Narrowing Down Christmas ideas

I love Christmas.  The feeling of generosity and excitement in the air.  The hustle and bustle of everyone shopping. The giving, the smiles.  Everything but the weather. It's really too bad Jesus couldn't of been born in July.  Anyway, as I said in the previous post that I'm trying to have a very frugal Christmas this year.  At the same time I want to make sure everyone I care about gets a little something.  So I'm looking into homemade gifts and here are some of my favorite ideas so far:

Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments
These are really simple and shouldn't cost hardly anything or take anytime at all to make several.

Hot Cocoa Mix
I like that this recipe is slightly different.  I think a serving size or two in a pretty little bag or box from the dollar tree with a candy cane or just some peppermints would make a nice gift.

Paper Ornaments
I saw this and thought it would make a good craft for the kiddies.  I don't think you can have too many ornaments on the tree and kid-made ornaments are always the best.

Yarn Dolls
I'm not sure if I'll  do this one or not.  I have plenty of yarn to do it with, just not sure my nieces would like them.  I thought of doing like angel themes and turning them into Christmas ornaments.  I may make a few and give to my younger nieces, my older ones may like them.

Photo Block Ornaments
These are adorable and I think would be perfect for mine and Hubby's parents and grandparents.  I can print out some pictures I've taken over the past year and put them on small wooden blocks to mail out.  I think they would really like them.

Of course there's always homemade candies like:
Cranberry Crunch Bark
Sugar Mints
Homemade Whoppers
Candy Icicles 

Also cookies are good to send as well. Well, certain cookies anyway and you have to package them just right.  A quick google search gives many tips on how to make sure cookies arrive in the same condition they were sent.

I have a few more ideas I'm considering as well. I'm also going to make my bunch scarves for stocking stuffers.  I'm making myself one this weekend because we had a big bad cold front go through (yes 50 for a high is cold here, given our normal winter high is around 50 give or take a couple degrees). I couldn't find my other scarf and so a simple, quick knit is in the works this weekend.  I so dislike being cold.  I also have some carving patterns I want to try, but may wait to do those.

Happy Fourth of July!

Yea I know it's only the 2nd but I'm not going to be on till maybe Monday so I figured I'd get a head start in wishing all my blog readers(all two of ya) a good holiday. Tomorrow after work we're heading up to Mo to get my youngest two from my mom's house. Really all I want to do is grab my babies and head back home to spend time with my family. **side note**I know my mom, sisters, nieces, nephews, etc...are family as well but whenever I mention/think of family I think of my hubby and I and our children. My central unit. Everyone else is pretty much just relatives. Not to confuse anyone into to thinking I think any less or that my extended family is less important (okay yea they are less important then my hubby and kids are to me but it's not a great extent) it's just that when I want to spend time with my family or spend holidays with my family all I'm thinking of is the six of us (not the twenty or more of us all together in a tiny little place getting all hot and frustrated with each other).
Anywho, I would rather just grab my babies then head over to the park to watch the fireworks. Or sit in our backyard and watch as we are close enough to see them I think. I do better seeing everyone else in small spurts on non-holiday weekends once, maybe twice a year.
This may all change when I'm older and griping to my kiddies that I never get to see the grandkiddies; why don't they ever come over; I wish I could see them more. Goddess I hope I don't turn into that type of parent. I want to be the non demanding, happy with whatever time they have to spend with me type. I can be non-demanding, really. My hubby would never believe it.
Okay I'm just rambling, please have a great and SAFE weekend and I'll catch up on everyone's blogs next week.

Happy Mothers Day, All

Just a quick note to wish all the mom's, mom's-to-be, mom's-want-to-be a happy Mother's day weekend.
I'm just hoping for a nice quiet day at home where: the kids clean the house to a squeaky shine without being asked, I get to sleep in past 7 am, I hear no arguments from anyone, and so on...well since none of that is likely to happen I will just settle for the bare minimum of fights between the kiddies and not having to cook all day (okay the cooking thing probably won't happen either unless we order pizza or go hungry). Well after a little thought I'm going to have to make my mother's day good on my own 'cause if left up to the kiddies and hubby we'll go fishing or stay home while the males of my house play ps2 or Xbox and dd goes over to her friends and I'm stuck trying to entertain myself. Fun times, huh.