Ok, 8 days to Chirstmas....what are you doing now?

I'm just so delighted, even with my "Americanisms" I have...( I think) ... I didn't do as much this year, but its starting to come together a bit better...and I expect with 2012 coming up here shortly and people going "bonkers" the closer it gets, we had best enjoy the years prior. So let's do an countdown if we can and keep reporting back here for the next 8 days and telling each other what we are doing for the holidays. ..our thoughts.

Today, I came up with an cute little gift for the babysitter/cousin. I took an long but round pillow and it had two ties on each end, kind of looked like silk fabric, decorator pillow I found at an used thrift shop....and I filled the end up...with an pencil, and 3 note pads, one candle holder , an "bic" lighter, and an green taper candle with an small dog holding an christmas stocking in his mouth at the bottom of it, 2 bars of "pure" soap, one towel with an snowman on the bottom of it, two bags of trail mix, one paper garland of teddy bears in an Christmas theme, one Christmas tin can with gum drops in the bottom and pretzels on top of that, one plastic wine jug with puzzle peices in it of Monet Art work. one man's Christmas tie...and an huge glizty green an gold ribbon, and one Santa hat on the end...and several safety pins here and there and I told him not to leave without his Christmas "Pack" with him...for he never knows what he might be in need of someday....

1. pillow, makes an excelleant neck pillow, injury healing pillow, and someone to snuggle up to.

2. Candle was to light his way, and what better then with man's best friend, and puppy dog. but he could also build an fire with the lighter.

3. 2 Bars of soap was obviously to keep him decent looking in mind and body and to ward off germs and viruses. To give him pleasure in relaxing in the tub and bathing also. If bored he can "carve" something...you remeber doing that don't you as an kid.  

4. Tea Towel, it was big enough to wash with one end, and dry with the other, and use as an pot holder, and maybe even as an neck scarf to ward of bad weather. It can also be used for carrying things in.

5. Trail mix was combination M & M candies and nuts and raisins so it was nutritious.

6. Teddy bear Christmas garland, folded down like paper doll people do, it adds comfort and merriment to any setting...if worse is worse, he can use it one at a time as kindling to start an fire...or decorate an room with...decopage it on something as an gift also.

7. Christmas tin can was full of gum drops and pretzels, and what need I say about such an treat. It fits eveny occasion and there was enough to comfortably "share". Tin can keeps it water proof...can be used later to store small items in. 

8. The plastic Wine bottle, can be used for liquids to drink from , and the puzzle is cultural  and entertaining...stirs ones imagination in building it.  Gives the entire gift an bit of flair. It's legal.

9 The pencil and three note pads were likewise to leave notes and doodle on or play games with like tic-tac-toe, to help the minutes pass. Again could be used for fire kindling paper also...or even messages. Take down addresses with also. Small paper airplanes? Maybe.

10..Man's  tie, you never know when your invited at the last minute to something "special" and might need it for "dress" and even at that... it can also be used as an handle to haul things with.

11. The ribbon was huge, and it also would easily supply many uses..besides just palinly looking good on the pillow.

12. Santa hat..to keep ears and head warm under your parka. To help be the "life" of the party also, if lost to be easily seen...lastly perhaps as an kind of "basket". to carry things with.

13. Safety pins I told him how to use as fish hooks, and sewing aides to repair things with...could also be placed under the bic lighter and sterilized for use as an needle to take out embedded objects in the skin.   

Grand total..I have an budget that literally screams these days....pillow $2,99..candle, taper and holder and lighter...$3.35....soap 66 cents...towel 99 cents...trail mix $1.98...garland 99 cents,,,and tin can and pretzels and gum drops $2.98...wine bottle puzzle 99 cents..pencil for free, and the 3 note pads were $1.00...man's tie $1.99(thrift store find),,,,ribbon 99 cents..Santa hat $1.00..safety pins were "free" as I had them already. Grand total $19.81. Look at all the uses of this little pack, and they just put pillows on sale locally at 50 per cent off for $19.99 alone. The insides of my pillow were in an separate liner so it could be taken out an washed also. This was my day spent today and we both laughed an bit as I went over all the things he could use the items for...as I asked him How old are you?"..and he told me (15) and I said,,,Oh you'll need this soap no doubt, to keep your mind "pure and clean" at your age...from time to time!. He laughed. So..that was my day and spreading Christmas cheer. I said to my grandaughter...I hope he liked it, you know how my "weird gifts" can be at times, and she said..I think he did grandma..I think he liked it.  He likewise gave each of my grandkids an gift for Christmas also...all nicely wrapped.  

