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.