Simplifying Gift Giving

Many years ago I read an interview with Kathy Lee Gifford in a women’s magazine where she spoke of giving their small children only three gifts at Christmas since that is all the Three Wise Men brought to Christ. It really resonated with me at the time. I was a newly single mom and money went from abundant to below poverty level after my husband walked out. So, when I read the interview with Kathy Lee it really touched my heart. This interview was at the height of her ‘celebrity’ so if this icon of the talk show realm simplified her Christmas then surely I could do the same.

This gave me such freedom! I can pinpoint when my bargain shopping came into being…out of necessity…those first years as a single mom. The Lord was giving me insight and preparing me for ten years in the future when I would meet my current husband who was raising three young ones alone.

This is what we do. We ask them to tell us something they need, something they want, and something fun. Out of the three presents we try to have one that is the ‘big’ present or the most desired. I pick up items throughout the year for their stockings. I really put a lot of neat things in their stockings and some are need items. I hit CVS when I can get razors, hair care products, and makeup for free. With three young men and a young lady in the house items like these are very welcome. I also pick up CDs when stores have them on sale. I have put in Sonic gift cards, Taco Bell gift cards, and movie theatre gift cards. I think this year gas cards would be welcome too since we will have three drivers in our home!

Gift giving for their high school friends is another area that takes time, effort, and a little bargain shopping to really score some awesome deals. Our daughter is really the only one that likes to give gifts to EVERYONE. We have given mini bottles of Bath and Body Works items in cute little toiletry bags, mani/pedi sets, mini photo/scrapbook albums, journals, and picture frames. We also have given her friends bags of Christmas candy all tied up with a cute bow and ornament. This year we are making the candy instead of buying it. At the end of the Christmas season we will stock up again on bags, bows, tags, and ribbon for next year. Also there will be lots of great gift sets and the like that one can purchase for pennies and will be great gifts for next year!

Probably one of the most appreciated presents I have given my nieces were their Journal Jars five years ago. I purchased a beautiful journal and pen for each of them and made a bookmark. I then bought clear plastic jars and decorated them with scrapbook paper and paint pens. I typed out journal prompts on my computer and ran them off on brightly colored paper. I cut them out and folded them in half then dropped then in the jar. Some strips had favorite Bible verses on them and with a prompt to tell what this verse means to you, or one prompt asked them to write down what they were most thankful for in their parents. All in all I had around 100 prompts for each girl.

This year we are focusing more on giving gifts of time and things homemade for our friends and family. Our teenagers will still get something that they really want and they will have a great Christmas but our prayer is that once the day is over they will not feel let down that they did not have a gazillion presents but that they are thankful for what they were given and the memories created. For more Works for Me Wednesday ideas head on over to Rocks in My Dyer.

WFMW 10-29-08

If you have teenagers you know they love facebook and photos. I have a facebook account and have had one for nearly five years....before it was cool. I work at a university and that is what prompted me to get one since our university was 'logging' onto the new culture at the time. Now my teens have facebook and Mom has the passwords and frequently checks it out and they have strict parameters, etc. Many of their friends are now my friends too. But this is not the reason for my post.

What has become really neat for me as a parent is snagging the photos that their friends, youth workers, Sunday School leaders, pastors, etc put on facebook that 'tag' my children. Tagging is placing their name on their picture so that it shows up in their photo area of their facebook. I have been saving all these pictures to my computer in hopes of doing something for each of my children. I save them into folders by child's name, year, activity such for example: a folder titled Seth, inside that folder are the years 2007, 2008; then inside the year folders are catagories: FOOTBALL, Church, School, etc.

I have finally decided what this busy working Mom can do with the plethera of awesome pics from every event they attend, school, sports, friends, etc. I have begun to make small flip books for each of them. I have the football books by year, the summer beach camp with church, school year, etc. Most free photo storage sites have this capability like snapfish and a host of others. I personally love snapfish! Right now most of these sites are running specials. The small flip books today were priced at 4.99. That is really reasonable!



I have also saved the pictures of all their groups of friends and I am making a collage print for each of them.

I really don't have lots of time to sit and make scrapbooks and while I love them and have a few in progress I find that the costs are just too prohibitive at this time in our lives. However, the thing that they love the most is having something that showcases all their pictures. They are portable and really make a neat, thoughtful gift.