Shirley you have such a great spirit for the Christmas season - I am sure you and yours will have a great celebration.

The children finish school today for the Christmas holidays. I am glad - the mornings are cold and it will be nice not to have to rush out every morning! I will have to work most of the holidays - I am just having two 3 day weekends (Christmas Day, Boxing Day then Sunday then the same the weekend after) but at least I work at home so I am still here with the family!

The two youngest have had all their parties and concerts at school now. Joe has got to take a bit of party food today and he finishes early.

8 Days!!!! Time to panic!!!!

Acutally I finished all my shopping yesterday. Sammie came with me to help, which is great...she is a very sensible girl and gave me great advice!!!

Today, I'm home from work so time to wrap...which I am not a fan of! We are going to be snowed in this weekend so maybe some cookie baking will be in order!

WEll, toi get you in an happpier moo dfor day 7...here are some of those "Americanism" I think Ron accuses me of....

6 LEAST popular Holiday movies....

1."Miracle Whip on 34th Street"

2. "Frosty the ex-grilfriend"

3. "Jilhad all the way"

4."Silent but deadly night"

5. Prancer II, pass the steak sauce"

6. "Dude, Where's my sleigh"

Couple James Bond's movies re-made for Ron....

1. "Dr NO WMD"(weapons of mass destruction)....2. "Liscense to Kill Habeas Corpus" (citizen freedoms)...one for Ruth.."Who framed Roger's Rabbi"...anyone care to think of any more of the least popular movies? .

.....Good to hear from you all,,sounds like things are getting there for everyone now. Hope we can get out in this brief lull of good weather to see lights...as last year we had deep snow here this time and many of these places, this is their main fund gathering time of the year with the Christmas light display's they have. I know at times it's hard, but grit your teeth... if it must be an be..... Happy and Jolly this year.

Cathie..some last minute ideas...for decorating..make pine or evergreen stars by wiring together 5 or 6 branches and hang an pretty ribbon on them from the windows. Add mini-lights also. An nice tray of anything decorated festively to eat is welcoming....at the store we use to wrap empty boxes to make things "theft free" and under the tree as if it were holiday bought and wrapped, brought out the real stuff night before ...no wrapping paper, try an potato"stamp" design and some simple kids paint...$1.00 at most dollar stores...tree trees with an red star in mulitple print across the page is nice.  Leave evidence of Santa around...like black boots if you have them, with Santa hat ($1.00 at the dollar store) and an big red shirt...maybe an pair of gold rimmmed glasses...cookie with one bite out of it on an small plate,..empty glass of nog or milk...pour it in and take most of it out again.  Note perhaps saying..Thanks!...Santa. To spruce up an tree, if you don' t have decorations, go to the thrift store and buy small stuffed animals for under $2,00 and add them to the tree. Or drag out the ones the kids had from the past. Try red and green and gold "curling ribbons" also in clusters. Attach tiny made boxes in foil (silver foil arap $1.00 at teh dollar store) in the centers...you can buy them also for not much money. Myself we did some green and white pipe cleaner zig-zags and pinched them together to look like hard candies, some white ones in an circle and added red criss-crossed pipe cleaners on to to represent mints, three criss-crossed in red look like "Sparkles" ..take your shiny bulbs and make an V-shape and curl the ends so they looked like reindeer horns and then hang them..I've used both white and other colored pipe cleaners. Spray small tree branches and lay them around the house in decoration...under serving plates, in an vase with some colored shiny ornaments..use them under plates if they are nice and flat...I've also seen them hung from ceilings iwth white mini-lights in apartments where there isn't much room..over eating bars areas..and on the wall.  Don't forget candles, yes..thrift shops also sell candles of all kinds and items to hold candles. Hang sparkly clothes around the room also...or "holiday" aprons...esp in the kitchen..to make them buy one tea towel,,and two eaqually wide festive holdiay printed fabric, on for the top and one for the bottom of the tea towel..add enough print fabric for the ties...later take it apart, and use the tea towel throughout the year.  Wrap glitzy bows on sofa pillows. I doubt for the most part, this would take less then one evening if you have the items to make most of it. Don't forget the colored comics in the newspaper for Holdiay wrap also...esp if they have an christmas theme to them.  Have an good day. Remeber YOU make Christmas, it can't do it ..itself. People help those "infirm" to decorate. I do, or have in the past three other houses besides my own. Make an "party" of it.