Thrifty Gifty - Organised for Christmas and all ocassions 2009- Santas Challenges

Lucy_Lu_4 · 26 August 2009 at 12:12AM

sarahf191979 · 26 August 2009 at 6:05AM

Originaly posted HERE on the Freebies board some really good paper crafts to make.

http://www.yamaha-motor.co.jp/global/entertainment/papercraft/

http://cp.c-ij.com/en/contents/2029/list_15_1.html

Might keep the kids amused the last week of the hols, or make a book of them up as an extra stocking filler.

sarahf191979 · 26 August 2009 at 6:17AM

A few non-alcoholic drinks recipies for the festive season:

HOT CRAN-APPLE CIDER :Ingredients :
2 quart of apple cider
1-1/2 quarts cranberry cocktail
1/4 cup brown sugar
3-inch cinnamon sticks
1-1/2 teaspoons whole cloves Preparation :Heat to boiling; reduce heat and simmer 15 to 20 minutes. Strain. 25 servings (about 1/2 cup each)

CITRUS COLLINS :Ingredients :
Fill 10-12 oz. galss with ice cubes
2 oz orange juice
1 oz. lemon juice
1 oz. simple syrup Preparation :Fill with club soda. Garnish with an orange slice or a cherry.

LEMON-STRAWBERRY PUNCH :Ingredients :
1 can (6 oz) frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1 pkg. frozen sliced strawberries
1 can (6 oz.) frozen lemonade concentrate
1 quart carbonated water
1 quart ginger ale
Slice bananas (garnish)
Slice oranges or lemons (Garnish) Preparation :Combine frozen lemonade, the strawberries half-thawed with juice), and the orange juice. Place in a punchbowl with ice. Just before serving, add carbonated water and ginger ale. Garnish with thin slices or orange or lemon. 20 servings.

COFFEE EGGNOG :Ingredients :
2 eggs, separated
1/3 cups sugar
1/3 cup instant coffee
Dash salt 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
2 cups milk, chilled
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whipped Shaved unsweetened chocolate
Preparation :In a small bowl using an mixer, beat at high speed, beat egg whites until soft peak forms. In large bowl, beat egg yolks until lemon colored. Gradually beat in coffee, salt, vanilla, milk, and 3/4 cut water. Stir in egg-white mixture and whipped cream; mix well. Serve well chilled, with chocolate sprinkled over each serving. Makes 12 servings.

SPICED CIDER :Ingredients :
1 quart cider
1/2 cup sugar
Dash Salt
12 whole cloves
1 (4 inch) cinnamon stick
8 whole allspice Preparation :Combine all ingredients in 2-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil, string until sugar is dissolved. Cool. Refrigerate covered, several hours. Just before serving, reheat slowly. Strain to remove spices. Serve hot, in mugs or punch cups, along with cookies. Makes 8 servings.

JOGGER'S NOG :Ingredients :
1-1/2 cups pineapple juice (chilled)
1/2 cut plain yogurt
1 tablespoon honey
6 ice cubes Preparation :Combine ingredients in blender container. Cover and run on high until well-blended. Serve in chilled glasses. 2 servings (10 oz. each)
Courtesy of: www.theholidayspot.com

sarahf191979 · 26 August 2009 at 6:29AM

Another Amazing Planner for Organising Christmas HERE, with Printouts to help.

sarahf191979 · 26 August 2009 at 6:32AM

This Really Cute Printable Reindeer Gift Box would look good with anything inside...

Full instructionsand printable etc... HERE

sarahf191979 · 26 August 2009 at 6:39AM

Christmas Cards:

1. Either don’t send Christmas cards or cut your list in half!
2. Send postcards or letters, instead of Christmas cards.
3. You can even cut your old Christmas cards from last year in half, and send the pretty side as a postcard. I did this many years and it works great, plus you’re being ‘earth friendly’ by keeping new cards out of the garbage dumps.
4. If you send postcards, whether purchased or homemade, remember they require less postage than a regular card!
5. Christmas cards always go on sale better in December; this is one time when the early birds do not beat us!
6. If you purchase inexpensive cards at a discount store, just look them through carefully. Some look really cheap, while others are much prettier. If you’re going to buy Christmas cards, they might as well look nice!
7. Make a short phone call at 5 cents a minute, a 7 minute call would still cost less than a postage stamp, and your loved ones would probably much rather you’re your voice than receive a card in the mail.

