6 Things to Buy After Christmas

It is not “rocket science” advice to encourage you to buy Christmas items for next year after Christmas.  There are still many Christmas items marked down to 50% off out there.  Here are just a few suggestions on what to be on the look out for:

Christmas lights.  It never fails that I pull a string out of the box and they are dead.  Every few years I buy another strand or 2 to have on hand for those moments.

Ornaments.  Each year I buy each of my children an ornament.  I typically try to buy them after Christmas.  It is always a surprise the next year when they pull them out of the box!

Stocking stuffers.  It is amazing how much money you can spend stuffing a stocking. You will be able to find the lotions, bath wash, and lip glosses on sale simply because they have a Christmas logo printed on them.  Tip: Just be sure you are getting a “good deal” even at 50% off.  The prepackaged Christmas gift sets are overpriced.

Baking supplies.  I typically buy all my cookie decorating supplies when they are on extreme discount.  Sprinkles and colored sugar have a very long shelf life.  You may easily find these at 75% off. 

Gift wrapping supplies.  Wrapping paper and gift bags are high marked up items at Christmas.  When you find them at 50-75% check them out!  Again, just be sure they are still a good price for these items.  A gift bag regular priced at $3 and marked down to $1.50 is not really a good buy.  You can buy gift bags (and even wrapping paper) at anytime at the Dollar Tree for $1.  That should be your threshold price. 

Gingerbread houses.  Each year we buy our gingerbread house kit on significant discount.  This year’s gingerbread house we bought in January for $2.  Typically these are priced between $7 – $10.  I bought this one at the regular grocery store.  I don’t like to pay anymore than $2.  Otherwise, we will just create our own from scratch.

What Christmas items do you buy after Christmas?

 

linking to Frugal Fridays

A Centsible Christmas: 11 Tangible Ways to Give & Serve

A ₵entsible Christmas is not only about saving money. It’s about making the season count. It’s about spending less, giving more, building memories and focusing on the ONE that we celebrate.

It is so easy to become so focused on ourselves each and every Christmas. Well, at least for me it is. I think of all the things I have “to do”, the cookies to bake, the presents to wrap, the “perfect” gift to buy, the traditions to implement, and the home to decorate.

Yet what about others? There are ways my own family has incorporated giving to others each year. However, I thought I’d throw out the question to you all (on Facebook). How do you give or serve at Christmas?

Here are some of the wonderful suggestions I received from friends and readers:

Baking Christmas cookies as a family to share with neighbors or to donate to the local food kitchen.

Caroling at a nursing home.

Choosing an angel from the tree that suggests gifts for low income children. {photosource}

Adopting a family to provide gifts and meals (call your local shelter to find suggestions).

Making homemade cards with your children to deliver to nursing homes for residents without family.

Operation Christmas Child.

Serving lunch at a shelter.

Giving food to the food bank.

Volunteering at the Caring Company. “The children sing and we record their favorite holiday songs on CD for the children to wrap and give to loved ones. We also entertain the kids while the parents get their food baskets.”

Surprising housebound invalids with a meal or gift.

My favorite suggestion came from a friend who implemented this tradition of giving that is absolutely wonderful.

“A decade ago we started this tradition with our entire extended family. Our extended family includes 4 generations of family living from Seattle to Boston and up and down the coast. A family crisis 10 years ago led us to stop gifting each other.

Instead every individual family contributes money equal to each family members age. Every year a different family member chooses the recipient of the money. Sometimes it is an organization. Other times it is given to another family or individual in need. This decision is always decided with love and care.

There are 28 members in our family now. We have found that this tradition of passing forward good has brought us closer together as decisions are made.”

I love this tradition for so many reasons. The number one being that it eliminates the stress. The stress of buying gifts for family members that may not really need one more gift. It keeps your heart and wallet focused on others. I also loved that is a way to bring your family closer.

