***Holiday Planning, 2014***

[blessedw2]

if your d dil is gluten intolerant there is a flour (rather expensive) but is a replacement. It was created by a chef from the French Laundry Restaurant and is is cup4cup - you can get it online or by William Sonoma. the website is http://www.cup4cup.com

[blessedw2]

My Christmas giving list is written out (including tips given out)
My Christmas activities ideas are written out. Now to buy tickets for the Christmas carol and it's a wonderful life Christmas radio show.

[Harriet]

blessed is always leading the holiday readiness pack each year!

Guys, our family took on the Angel Tree Coordinator job at church this year! Hope we can do all of this the way it is expected. There's a lot more to it than I had known.

Here is a tutorial that, to me, is valuable two ways. First, it shows how a simple gift bag (the ones made like nicer, color grocery bags) can be made from scratch, which, even though I don't think I'll ever need to know, hey, it might come in handy. Also, it shows a novel way to change the top of a gift bag you already own or find in a store, and give it a completely different and special look. The ones made in the tutorial are small, made from 8 1/2 x 11 copy size paper, and look right for a gift card or jewelry. In the comments is a suggestion to punch a hole under the fancy top and thread the ribbon through that rather than under the whole bag.

Gift bag tutorial

Also here is the tutorial for making a bow when all you have is paper.

[FelineFriend]

Ddil won't be interested in purchasing anything expensive. They have 7 kids, are on a budget and she gets an employee's discount where she works, in a store, and she also buys things on sale. But thanks anyway, [color=#0000BF]Blessed[/color]. It just wouldn't go over with her anyway, even if I did suggest it or sent her the link. She's so independent and seems to have things under control, whereas her disease is and what she eats a buys. I thank God how she's got the employee discount, too. It's very fortunate, especially when she shops those sales, too.

Gee, I think I've re-written my gift-making list twice since March, collected the patterns in March - May, have them all on 2 clipboards, and I enjoy pre-planning ahead because when I crochet, if my schedule gets too busy, I'm a step ahead of myself. We give our adult kids and 8 grandchildren money for their Christmas gifts, as well as the 2 adult women in our family who have Dec. b-days. So that's planned out, too.

I'm making 15 gifts by hand this year, and the 3 youngest grandchildren, are too young to understand the concept of money gifts. So I crochet each of the 3 an afghan, and this year they're getting 1 Amigurumi each, a pillow each, the 2 boys get scarf-mittens and DGD gets a vest. It's so fun to fill up a large gift bag with their wrapped goodies and get their reactions when they open their gifts. ♥

The only person we need to get something for is the mail carrier. One dfriend, who is 98.5 years old, has everything already. But when we buy a 3-pack of Aplets & Cotlets candies, (fruited & nutty treats with powdered sugar coatings), we give her one box, give DH's BFF one box, and we keep one for Christmas or Christmas Eve to serve. DH's BFF's Dwife is my friend, who loves homemade crocheted items for her kitchen. I have her gift started. I'm so excited about it, too. It's a potholder pattern, I'll make an additional hot pad for her. It was written in a different language and I had to translate it from a certain English or something else, do the math and devise my own pattern. It's totally challenging, mind-tweaking and I enjoy that mind work so much. It also builds confidence.

Last week, sometime, I wrote the start and deadline dates, on a calendar reminder system, to be motivated by, too. I read on-line, if you have UFO's, Un-Finished Objects laying around, to make a deadline for gift-giving those items by a person's b-day or a holiday. GR8 idea.

We have our Christmas cards, I normally get them done in September, but our 'history' has proved itself. So many times, someone's spouse will die, then I've wasted the envelope and don't want to send it to the living spouse with their deceased loved one's name on the card, to make them feel bad. I've decided, this year, on purpose, to wait until November, prior to Thanksgiving and do them then. Once you sit down and do 40 cards, from a list, you can get them done in one day, if you baby-step the process and take breaks to do other things, too.

I put together my Holiday Planner about 1 month ago or before, so it was just "done" and I didn't need to "worry" about it anymore. I feel so much better that it's out of the way. I have a job, so need to be as organized as I possibly can be. Also, with winter coming, hard telling what illnesses may befall us or family or weather emergencies, too. So I like to be prepared as much as I can because when something "pops up", I'm not caught off guard. I'm more at peace and can handle whatever life throws my way.

Anyway, [color=#FF0000][b]it's a GOOD THING we're all here[/b][/color], can share, and let ideas bounce off one another, too.

[blessedw2]

lovely d harriet... I dislike buying those bags that are so expensive thank you

d friend/ivy what a blessing.. 7 children!!!! so so lucky! and how lucky for those that receive your lovely gifts!

I asked d brother if we could for go gifts this year and have lunch together instead. my d mom feels he will be hurt not opening things. He said yes but I will see ....

