It's Better to Give Than to Receive...

...especially when your house is overflowing with stuff!

I need your help. Olivia's 5th birthday is coming up and I bet her relatives are going to start asking me for gift requests/suggestions. She has a lot of "stuff" and doesn't need any more. Some of it was cheaply made and broke quickly. A lot of it she just doesn't play with or use. I'd like to avoid these kinds of gifts.

I've got a few ideas but could use more. We like to go to the zoo, so I thought a zoo pass would make a good suggestion. If we had museums around here, passes to those would be nice, too. We've got a library card. I should find out what plays and/or musicals are coming up at our college and community theaters. Maybe ask for tickets to those?

Olivia loves to get mail. She has a subscription to Ranger Rick, but I thought about suggesting subscriptions to other children's magazines. When we get through with them we can donate them to the library or give them to another child (like my niece!).

Other ideas? I can't stop my family from bringing gifts, but maybe I can give them some carefully chosen ideas so we don't amass any more junk.

Tote Bag Tutorial

Last week I mentioned some bags I made. They were so easy and quick I decided to write up a tutorial. You'll need 1 yard of 45" fabric. Your bag will be about 18"x19" when you're finished, depending on the width of your seams and how generous they cut your yard.

Cut a 4" strip from the short end (the 36" end) of your fabric. You will use this strip to make your handles.





Press the strip in half length-wise, wrong sides together.







Fold each edge in toward the crease (shown in photo), fold in half along the crease, and press.






Sew about 1/8" from each edge. Cut your strip in half and you've got 2 handles.






Fold your fabric in half along the 36" side, right sides together. (Your resulting rectangle will be about 36" by 20". Sew the 3 open edges, leaving enough space for turning your bag right side out, about 4-5". Turn your bag right side out. Stitch the opening closed. This will be the inside of your bag. Fold the "inside" down into the "outside."

Turn the top edge down 1" and press. (I turned my bag so the top edge was toward me, so I was turning it up. That's why my photo looks upside down.)

Insert handles under the edge and pin in place, leaving about 5-6" between the ends.

Stitch about 1/8" from the top edge to hold them in place.







Fold them up and pin. Stitch about 1/8" from the top edge all the way around your bag. Stitch about 3/8" from the top edge also.




This step can be omitted if you wish. Turn your bag wrong side out and stitch across each bottom corner. This will give your bag some width and help hold the lining in place. Turn your bag right side out.


Here's the bottom corner from the outside.







Here's another view of the same corner.







Ta da! You're done! You've got a new bag for yourself, or fill it with goodies for a gift.

Tea Time

Tomorrow my daughter and I are going to a mother/daughter tea party. One of my friends (who is taking her 3-year-old) told me about it. There's supposed to be a string orchestra, dance lesson, and cake. We're all looking forward to it.

Since this is such a treat I wanted to make something special for the girls. I decided to put together a goody bag. First I made each girl a bag embroidered with her name and some flowers. I included a tea cup and saucer (purchased at the Women's Shelter Thrift Store), peppermint tea, homemade cookies, and some homemade tub tea. I've included some tub tea recipes below.

Even if you're not going to a tea party, you might like to create a goody bag for a special person in your life. It could be for a birthday, anniversary, new baby, first day of school, or "just because." Any excuse will do! Make your gift to suit the occasion or recipient. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

For the cook: Fill a serving dish with kitchen towels, recipe cards, utensils, and apron.
For the gardener: Fill a flower pot with trowel, seeds, gloves, and sun hat.
For a new baby: Include onesies, burp cloths, diapers, bibs and use a receiving blanket to wrap it all up.

http://www.cranberrylane.com/recipes-bath-products.htm
Cranberry Lane’s Tub Tea Blend (makes 8 tub teas)
2 T lavender flowers
4 T rose petals
4 T marigold petals
6 T cleavers herb
1 T strawberry leaves

Mix all ingredients. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Use 2 T per bath. Place tub tea in mesh or fabric bag. Fill tub with water. Allow tub tea to gently infuse bath water while you relax.


http://www.cranberrylane.com/recipes-bath-products.htm
Chamomile and Oatmeal Tub Tea (makes 8 tub teas)
(soothes irritated skin)
6 T chamomile flowers
4 T oatmeal flakes (quick oats are best)
4 T marigold petals

Mix all ingredients. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Use 2 T per bath. Place tub tea in mesh or fabric bag. Fill tub with water. Allow tub tea to gently infuse bath water while you relax.

http://www.elementsbathandbody.com/recipes
Lavender Tub Tea
½ c dendritic salt or alberger salt
2 t lavender EO
Mix and set aside.

1/8 c honey powder
1 c powdered goatsmilk or powdered buttermilk
2 c whole oats
½ c Epsom salts
¾ c baking soda
3 c lavender buds
3 c sea salt

Mix all in large bowl. Combine the dendritic salt and EO blend and complete mixing. Place ¾ - 1 c per 3.5x5 muslin drawstring bag.

Simplicity

Our living room was hit by Hurricanes Olivia and Jesse for the umpteenth time. They have accumulated LOTS of toys in their short lives. We surveyed the damage and cleaned up the debris with a large dust pan (bought just for that purpose). We scooped up stuff and deposited it in storage buckets. We corralled all the ping pong balls and golf balls. We reshelved books. Meanwhile, we had a discussion about which toys seemed to be their favorites. We've discovered that the best toys are the simplest ones - things like balls, blocks, boxes, trucks, and dolls.

We got a new freezer the other day. One of its best features was the box it came in. First it was a post office. Now it's a house for the kids. Olivia takes wonderful care of her baby doll, while Jesse drives trucks around the living room. They both love blocks. And Jesse is obsessed with balls. "Ball" was his second word ("Mama" was his first).