With the holidays coming up I think this would be an awesome way to make a stocking stuffer or a cute gift for friends. If you would like to see more great ideas head on over to Rocks in My Dryer for more Works for Me Wednesday ideas!

WFMW 10-22-08

I have already begun the prep for holiday gift giving for my teenager daughter to give to her friends. Actually it started last year at the end of the Christmas season. When I saw cute frames, photo albums, jewelry, and the like I snatched them up and put them in my gift closet. Last year I snagged some great little mani/pedi kids from Bath and Bodyworks that will be given to some of my daughter's sweet friends. Our son's don't really give much to their friends..only their closest buds and then they want to give iTunes cards. I think it is really more of a girly thing to give gifts. My daughter gives to around 15 friends something for Christmas. So this year we have all the little items gathered for her friends who are all 14 nearly 15 years of age.

The other thing I do is when Hobby Lobby puts their Christmas wrapping/bags/tags on sale at the end of the season I am thinking about all the gifts I will be giving the next year. Last year I bought the CUTEST bags and ribbon to use for my daughter's gifts to friends. I always look for something unique and not holiday looking. Last year we used red paper and leopard print ribbon. This year we are going for the hot pink with zebra ribbon look. We also make the cards by hand that go with each gift with items I have purchased for pennies when they have been clearanced.

It does not take a lot of dough to come up with precious, thoughtful, and cute presents for teenage girls. As much as they will love what is on the inside they are also all about how it looks on the outside.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Homemade Bath Salts
Small scrapbooks and stickers
Photo albums
Photo Frames
Personalized Shadow Boxes
Candles
Miniature Bath and Bodyworks Products
Manicure/Pedicure kits
JEWELRY
Personalized Journals
Devotion Books and a Journal

These are just a few ideas. For more Works for Me Wednesday head on over to Shannon's Rocks In My Dryer.

A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts - Blog Tour

A SCRAPBOOK OF CHRISTMAS FIRSTS

(Leafwood Publishers, October 2008)


A wonderful new gift book, A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts, is available in October for Christmas giving. Today, I’ve invited the six coauthors to share their unique story of how they came together to publish this exciting book full of stories, recipes, tips for simplifying the holidays and so much more (click on bookcover to see the trailer!).


First, let me introduce Cathy Messecar, Leslie Wilson, Brenda Nixon, Trish Berg, Terra Hangen and Karen Robbins. Thank you for being here today, ladies.


Karen: Thank you for the invitation.


You are from three different areas of the country—Texas, California, and Ohio. How did you all meet?



Terra: We all six joined The Writers View, an online group for professional Christian writers. Trish and Brenda met in person in 2004 for lunch, I understand, and on 9/18/04, after reading a post Brenda sent to TWV, I sent an email to Brenda, asking if she would like to join with me and walk alongside each other, as a Barnabas group. Brenda said yes that same day, and suggested Trish too. Very quickly Cathy, Leslie and Karen joined in and our stalwart band of six was formed. Living in California, I was so happy to find 5 Barnabas writers in other states so we could bring together a wealth of different viewpoints and expertise


Brenda: Actually, We haven’t met. We’re all great colleagues and friends via the internet. Four years ago Terra and I formed a dyad to support each other as Christians who write in the secular markets. Along came Trish, Cathy, Karen, and Leslie (not necessarily in that order) and we formed a close knit bond of support, creative energy, and professional accountability.



Karen: I met Trish through an online forum called The Writers View and she invited me to join the group.


Trish: Although we belong to the same Yahoo writing group, we met one by one online. Eventually, the six of us decided that since we all write as Christians for a secular market through magazine articles and newspaper columns, we could support and encourage one another.


Leslie: Though we met virtually through The Writers View, I have been blessed to give and get hugs from Trish (at a MOPS conference), Cathy (in the area on business) and Karen (in town for a writers' conference). I can’t wait to meet Terra and Brenda face-to-face, though I feel as though I already know them!


How did you come up with the idea to do a book together?



Brenda: The book is Cathy’s brainchild. She mentioned the concept of telling stories of events that happened for the first time at Christmas and sharing holiday historical tidbits and recipes and each said, “If you need any help, let me know.” That offer morphed into each of us equally contributing and co-authoring A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts.


