I buy everything I can from thrift --- clothing, household appliances, dishes, etc. Also purchase my CDs, DVDs, Books and Toys from Goodwill -- gives me the option to get the classics, much better quality than what you can buy new anyways.
While I grow some food, it's not possible for me to grow it all. When you shop at the grocery store, avoid anything in a package when possible. This of course means you'll be making most of your food from scratch -- which is not only cheaper but better for you.
I'm trying to get creative too for Christmas gifts.
For one of my granddaughters, I found a wooden baby doll bed at the junk yard. Gonna refinish it and make her a mattress, quilt and rag doll to go with it. PS: If you do crafts, Goodwill is a great place to get inexpensive sheets/pillowcases etc to use for fabric scraps.
I made Pine Tar soap for the guys. They LOVE this! I make it stronger than what you can buy online.
Making homemade raspberry jam and peanut butter fudge.
Cute snowman ornaments made from my leftover baby food jars.
Buying experiences for our older daughters (for one I'm getting her and her husband tickets to a local music performance, for another I'm getting a gift card for a local art venue, and the other is getting a gift card to the state parks for camping)
Still looking for ideas. What are others here doing? Especially for kids.
Hello - I really appreciate your approach on Christmas. I like all the homemade ideas. Here are mine - I am going to make sour dough starter and gift that to some friends who would appreciate it. I have a herb garden so I will dry out some herbs and gift fresh herbs. For all my children, I am making Christmas PJ pants. I will be gifting things like an aerogarden (a garden that can be grown inside their house) or a water pitcher that purifies more than a Brita does (I don't recall the name right now). I am also going to can apple sauce. Its a favorite in my family. For my grandchildren - I made aprons, bought rubber spatulas, whisks, and spoons... little ones - they were not expensive. Then included a homemade cookie mix, cake batter, etc... so they could bake with their momma.
I have been growing my own garden. Its still going pretty strong. It was an amazing feeling to harvest potatoes so I could make potato soup. I also raise chickens. Pigs. I will have cows soon. We also hunt deer and duck. I will have a fruit tree orchard, right now I have peaches, and cherries. My lemon and orange tree died...when my cow ate it.
I love to shop local whether its my farmers market or the small boutique in town. I will use second hand stuff when I can. Its not that simple to just go totally independent. It has taken me quite some time.
I always give the kids silver rounds too. This year they include one each of the Trump round among the 10 I give them each Christmas.
The wife is making the girls Christmas candles, an ornament and a holiday tin of gingerbreadman cookies.
To be honest though we also buy them store crap too. They are still too young to really appreciate the other gifts without being disappointed they didnt get the toy they asked for.
The older nieces and nephews get things like homemade venison and bear sausage and jerky and my wife made hand painted window planter for the women and the men will share in my Pappys Family Reserve.
Agreed. I try to do this as much as possible.
I buy everything I can from thrift --- clothing, household appliances, dishes, etc. Also purchase my CDs, DVDs, Books and Toys from Goodwill -- gives me the option to get the classics, much better quality than what you can buy new anyways.
While I grow some food, it's not possible for me to grow it all. When you shop at the grocery store, avoid anything in a package when possible. This of course means you'll be making most of your food from scratch -- which is not only cheaper but better for you.
I'm trying to get creative too for Christmas gifts.
Still looking for ideas. What are others here doing? Especially for kids.
Hello - I really appreciate your approach on Christmas. I like all the homemade ideas. Here are mine - I am going to make sour dough starter and gift that to some friends who would appreciate it. I have a herb garden so I will dry out some herbs and gift fresh herbs. For all my children, I am making Christmas PJ pants. I will be gifting things like an aerogarden (a garden that can be grown inside their house) or a water pitcher that purifies more than a Brita does (I don't recall the name right now). I am also going to can apple sauce. Its a favorite in my family. For my grandchildren - I made aprons, bought rubber spatulas, whisks, and spoons... little ones - they were not expensive. Then included a homemade cookie mix, cake batter, etc... so they could bake with their momma.
I have been growing my own garden. Its still going pretty strong. It was an amazing feeling to harvest potatoes so I could make potato soup. I also raise chickens. Pigs. I will have cows soon. We also hunt deer and duck. I will have a fruit tree orchard, right now I have peaches, and cherries. My lemon and orange tree died...when my cow ate it.
I love to shop local whether its my farmers market or the small boutique in town. I will use second hand stuff when I can. Its not that simple to just go totally independent. It has taken me quite some time.
You are doing great! When I was pregnant, I crocheted my kids Christmas stockings.
Wow! That is nice.
I bought both my grandsons (7 and 9) the complete set of Rush Limbaughs Rush Revere Patriot series.
https://officialrushlimbaugh.com/rush-revere/
I always give the kids silver rounds too. This year they include one each of the Trump round among the 10 I give them each Christmas.
The wife is making the girls Christmas candles, an ornament and a holiday tin of gingerbreadman cookies.
To be honest though we also buy them store crap too. They are still too young to really appreciate the other gifts without being disappointed they didnt get the toy they asked for.
The older nieces and nephews get things like homemade venison and bear sausage and jerky and my wife made hand painted window planter for the women and the men will share in my Pappys Family Reserve.
https://www.oldripvanwinkle.com/whiskey/family-reserve-15-year/