Monday, December 12, 2005
That old Christmas conundrum... time/money and homemade gifts
Those December magazines offering gorgeously illustrated articles on "last minute presents you can make" and "gifts from the heart... homemade" always amaze me! Are they NUTS!
Homemade gifts have historically been valued as (often) the only gifts possible...think Little House on the Prairie and homemade dolls. Later homemade gifts were seen as a way to save money. Then, they were seen as a way to truly honor the recipient with, not only the gift itself, but also the gift of your time that went in to making the present. And in the most recent past, homemade has become a statement against crass consumerism. (Don't get me started on this one!)
But, for most of us, we're already using at least some of our time to save money on everyday expenses. So, while we may make homemade gifts, we usually plan ahead to do that, right? (I'm still working on a sweater for Tim's birthday...last May! Although to be fair, the yarn I wanted to use (a fabulous alpaca/silk blend) was back-ordered and I didn't get it until late September...) But, one kind of homemade present we often do leave until the last minute is goodies from our kitchen.
Before we start looking at specific ideas and recipes, I have a question for you. Do you putter around the kitchen making wonderful gifts, congratulating yourself on the fine flavors you've created, the time and money you've saved ONLY to drive yourself beserk looking for just the perfect containers for those goodies?? Please, please tell me I'm not the only one who does this!!
Over the next few days, we'll talk about a number of delicious and inexpensive gift goodies you, or even the kids!, can make. AND, I promise good container ideas too. If you have a copy of my cookbook (www.frugalfamilykitchen.com) , you already have recipes for those fancy coffee mixes, and more. But, tomorrow, we'll look at Narnia's Great Temptation Treat - Turkish Delight!
December 12, 2005
December 11, 2005
Sunday, December 11, 2005
Gifts for the book lover...
After our usual Sunday morning coffee and bagel, we took a walk on the beach about 7:30, as the tide had just turned and started out. There was quite a bit of sea smoke across the marshlands, and several clumps of trees where ice-shrouded, positively aglow in the slanting early morning sun. There was a distinct bite to the breeze, but it was so nice to be out...
I thought today we'd take just a few minutes to look at some gift ideas for book lovers, and I don't mean books themselves as that list would be endless! (And of course my Frugal Family's Kitchen Book would be right at the top, right!?)
I saw an article in a local paper recently that I thought was a terrific idea: a website for cataloging your home library! I'd absolutely love this! I have bookcases chock-full of book all over the house, but there's no rhyme nor reason to the shelving. I'd really like to know what I have, and if I could sorta' somehow code the bookcase or room where any particular book lives, it would be fabulous. And what a great tool for estate planning purposes, espeically if there are valuable books intended for a specific recipient some day.
Check out the website: www.librarything.com You can catalog your books in all different kinds of ways, and up to 200 books the service is free. (If you love books, you probably have a whole lot more than 200!) But the best part is that over 200 books, you can use this service for $10/year or very best of all, $25 for life. Great idea, huh?
Do you know some kids who love books, and perhaps even at a tender age, have started their own collections? I love bookplates but they can be expensive, and time consuming to have printed. I found some wonderful fancy labels ready for the computer, and made each Baxter and Katie a sheet of their own saying, "This book belongs to Katie" or This is book is well loved by Baxter" and the final sheet for both of them, "This book has been read again and again by Baxter and Katie"
Finally, a third thought is a Book Book. You can buy these of course, but starting one of your own for someone is great fun. In the last one I made (using a pocketbook-sized notebook), I titled the first two-thirds, Books I Think You'd Enjoy... and the last third Authors Might Want to Check Out... THEN, I invited mutual friends of the intended recipient to write a short review of a book they'd read recently and thought Jenna would like. This was a birthday gift, and I was surprised at how much Jenna really liked it. She often hands it to people and asks them to add a review (which she says her reading friends love doing!), and she always takes it to the library with her.
The next time we talk let's look at that holiday conundrum of time/money, the homemade gift.
Keep warm! Mary
Gifts for the book lover...
After our usual Sunday morning coffee and bagel, we took a walk on the beach about 7:30, as the tide had just turned and started out. There was quite a bit of sea smoke across the marshlands, and several clumps of trees where ice-shrouded, positively aglow in the slanting early morning sun. There was a distinct bite to the breeze, but it was so nice to be out...
I thought today we'd take just a few minutes to look at some gift ideas for book lovers, and I don't mean books themselves as that list would be endless! (And of course my Frugal Family's Kitchen Book would be right at the top, right!?)
I saw an article in a local paper recently that I thought was a terrific idea: a website for cataloging your home library! I'd absolutely love this! I have bookcases chock-full of book all over the house, but there's no rhyme nor reason to the shelving. I'd really like to know what I have, and if I could sorta' somehow code the bookcase or room where any particular book lives, it would be fabulous. And what a great tool for estate planning purposes, espeically if there are valuable books intended for a specific recipient some day.
