Find Cheap Christmas Gift Ideas

When you're trying to plan a frugal Christmas, finding cheap Christmas gift ideas is very important. Luckily, with a little advance planning, it's possible to have a great Christmas without going into debt.

1. Give handmade gifts. Knitted hats, crocheted blankets, beaded bracelets, personalized scrapbooks, or handmade candles make very special Christmas gifts. If you enjoy spending time in the kitchen, a plate of cookies and a collection of your favorite recipes is a good idea to consider as well.

2. Offer up a service, such as free housecleaning, lawn mowing, or car washing. This is an especially good idea for senior citizens, who really don't need anymore knick knacks to dust. Just keep in mind that you need to follow through with your promise to make this a good gift.

3. Encourage creativity by giving children crayons, markers, stickers, coloring books, and sketch pads purchased from your local dollar store. These items can also be purchased very cheaply during the "back to school" sales in July and August if you remember to plan ahead.

4. Consider giving a "secondhand rose." Although it's commonly believed that all Christmas gifts must be purchased brand new, gently used items can be excellent presents. For example, used bookstores are a great source of Christmas presents for avid readers. Stores that sell used DVDs and video games can also be good resources for the teens on your holiday shopping list.

5. Buy "joint" gifts. For example, instead of buying separate presents for your brother, sister-in-law, niece, and nephew, you could buy a family board game for all of them to enjoy together.

6. Look for experiences to share. If you normally exchange gifts with all of your friends, see if they would be willing to go to a play together or check out a new restaurant in lieu of the gift exchange. In addition to saving money, you'll have fewer people to shop for and fun memories to share!

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A Bookshelf That's Also A Door!! Wow!

Until now I 'thought' my ultimate bookshelf fantasy was a lovely bunch of shelves built around a doorway, or around a window.... I've always seriously fawned over those sorts of bookshelves.

But....

Now...

Look at this....

Image from Turquoise Tulips and Bliss

Whoa!

A magical door and a bookcase all in one.

It fans the flames of that yearning I have for 'secret' things. Hidden doors, rooms no-one else knows about, undiscovered treasures, little caves full of fascinations.

This really 'had me at hello'.

Superb.

Linda. xox

P.S: I've had this sitting in my drafts folder for a while, and a few days ago I also spotted it over on Erin's great blog House Of Turquoise as part of a guest post by Coco Cozy! I think this pic will do 'the rounds' as it's so fab.

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Our newest Toy & Video supporter.

I am in love. Not the puppy love kind that fades with time. Oh no. This one is as fresh as it was with the first touch of it's cold red metal.

As you may have noticed, we have a new supporter of my Homesteading Adventure videos. One I have been seeking since the beginning of the video idea. A product that every homesteader should have and exceeds all others in it's class. I put a lot of time into researching and trying to find an essential Homesteading product to meet demands of what many seek. I have experienced rudeness, hang ups, poor (and I mean mind blowing poor!) customer service. Shameful business practice plus many companies that may tout a decent product but fail in almost all aspects of being a business about the consumer. That is unacceptable. Why would I endorse any company that would behave in any of these manners towards me? If I am treated this way, how will they treat all of you? Then....I found her. THE one. Surpassing all others in every aspect.

My first contact was while attending the Mother Earth news fair. Quickly,I found I was not alone being smitten for this new toy. I just can not hold it in any longer. My intention was to introduce the GrainGrinder in the Spring with our Growing grain on a small scale videos.

I found one that is owned & operated by a family in Montana. When I say Operated, I mean EVERY aspect of the company has the family hand print. From the engineering blueprints Randy made when his wife requested a grain grinder, the tool/work shop, the superior customer service, all the way to the office. Bonnie, Randy and their children, are the Down to Earth people behind this entire operation. Meeting Bonnie, truly an amazing & humble woman, at the Fair was a blessing. Their Grain grinder was everything I have searched for. Everything I have heard so many say they wanted in a grinder.A comment she said during our conversation has stuck with me. " We believe every family should have access to healthy grains". Not only have they produced an outstanding product, they have made it so every family can succeed in doing so. The jaw dropping bonus... THEY HAVE LAYAWAY!

First some facts. This is the ONLY grain grinder I have found to be 100% American made. Every single piece of it. Cleaning is so easy, Frog needed no help after grinding the flour.Very little effort is needed when hand cranking the wheat berries into a fine flour. Outputting averages 1 cup of flour PER minute! So easy that Frog is happy to take a turn, when she can wrestle it away from Lil Man..


Using the exclusive GrainBreaker auger, you can grind oily media such as coffee & flax seed.,It will grind peanuts or Sunflower seed into Sun butter/peanut butter. The options and the very little energy effort needed, impress the heck out me (and the crowds of people surrounding their small booth at the fair.). A lifetime warranty on an AMERICAN product, FAMILY owned & made Grinder. It is Formed, NOT cast, steel. The list could go on & on so it's best you just hop over to their grain mill grinder website and see for yourself why my love for GrainGrinder will be ever lasting.


Not to mention, with your Modest priced purchase of a GrainMaker grinder, a 5 pound bag of Prairie Gold White Spring wheat berries will be found inside the box. Thanks to the partnership of Wheat Montana. The price is an excellent deal and if 4 people or more chip in on the layaway payments, Mom would have a kickbutt gift that I bet returns many delicious breads and maybe even some Sunflower seed butter to go on it. (better then Peanut butter, hands down in this family).
What a difference it makes by grinding your own wheat into flour. We made the above loaves and all around statements of "mom this is better then the other bread you make" were unanimous.
Soft wheat sandwich bread that far outweighed any store bought loaves.