Wrapping Paper:

8. Use magazine pages to wrap small gifts.
9. The comic section of your newspaper also makes pretty paper. (I once saved them up for a few months before Christmas and had enough to make a gift out of a relative’s favorite comic strip. They loved it!)
10. Use your children’s artwork, or create your own on plain paper… the large reams of packing paper are great for this, contact anyone who’s in the process of moving!
11. Save used wrapping paper all through the year, just roll them back onto the paper tube and place a small piece of scotch tape on the edge to hold in place. These really work great for small gifts where the previously folded lines won’t even show. If the paper is the wrong theme, you could just turn it over and decorate the plain side yourself!
12. Don’t buy expensive ribbons and bows to decorate your packages, if you hunt around you can find the cheap stuff that will be just as pretty!
13. Forget the gift tags, make your own by cutting a small piece of matching paper and folding it in half. Write the “To and From” on the inside of the paper and tape it to the wrapped present. This is great for scraps of paper that are too small to wrap a gift, but too large to toss away.
14. Cut up old Christmas cards make great gift tags too!
15. If you sew, you could even use scrap material to wrap gifts.
16. Or inexpensive tissue paper that you’ve saved from other gifts throughout the year. Then decorate the wrapped gift with little smiley faces, Christmas trees, or even just the words “Merry Christmas!” You could even add some glitter if you have some on hand.

Decorations:

17. Don’t decorate.
18. Don’t decorate with expensive things!!!
19. The stores have incredible sales every year for decorations, buy close to the holiday or even better, after the holiday! You could fill your house with beautiful holiday decorations every year (if you wanted to), for a small fraction of what they originally cost!
20. Save your children’s (or grandchildren’s) holiday crafts and artwork from school each year, after a few years you’ll have a houseful of free and beautiful decorations! And the joy your child will feel seeing his/her artwork proudly displayed year after year is priceless.
21. Have a warm and cozy Christmas the old-fashioned way. Pop some popcorn and string it up all over the house!
22. Add some cranberries to your popcorn string for a touch of color.
23. Decorate your house by bringing the outside in, using pinecones and acorns! Sprinkle with a few drops of pine scented oil if you have it on hand, I know a lot of you just might!
24. Invest in an artificial tree after Christmas - when they go on clearance!
25. And don’t try to get all your tree ornaments in one year (this one is especially true for newlyweds), it took your parents years to collect what they have… and each ornament is more special because of it.

Food:
26. Many grocery stores are offering great deals during the holidays, some are even giving away food, or cash! Read the paper every week for your local deals, or if you don’t subscribe to the newspaper, pick up the free ad flyers at the store and take it home so you’ll have time to look it over really good before shopping.
27. Compare prices! I like to buy whatever’s on sale at one store, then a few days later when we need more milk anyways, I go to a second store and get their best deals, it’s a great money-saver!
28. Store brands are great when making casseroles and side dishes… no one will even notice!
29. Cook your turkey in a large Reynolds cooking bag and you won’t need to buy an expensive Butterball, any brand will be wonderful!
30. Stock up while everything’s on sale, just an extra can or box here and there… not a storage closet full! If you end up with too many bargain buys, share them with your local food bank!
31. Use money off Coupons while shopping.

Entertainment:
32. Rent DVD's Rather than go to the Cinema.
33. Another great and frugal way to entertain the family through the holidays is to take a drive around your town, or another one nearby, to see the Christmas lights. It’s a family tradition of ours to do this on Christmas Eve and we look forward to it every year!
34. Get out the board games, the kids will love spending time with you. If you don’t have many to choose from, maybe you can borrow a new game from a friend or neighbor. You never know, they might have a closet full they never even use!
35. Playing cards is always fun too, even when the kids are little you can play Go Fish… we’re making memories here.
36. Sing, sing, sing! Many churches and groups even have caroling get-togethers in December, what fun!
37. Sit around a warm fire, or cozy up in the living room with blankets and hot chocolate. Tell family stories… or have everyone take turns saying how they have been blessed throughout the year, like we do at Thanksgiving. Being thankful shouldn’t end in November, keep the spirit going!
38. Have a family gathering to decorate the tree, wrap gifts, or bake cookies.
39. Check out a Christmas book from the library and read it together as a family. Or, decide on a story and have everyone contribute a chapter to create a new Christmas book... maybe even one about your own family!

sarahf191979 · 26 August 2009 at 6:44AM

Frugal Holiday Fun with Kids

SCENTED CINNAMON CUTOUTS

Place these anywhere, they are like potpourri.