Check out the website: www.librarything.com You can catalog your books in all different kinds of ways, and up to 200 books the service is free. (If you love books, you probably have a whole lot more than 200!) But the best part is that over 200 books, you can use this service for $10/year or very best of all, $25 for life. Great idea, huh?
Do you know some kids who love books, and perhaps even at a tender age, have started their own collections? I love bookplates but they can be expensive, and time consuming to have printed. I found some wonderful fancy labels ready for the computer, and made each Baxter and Katie a sheet of their own saying, "This book belongs to Katie" or This is book is well loved by Baxter" and the final sheet for both of them, "This book has been read again and again by Baxter and Katie"
Finally, a third thought is a Book Book. You can buy these of course, but starting one of your own for someone is great fun. In the last one I made (using a pocketbook-sized notebook), I titled the first two-thirds, Books I Think You'd Enjoy... and the last third Authors Might Want to Check Out... THEN, I invited mutual friends of the intended recipient to write a short review of a book they'd read recently and thought Jenna would like. This was a birthday gift, and I was surprised at how much Jenna really liked it. She often hands it to people and asks them to add a review (which she says her reading friends love doing!), and she always takes it to the library with her.
The next time we talk let's look at that holiday conundrum of time/money, the homemade gift.
Keep warm! Mary
December 10, 2005
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Chickens in the snow...
Well, we did get snow yesterday, and how! I had let our chickens out to free-range in the morning as usual, and even as the snow piled up I didn't give them another thought. I should have!
We have a dozen hens, seven Rhode Island reds, three barred rocks and two aracunas, the ones who lay the colored eggs. Or at least they're supposed to, anyway! End of the day, with the snow winding down, Bert started the snowblowing. I walked down to check that the girls had gone into their house for the night. Eight had, four were missing. Oh-oh.
One barred rock was huddled on the back doorstep and I was able to herd her down to the house. One aracuna was perched on top of a planter on the deck where I captured her and carried her home. The second aracuna was on top of a bird feed than hangs from a six-foot pole. I foundered over, caught her and carried her, too, back home for the night. I counted, then counted again. Nope, still one RI red missing.
I searched under the arborvitae, in the old turkey pen, and finally under the back deck where I found her shivering. She wouldn't come out when I rattled grain so I crawled under and shooed her out. But she panicked and tried to fly away only to land in the foot of soft new snow, completely immobile, terribly cold, and very scared. I was able to get her and once more trek down to the chicken house.
As of this morning, none were the worse for the first serious snowfall of the season. BUT, from now on, we'll only let them out into their pen for the day!
Back to Christmas present ideas the next time we visit, okay! Mary
Chickens in the snow...
Well, we did get snow yesterday, and how! I had let our chickens out to free-range in the morning as usual, and even as the snow piled up I didn't give them another thought. I should have!
We have a dozen hens, seven Rhode Island reds, three barred rocks and two aracunas, the ones who lay the colored eggs. Or at least they're supposed to, anyway! End of the day, with the snow winding down, Bert started the snowblowing. I walked down to check that the girls had gone into their house for the night. Eight had, four were missing. Oh-oh.
One barred rock was huddled on the back doorstep and I was able to herd her down to the house. One aracuna was perched on top of a planter on the deck where I captured her and carried her home. The second aracuna was on top of a bird feed than hangs from a six-foot pole. I foundered over, caught her and carried her, too, back home for the night. I counted, then counted again. Nope, still one RI red missing.
I searched under the arborvitae, in the old turkey pen, and finally under the back deck where I found her shivering. She wouldn't come out when I rattled grain so I crawled under and shooed her out. But she panicked and tried to fly away only to land in the foot of soft new snow, completely immobile, terribly cold, and very scared. I was able to get her and once more trek down to the chicken house.
As of this morning, none were the worse for the first serious snowfall of the season. BUT, from now on, we'll only let them out into their pen for the day!
Back to Christmas present ideas the next time we visit, okay! Mary
December 8, 2005
December 8, 2005
Give now, pay later, AND save... Honest!
Over the next couple of weeks, we'll talk about some ways to save on that Christmas spending. One of the best ways is to spread it out. Of course that may mean you pay off your credit cards (with their new higher minimum payments) over the coming months. Or it may mean you opt for one of those "No payments due until 2007" deals (be careful here!). But in both those instances, you're going to pay to use (borrow) someone's else's money.
What do I mean by spreading out the cost of Christmas? Let me digress a little bit before I answer that. Over the years, I've found that we give fewer things for the holidays. If I go for example to the Old Port area of nearby Portland, with all its neat little shope and unusual offerings, I'm overwhelmed. I want it all and I want it now!!
And if I get something for one person, that old fairness thing kicks in, and I think well, I really should get one for.... or, maybe I should get a little something more for... and WHOA, serious shopping escalation has set in!
