Holy Night

St. Luke 2: 1 – 14
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them at the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest,and on earth peace,good will toward men.

Christmas Cookies, Done!

Six hours later, cookies are done. Peanut butter, chocolate chip, chocolate & walnut, oatmeal chocolate chip and sugar cookies galore. Plus we did pretzel snowflakes! So much fun, so many hands helping.

We had a total of 120 cookies, which was divided between two houses, well what was left after all that eating, anyways!

Marvelous Mess

I made a mess all over the living room floor,

but after 10 hours of wrapping tons of gifts,

it was a beautiful display!

Are you all wrapped and ready to go?

Old Tree Reused

There is something that will not let me throw away that first Christmas tree that I ever bought. I was young, and it was one week before Christmas, and as a single mom, I knew my baby had to have a Christmas tree. I scrapped up the last bit of money I had, went to Kmart and bought a Charlie Brown type tree for $8 on clearance.

Even though now I have a great tree (bought in January on clearance of course), I still cannot throw away that tree. It has sit in our garage for years, and somehow made it into the house with the other tubs of decorations this year. After looking at it for a while, I realized I could use this. It was just pieces of greenery, afterall.

So after looking at it for a while, I realized that I could use it like garland. Inspired by Lala's favorite movie (The Nightmare Before Christmas), I turned up the ends of each branch, in a swirl motion. I did four branches, making sure that they would tuck into each other well so that I twisted them correctly. (I think Tim Burton would be proud!)

I swaddled them around a martini glass that holds my favorite deep aqua cracked glass ornament, the only ornament that ALWAYS finds its way into my Christmas decor. My mom bought it for me on a shopping trip, and although I fell in love with it instantly, there was no way I could afford it. It is one of my most prized Christmas possessions. (Of course you could use any thing in the middle that you wish -- something in a martini glass would be best, because the flat base with the tall stem lends itself well. Think small floating candles for a centerpiece -- GORGEOUS!)

Once all the branches were around the glass, I dotted the greenery with little plastic snowflakes.

Who knew a tree could make a table so pretty?

See how other people pull off being frugal over at Biblical Womanhood.

Oh My Lucky Stars!

Following up with Monday, we went about making our lucky star garland for the tree. I scrounged some scraps from work and cut them in strips at the office on the paper cutter (much easier and straighter than me with a pair of scissors :). Oh? You wanna learn to make the stars?? Check out the video below. I'll wait right here for you to come back.

So then you practice the stars until you get it just right. It takes a little bit, be patient, you will get it, I promise.

So now you can do the lucky stars! To get them on a garland, first you need to get some ribbon. I got this varigated kind (its a pretty blue to white) at Walmart for 47 cents. Measure and mark off your ribbon in 8 inch (or so) increments. Don't worry, I just used the lines on my table as guides. You can do it in shorter lengths if you want more stars or longer if you want fewer.

Since you have got it all wound off the spool, wind it back on there. Now tie knots on top of each mark you made. Tie loops on each end for help with hanging the garland.

Once you are all tied up (sorry for the pun, ok, not so sorry, I gotta get my giggles in somewhere!) Start making the stars over the knots. (For my stars, I used 23 inch long paper, cut into one inch strips.) It takes a long time to make a long garland, so just sit down and watch your favorite Christmas movie and fold away.

Voila! A beautiful project for less than $1.

Run on over to Rocks in My Dryer for more tips and fun!

Christmas Shopping Report

A few weeks ago, I decided to challenge myself (any anyone who wanted to join in) to start working on their Christmas shopping, and shop all year from clearance racks so that you could get the very best deals.

Like most things in life, once I set out on a mission, I become very determined to complete it (sometimes too determined) and so I am almost finished shopping. Other than my father-in-law and a couple of secret santa gifts, all gifts outside of my home are now completely off my list. I believe I spent under $150 for all of the gifts I have spent this far, including many gifts for my own children. I was very excited to see my gift closet becoming so full so very quickly.