If your family gift giving has gotten “out of control” or has become a stress to so many, I highly urge you to suggest this new tradition when you gather for Christmas this year. Even if no one is “stressed” it is a beautiful idea to suggest. You may be surprised regarding how quickly it is embraced.

Do you have a similar family tradition of giving or serving?

If you missed other posts in my ₵entsible Christmas series, feel free to check them out here:

• A ₵entsible Christmas
• A ₵entsible Christmas : Jesse Tree
• A ₵entsible Christmas : Making a Plan
• A ₵entsible Christmas :Simplifying Gifts
• A ₵entsible Christmas :5 Simple DIY Nativity Crafts
• A ₵entsible Christmas :6 Ways to Eliminate Stress
• A ₵entsible Christmas : A Plan Update
• A ₵entsible Christmas : Last Minute Gift- DIY Graham Cracker Toffee
• A ₵entsible Christmas : Last Minute Gift- 10 Edible Gifts

Do you want to celebrate a ₵entsible Christmas too? Subscribe to the Frugal Flamingo via email, Facebook or Twitter so we can celebrate together.

Linking to Frugal Friday

A Centsible Christmas: 10 Edible Christmas Crafts

A ₵entsible Christmas is not only about saving money. It’s about making the season count. It’s about spending less, giving more, building memories and focusing on the ONE that we celebrate

Update: Due to  my morning pre-coffee status, I incidentally deleted my original 10 Edible Crafts post. I have recreated the post,  but it looks slightly different than the original. In other words I have eliminated verbage.

Do you need last minute Christmas baking or craft inspiration?  Here are 10 easy ideas that will allow your children to create while making something edible at the same time.  Perfect for last minute.  Simply click on each image for instructions.

Need even more inspiration edible Christmas craft inspiration?  Check out my board on Pinterest.

 

If you missed other posts in my ₵entsible Christmas series, feel free to check them out here:

• A ₵entsible Christmas
• A ₵entsible Christmas : Jesse Tree
• A ₵entsible Christmas : Making a Plan
• A ₵entsible Christmas :Simplifying Gifts
• A ₵entsible Christmas :5 Simple DIY Nativity Crafts
• A ₵entsible Christmas :6 Ways to Eliminate Stress
• A ₵entsible Christmas : A Plan Update
• A ₵entsible Christmas : Last Minute Gift- DIY Graham Cracker Toffee

I’m linking to Women Living Well

A Centsible Christmas: Last Minute Gift-DIY Graham Cracker Toffee

A ₵entsible Christmas is not only about saving money. It’s about making the season count. It’s about spending less, giving more, building memories and focusing on the ONE that we celebrate.

Last minute gift ideas. For me that is a nice way of saying, “I am ready to panic…please help!” Yes, I have been there. In fact, the panicked last minute gift idea I am going to share derived from the aforementioned situation.

If you need a teachers gift, party dessert, or something easy to make with your kids I highly recommend Graham Cracker Toffee. OK. This sugary goodness should come with a warning label. It is addictive. Highly addictive. It is such a weakness for me that I can only make it to give away. Otherwise I will eat all of it. At once.

Besides the delightful dance with your palate, this is so easy to make. Beyond simplistic. Which is why it is the perfect panic last minute gift.

Here is your simple step by step “how to”:

1. Line a 12x15 baking tray with greased wax paper.

2. Break up 12 graham crackers into quarters. To be honest. I don’t even count, I just break up the graham crackers until they cover the bottom of the baking tray

3. Melt 1 cup of butter. Stir in a 1/2 cup of sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil for about 3 minutes until sugar is dissolved.

4. Pour butter-sugar mixture over graham crackers.

5. Bake at 325 for 10 minutes

6. Pull the baking sheet from the oven and sprinkle 1 cup of chocolate chips over the top.

7. Turn off the oven and put the baking sheet in the for about 1 minute. Just enough time for the chocolate to melt.

8. Spread the melted chocolate over the top.

9. I recommend pulling the baked toffee from the wax paper while still warm. I’ve had trouble with mine sticking to the wax paper after it’s cooled. After that, you just allow it to cool.

