Every year for the past 4 years, I buy a few yards of flannel Holiday patterned fabric and sew re-usable gift bags from it. I simply sew them like pillow cases - 3 edges together, the last edge turned under & hemmed. I use them to give my gifts, fastening them with cording or ribbon.
Compromising...and remembering the look on my little girl's face first thing Christmas morning. Worth more than all the money in the world! Absolutely priceless and worth the frustration!
During the holidays remember, taking care of others is very important but so is taking care of yourself. If you get tired, run down, or sick you are no good to anyone. Make yourself a "getaway" box or basket. Put things in it like bath salts, lotion, bubble bath, perfume, a few votives, etc. Don't forget a snack and even some music. Then one day or night when you are really tired...take yourself and put it in the tub for at least an hour. Pamper yourself! You deserve it! If you have to do it after everyone in the house is asleep. You'll feel really refreshed!
As a working mother and then a work at home mother, I am pressed for time when entertaining. Since I always seem to host our family gatherings, I learned a few short cuts in cooking that really help. Here is my recipe for a wonderful cake you can throw together in very little time.
1 box yellow butter cake mix
4 eggs
1 11 oz.can mandarin oranges
3/4 cup oil
Mix above ingredients , including juice from oranges. Save a few orange slices for garnish. Pour into 3 prepared cake pans and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool layers completely.
1 lg. bowl Cool Whip
1 lg. box instant vanilla pudding
1 lg.can crushed pineapple in heavy syrup
Dump all ingredients, including juice from pineapple in large bowl; beat well. Spread generously between layers and on top and sides. Garnish with orange slices. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or until well chilled. Serve cold.
Here's mine, you may have seen it (or even done it) before:
The best inexpensive Christmas gift I ever received was from my son when he was in Kindergarten. The class took empty boxes (hair color, toothpaste, whatever) and wrapped them in wrapping paper and tied them with a ribbon. Attached to the box was this note
I took an ordinary box
As empty as can be
I filled it with a special gift
And wrapped it carefully
But please don't ever open it
Just leave the ribbon tied
And hold it tightly near your heart
Because my love for you's inside!
You could also change the ribbon line to read "just leave the bow applied" if you use bows instead of ribbon. This of course is easier than the ribbon for little ones. I loved this gift and will keep it FOREVER. )
Last year we started a new tradition with our kids. I bought a permanent marker and a heavy cotton dish towel. Each person was assigned a corner of the towel where I wrote their list of "I'm thankful for"--s. It was fun and very interesting to find out what mattered to my kids. We dated the towel and will use it as a table runner for our holiday meal this year. Someday we will have enough to use them as placemats and we will look back over the changes in our family.
I decide in advance how much I'm going to spend per person and stick to it. I also try to limit gift giving to children under age 18.
Well fellow WAHMs, I am going to be interested in the responses to this since I generally throw a party over the holidays and more often than we all come down with a ferocious virus around Christmas. This year I'm trying massive doses of vitamin C and a little extra sleep to fend off unwanted organisms. - Dana