As a second result of finding so many wonderful deals, I have also purchased many of the birthday gifts that I have to have for my nieces and nephews for the upcoming year. I also bought a few extra things for children that are the ages of my children, so when we get those last minute birthday party invites, I am not scrambling to come up with a gift (which always seems to mean that you pay more than you normally would have).

I had not thought out all of the ways that this way of gift buying could save me money in the long run, but now that I have a great stash of gifts, I am already seeing the wonders of this plan. Although, I know that this concept is not a new one, I simply did not realize how much wonderful stuff is available at the end of Christmas.

On another note, right after Christmas on clearance, Walmart had the "Ripstick" skateboards on clearance for $35. They had TONS of them. Just last week, I was in the store, and they were already back up to $70+. Their clearance didn't last too long, but the $70 is still cheaper than the $96 they were during December. Amazing how quickly their prices change!

CVS Steals & Deals

Have I ever told ya'll that I love me some CVS? Well I do! I especially love my wonderfully friendly cashiers. I love the fact that they rush me towards the clearance deals, and my wonderful manager will even help me out if I buy all of something she is trying to get rid of, she will mark it down as low as she can. See why I love me some CVS?

Tonight -- I got a wonderful boost to my Christmas Clearance Challenge. I haven't been in there in a few days, and the cashier is glad to see me, then tells me to look in a certain spot. They apparently did not know that they were supposed to mark down the toys with the rest of the Christmas stuff. By the time they realized it yesterday, it was already down to 90% off. And they had TONS of stuff left, because it was not clearly marked that it was on clearance. She told me what was marked down, and then I went to town.

I got:
3 Remote Control Cars (with batteries!)
5 Barbie dolls (yep -- the real deal)
1 Pony Playset (think My Little Pony, only actually prettier)
5 buckets of sidewalk chalk (small but perfect for Easter baskets)
1 Elmo housekeeping playset
1 Mortal Kombat plug 'n play game
1 Hot Wheels Set
(oh...and 2 candy bars -- I had to have them to get my total right)
For......are you ready........ 25 cents!!!!
I used a $10 ECB (that I had built up in previous orders, starting from nothing)
I saved over $100. This was my best Christmas Clearance trip yet. Now almost all my toys are complete.

Next on my agenda? Old Navy for 75% off savings -- hoodies are only like $3, which will make great gifts for my kiddos next year. (Just look for ones without the year on them and you will be fine.)

Are you finding some good deals? Share! Maybe we can follow in your footsteps.

Christmas Clearance Challenge

The more I think about it, the more I realize that you can get amazingly great gifts on clearance all year long. I always shop clearance, but never really thought about totally doing Christmas from there. So, my challenge, for myself and anyone who wants to participate, is Christmas from Clearance. Other than my DH and children I need 25 gifts. I have already purchased 6 of these from clearance bins in the few days since Christmas. I don't think I can get them all between now and the time that Christmas buys are all gone, but I think I can finish up long before new trees hit the shelves next fall.

6 down, 19 to go.

Wanna join me?

Beatiful Bows

Since I have decided to put bows on gifts this year (after years of being too lazy) I figured the cheapest way to go was a big spool of curling ribbon in winter white and an "egg" of another color. So for about $1.50, I have enough ribbon to do all of our gifts. Quickly, I tired of just plain curls, and went back to the things I remember my very chic grandmother doing to her beautiful packages. After a bit, I got the hang of making these bows.



So this is how you do it:
First you take a piece of tape, sticky side face up, then start making loops.

Make the loops around in a circle, laying a new piece of tape on top of necessary.

As you complete the outside layer, make the inside a little smaller.
You can use a different color inside for contrast, or leave it one single color for a striking, elegant touch to your holiday gifts.

I think the plain white ones look like snowflakes. Add a different color to the center and they look like flowers. The best part, it was cheap! Once you get into a rhythm, you can do several in just a matter of minutes.

Creating Christmas Cheer

Cookie Mix -- free

Sprinkles and Decorations -- free

Spending time with my girls making Christmas cookies -- PRICELESS!

