2012 Christmas Club

[AmberLab]

Does everyone have a set price for who they are buying for?

We do, I don't know how some people can spend $200-$300.00 on each person, we can't.

Thanks

I might spend ~$300-400 on gifts/baking supplies for everyone max., and I buy for ~ 18 people. Our families buy mostly for the kids though, and the adults swap homemade jams/jellies/cookies/chocolates/breads or paintings/cross-stiched items, etc. Adults are hard to shop for and usually don't need anything or can go buy it themselves so homemade is a more personal touch for us. Anything I get through the year via Optimum, Disney club, Airmiles, Pampers club, etc, is a nice extra.

[AmberLab]

I'm going to try making a few "surprise balls" for christmas and put small silly items in them.
Looks like a fun stocking stuffer. My DD once told me all the best gifts are in the stockings, lol.
Saw the idea on pinterest. If you're interested, here's the link.

http://pinterest.com/pin/95068242104525643/

I like your DD's point of view! I said that to my mother as a child, so she put more emphasis on the stocking and I still love to open my stocking. Good things come in small packages, and I've begun doing that with my own children.

[matty's mom]

I have been so inspired by this thread. I almost have my son's christmas shopping done: His budget $70 (maybe high for some but he is outgrowing most of his toys so we need a big turnaround!)

Here is where I am at: Playmobile fortress set & pirates set @50% off @ Chapters ($45), fisher price super heros (superman for stocking) @ WMclearance ($5), cars playdoh (stocking, Shopper's clearance (1.64) and bought with redemption= free). Cars art set- new from Value Village but on clearance $3.
The rest of the plan:
I am hoping to find the lego bucket (ages 4+) @ Zellers and use a Airmiles gc. (But I am also watching Kijijii). From my fabric stash, I will be making him some dinosaur socks (for his stocking), a fleece jacket with a made bulldog applique (just need a zipper!). That will leave me the other hopefully $15 ish for a few other stocking things, and a couple of new books.

DH is simple but $$$: Either a celtics jersey or raptor tickets to see the Lakers (he really want to see Steve Nash in action on a maybe winning team!)

When it comes to gift giving, I am learning from a great role model. I grew up with my mother always having a "gift" drawer in her bedroom. She was never caught off guard with a surprise something. She was a widow on a very tight budget. She bought something when she saw it on sale if it was "perfect". She passed away a year ago June. I still have some books aside for this Christmas that she bought for my DS. In fact, her gift drawer had things for him for every special occasion through out this past year. She was very good

[DianneS]

Some of these are really cool....

http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/wp-con..._in_a_Jar1.pdf

I usually do Sand Art Brownies -- gifts in a jar. I set the jar inside an inexpensive cake pan lined with 'frugal' tea-towel/potholder set. Add a wooden spoon, wrap it in cellophane, attach a bow and it makes an impressive gift. (My theory is that cellophane makes anything look special!)

[flyingdutch]

the reason that it steeps better in alcohol is that the majority of vanilla's "vanilla-ness" is due to alcohol soluble compounds rather than water soluble compounds

Love making my own vanilla... soooooooooo good. Put a little vanilla sugar on your creme brulees... you will swear that you've reached heaven when you've torched that and eaten your brulee yum

OK! Here it is, the SECRETS OF HOMEMADE VANILLA and VANILLA SUGAR!!!


1)Go to the liquor store
2)Purchase a 66 of vodka, rum, or brandy
3)Go to Costco and buy some vanilla bean (they are the freshest and cheapest there, excellent quality)
4)Go home and pour yourself a double (seriously you will need the room in the bottle)
5)Stuff the bottle with 10ish beans that you have cut in half
6)Now put the lid on and steep for min 6 weeks, although the longer you let it sit the richer it gets, and it never goes bad. Now TRY not to "SAMPLE" it too often, as it will be the best vanilla extract you have ever smelled and tasted...and you do want SOME for christmas presents, right??!!

Now, after you have drank your double, waddle over to the closet and get a quart sized jar, put 2ish vanilla beans in it that you have cut in half and fill it with sugar. Lid. DONE. You will be able to start smelling it after about 2 days, but honestly same as the extract the longer it sits the better.

SO EASY YOU GUYS!
p.s. i had a person ask me once if you could just steep the beans in water, NO, they will only steep properly in alcohol, sorry but ALL vanilla extract is made from alcohol, although I am not complaining Try making a double out of the extract after it has steeped for like 4 months, holy heck AMAZING! I've had stuff that has steeped for a year, PURE HEAVEN!

[Granger]

Loving this thread. I kind of Christmas all year long. I just ordered stamps to make cards for sending. We also put emphasis on stockings in our (immediate) family. We might do one gift on top of that, plus a Santa gift for the kids.

[bargain_hunter_lola]

Took a trip downtown (never go there) and got lots of neat things for Christmas.

