Give consumable or handmade gifts

I work out to the Martha Stewart show and today she had on this woman that makes gorgeous bags out of fabric, duct tape and staples!! I kid you not! Here is the link that has the clip from the show. I’m going to be making these FOR SURE to give as gifts! I may even pick up this woman’s book to see what other good ideas she has.

http://www.marthastewart.com/article/no-sew-tote-bags

i colored a page in a coloring book today and gave it to a friend in the hospital. the other day i went to the 99cent store and bought a “friendship plant” to rehabilitate. my friends adore it. it’s still alive and hopefully stays that way for a long time.

Lorrie: I got a handmade piece of usable pottery for cooking from a local craftsman.

Mom: Sending flowers and a gift certificate to her favorite quilting store. Both she will really love!

Did a lot of gift certificates this year. Did some steaks, online gaming. On line video subscriptions.

One of my goals on 43things is to Give More Consumable or Handmade Gifts. The reason is pretty simple. Everyone I know and love probably has everything they really need. I know for the most part, I do. Well, I could use a few things like some good serving bowls and a big roasting pan for a turkey, but my life goes on just fine without them. And certainly most of us probably fall into that category. It isn’t like we don’t have clothing, food, or shelter.

Books I consider fair game. I don’t know why I do, but I do. And my sister likes beautiful useful pottery and I love that her boys scoop mashed potatoes out of beautiful pottery bowls and so I keep an eye out at chimneyville for her. I consider those to be useful and thus also fair game, since I am sure she’ll use them. I’m not sure that they completely fit the syntax of that goal but I’ve decided they fit the spirit.

One year, I knit some scarves for family and friends. I, ahem, still have a few in progress….. Yeah, I am a slow knitter. Certainly fits the handmade and I hope is meaningful to the recipients as something handmade by me for them. And I spend time thinking about the person as I knit so it comes saturated in my prayers and good thoughts for them.

But sometimes, I tend to go overboard and get one more thing and one more thing and blow my budget. And seeing as how my budget is always tight, that is not a good thing. Especially this year when I have spent bookoodles of money getting the puppy girls healthy. They are going to have to get jobs if they want to get sick again. ha.

And really, anyway, today is the first Sunday of Advent. It isn’t even Christmas until the night of December 24. Advent. A time of quiet waiting for the birth of the Savior. Quiet. Waiting. Anticipation. Prayer. Solemn. Thoughtful.

And today I found the Advent Conspiracy. A project to help people remember the reason for this Advent time.
From their site:
The concept behinid the Advent Conspiracy is simple:
Worship Fully
Spend Less
Give More
Love All

Check it out. It is lovely. They have a beautiful explaination for each of those.
http://www.adventconspiracy.org/hope/

So today I am going to get out my Advent candles and find my Advent prayer books and make time to say Advent prayers each evening. Maybe I’ll take one to work and say some each morning as well. And I’ll be a little more thoughtful about gifts this year. Bake spice muffins for gifts instead of getting knick knack things for friends. And infuse them with my love and prayers. Look for interesting cooking oils and spices that can be consumed and won’t have to be dusted, or hated and put in a closet.

Wishing you a peaceful Advent.

Didn’t do so well with this in shopping for the nephews….
But then they are 2 and 4. K got great puppets for the puppet theater his parents are getting for him so at least it is something for his imagination. E got a great stuffed monster he just LOVES every time he goes into the little shop and I got him a Gumby. So I am pretty sure the gifts will be well loved and used and I guess that is good.

I’m definitely going to make some biscotti as holiday gifts.

Tried a free month of DVDs thru the mail. I kept it. I will be a gift for my family. I had to see if it was cost effective and it really is. It’s also fun to get happy mail and mailing them back is oh so easy. A membership would make a nice gift for lots of people I know.

I have an old doll that is probably from the 30s or 40s. I acquired it when I was about 12 and wasn’t so into dolls. She’s nothing that could be sold because I would consider her in bad shape. She’s just interesting and for some reason, not sentimental, I’ve hung on to her. I want her to be loved. I’m planning on refurbishing her to donate for next years holidays. Too quick to do a great job this year but with an entire year I could make her spectacular. All my boys find her creepy. Too much Chucky for them.

Got R make up for Christmas. Did good with sales and coupons. She’ll have fun with it. I always buy family members the special toiletries they love but I wouldn’t ordinarily buy because they’re so expensive. I will do it as a gift though and I always wait until their on sale and I always look for a coupon. This is especially good for poor college students.