Wishing for a Winter Wonderland

I miss snow. I remember winters when I was a child, they were filled with snow and beautiful winter scenes. Living in the country meant that getting to town was no fun, but we were secluded at home, just the family and loving the time we spent together. It was like my own personal story straight out of Little House on the Prairie.

We have not had snow like that in over 10 years, not one that any of my children can remember anyways. There is just something breathtaking about seeing our home surrounded by snow. The sight of seeing the creek and waterfall snuggled up to a white blanket is simply breathtaking.

Call it global warming, weather cycles, wacky weather.....whatever. I just miss it and hope it comes back before I am too old to go out and pummel my sweet family with snowballs!

What is your holiday wish?

My Big Fat Crazy Black Friday

Whew! I think, nearly a week later, I have finally recovered from my Black Friday marathon shopping extravaganza........
Although I cannot post the entire list of goodies that I scored (my kids have been known to sneak a peek at my blog on occasion -- and all BF goodies are for them). However, I can give you the heads up on some of the great deals and all the details of my shopping escapades.

1 a.m. -- Wake up!
Yes, my friends, I woke up at 1:00 in the morning, after going to bed at 9:00 the nite before (add quickly and you will realize that is only four hours of sleep -- remember this towards the end). I got up, dressed in TONS of layers, the settled down with my laptop for one last look at all of the last minute deals I might have missed.

2 a.m. -- Leave the House
I have a plan to meet my friends -- Teri and her daughter Ashley -- and since we are both about the same distance from the predetermined meeting place, we both agree to leave our homes at 2. Fifteen minutes later I am loading myself along with my totebag full of ads into her car. We drive 25 minutes south to get to Florence, AL, which is the city we chose to scavange. Just for kicks -- we drove through the Best Buy parking lot (where people started camping out at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday). Across the street we scoot, to JC Penney's.

3:15 a.m. -- Start the stand
Luckily, in the Grand South, people are just generally nice. There are about 10 people in line when we get out of the car to jump in on the fun. Since I had only seen the ad online, and did not actually have one in hand, the nice lady ahead of me let me have a look-see at hers. It was not any different from what I had seen, but I just wanted to double check. Yes, we got the snowglobes, which were very cute! I got a great deal on clothes for my kiddos and the new grandbaby (which we are praying is home by Christmas). Doors opened at 4:00 a.m. and we were out by 4:20 a.m.

4:30 a.m. -- New Deal at Old Navy
We jump into the line -- the store is set to open at 5:00. The commercials have been on for days announcing the free MP3 player with a $20 purchase -- and my DD8 has been BEGGING for one. More than once I heard "Moooommmm......everybodyelseinthewholehousehasone.....BUT ME! Please, please, puuhhhhllllezzzzzz!!!" So, when I saw FREE, it fit's my motto 'whatever is free is best for me'. Yep, price was perfect. However, in all of the ads that ran constantly on TV, I never saw anything about wristbands, and apparently neither did anyone else. I was lucky enough to be one of the first 60 in line, as were my friends. So I grabbed jammies for one of the kiddos and a shirt for another loved one -- and to the register I ran.....ummm...walked briskly. There were already 15 people in line -- we had only been there 10 mins! And, yes, I got the MP3 player, YAY! While my friends were in line, I walked next door to Goody's and got some more goodies for cheap -- including some $20 bags that were on clearance for $3!

5:45 -- Who is the Target here?
So we scurry across the parking lot maze, to get to the next strip mall over. I have NEVER IN MY LIFE seen SOOOOOOOOOO many people in line to get into a store!!!!!! No joke, there was over 1,000 people in line to get into this store. The had a buggy corral so that no one could cut line, that was only about a 10th of the way back, with the other 90% past there. So, instead of waiting in the cold...I shopped and just waited my turn. I had no plans of getting big ticket items, just some cheaper items that I knew my crew needed/wanted. We got in pretty quickly, considering that had not waited for hours like others had. It was a VERY angry mob though -- so unSouthern. However after the tidalwave of Target shoppers had passed, we got in, grabbed what we wanted, then scooted over to Walmart. It was a hard decision to make Walmart versus Target -- but after the whole Walmart holding out debacle, we chose Target.