Trish: Yep, Cathy came up with the idea and the title, and asked us if we wanted to join her on this project. Of course, we said Yes!


Terra: Cathy mentioned the idea for a Christmas book to the group, and someone (I think it was Leslie) suggested that maybe our group could all write the book together. Cathy agreed to lead the way on the project. The earliest email I have on this is from 9/7/05, which shows that this has been a three year collaboration from idea to publication.


Karen: (Chuckling) Terra is a librarian and keeps our historical records by saving our e-mails.



Leslie: Actually, Terra, I wrote that comment (in a group e-mail) kind of tongue-in-cheek. Cathy, the ultra-sweet person she is, took my joking at face value and here we are. However, I believe God prompted the passion and ideas we all bring to the project and that He will do mighty things as a result of our collaboration!


Why did you decide on a Christmas theme?


Brenda: It was Cathy’s concept to write a book centering on Christmas.


Cathy: For several years, I’d been thinking about Christmas as a threshold to introduce Jesus to folks who aren’t familiar with him, and I love a simpler Christmas with the emphasis on family, friends and doing for others. I knew of some families who had experienced “firsts” at Christmas—reunions, losses, special surprises—and I wanted to collect those stories.


Terra: Cathy’s idea immediately resonated with me because Christmas books are “a way past watchful dragons,” as C. S. Lewis wrote. Many people won’t buy a book about being a Christian, but will buy a holiday and family fun book, thus the “past watchful dragons.” People who want to grow in their faith, and people who have no faith but celebrate Christmas will buy our book and hopefully be led to put the focus back on Christ for the holiday, and for their lives.


Leslie: Though Cathy birthed the idea, the rest of us quickly hopped on board. Not only is Christmas special to me—especially now that I have a family of my own—but also that particular holiday cries out to be simplified, to return to the meaningful aspects of celebration, and to lose some of the hype and commercialism.


Tell me a little about what is in A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts? What is your favorite part?



Cathy: I like that you can read one chapter in about 15 minutes and, with all the different suggestions, it feels like Christmas Eve. Makes you want to set up the nativity! Many of the suggestions for family activities can be adapted for any family get-together.


Karen: There are heartwarming stories about things that happened for the first time at Christmas. For instance, one of my stories is about the first Christmas with our adopted children. And the book is pretty. When I first saw the colorful pages and drawings, I fell in love with the illustrator’s work.


Brenda: I don’t have a favorite part – I love it all!


Terra: I like the way the parts are woven into a seamless whole, like a patchwork quilt, that is stronger and more beautiful than the parts.


Trish: It’s like everything you ever wanted to know about Christmas, all the best tips and recipes, and neat stories all wrapped up in this perfect little package.


Leslie: I love reading the special stories, hints, recipes—whatever—and imagining the precious family time that precipitated each moment. Plus, the book is gorgeous, beautifully printed, truly something to be proud of. And we are.


I’ve heard that the book is really a nice gift book; can you tell me a little about the format?



Cathy: Yes, it’s a hardbound book, full color interior. The layout makes it easy to read. It has a definite scrapbooky look on the interior. Different logos identify sections, such as an oilcloth-look Christmas stocking appears beside the “Stocking Stuffer Tradition” (help for connecting family members), and the “Cookie Canister” recipes are on a recipe card, and the back ground of “A Gift For You” is a gift box with bow. It’s a classy gift that they can be placed on a coffee table or in a guest bedroom during the holiday season.


Brenda: I like to describe it as a Starbuck’s sorta gift book. It’s high quality, crisp, and practical.


With six different personalities and areas of ministry, how did you manage to put this all together and still remain friends?


Karen: We pray a lot for each other and it helps that none of us have an over-inflated ego.


Cathy: There were no squabbles. Surely, we had differing opinions, but we knew that any of us could suggest an idea for this book and that each idea would get fair reviews from others. We actually voted on some aspects—everyone in favor say, “Aye.” If you’ve ever watched women at a Dutch treat luncheon when they divide up a meal ticket, it can be intense as they split the ticket down to the penny. As the project came together, I was in awe of my gracious coauthors, unselfish women who respect each other.

