Organically Inclined » christmas

I’m Not Shopping Today- Are You?

Mish — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 13:52:05 +0000

Today is Black Friday. I just watched a news spot where people actually skipped their Thanksgiving dinner yesterday in order to wait in line in front of a box store and get that thing they want for cheap! I am stunned. In fact, I am stunned every year. I can’t believe what people will go through in order to spend their money. I mean really, if I’m going to stand in line for hours, someone had better be giving me something!

Before you run out the door and spend money on another cheap plastic something – decide if you really wouldn’t rather stay home, enjoy the day with your kids and read a book or watch a movie.

Why? Why avoid the sales and stay home? Well, I believe that by celebrating a “Buy Nothing” day we send a message to retailers and manufacturers that we don’t want their cheap crap anymore. I don’t want my kids to play with it. And I’m tired of it accumulating in my house.

Instead of buying things today – make something. Or check out freecycle.org. Or, if you must go out – go to thrift stores!

Technorati Tags: buy nothing day, christmas, Christmas shopping, shopping

More Great Homemade and Cheap Gift Ideas!

Mish — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:08:08 +0000

I love creative – and cheap – Christmas gift ideas! So, I spent the morning looking around for some gifts that I could make and give to my teens too. I found some really wonderful sites with some fantastically creative ideas. This, then, is my own little blog carnival of great Christmas Gift ideas:

1. A Scrappy Belt – for teens. This is from the blog Juicy Bits and is such an amazing idea!

My 15 year old daughter just loves funky belts to wear with those low-rise jeans I love so much! There are a lot of instructions, so visit the site to find out how to do it.

2. Fingerless mitts – these are great for guitar players and any teen who is just too cool for you (that would be all of my teens). I knit these for my teens last year and they loved them, but Elemental Stitches has a great way to make them without knitting – you just need an old sweater or two!

3. A Laptop Sleeve – from Living Creatively. This is a great idea, especially for teens and college students who are always taking their laptops around. Make a bunch of different sleeves in a variety of colors for quick style changes!

Technorati Tags: christmas, gifts, holidays, homemade, teens

Don’t Go Into Debt This Christmas – Part 1

Mish — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 11:22:23 +0000

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. It is. I love Christmas. I love the lights and the snow and the excitement and anticipation.

I don’t mind shopping…at least a little of it. This year, with the economy in the state it’s in, apparently the retailers are already grumbling about their low expectations for the “shopping” season. Well, let me give you a little advice – don’t feel bad for the retailers. And don’t feel bad for yourself either. Whether you only have $10 to your name or $10,000, Christmas can still be a time of wonder – expecially if you have children.

The first thing you have to do to prepare yourself for a debt-free, frugal – yet fun Christmas – is sit down and get the notion out of your head that you have to spend a lot of money at Christmas. You have to get the image of the tree with TONS of presents under it out of your head. You also have to get it out of your head that you are going to need a credit card to get through Christmas. You don’t. Snip it up now. There is no reason that you need to pay interest on stuff for Christmas. Please, I’m begging you, don’t do it.

Visualize your Christmas without huge amounts of debt. Visualize having cash in hand at Christmas.

OK – now that you can see your Christmas, you have to convince your kids of the same.

The best, most important move you can make to this end is to turn off your TV. Shut it down. Limit your kids to movies and PBS. No more commercial television. It will save you $40 or $70 a month – and a ton at Christmas. The year that we shut off our satellite TV, my kids asked me for things like books and art supplies and sleds. The year before we shut it off, I was getting requests for things like “stinkblasters” (utterly disgusting) and whatever the newest, hottest video game system was at the time.

Then, before you have a Christmas chat with your children, take a look at your local community calendar. Are there any performances you can take them to? Often, community theater will have a production of A Christmas Carol that is inexpensive to bring the kids to. Also, look for church performances of Christmas carols (even if you aren’t religious) as well as opportunities to volunteer in the community – at a food bank or shelter. Schedule times to look at light displays. When we lived in Green Bay, we spent one Friday night each week in December at the zoo, the arboretum and driving around the neighborhoods, looking at all of the lights. We brought along hot chocolate and had a wonderful time.