6:30 -- Wild Wacky Walmart
After we got out of Target, which was a quick trip, we went to Wally World. The best of the blitz was gone, but I knew the scavenge secret! When people get to the register, they will decide against this or that -- and so the cashiers shuttle it all up to the front of the store into "action alley" into all of these buggies -- where you just fish for what you want. We got everything that we were looking for, minus a couple of sets of sheets. There was plenty to be had -- including the $25 Bissell vacuum cleaners (which I still saw some at my local Walmart yesterday!) After we finished there -- we decided it was time for a break.

7:30 -- Breakfast Break!
We had been shopping for several hours, had tons of great deals under our belts, so we decided to go to Tourway Pancake House -- the unofficial feeding place of all students from my Alma Mater, the University of North Alabama. After a good, hot, cheap breakfast, we were off to Kmart.

8:00 a.m. -- Blue Light Specials
We wander into Kmart, about 2 hours after they opened, and they were still swamped. We got some great deals, which I had pared with the gift card donation deal from a couple of weeks ago, where you donated $10 to the American Diabetes Association and as a thank you, Kmart gave you a $20 GC. So not only were the deals great, I paid nothing out of pocket and had only paid half of the price about a month ago. Essenitally, I paid half price on the great deals that I did get.

8:45ish -- TJ Maxx
After missing out on all the sheet deals -- which my friend Teri wanted SO very badly -- we went to TJ Maxx to see if she could get some good deals, which she did. She got good quality, high thread count sheets for the same price Walmart had on the bargain bin ones.

9:30 -- To the Mall
Ashley needed a break, and so she decided she needed a nap -- which was fine by Teri and me. We parked right in front of the main entrance, directly beside the "police parking" and locked the doors. I said, "We will be back in three hours -- if you need us call us!" She mumbled ok. No joke we were literally in the mall for 3 hours, before she finally called! We were in there two more hours after that! My best deals of the day were in the mall. First was in Sears: I got $80 flannel sheets for my king-size bed that were normally $79.99 for $19.99 -- and they are the exact soft ocean blue that my room is painted -- IT WAS SWEET!
Time for another freebie -- I had gotten a coupon in the mail for a free product with any Bath & Body Works purchase -- so I already that one in the bag. I did not anticipate the other deals though. They had a whole section of gift sets for 30% off, so I got the biggest one they had in my daughter's favorite flavor. When I got to the register, the cashier took off my coupon and said, "Oh, if you spend $2.25 more you get another free gift." Uh...I grabbed a small bottle of body spray that will make a great stocking stuffer, and I got a set of 4 vials of perfume for free. The best part is that the gift set was originally $40, and I got about $60 worth of stuff for $33! And the free gift had a $10 coupon included for my next order -- it just kept getting better!

2:30 -- Lunch Break
Next on the agenda was refueling ourselves for one last stretch -- so we went to my favorite Chinese Buffet -- the Peking! YUM-O! After lots of good rest, food and conversation, we were ready to go again.

3:15 -- Dollar Tree Deals
Any great shopping trip can have tons of fun stuff added for cheap by stopping into the Dollar Tree. This one was no exception. We got lots of fun toys and gadgets to fill our stockings with lots of thrift and care. It was a welcome break to not figure out 60% off, 40% off, 70% off at the drop of a hat.

4:00 -- Hobby Lobbyists
With only an hour left to shop before we had to leave Florence, due to my dinner reservations with family at my mom's house, we decided to drop by Hobby Lobby. We ohhed and ahhed at all the beautiful ornaments -- and after WEEKS of searching I finally found what I had been longing for -- Eiffel Tower Christmas ornaments! I bought two packs since they were 50% off (so essenitally bogof). I also got some goodies to make a gift or two.