Optional: You can sprinkle with colored sugar to “decorate”. Although this is definitely not necessary.

This is such a quick and easy recipe. I promise you it is so delightfully rich and yummy that no one will care it only took you 5 minutes to make.

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Graham Cracker Toffee

• 1 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 12 whole graham crackers
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions: Line a 12x15 baking sheet with greased wax paper. Break 12 whole graham crackers into quarters. Melt the butter and stir in 1/2 cup of sugar. Boil for 3 minutes. Pour the butter mixture over the graham crackers. Bake at 325 for 10 minutes. Turn off the oven. Sprinkle graham crackers with 1 cup of chocolate chips. Put baking sheet in the turned off oven for 1 minute or long enough for chocolate to melt. Spread chocolate over crackers. Allow to cool.

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If you missed other posts in my ₵entsible Christmas series, feel free to check them out here:

• A ₵entsible Christmas
• A ₵entsible Christmas : Jesse Tree
• A ₵entsible Christmas : Making a Plan
• A ₵entsible Christmas :Simplifying Gifts
• A ₵entsible Christmas :5 Simple DIY Nativity Crafts
• A ₵entsible Christmas :6 Ways to Eliminate Stress
• A ₵entsible Christmas : A Plan Update
  Do you want to celebrate a ₵entsible Christmas too? Subscribe to the Frugal Flamingo via email, Facebook or Twitter so we can celebrate together.

linking to Tasty Tuesday

A Centsible Christmas: A Plan Update

A ₵entsible Christmas is not only about saving money. It’s about making the season count. It’s about spending less, giving more, building memories and focusing on the ONE that we celebrate.

I realized that I have not updated you on my ₵entsible Christmas Plan.  It’s going.  Well.  Let’s just keep in my mind this is my first year for a Christmas plan.  I know many of you will love my public failures.  Here is the honest update:

Read Aloud Books:

The Magic Tree House: Christmas in Camelot  I have decided not to read this this year.   My oldest son and I are reading another book instead.  It’s called Santa Paws.  It’s about a dog that helps people at Christmas.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever  We are over half way through the book.  The oldest 2 kids love it.  I can’t cross it off yet because we aren’t finished.  I fail to finish often so I need to leave it on the list.

Read at least 5 other Christmas books  Hmm.  I don’t know where we are with that.  I read to the kids individually so I’ve read over and beyond the 5 books, but I’ve not done so in a group setting.  I’m determined to do so before Christmas day.  Do you love my optimism?

Baking:

I plan to bake 2 types of cookies or goodies a week.  I will plan the cookies for the week when grocery planning for that week.  Yea!  I have been keeping up with this goal.  I don’t usually struggle with the baking thing.  I do have to make my traditional homemade Sticky Buns for Christmas morning yet.

Advent:

Continue Jesse Tree tradition  We are very much enjoying this tradition.  We have not done the devotion every night, but the kids have been loving this special time together.

Kids Crafts:

Choose 2 different crafts for the kids to make   The crafts are chosen and the supplies have been bought.  We will be making a version of these:

Make a Gingerbread house  Woo hoo.  I can cross this off my list!

Homeschool:

Choose 1 Christmas based lapbook or unit study 

Complete Christmas lapbooks and unit  They are chosen and we are still working through them. 

Family nights:

Pile in the car to go choose a tree, order pizza and drink hot chocolate while decorating  One of our favorite nights of the year, even if it didn’t go as planned.

Surprise the kids with a road trip looking at lights  Yes!  We did this and it was so much fun!

DIY Decoration:

Choose 1 project to make

Make this project  I know what I want to make.  Now I need to do it.  I also recognized that this project could be left up all winter long, so it might get done the week after Christmas.  And that is ok too.  It’s my plan so I can make my own rules.