Go and find a local farm where you can take a sleigh ride and cut down your own Christmas tree. This adds to the anticipation and fun – without being just another day in the mall!

By loading your calendar up with Christmas activities you can extend the season – without making it all about lists and shopping!

Then, you need to have a chat with your kids. If your kids traditionally have gotten everything they have asked for at Christmas (and I was one of these kids when I was younger), you’ll need to make it clear that you are changing the focus of Christmas this year. Show them all of the cool activities you have planned. If they roll their eyes, ignore them…and don’t let them “out” of the planned events. No one gets to stay home and play on the computer!

Then explain how you have spent too much – or perhaps even gone into debt each year just to buy a lot of stuff no one plays with anymore or that breaks or whatever. Have a couple of examples ready if you need proof.

If you are able to get gifts this year, tell the kids to take a few days and come up with one thing – ONE – thing, that if they didn’t see it under the tree on Christmas morning, they’d be really bummed out. Tell them that no one will be getting gifts over a certain dollar amount – so that if they say their one thing is a new iPod that you can’t afford, they will be prepared. Also, tell them you want them to come up with ways to give the family gifts that cost very little – and that you’ll help them make presents or come up with ideas.

Last year, my then nine-year-old was learning how to bake. He baked everyone in the family a small, individual banana bread. We were all surprised that he had thought of this all on his own- and everyone munched on their bread while opening their gifts! He felt proud for making something everyone enjoyed and didn’t spend a dime on presents (as I graciously donated the ingredients to the cause).

I will post more on this topic in the weeks to come, but it is important to be upfront and honest with your kids. If they believe in Santa – be honest, tell him everyone is cutting back, including Santa – or tell them that Santa makes all the toys…he doesn’t make iPods and computers and video game consoles. Those he has to buy, and he is low on cash this Christmas!

Technorati Tags: christmas, Christmas shopping, debt-free, frugal christmas, homemade christmas

Beautiful Paintings!

Mish — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 14:18:19 +0000

I was trolling around etsy – just gathering ideas, as I am new to the site and found Heidi Shaulis. It turns out she lives just a couple of towns over from here.

Her paintings are simply beautiful! And her husband’s woodwork is amazing…check them out.

Isn’t that amazing? Her blog says it will be her Christmas Card this year – I hope I can make it my Christmas cards too!

Technorati Tags: art, christmas, heidi shaulis, paintings

A Great Green Gift – Rent a Maple Tree!

Mish — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 20:11:23 +0000

A long time ago, my dad told me about a farm that used to lease out their maple trees for the maple-syrup making season. We are doing something similar on the farm. For the last few years, we have had a “Rent a Maple Tree” program. I’ve never offered it online before, but have had increased interest – so I thought maybe readers of this blog might like to give a great, green gift – for the holidays – or anytime!

In your Maple Lease package you get a sexy, parchment paper lease agreement; at least one gallon of pure Vermont maple syrup (or more if your tree makes more); three newsletters updating you on the trees, Vermont and the maple season – as well as historical tidbits and maple recipes!

Click here to get started with your lease!

Technorati Tags: christmas, christmas gifts, food, green gifts, maple syrup, vermont, vermont maple syrup

Homemade Christmas Gifts for Kids – 5 things for $5 or less!

Mish — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 17:56:51 +0000

Five gifts for under $5!

1. Homemade Felt Board. I was walking through a trendy toy store once (just once, don’t judge me too harshly) and saw for sale a felt board, with all kinds of television character related accessories. My middle son was enamored with it. Rather than suck up the $32 price tag ($32?!) plus $15 for the different accessory packs, I went to the craft store, bought a pack of felt of different colors and proceeded to wrap a piece of cardboard with felt; then cut out all sorts of different shapes – trees, birds, whatever. I also found felt on a large bolt and was able to pin a large piece up on a wall – creating all sorts of interesting landscapes for the felt shapes. My kids have played with their felt boards for years! And I’ve even made small, portable ones for basketball games and car trips.