So we tend to look for other kinds of present to give. Tickets for events. Classes. Experiences, especially experiences to share. Let me give you some examples and you'll see how it spreads the expense. Last year, a daughter gave Bert an hour (shared with her) at the local archery range. They didn't go until October (when she actually paid for it), but they had it to look forward to. This same daughter has in the past given him deep sea fishing for the following summer.
(Personally, I'm a BIG fan of present for after Christmas...) This year we're giving Hannah and Greg a weekend trip to their choice of Quebec or Montreal, including babysitting for two grandchildren and one grandpuppy. It's more than we could easily afford with everything else at this time of year, but we'll pay for it when they make the reservations, probably in May or June. And we'll be giving Ward a cerificate for a knife-making class at the nearby art school in April and May. Bert's planning to take the class too and we'll pay for both in late January-early February.
Start thinking about this kind of thing , and let's talk about many more, even more frugal, ideas in the next few days.
Have a wonderful Thursday... we've got 6" of snow predicted for tomorrow! Mary
Give now, pay later, AND save... Honest!
Over the next couple of weeks, we'll talk about some ways to save on that Christmas spending. One of the best ways is to spread it out. Of course that may mean you pay off your credit cards (with their new higher minimum payments) over the coming months. Or it may mean you opt for one of those "No payments due until 2007" deals (be careful here!). But in both those instances, you're going to pay to use (borrow) someone's else's money.
What do I mean by spreading out the cost of Christmas? Let me digress a little bit before I answer that. Over the years, I've found that we give fewer things for the holidays. If I go for example to the Old Port area of nearby Portland, with all its neat little shope and unusual offerings, I'm overwhelmed. I want it all and I want it now!!
And if I get something for one person, that old fairness thing kicks in, and I think well, I really should get one for.... or, maybe I should get a little something more for... and WHOA, serious shopping escalation has set in!
So we tend to look for other kinds of present to give. Tickets for events. Classes. Experiences, especially experiences to share. Let me give you some examples and you'll see how it spreads the expense. Last year, a daughter gave Bert an hour (shared with her) at the local archery range. They didn't go until October (when she actually paid for it), but they had it to look forward to. This same daughter has in the past given him deep sea fishing for the following summer.
(Personally, I'm a BIG fan of present for after Christmas...) This year we're giving Hannah and Greg a weekend trip to their choice of Quebec or Montreal, including babysitting for two grandchildren and one grandpuppy. It's more than we could easily afford with everything else at this time of year, but we'll pay for it when they make the reservations, probably in May or June. And we'll be giving Ward a cerificate for a knife-making class at the nearby art school in April and May. Bert's planning to take the class too and we'll pay for both in late January-early February.
Start thinking about this kind of thing , and let's talk about many more, even more frugal, ideas in the next few days.
Have a wonderful Thursday... we've got 6" of snow predicted for tomorrow! Mary
December 6, 2005
December 6, 2005
On Being Frugal...
Four of us were having coffee together recently when the conversation turned to very concept of "frugal." By turns serious and silly, we first brainstormed all the "frugal" words we know...
tight
careful
close
stingy
scrooge-y
penny-pinching
scroungy
skinflint
And then from our more learned members, parsimonious and penurious!
It didn't take long to see that most, if not all, of these words have negative connotations. (Hmmmm.... and we wonder why Americans save so little!) Of course we also noticed that we couldn't think of as many words for "generous."
We finally settled on the idea that "I'm frugal and you're thrifty, but she's stingy!"
So, what's your idea of being frugal? Does it apply only to your money? Or to your time and energies too?
We had gotten together to exchange money-saving Christmas present ideas, and then wondered if the term "frugal Christmas" is in itself an oxymoron! The clash of seasonal generosity with the
post-seasonal need for...prudence. Let's talk about that the next time you stop by. In the meantime, it's a goegeous sunny day here on the coast of Maine. I hope it is where you are, and in your heart! Mary
On Being Frugal...
Four of us were having coffee together recently when the conversation turned to very concept of "frugal." By turns serious and silly, we first brainstormed all the "frugal" words we know...
tight
careful
close
stingy
scrooge-y
penny-pinching
scroungy
skinflint
And then from our more learned members, parsimonious and penurious!
It didn't take long to see that most, if not all, of these words have negative connotations. (Hmmmm.... and we wonder why Americans save so little!) Of course we also noticed that we couldn't think of as many words for "generous."
We finally settled on the idea that "I'm frugal and you're thrifty, but she's stingy!"
So, what's your idea of being frugal? Does it apply only to your money? Or to your time and energies too?
We had gotten together to exchange money-saving Christmas present ideas, and then wondered if the term "frugal Christmas" is in itself an oxymoron! The clash of seasonal generosity with the
post-seasonal need for...prudence. Let's talk about that the next time you stop by. In the meantime, it's a goegeous sunny day here on the coast of Maine. I hope it is where you are, and in your heart! Mary
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