For some decisions, we did a round robin—things like book title and chapter titles and what categories to put into the book. Then, as compiler, I’d send out a list of needs to The Word Quilters, that’s what we call ourselves. For instance in a section we call “Peppermints for Little Ones” (hints for children’s activities), I’d put out a call, and the WQs sent in their hints, and then I put them into appropriate chapters.


Brenda: (Smiling) Are we still friends? Seriously, we each have our own platform, ministry, and family life, and those interests kept this project in perspective – it was important but not the only thing on our plates. No one was so enmeshed in this project that she campaigned for her own way. We never had a bitter disagreement or insistence to be “right.”


Terra: We are each other’s biggest cheerleaders.We offer support and ideas for our separate writing projects and for personal prayer requests. I love these ladies, and I have only met one of them in person. So far, Karen is the only one who has met each of us, and one day we hope to meet in person, in a circle of friendship and love.


Trish: I think we are all very flexible and forgiving. We do have a variety of personalities here, but God has worked amazing things through our little group.


Leslie: Though I have seven non-fiction projects in various stages of completion, I could not be more thankful that this is the one to reach publication first. I am truly blessed to have worked with these women, learned from them, watched as they’ve poured heart and soul into crafting a product that will impact lives for the Lord.


Where can my readers get a copy of SOCF?



Cathy: The coauthors will all have a supply, plus our publisher, Leafwood Publishers, will have plenty of copies and discounts for buying five or more. Or they can be ordered at most online stores or by your local bookstore.


Karen: And anyone who leaves a comment here can be entered in a drawing for a free book and a gift basket worth $200! For a list of its contents, check our blog, A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts. And while you're there, leave another comment and increase your chances of winning!


Tell me more about your blog.


Karen: We started our blog in July and it is accumulating a wealth of information about Christmas. Each of us posts one day a week following the theme for that week. Watch for new recipes, tips, ways to simplify, stories, etc., similar to what is in our book.


Leslie: Ooh, ooh, let me answer this one. I’m probably the newest to blogging among the group, but I LOVE it. I’ve enjoyed posting and receiving comments back from readers. What an amazing adventure having an online voice can be! This blog will focus on a different theme each week—anything from tips to avoid overeating during the holidays to how to give a guest room special touches—and expand on the material in the book. I think readers will get to know the authors’ individual personalities and connect on a more personal level. Plus, they get that many more ideas, information, inspiration (!) at no additional cost.


WQs: As an added bonus for inviting us to your blog, we’d like to pass along this Christmas tidbit to you and your readers:

Enjoy a blessed Christmas this year! And thanks for inviting us to share our book, A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts, with you.

Frugal Fridays

Frugal Gifts can be very easy to do, it just takes some time, ingenuity, and patience.

I love keeping a gift closet filled with all sorts of items that I pick up on clearance. The trick is that I do not pick up just any old thing. I keep a running list in my bag of what my friends, family, and my teenagers friends like and enjoy. This is where you really listen when talking to family members or as you are driving your children and their friends from point A to point B. Hear what they are talking about: cd's they are wanting, things they enjoy and make a mental note.

After Christmas is the BEST time to stock up on great items that can be given throughout the year. I also keep an area of gift bags, wrap, tissue paper, ribbon and the like and add to this as well after a season ends. Four times in the last month I have had children attending birthday parties or functions where they needed to bring a gift. There is such freedom knowing what you have and heading to the closet and pulling out the gift, wrap, and various items that one needs when giving a gift. My teens have come to expect it and know that I always have cool, cute items in my gift closet. One of my favorite places to stock up is Mardel Christian Bookstore at the Black Friday sales. I have been able to purchase cds for 5.00, best selling books for under 7.00, stationary items, home decor, and seasonal merchandise at great discounts. After Christmas you can be sure I will be visiting Target, Kirkland's, Mardels, Bath and Bodyworks,and Hobby Lobby to hit their sales.

A couple of things to do is take inventory of what you may already have set aside or if you have not started a gift closet purpose to do so in the next year. Make a list to keep in your handbag of those you normally buy gifts for such as teachers, family, friends, and of course your children's friends. Begin to listen when engrossed in a conversation and seek out those items of interest.

Get your older children involved. My daughter loves to help me seek out these items. If you would like more frugal ideas head on over to Chrystal's blog at Biblical Womanhood.