This is the first year that 2 year old Brayden is old enough to speak complete sentences, so I took him aside before dinner and explained what we were going to do and why we were doing it, and asked him to think about what he wanted to say "thank you" for. When it was his turn, he got a little shy with all eyes on him, but a very quiet, timid voice, he said, "I'm thankful for lunch." Awwwwwww.... And what did Mr. Fussy Eater eat for Thanksgiving dinner? Spaghettio's and Bread & Butter pickles, of course! Honestly, I didn't care. The important thing is that he was there, sitting at our Thanksgiving Table. What he actually ate really didn't matter. There's the difference between being a grandparent and a parent!

May I send you a $10 gift certificate for dinner?

Restaurant.com is offering me (and I'm sure many others! LOL) the opportunity to mail out three $10 gift certificates PER DAY from now until Christmas! I'd like to share them with YOU! First, just go to Restaurant.com and check your zip code and see if there are participating restaurants in your area. Then simply leave a comment on my blog, then email me with YES PLEASE in the subject line, and I'll send you a Gift Certificate! Usually the $10 certificates are used against a purchase of $25 or more. Be sure to read the fine print for the restaurant of your choice. I don't believe these gift certificates are transferrable -- so the person I email them to is probably the person who is going to have to use them. This will be on a first-come, first serve basis, and I'll mail them at the rate of three per day. It may take a few days for you to get yours. I will post a notice here if and when I run out of Gift Certificates.

Happy Thanksgiving

To All Our Family and Friends. Just a note to let you know we are hoping to see you Thanksgiving Day But.... Martha Stewart will not be dining with us this Thanksgiving. I'm telling you in advance, so don't act surprised. Since Ms. Stewart won't be coming, I've made a few small changes: Our sidewalk will not be lined with homemade, paper bag luminaries. After a trial run, it was decided that no matter how cleverly done, rows of flaming lunch sacks do not have the desired welcoming effect. Once inside, our guests will note that the entry hall is not decorated with the swags of Indian corn and fall foliage I had planned to make. Instead, I've gotten the kids involved in the decorating by having them track in colorful autumn leaves from the front yard. The mud was their idea. The dining table will not be covered with expensive linens, fancy china, or crystal goblets. If possible, we will use dishes that match and everyone will get a fork. Since this IS Thanksgiving, we will refrain from using the plastic Peter Rabbit plate and the Santa napkins from last Christmas. Our centerpiece will not be the tower of fresh fruit and flowers that I promised. Instead we will be displaying a hedgehog-like decoration hand-crafted from the finest construction paper. The artist assures me it is a turkey. We will be dining fashionably late. The children will entertain you while you wait. I'm sure they will be happy to share every choice comment I have made regarding Thanksgiving, pilgrims and the turkey hotline. Please remember that most of these comments were made at 5:00 a.m. upon discovering that the turkey was still hard enough to cut diamonds. As accompaniment to the children's recital, I will play a recording of tribal drumming. If the children should mention that I don't own a recording of tribal drumming, or that tribal drumming sounds suspiciously like a frozen turkey in a clothes dryer, ignore them. They are lying. We toyed with the idea of ringing a dainty silver bell to announce the start of our feast. In the end, we chose to keep our traditional method. We've also decided against a formal seating arrangement. When the smoke alarm sounds, please gather around the table and sit where you like. In the spirit of harmony, we will ask the children to sit at a separate table. In a separate room. Next door. Now, I know you have all seen pictures of one person carving a turkey in front of a crowd of appreciative onlookers. This will not be happening at our dinner. For safety reasons, the turkey will be carved in a private ceremony. I stress "private" meaning: Do not, under any circumstances, enter the kitchen to laugh at me. Do not send small, unsuspecting children to check on my progress. I have an electric knife. The turkey is unarmed. It stands to reason that I will eventually win. When I do, we will eat. I would like to take this opportunity to remind my young diners that "passing the rolls" is not a football play. Nor is it a request to bean your sister in the head with warm tasty bread. Oh, and one reminder for the adults: For the duration of the meal, and especially while in the presence of young diners, we will refer to the giblet gravy by its lesser-known name: Cheese Sauce. If a young diner questions you regarding the origins or type of Cheese Sauce, plead ignorance. Cheese Sauce stains. Before I forget, there is one last change. Instead of offering a choice between 12 different scrumptious desserts, we will be serving the traditional pumpkin pie, garnished with whipped cream and small fingerprints. You will still have a choice; take it or leave it. I hope you aren't too disappointed that Martha Stewart will not be dining with us this Thanksgiving. She probably won't come next year either. Author: Barbara A Tyler

I never quite understood "Black Friday"