Money - we have had lots of laughs about that - the old song of "having none at all" seems appropriate this year so I am trying to use my creativity

[FelineFriend]

Blessed, This is sorta funny. I had a dream that something had fallen and crashed behind the closed door to my small office. In my dream, I rushed into the office, looked and in my dream, I had a Christmas desk with my holiday planner, Christmas cards, gift list, etc... on it. The desk had fallen apart along with the chair. I got up, it was 2:35 A. M. and was wide awake. When I went into the great room, I thought about my dream, hard. I "think" that it was symbolic of my planning so far ahead, for Christmas, re-writing lists, changing my mind on making what gift for "who" and all. So what came to mind was, "The best laid PLANS for Christmas can fall apart." In our family, we let the adult kids, usually Ddil/Dson make the decision if they want the celebration at their home or ours, because there are 9 of them, we're out-numbered, and DD goes with the flow, as do we. If DD cannot make it on a day Ddil/Dson plan, she'll come on another day. It's happened before. A lot of Decembers will get to the 15th of Dec. and then we find out. I can't plan on this and that at our house, because the location may change to their home.

One reason I start early gift-making lists is because I want to make sure I've got all the supplies, so I can buy them in baby-steps, rather than buy a lot at one time. And if I don't have time to complete all the smaller gifts, I "can" give those gifts to the 3 younger grandchildren on their Jan., Feb., or April birthdays.

So in the wee a. m. hours, I was thinking about your name, Blessed. I've been saying in my head, as I read your name "Bless - said - double-you - with two." It hit me all-of-a-sudden that you're BLESSED WITH TWO. Like 2 children? Or 2 grandchildren? I was making Blessed into two separate enunciated syllables, instead of one faster one, and I don't know why I was saying the letter "W" out long either. I laughed at myself. I wanted to tell you how clever your user name was. And so cute,too.

I am now 1/4 way through the Christmas afghan for DGS-3.5. I have only 9 rows to go until I'm 1/3-way through it. When I get to row 57, I'll be halfway. I've been doing the math in my head as I go, so I have a motivating goal to help me along. It makes it more fun.

I think I'll write out names to give cards to, tomorrow. DD and DGS come in 1.45 hours today. I can crochet while they're here.

I hope your d brother won't be upset if you go out to lunch instead of opening gifts.

We're using money as gifts for family because there have been so many times when they have to return things, to get what they wanted to get instead. Then, the oldest 5 grandsons, are teenagers, except for the 11 year old and now they think Grandma's crochet is "cheesy". I was sorta hurt at first, but then I thought how much work this saves me by not making each of 7 boys + 1 baby girl, 1 - 2 hats and scarves to match. That's a ton of work, it's so hard to get that many things finished before Christmas. Now I'm relieved about it. My December writing paycheck pays for most of it, too. It helps DH out, it makes me feel validated and like I count, so I'm more than glad to help out with that month. The only thing I stipulate is, to have them all please, let us know what they got, how they spent it or if they put it into their savings account at the bank. It's fun to know that. Once, I made the postal lady 1 pair of potholders for her gift, but now we have 2 men, and if you give candy or cookies, they share in the break room, at the P. O. with the others who work there.

I've never heard of that old song "having none at all". I enjoy using my creativity because it's the thought, the feelings about the people you're making something for, that comes out in what you're making, and it makes it so rewarding. I'd rather crochet something useful, pretty or nice, than give money, in other words. But my boys are at that age when my stuff is "cheesy". That's a direct quote from Ddil. At least the little ones love it. So that's what counts.

Blessed, have you ever drawn out and made gift certificates, by hand, to match the person's interests and lives? Like if I made one, put DH's name on the line, and decorated it, since he cooks dinners, my gift certificate to him would read "Chef's night off! This is good for 1 home-cooked dinner by me!" Or if it's for Ddil, I'd say "Good for one day of free baby-sitting." That sort of thing. You can do so much, with so little, and the whole point is giving from the heart with love anyway. It's not supposed to be materialistic gimme-gimme all the time. I think a lot of people commercialize Christmas and lose the true meaning behind it. Do you know what I mean? Oh, this must be way too long. Sorry I kept talking! I've only had 4.5 hours of sleep.

Have an awesome Sunday!

[Harriet]

When I see "blessedw2" I mentally say, "blessed with two".
When I see "blessed" I mentally say, "bless-ed" - two syllables rather than just one syllable.
I don't know why! I guess it sounds more like a name.

[FelineFriend]

I wrote out our Christmas card list today, 1 line red, 1 line green.
I'll address them in November though. At least the list is done.
I'm trying to decide if I want to compose a newsy poem to add, instead of the proverbial "holiday news" letter. I did it once, it was very cute, rhymed well with a lot of meter, and went over quite well.
OR do I write a little personal note, with a sprig of holiday or other clip art on it. A poem would be quicker. A personal note is a nice touch and "personal", too. The jury's out on it, currently though.

[BookSaver]

Continuing this thread into October ...

It just occurred to me that we will have a major change at Christmas because DMIL will be moving from her big house to a small apartment on November 1st.

I wonder if we should plan one last big Christmas party at the house where DH and his siblings all grew up before it is sold next spring/summer? However, I will not even mention the idea to anyone, not even DH, until after she moves.

[Harriet]

BookSaver, my vote would be a "yes" because of the photo opportunity, if nothing else. A photo of all who are able to attend, taken in front of the house, would be a keepsake.

From my own reunion photos experience:
Assuming it is not too big a group, a spry friend or neighbor could stand on a chair and take it. If the street is close, they might stand in the bed of a truck. If it is not a tall house and you want as much of its architecture as possible, have tarps and have the children sit on the ground as the front row, have chairs for the next row, even if you have to ask some to bring chairs. Ask those who will be standing behind to leave the center of the grouping open, so that the entryway of the house is a focal point.