DD's stocking is pretty much done and DS's is about half done.

I found some pretty cool/unique toys so I'm excited to see if they like them. lol. Got DD a floating latern like the ones in Tangled (her favourite movie) it was $4 but only lasts for 5-6 minutes, so we'll videotape it and she can re-live it that way.

Oh and I got DH to buy me Super Scrabble! I'm so excited for that present. lol. It's a bigger board with more tiles, so longer game play.

[Chantel]

I think I'll be doing royal icing on some of my cookies this year and making them into gift boxes for my boyfriend's family. I can't wait!

I was also considering using the small artichoke heart jars I got at the dollar store and building a Hot Chocolate snowman, one jar is the head full of marshmallows, the middle jar is the powder, and the bottom has chocolate shavings and candy cane crumbs.

There'll be a scarf that includes 'instructions'. and the jar tops will be covered by the hat, the scarf and a belt, respectively.

[Chantel]

Ooh, I forgot. Anyone taking advantage of Ebay this year? I'm ordering some cheap necklaces and phone cases for BF's sister, at $2 a pop or less, I can afford a couple things. I think I'll make her a little gift basket of iphone accessories. They have identical cases to the ones in the store, for $2-3 rather than $30. People with teens, go look. You'll be so happy you did.

I think I'll get her a wall charger plugin, a charge cable, and 2 cases. Should run me about $10. Just the charger alone can be $20+!

I've also looked on there for gift tags, but no luck so far.

[Insane]

I think I'll be doing royal icing on some of my cookies this year and making them into gift boxes for my boyfriend's family. I can't wait!

I was also considering using the small artichoke heart jars I got at the dollar store and building a Hot Chocolate snowman, one jar is the head full of marshmallows, the middle jar is the powder, and the bottom has chocolate shavings and candy cane crumbs.

There'll be a scarf that includes 'instructions'. and the jar tops will be covered by the hat, the scarf and a belt, respectively.

That is a super cool idea!

[Chantel]

Thank you I hope it was clear that the artichokes therein will be eaten first!

Can I post pictures here? I wanna post pictures. I don't 'do' pintrest, but if somebody else does, please post your finds from there for Christmas stuff!

[bgheuchert]

Thank you I hope it was clear that the artichokes therein will be eaten first!

Can I post pictures here? I wanna post pictures. I don't 'do' pintrest, but if somebody else does, please post your finds from there for Christmas stuff!

I say go for it! Its the Christmas Club REALLY ANYTHING Christmas goes I think!

On that note, I am starting to stock up on baking supplies that will stand the test of time. Sugar, flour, etc...I usually wait no longer than October to start buying butter and cream cheese to put in the freezer. There is nothing worse than going out and having to go to 4 different stores to find cream cheese!!! TERRIBLE! So start stocking up on the baking goods! If you have proper storage most of them will keep well past Christmas at this point!

[Angela273]

It just occurred to me while reading this thread that I get to buy a stocking for baby this year. He'll only be about 3months old, but he still gets a stocking. It made me happy to think of that. No idea what will go in it, but at this point I am still preparing for his arrival so we certainly have time.

[bgheuchert]

Well I am kinda updating my Christmas Ideas, now that it is "back to school" and my kids arent in school yet, with all the sales starting I picked up two rubbermaid containers with handles, they are see through, one with a pink lid and one blue. I am making "craft kits" Cheap as borscht crayons, pencil crayons, paints etc will all fill up the "Craft Kits" the day after everyone goes to school and I can still get the stuff for next to nothing! MAN I am s.m.r.t.! There were also a lot of DVDs at Wal Mart on special for $5.00 each, some of them with 2 movie in them, picked up those for the stockings....still planning a big shop when the Halloween costumes are on sale the week after, my kids are LOVING dress up lately.

One thing that I am thinking of as well is giving "Peach Upside Down Cake" gifts. I am canning a case of peaches right now and it is more than we will eat of them through out the year, we have 10 pints and 5 quarts of peaches. I did some of the pints in vanilla rum butter sauce. Think I might buy some 9 inch round pans, make a home made yellow cake mix, pair the jar of peaches and the mix in the pan with instructions and va-la! On the other hand too, I might get a bit greedy with the peaches and delve into the canned apples or do an apple butter and homemade spice cake recipe in a loaf pan.....hmmmm....what would you guys prefer to get?

[bargain_hunter_lola]

It just occurred to me while reading this thread that I get to buy a stocking for baby this year. He'll only be about 3months old, but he still gets a stocking. It made me happy to think of that. No idea what will go in it, but at this point I am still preparing for his arrival so we certainly have time.

My DD was 2 weeks old her first Christmas and I still did her a stocking. So many cute little things you can put in them. For example, cute socks, bibs, soothers and/or clips, teethers, rattles, finger puppets, travel soaps/lotion, special tree ornament (baby's first christmas), etc.

Congrats on your bundle of joy!