10 tbsp. hot applesauce
5 oz. cinnamon

You can use other spices too (ginger, allspice, etc.), or combine them. Mix together, if dry add more sauce. If wet, add more spice. Makes a great non-sticky dough. Very workable. Sprinkle work area with spice and rolling pin. Roll dough 1/4" thick.
Cut into desired shapes. Holiday shapes, houses, ginger people, apples, bears, hearts, etc.
For Ornaments: Use a straw to poke a little hole on top. Place cut outs on a screen. Let dry 6 to 7 days. Or dry in warm oven for 3 or 4 hours. Almost feels like driftwood. Paint if you wish. Be creative. Example: Ginger people. Use white dimensional paint, looks like icing. Glue ribbon to them, hang them up in a favorite spot. Glue magnets on back. Personalize ornaments. Use mini cutters, make gift tags.

SNOW ICE CREAM

1 egg, beaten slightly
1/2 c. sugar
Pinch salt
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. milk

Mix well. Stir in enough clean fresh snow to make it about the consistency of homemade ice cream. Makes about 4 quarts.

MARSHMALLOW SNOWMAN

Cut strip of fruit leather for scarf. Gently push a pretzel stick through 2 marshmallows. Wrap scarf around end of pretzel. Add another marshmallow for head. Use another pretzel to attach gumdrop hat. Make face with cloves and rolled fruit leather. Make arms with pretzels and mini- marshmallows.

DECORATOR BAGS

1 plain brown bag
Sponge Acrylic paint(s)
Hole puncher
Twine or curling ribbon

Take a plain brown bag and a sponge cut into any shape. Using acrylic paints, decorate bag. Get creative! Allow to dry and then turn down a couple of inches at the top and use a hole puncher and punch two holes about 2" apart. Use either packing twine or curling ribbon through the holes and tie a bow. Makes a really cute country bag that is fun and inexpensive and easy to do.
You can also use a stencil and stencil a design on the bag. This is fun for children since they can design it themselves! Can be used to give cookies or candies or gifts other than food items.

MY FIRST TERRARIUM

Soak the bottle in very warm water for a few minutes. Then empty it, pull off the colored bottom part and peel off the label. Clean the glue out of the bottom part.
Put a layer of small rocks in the bottom part. Put potting soil over the rocks and then put in your plants. Be sure to press the roots of the plants down. Add more soil around your plants to fill the planter.
Arrange pretty stones, tiny sticks, or tiny toy animals around the plants. Use a sharp knife to cut the top off the clear part of the bottle (about 4" from the cap). Turn the clear part upside down. Slip the cut edges into the planter to make a dome top.
You can glue an artificial flower or bug to the dome for decoration.
Note: If you can't find a drink bottle that has the colored reinforced bottom, just use a regular one and use your sharp knife to cut off the bottom. Spray paint it and follow the rest of the directions above.

CHRISTMAS SPONGE ART WRAPPING PAPER

White paper Scissors Dry sponge Ballpoint pen Water colors (red & green)
Draw a yuletide motif on white paper. Then cut out and place on a dry sponge (one with tiny holes in the sponge are the best). Then trace the pattern with your ballpoint pen and cut out the shape. (Parents will need to help with these steps).
Then, dip in paint, squeeze excess paint out and blot onto either plain white or solid colored wrapping paper. You can stamp each sponge several times before re-dipping in the paint. This even dresses up plain newspaper wrapping! Great for any time of the year!

SALT DOUGH ORNAMENTS

2 c. flour
1 c. salt
1 c. water

Mix all thoroughly. Add 1 tablespoon of water if dough is dry. Knead 5 minutes. Shape. Poke a small paper clip in back of ornaments. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Smooth rough edges with wet knife before baking. Bake at 250 degrees for 2 hours.
Paint with acrylic paints or Testor's paints (model paint). Coat with clear shellac.
IDEAS: Braid dough and make into wreath. Decorate with ribbon and dried flowers. Make into holiday ornaments; snowman, santa, etc. Use utensils, garlic press, fork, knives, toothpicks to make designs.

Courtesy of: www.allthingsfrugal.com

sarahf191979 · 26 August 2009 at 6:51AM

What did the guest sing at the Eskimo's Christmas party ?

Freeze a jolly fellow !

:rotfl:

ellemm · 26 August 2009 at 7:26AM

Wow! Sarah you are on a roll this morning! I can see I'll be doing a lot of cutting & pasting this morning :beer:

sarahf191979 · 26 August 2009 at 7:34AM

ellemm wrote: »

Wow! Sarah you are on a roll this morning! I can see I'll be doing a lot of cutting & pasting this morning :beer:

Once I started I just couldn't stop lol:rotfl:, They are all on the Blog for quick referance too

http://thriftygifty.blogspot.com/

Just having a coffee now listening to the rain pouring down outside. trying to decide what we are going to do today.

Thrifty Gifty - Organised for Christmas and all ocassions 2009- Santas Challenges

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