4:45 -- One Last Push
Although I was shopped out -- Teri and Ashley really wanted to go to Toys R Us. I had nothing against the store, but I chose to sit that one out. They were thrilled when they came back to the car though, gushing about their great experience. Since the mad rush of the day was over, and the truck was in -- TRU was restocking and they got everything they wanted.

Although it was a fun day -- at the end there was NO WHERE to put another single package. Ashley's sedan was full to the brim. We had the trunk so full it would barely close, two-thirds of the back seat was full to the ceiling, and Teri and I both had our laps full of presents. It was a very successful day. We are going to the outlet mall in Lebanon next weekend -- Who knows what we will find!

How was your Black Friday experience? Did you shop or stay home? Got a brag? Let's hear it!

Our Christmas in the Country

Christmas is that one magical time of year when we are just simply not tightwads. And, I am not even going to pretend to be embarrased about it. While I still shop for good bargains and buy quite a bit of it on clearance, there are few to no homemade gifts under my tree. My children are generally not whiners when they ask for things and I refuse. We do not own tons of gadgets and whathaveyous that make up the mainstay of most children's entertainment today.
However, we are not true tightwads when it comes to Christmas. We honestly try to get the most of what is listed by my children as their top ten wishes. Since the majority of the hottest new toys and stuff in general can be bought for the cheapest on Black Friday, this is when I do the most shopping for my own children. All others are already finished by this time, so that I can focus on the ones who I am personally responsible for creating memories for.
There are other things, besides shopping that I would like to work on this year. For the past several years I have simply wrapped gifts with no bows or ribbons. The get paper and a tag, and that's it. This year, however, my theme (which changes every year) is Christmas in Paris. So, instead of the plain boxes in pretty paper, I am inspired to add lots of ribbons and bows, just like you would find under a chic Parisian Christmas tree.
So, my true misson is to be more decorative with my packages, which is a cheap way to improve my holiday I think. With probably less than $5 worth of ribbons, I can beautify all the things under my tree. Yes, it will take a little more effort, but in the end I think it will all be worth it!

5 days and counting!

Until BLACK FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Woo hoooooo!!! I'm sooooooo ready! I plan for months and plot out my "attack". I think this is more fun for me than just about any other holiday, since I am a BIG shopper. I like shopping for almost anything (except clothes for myself). To get so much of my holiday shopping done in just one trip is so convienent, and those great deals make it so easy.
Of course, with all of the mix up this year with stores opening on different days and such, I have to start my plan from scratch, but it is worth it. I will be up at 1 a.m., leave the house by 1:30, meet my shopping buddy (my friend Terri) by 2:00, then off to the big city to get our shop on!

I will let ya know what kinds of great deals I get -- hope you have a good shopping day, too!

Baby It's Cold Outside!

Whoosh! It was in the 70's last week, and this week we are getting hard frosts!!! WOW, what a week can make. Changing weather makes me wanna rush to finish my Christmas shopping, even though there are still 47 days to shop.
WHAT??? 47 days??? Whew, good thing my whole "everybody finished except my kids & hubby" thing actually worked out this year! It is cool to know that they are almost finished, too.

Cold weather always makes me want Christmas to rush up and get here quicker. Because the sad fact is, that in two weeks, we will hit a warm patch again, and it bounces back and forth so much -- it is a rare occasion that we actually get a really cold Christmas. I cannot remember snow on Christmas -- which is the the ideal setting of course -- since I was a child. We have not had snow that lasted past lunch in several years, so I hope that this year (like I hope every year) that we will get at least one REALLY good snow.
Yes, I know "global warming" is creating havoc on my idea of the picture perfect Christmas, but I can still dream!

Christmas is Coming!