Black Friday is almost here. Such a negative name for the day after Thanksgiving. I've never done the up-at-4am and at the stores by 5am thing. Oh wait, one time Jeff and I did go to one store to get a good deal on something one of the kids wanted for Christmas. The store was one of those open 24 hours a day anyway, so we arrived at 3am -- and the toy wasn't there! We asked if it would be available at 4am if we waited for the sale to start, and were told they'd already sold out. That was my last venture into Black Friday. I have better things to do -- like, sleep! I didn't realize Black Friday includes shopping on the Internet. And I was even more pleased to find out that Amazon's "Black Friday" actually starts TODAY! And look what I found -- something that's on my Christmas list for about $50 less than what I'd planned on paying for it. In fact, I just got an electronics store flyer in snail-mail and their Black Friday price was $139! See? No getting up at 4am for me! Check Amazon's Black Friday page often. They will be changing the contents of the page throughout the sale. Quantities are limited on some items. And the good news is - it's not just a one day or four hour sale -- it goes right through midnight of December 4th! That's a whole lot of jammie time! If you want to check out Amazon's Black Friday, you could click on this web page -- if you like -- I mean, I'm not supposed to ask you too, but if you want to, it would be nice because you never know, it might put a little extra jingle in my pocket for Christmas and every little bit helps -- and if you're going there anyway...

A Canned Response from Levi Strauss

In addition to the actual snail-mail letters I sent to the President and Chairman of the Board of the Levi Strauss Co., I sent an email to their "consumer relations" email address, and received the following "canned" response:

Thanks for contacting us about our "Live Unbuttoned" ad campaign. We appreciate hearing from you. We try hard to connect in meaningful ways with the enormously diverse range of people who wear our jeans. Sometimes, we miss the mark and sincerely apologize if you feel this is one of those times. Thanks again for letting us know your comments and concerns. We will definitely pass them on to our marketing colleagues who pay close attention to consumer feedback. Samantha Consumer Relations Levi Strauss & Co. sherna3396589

And this was my return response:

Thank you for your canned response. I do hope you will actually pass my email on, as this is a serious matter to many of us who actually care about the future of our children and resent Levi's promotion of "unrestrained behavior". As an employee, are you actually allowed to put this "unrestrained behavior" into action? Can you be rude to customers? Can you walk into an executive's office without being invited and use his phone or pour yourself a cup of coffee? Perhaps you can take office equipment home with you or steal credit card numbers from customers. Why not, when Levi's own web page tells us your company is all about "unrestrained behavior". Except it's only OUR kids whose behavior can be unrestrained, I'm betting. Not the children of the executives making a few million a year, not the employees at the company... just our kids that your company is trying so hard to promote casual sex and such "unrestrained behavior" as breaking and entering into a family's home. Yes, please do pass my email on -- and this one too.

I will continue to fight this fight and I do hope you will help me by writing to the Levi Strauss Company and telling them that these commercials are NOT acceptable to those of us who actually have to live with the consequences of their "unrestrained behavior" philosophy.

A Simple Woman's DayBook 11/24/08

For today, Monday, November 24th: Outside my window... It's dark, dreary, rainy, cold - a good night for a fire in the fireplace. I am thinking... that I need to make a "final" grocery shopping list. I am thankful for... my husband having so much vacation time left! He'll be working 3 day weeks for the rest of the year. From the kitchen... A little voice saying, "Get off the computer! Come start dinner"! (the voice is mine) I am wearing... gray sweatshirt jacket, jeans, rust brown t-shirt I am creating... Christmas presents - socks, mittens, scarves and more. I am going... to get my haircut SHORT one of these days. I swear I am. I am reading... "Someone Knows My Name" by Lawrence Hill. I am hoping... to have my Christmas shopping done by the end of this month. I am hearing... the washing machine spinning, the dryer rumbling Around the house... turkey defrosting, napkins and linens need to be ironed while watching tv tonight, a bag of fabric beside my door to Freecycle (I spent some time decluttering my quilting room today), a bag of things to send to Niki ready to mail tomorrow, a package to mail to Lisa. One of my favorite things... My entire family sitting around the holiday table -- I do wish my son and DIL could be with us. A few plans for the rest of the week: See below for Monday thru Thursday. From Friday noon to Saturday noon, we'll be babysitting Brayden and I plan on working on a Christmas craft with him (for him to give to others). Saturday afternoon, I hope, will be relax, watch a good movie and do some knitting time, and Sunday? I have no idea. A picture I want to share with you is... This is the smile that lights up our lives. Blog your own daybook by going to The Simple Woman's Daybook.