Stay tuned for another visit into our kitchen Homesteading adventures video, later this week. I will share the recipe and experience of our new Toy. Now go on. Get over to their website Grainmaker.com to see for yourself.
Our first snow of the season is here and while children are sledding and hot cocoa is waiting, I have a few more loaves to make for friends. Happy grinding!
Sweet Dreams,
~Tammie

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Monday Music - Shine...

This is where it all began (personally one of my fave articles ever!!).

Music is SO important to the happiness of my home. :)

Now most Monday mornings when the working week looms I'll try to post a fave song or some music I'm listening to at the moment to provide some musical motivation.

So my little groovers......... here's today's installment!

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I had my Vanessa Amorosi CD blasting out earlier on, so naturally, the logical choice for this week's Monday Music was a little bit of Vanessa!

This is one of her slow songs, but also one of my favourites. I think it was the second single she released, quite a few years ago now!

And don't forget, if you're looking for more great music, Bec over at Memory Garden often has a lovely song to listen to on Mondays as well!



And, as always when thinking of our 'Musical Must Haves' section...

Ask yourself: 'Do I L.O.V.E music?'

Which leads to: 'Have I got enough of it in my home and in my life?'

Because: Good interior design caters to ALL our senses, not just our eyes.... that's why I call it 'Atmospheric Design' instead!

Linda. xox

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The Original Musical Must Have:

Where Did The Music Go? - Alternatively Titled Hugh Grant and I Have Something In Common With Our Bottoms!

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Celebrate Christmas Without Gifts

Not every Christmas celebration involves gift exchanges. In fact, you might find that a giftless Christmas ends up being a more meaningful way to spend time with your family than one where you exchange costly gifts. Particularly in an economic depression, when people are using all their money for basic survival, it may become advisable to celebrate Christmas without gifts, while still celebrating the deeper values of Christmas.

1. Discuss the matter with your family. Decide as a group to have a giftless Christmas in which only affection and food, not material things, is exchanged. Make sure your family understands that a Christmas without gifts doesn't mean they have nothing to look forward to. There will be plenty of other events and projects equally as fun as gifts.

2. Inform your relatives and friends that you are "going giftless" this year. Telling family members that you are not exchanging gifts helps prevent your ending up with a lot of presents that make you feel compelled to reciprocate.

3. Get the whole family involved in planning and preparing the food for your family Christmas. Why not bake some new special cookies and fruitcake and pound cake and other treats this year? Take special requests and do something unusual to give your family something new to look forward to.

4. Put a home-made nativity scene under the Christmas tree, or your kids' artwork, or some other decorations. The point is to avoid making the area under the tree look empty, reminding your kids of what's missing in this family Christmas.

5. Plan activities that can substitute for opening gifts. Consider the spirit of Christmas and the Christmas story of the baby Jesus for your inspiration as you plan your celebration. The idea is to get the whole family mobilized and looking forward to an activity they love on Christmas as much as they would have looked forward to gifts.

6. Plan a Christmas game that everyone can get involved in, and give out inexpensive prizes, gag prizes or food prizes (see the Resources below for ideas). Prizes are a great substitute for presents.

7. Throw a white elephant gift exchange. A white elephant gift exchange is not the same as giving gifts! A tradition at Christmas work parties, a white elephant exchange can also be a hilarious game at home. And it can fill up the empty area under your Christmas tree. See in Resources: How to Do a White Elephant Gift Exchange.

8. Plan a photo auction. Have all your relatives and friends bring in extra photos on Christmas Eve that everyone can "bid" on using Christmas objects and food such as gingerbread cookies, candy, Christmas streamers, ornaments, etc. At the end, let everyone exchange photos as they like so everybody ends up with some photos. This is a great way to celebrate your family memories and creates both memories to take home and a memorable and hilarious event.

9. Plan a family Christmas concert or a play for the family to put on, Brady Bunch or Partridge Family style! Celebrate with a family concert and show off everyone's talents. A Christmas without gifts does not have to be a Christmas without entertainment!

10. Work together on a creative project like a piece of art or a craft that the whole family can contribute to. Relate it to Christmas in some way.

11. Celebrate Christmas Eve without gifts with your family on December 24.

12. Take digital photos of the Christmas celebration with a digital camera. Download the pictures and place them in an online album that all your relatives and friends can view.

13. Celebrate Christmas Day by playing games and creating beautiful memories with your family. Remind yourself of what Christmas is all about and remember what is most important to you. You'll find it surprisingly meaningful when you celebrate Christmas without gifts.

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Cool Infinity Bench

ICFF 2009, design a lot of amazing and unusual things with stylish mind, They design always design unique and creative furniture. Here, we share a another amazing furniture which name is " Cool Infinity Bench ", this stylish bench designed by James Coombes and Dominique Gonfard, Both are founder of Lerival. Both peoples are very talented and opened a stylish furniture store to selling cool creative furniture, Infinity Bench was the first furniture which made in Paris. We hope we like this beautiful infinity bench in your home and also in garden. This Amazing Bench is perfect for decorative furniture in Gardens, Waiting Room, Lounges, Verandas, Lobbies. The shape of this stylish furniture is perfect for home decoration, you can placed anywhere in the home.

More Related Home Decorative Furniture :

Decorative Furniture November Collection
Globe Ball Chair
Winter Frozeniture

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The Rug And The Culprit - Caught In The Act...

When I did part 6 of the 'quote journey' around my home, quite a few people mentioned their fondness for the rugs seen in the hallway, and some even wanted a close up!

I also mentioned how my cat Jessie likes to claw on them, and how it doesn't really matter (thank goodness), because due to their 'tufted' nature, the clawing really doesn't make them look all that different!

For the purposes of the promised close-up however, here's the afore-mentioned 'culprit' in action!

The colours aren't quite right, but you get the idea!!

Linda. xox

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