Shhh......Don't tell anyone.......It's only three months away! Ok, give or take a few days, but still! It's almost here!!! Have you started shopping yet? Every year I try to start in January, because I know it's coming whether I want to shop or not. So, this year, I actually did it! I have a few things left to buy, but nothing I could not wrap up in one trip, if need be.
Having such a huge head start is really comforting. I know that I do not have to pay the exagerrated retail prices during the "shopping season". Sure, they say they are "sale prices". And sometimes, they actually do have a great deal or two out there, but nothing like the clearnace prices you can get on the merchandise that is on the shelves now, because they are getting rid of it to make room for the holiday season. Sure, there are items that will only come out a few weeks before THE BIG DAY, but I tend to choose classic sorts of gifts that will stand the test of time.
Blocks, baby dolls, Hot Wheels cars, those are things to inspire a child's imagination, not one that stiffles it by telling you "exactly" how to play with something. Board games are another of my favorite gifts, my children each receive one every year (we have quite the collection by this point!). I am a huge fan of things that are useful, too. New clothes and shoes are also always under my tree.
Last year was the Christmas of all Christmases here at our home. Each child had 50+ presents each. It was amazing for them to open up each new gift with such enthusiasm. This year will be back to the normal 10 that they receive, however they will always remember that "One Christmas where we got EVERYTHING". Creating these sorts of memories is what childhood is all about. Yes, we normally have limits on everything we do, but once in a while, it is amazing to make your children soooo very happy. Not only did they have a ball the day of Christmas, but in counting the growing number of packages under the tree.
So, with a few last presents to shop for, I am about to wrap up my holiday shopping. I will probably still shop on Black Friday, because I LOVE IT!, so I will leave a few of them until then. Hopefully in the mean time, I can just sit back, and enjoy the view, while others still scramble to fill their stockings. Join me? You still have time, ya know!

Christmas in August

Call me crazy......but I really thought that Christmas shopping in August would be dramtically easier than in the "shopping season". I thought that the shelves would be full of neat little things that someone did not beat me to. I figured that I would be able to find quirky, cool gifts that my friends and family would adore. And, I figured that the clearance racks would not be wiped clean. I was wrong on all accounts.
I decided that I would help Santa with his shopping, and did get that part accomplished. Since I have 4 children to shop for, I can do one trip for Santa a month and not drain my wallet all at once. So, I went shopping for this gift, after MUCH research online, and found the very best deal possible and got it first. While I was in the big city, I figured I could get some more shopping in, since I was sans children and could stay out as late as I wanted. Well, I went to a few more stores, only scoring a few more gifts. Disappointed is an understatement. The feeling of "WHAT IN THE WORLD AM I GOING TO GET THIS PERSON" is no different ahead of time than it is on Christmas eve. So I searched. And I searched, and still never found anything for my mother and father-in-love.
On the other hand, I guess I am lucky that I have completed every other person except for one niece, my own children and DH. Since I already have several of my children's gifts, I know I am much further ahead of the game than the average American consumer. BUT -- I have to wonder, once I am down to just my children, what is the perfect number?
Last Christmas we had a BLOWOUT! It was the Christmas they will always remember, with so many presents that we had to take the dining room table into the kitchen so that we could move all of the gifts in there. It looked like a fantasy land, with 40-50 presents for each child. Once you add in my and DH's presents, there were over 200 gifts just for us. I have never seen my children so excited. I know it was spoiling them, but it was a once in a lifetime event that they realize will never happen again. I don't know which was more fun....Christmas morning or them counting the presents every day. Since we live very frugal lives and usually go for the bare basics, this was the equivilant of them going to Disney World.
But, where is the happy medium? I have heard people giving their children as few as 3 presents each, which is sweet and filled with Biblical meaning. And I KNOW that 50 is too many for every year. So this year we are settling for 10, with one of those 10 being a super nice gift that they really want. Whether it is a game console or a little girls tiny dream house, they are getting one thing they long for.
So my goal is to wrap up those last three gifts by Labor Day, then I can focus on my own children. I know it seems a little unorthodox to get gifts so early....but don't ya just love the feeling of giving and the holiday spirit? I figure I can enjoy it longer if I start early. Then maybe, just maybe, I can actually enjoy the holidays, instead of dreading all that shopping!