Menu Planning Monday - Thanksgiving Week To Do List

So, it's the big Thanksgiving meal this week... I'm combining my Menu Planning Monday with Thanksgiving Preparation To Do List. Normally, my To Do List doesn't include delegating work, but (wooo hooo!) my husband is on vacation from Tuesday on this week -- so he gets to help! Isn't he lucky?? All meals except the holiday meal will be fairly easy -- I have to save my strength for all that holiday cooking! That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Monday Meal Hot dogs on buns Macaroni and Cheese Monday To Do List Clean out refrigerator Remove Turkey from freezer Clean bathrooms Laundry Run China and serving pieces through dishwasher Dust dining room, general spruce up Wash tablecloth and linen napkins, put on table 15 minute Windex* Tuesday Meal Breakfast for Dinner Cheese, Crumbled Bacon and Onion Omelettes Toasted homemade rye bread Turkey sausage Tuesday To Do List Vac and dust downstairs 15 minute Windex Wash Kitchen floor (dh) Last trip to grocery store (dh) Get Thanksgiving Craft ready for Brayden (turkey's made from hand prints) Wednesday Meal Chicken Tikka Masala (pre-packaged Indian food) Rice Mixed Green salad Wednesday To Do List Bake apple pie Make dough for rolls Cut up onions and celery for stuffing List of tomorrow's menu on fridge door Match serving dishes to serving spoons, etc. Sharpen carving knife (dh) Empty all trash (dh) Give kitchen good cleaning last thing at night, including empty dishwasher (dh), clean counters, get out cutting boards Babysitting for Brayden - 7am - 6pm Thursday - Thanksgiving Very traditional dishes here! Roast turkey with traditional stuffing Mashed potatoes, turkey gravy Steamed brocolli Boiled Onions in cream sauce Green Bean Casserole Cranberry Sauce (canned!) Rolls (homemade), butter (real!) Apple Pie (homemade), Pumpkin Pie (bakery bought) Holiday Fruit Salad Thursday To Do List After dinner, make "TV Dinners" for freezer** Clean up dishes, put back in dining room hutch (dh) Wipe down counters and stove Friday Turkey Day Leftovers - probably sandwiches

Saturday Lentil Soup Cornbread Sunday Chef's choice (Meaning: Eat leftovers, I'm tired o' cooking!)

**TV Dinners - One of our favorite family Thanksgiving traditions is to work together to make "TV Dinners" after the big meal is over. I lay out disposable aluminum pie plates, and we divy up all the leftovers into one meal per plate. Two go home with my daughter for her leftovers. The rest (usually 8 to 10) get wrapped first in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil and stacked in the chest freezer. These are the best last-minute dinners! Just put them in the oven on 350 for about 30 to 45 minutes, or until you can stick your finger in the middle of the mashed potatoes and they are good and warm. Yum yum and more yum. This is why I cook a 24 lb. turkey for three adults and one fussy eater two year old! *15 Minute Windex - I've posted this before, but will post it here again. This is one of the best household tips I have. Is your house looking a little tired and needs a good sprucing up? Grab a bottle of windex and two pieces of paper towel, and set a timer for 15 minutes. Then clean whatever can be windexed (but not windows unless they really need it!), and don't stop until that timer goes off. Repeat the next day. You'll be amazed at how much you can get done in 15 minutes, how much "sparkle" it adds back to your house, and how many different things you can clean with a bottle of Windex (light switches, faucets, TV screens, candle sticks, etc etc etc)! Try and repeat twice a week and you'll see a real difference!

A Magical Gift for all ages

I sometimes sneak into the "Juvenile" section of our public library to see what's new. Last week I picked up a copy of a book titled "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" and, honestly, you need to read / view this book. It is like no other book you've held in your hands before. There's no simple way to describe it. Take a wonderful work of fiction, a flip book, a picture book, a graphic novel, a movie -- shake them all together, and you have "The Invention of Hugo Carbret". Author Brian Selznick tells a story that pulls you in from the first turning of the page. It's the story of a young orphaned boy, forced to live in the underground apartment of his uncle, the clock keeper, in a Paris train station, and the tale of the boy's efforts to survive the best way he knows how. A central character in the book is an animated man, discovered by the boy's father in a museum attic, and now being restored by the boy. But the charm of this book -- and I do mean "charm" -- are the way the illustrations (by the author) blend so beautifully with the written words. The full page dark illustations actually replace words and sweep you along the boy's journey as no words could. Often there are no words at all for 10 or 15 pages. It is pure magic. Although found in the Juvenile section and I'm sure aimed at the 9 to 12 year old readers, it is called a "true masterpiece" by Publisher's Weekly and, in my opinion, can be enjoyed by every adult who wants to experience a completely new way to read a book. Better yet, buy it for your child or grandchild, and share it with them! Definitely a book you could read together, or just savor for yourself.