2. Crayons. Make new crayons out of old ones! Get old crayons and melt them down (use complimentary colors so they aren’t all brown) and put them in muffin tins or use metal cookie cutters on a cookie sheet to make interesting shapes. Put a bunch together with some neat (possible homemade) paper in a nice basket or box – a great present for a little one!

3. Make bath time fun! Buy a pound of glycerin soap from your local craft store or online and melt it down into funky shapes…for a little extra bonus, put a fun little trinket inside (small rubber animals are great for this). Sew up a couple of funny washcloth puppets and you have a great bath time present.

4. Pocket quilt. A pocket quilt is a wonderful present if you have a little time. You can either use jeans (which already have pockets) or any leftover cloth or clothing you have around. Just make a simple squares patchwork quilt and add pockets to some of the patches. You can hide little treats in the pockets! You can also make this project wall hanging or doll quilt size. If you use “Christmasy” fabric, you can turn the quilt into an Advent calendar. Martha Stewart’s website has detailed instructions on making a “shirt pocket” quilt. I just kind of “free form” it!

5. When I was a kid, I always wanted one of those large, rug-style checkerboards. I never got one and I never knew where to get one. One morning (after I had long since grown up) I found one of those checkerboard rugs at a yard sale – but there were no pieces with it. I bought the rug anyway (for 10 cents) and proceeded to make a bunch of “checkers” out of craft foam. I could easily have made the rug out of a heavy piece of canvas cloth, with a checkerboard out of fabric paint – or I could have quilted a version. Either way, it’s a fun project to make – and fun to play!

Technorati Tags: advent calendar, bath soaps, christmas, craft project, crayons, felt board, frugal, homemade gifts, presents, quilts

Homemade Christmas Gifts

Mish — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 13:30:29 +0000

OK – It’s September – and what does that mean around here? It means that I have to start preparing for Christmas! Well, don’t get too annoyed with me, it’s not like I make it a full-time job or anything, but I do, at this time of year, start thinking about and working on my homemade Christmas presents. Also, because I have a lot of kids, I try and start picking up purchased items as well.

It’s a lot easier for me to pick up a gift card at the grocery store with my normal grocery trip in September, than to buy five gift cards in December! I’m not a fantastic saver, so I try and space things out a bit. I also start looking on eBay for great gift ideas.

I do make up cookie baskets for a lot of my acquaintences and clients at Christmas. I love to bake and I try and bake a wide variety of interesting cookies that we don’t normally make at Christmas. Then, I drive around town one day before Christmas and drop-off the baskets. It’s a really fun tradition.

I also love to knit, so while I do not punish my children by giving them only homemade presents – I do try and make them each a little something. For example, last year, I found a cool lime green and black yarn and knit my middle son a pair of “wristies” – those fingerless mittens that kids seem to love.

I’ve knit pillowcases and hats and made preserves and picture frames and scrapbooks. In fact, I just found a great project that I’d like to try this year at Jane’s Apron.

They’re pillowcase loungepants! Is that not the cutest thing ever? I can’t wait to get my sewing machine and try making a pair!

Anyone else have a great homemade Christmas gift idea? Please share!

Technorati Tags: christmas, Christmas shopping, frugal, gifts, homemade gifts

The $100 Christmas? Well, not quite…

Mish — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 14:50:02 +0000

I did some Christmas shopping over the weekend. I decided to suck it up and brave the crowds – and we did, my daughters and I. But it was some of the most difficult shopping I’ve ever done, because I couldn’t just buy anything. I kept looking at all of the cheap, plastic crap and would think – “yeah, this will be broken in a week” – or “I’ll be sweeping this up off the floor in May.” Not to mention the fact that my children just don’t want that much. That’s one of the great benefits of not having television – they never see the commercials for all of the cheap plastic crap that they used to “need.”