Last week we went to the recreation center for a puppet show, only to discover the schedule had changed. The presentation was now a geography lesson by "Professor World." You see where this is going, right? We walked in to find a 4-foot globe. Jesse pointed to it and exclaimed "Ball!" He does the same thing in the produce section. They're not cantaloupes, oranges, apples, and onions. As far as he's concerned, they're all balls.

For birthdays and "just because," Olivia and Jesse have received tons of fancy toys that light up, make noise, spin around, and do other silly things. They play with them a little, the novelty wears off, and they're banished to the toy shelves. There they sit, played with once in a blue moon, while the boxes they came in are worn out from play. I try to keep this in mind when I give gifts. For her first birthday, I gave my niece some books and edible treats (snacks saved her mom some grocery money and didn't take up room in the house for very long). For her second birthday, I gave her a bath towel with her name embroidered on it and a dress.

Stick with B's and you can't go wrong - books, balls, blocks, and boxes.

Happy Mother's Day!

Okay, Mother's Day is not until tomorrow, but happy early Mother's Day anyways! The sun is shining, a breeze is blowing, and it seems like it's going to be a beautiful week. I am so excited to share this Mother's Day with my stepmother. She is a wonderful woman who is so kind and loving to everyone she meets.

My little brother and I were discussing what we were going to do for our stepmom tomorrow. We're both feeling the economic crunch so we decided to get creative but cheap.

Wal-Mart has tote bags that come in sets of three that would be perfect for three little grandchildren to paint. The bags are around $6 for a set of three and you can buy a set of fabric paint or markers for under $10. Especially if you go to Michael's to get the paint and use the 60% off coupon that comes in the weekly mailer or the Sunday paper. These totes are the perfect size to throw in the car and use to go shopping or the the grocery store. That's three less plastic bags you would be bringing home.

We also decided to cook dinner at home for her. Several grocers are having sales on meats, seafood, and various fruits. Lobster tails are $5 a piece at one of the stores by our house so we're going fancy and cooking lobster. I don't know any restaurant that sells $5 tails. Strawberries make a great dessert and are on sale all over the place this weekend. Like Rachel suggested with the blackberries, put the berries in a bowl with some cream and you've got yourself a mighty fine dessert. Simple, elegant, and heartfelt.

Moms always seem to do everything. That's why they're superheroes, but this year, why don't you give her a coupon book for a gift? Ideas of coupons could be a coupon for doing the laundry, dishes, cooking dinner, or even a coupon for watching the kids for a few hours so mom can get some relax and recharge time. These coupons could be designed and printed at home for very inexpensive. Or better yet, just do the things with no coupons. Let mom sleep in and then wake up to clean laundry and a yummy breakfast. Again, those berries and cream would make a fantastic breakfast! (I keep going on about them because the berries are starting to be so fresh and fragrant and so delicious! Thanks Rachel for reminding me that it's berries and cream season!)

I think this Mother's Day is going to be a great one. I hope you all have a wonderful day and get lots of snuggles and loves! Happy Mother's Day!

Making presents for the holidays

With the holidays coming up we have been feeling the economic crunch. My preschooler and I decided that we would make presents for our family. At first I was a little skeptical. I figured we would make a few and then buy a little something as well. Turns out that the extra "real" present is unnecessary since we made so many homemade ones! Yay!

Here are some ideas that you can make with your children that your family members will love:

Jingle Bell Wreaths-
supplies needed: a pipe cleaner (those fuzzy stick things), some bells (we used 20 mm ones), and ribbon.

Take the pipe cleaner and put a bend in the end. Have your preschooler thread the bells on it until you can make a circle. Elijah would make the call as to whether the wreath was big enough or not. Twist the ends of the pipe cleaner together and tuck them under to hide. Tie a ribbon on the wreath for hanging on the tree or door handle.

Cake or cookie mixes in jars-
supplies: 1 qt jars, fabric, ribbon, and the ingredients to a cake or cookie mix.

Fill the mason jar with the cookie mix. Put the nuts, chocolate chips, and spices in the bottom and the sugars, flour, etc on top so they come out easily. Cut out 9 inch circles of fabric to cover the lids. Add ribbon and a recipe card for your mix and voila! A beautiful gift for a loved one. I let my son pick the mix he wanted to give and I put each ingredient in a plastic cup and let him pour them into the jars. A little messy, but a lot of fun. An added bonus is that he now has a project he can do at his grandparents house when he spends the night next.

Loaves of bread-
Make little loaves of banana bread or something along those lines. Lots of people give cookies for the holidays so shake things up a bit by giving a bread. Fruit breads freeze well or easily keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks.

Birdhouse-
Michaels or Joanns have already built birdhouses for very inexpensive. Usually around $5. Let your children paint them and they will be so proud to give them as presents. Or help them build a birdhouse to give.

And last but not least (in fact this was my favorite craft)...
Snowglobe-
supplies: small craft jar with a lid, various little figurines, rubbing alcohol, water, and glitter

Glue the figurines onto the lid of the jar. Fill the jar with water, but be sure that there is enough room for the figures. Add a teaspoon or two of rubbing alcohol and add the glitter. Screw on the lid and seal it with a hot glue gun. We used white and clear glass "rocks" and dinos for an ice age snow globe. Try making a Santa snow globe or don't use any figurines and fill it with confetti instead!

We had so much fun making these presents for everyone. Elijah cannot wait for Christmas so he can give them out. I feel good that I spent less than $30 total on all my gifts and I'm proud of him that he was able to take an active role. We taught him that the holidays aren't about materialism, but about showing our friends and family that we love them and are willing to make the effort to make personalized gifts for each of them. How cool is that?