Now, my 3 year old is difficult because I do want to buy him everything, but I have to stop myself and remember that there is a very real joy curve when it comes to Christmas. There is the Christmas Eve build-up. We open one small gift and talk about Santa. Then there is the sheer thrill of Christmas morning when the littlest ones come downstairs and see all the gifts under the tree. We open stockings and eat candy for breakfast and then start to pass out gifts. But how many times in the past have I made my little ones wait to assemble things until everything was opened? And then they get exhausted – or overwhelmed – and the thrill is gone. And now we’re just crabby.

How can such a wonderful day turn out so badly? Well, I believe it’s the joy curve. A small child peaks out with joy after just a few gifts. And last year, I decided to take advantage of it. We bought just a few, well thought out gifts for each child. We assembled and put together as we went along. We enjoyed the morning.

And you know what? We had a great time. We enjoyed each other and the gifts we each received. We spent less money, ate more food and had a wonderful time all around. My kids said it was much more fun than the frenzy that had ensued the year before when our whole family gathered and there were more presents than anyone could handle. They liked it quiet and laid back, they said.

We also didn’t go into debt. I didn’t sign up for one credit card – even to get the 10 percent off. Because really 10 percent just isn’t worth it. So not only did we have less madness – we went into the New Year debt-free.

Now, I’ve read bill McKibben’s “Hundred Dollar Holiday” and while I agree with many of the principles, I’ll never be able to get out for $100. But I’m OK with that. I like the magical part of Christmas where you receive things that you don’t get in the normal course of your year. I like to surprise my children and see their faces light up when I get them something truly cool. But I will not go into debt for it. And I will never again buy stuff just so they have more under the tree.

I always ask my kids at the beginning of the holiday season, “If you could only get one thing for Christmas, what would it be?” And it really makes them think.

We also spend a lot of time doing family things (not that we’re not pretty close already). We make it a point to load up in the car and look at lights; go to a fun family movie (quite a splurge for eight of us!); and we bake a lot!

Technorati Tags: christmas, debt, frugal, miscellaneous, money

Live Tree, Dead Tree or Fake Tree? A Christmas Dilemma…

mishakennedy — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 14:10:14 +0000

Let the Christmas articles begin.

Many years ago, when I first became a “greenie” or “treehugger” or whatever the term was back in the 80’s, I berated my parents for cutting down a Christmas tree in our own backyard (we have 30 acres). “You’ve cut down a precious tree for a month’s worth of enjoyment!” I would yell.

My parents then moved on to a fake, plastic tree. A very nice one, I might add. But fake nonetheless, thinking they had solved the eco-dilemma.

I encouraged them to buy a potted tree and replant it after Christmas, but they informed that, living in Vermont…it wasn’t really possible. The ground being frozen and all.

Oh yeah.

So, a potted tree being out of the running, the choice was back to soon-to-be-dead tree or plastic. I thought the fake tree would win out for sure. Until I read about PVCs and lead in the fake trees. Not to mention all of the energy required to make a fake tree – plus the shipping, packaging, and well, you get the idea.

So, now we’re back to the soon-to-be-dead cut Christmas tree.

It’s the best option. Why? Christmas trees are farmed. Like rutabagas. For everyone cut down, a Christmas tree farm plants another to take it’s place. The earth reaps the benefits of the CO2 breathing trees for as many as five years or more – and then when the Hogans (that would be us) come to cut her down with our little bow saw – we get to enjoy it as a tree for Christmas, and then as mulch for our blueberry patch. Same with our wreaths.

In case you were wondering, we get our trees from a little farm about a mile away from our house – Red Rock Farm – but I found out they have a web site: www.christmastrees.net and they ship their trees all over.

Going to their farm is a great family tradition. Each year we all load up in my truck and drive the mile or so to their farm. We ask Rich where to head for the best trees (which are all labeled and marked accordingly) and then once we find our tree, we bring it back to Rich who entertains the kids by shaking the bejeezus out of it on the needle shaker machine. While he wraps it up, we usually go and watch Stephanie make wreaths in the warm little shed off their barn. I usually buy a wreath or two and some roping for our deck.

So, find yourself an organic Christmas tree farm and go cut your own this year. It’s a wonderful family experience and it’s a “green” activity too!

Technorati Tags: christmas, christmas trees, gardening, holiday, organic