Christmas shopping:

Be completed shopping by December 15th (high goal for me.  I am out on Christmas Eve often) Umm yea.  I told you it was a high goal. But I’m almost done.  I only have stocking stuff to buy at the dollar store!

Be finished wrapping by December 20th (nerve racking goal) Again.  Um yea. I will start.  Soon.  I have 5 days you know (our Christmas morning is the 24th this year!)

Dollar store night for the kids to choose gifts for others  We are doing this this week.  We LOVE doing this.

Make teacher gifts  ahem.  It will get done.  Soon. 

Service Project:

Choose 1 way to serve others over the season.  My goal is to have a service project completed by New Years.  We did Christmas Shoe box and Samaritans Purse gifts in November.  We plan to make baked goods for neighbors and my cousin in the military together.  However, we might wait until the week after Christmas.  It’s ok to give gifts after the day.  At least in my book it is.  I still would like to think of 1 or 2 other things to do. 

So, I’m making progress.  I do feel less stressed seeing it on paper because I know what I have to do and I’m not allowing myself to add onto this plan. 

What about you?  How are you Christmas plans going?

If you missed other posts in my ₵entsible Christmas series, feel free to check them out here:

• A ₵entsible Christmas
• A ₵entsible Christmas : Jesse Tree
• A ₵entsible Christmas : Making a Plan
• A ₵entsible Christmas :Simplifying Gifts
• A ₵entsible Christmas :5 Simple DIY Nativity Crafts
• A ₵entsible Christmas :6 Ways to Eliminate Stress

Do you want to celebrate a ₵entsible Christmas too? Subscribe to the Frugal Flamingo via email, Facebook or Twitter so we can celebrate together.

Linking up to Money Saving Mom

Centsible Christmas: 6 Ways to Eliminate Stress

A ₵entsible Christmas is not only about saving money. It’s about making the season count. It’s about spending less, giving more, building memories and focusing on the ONE that we celebrate.

Can you feel it it rising?  The stress.  The mild panic that creeps in your spirit when you realize there are only 2 weeks left until Christmas.  We insist it will not get to this point. Yet, the same song and dance continues every year.  Let’s stop the cycle.  Stress should not be an inevitable part of the Christmas season. 

Believe it or not, there are a few ways that you can easily decrease your stress starting today.

1. Make a plan.  If you haven’t already, brainstorm a list of ideas of what you would like to do before Christmas.   Now, look at your calendar. What is realistic?  How much can you actually accomplish in the next 2 weeks?  Prioritize then let the rest go.  Breathe deep.  The world will continue to spin.

Photo source: vhansen via sxc.hu

2. Focus on your strengths.   Let’s be honest.  We all aren’t Martha Stewart. Some of us hate decorating.  Some of us hate baking.  Stick with what you enjoy and what comes naturally to you.  If  cookie baking is not your thing, then buy pre-made dough. Seriously.  You can do that.  The kids will still have fun decorating sugar cookies from a tube.  Love to decorate? Then go all out and feel good about it while your store bought dough bakes.

3. Eliminate the unnecessary.  Just because others “do it”, doesn’t mean you need to.  You don’t have to string your house in lights.  You don’t have to create gingerbread houses from scratch.  You don’t have to create amazing crafts with your kids.  You don’t even have to send Christmas cards. Go ahead.  Breathe.

Photo source: fangol via sxc.hu 

4. Stick to your budget.  Nothing will stress you out more than money woes and worries.  What can you afford?  Accept it and move on.  Plan your gift giving around it.  If you barely have 2 pennies to rub together this season, here are some wonderful ways to deal with that reality.

5. Decrease gift giving.  Decrease the amount of gifts you buy for your kids.  We have chosen to buy 3 for each child.  Also, think about if you really need to buy a gift for Aunt Bertha’s neighbor.  There is nothing wrong with Aunt Bertha’s neighbor, but if your budget doesn’t allow it, you need to let it go.

Photo source: BeverlyLR via sxc.hu

6. Simplify. For me, the easiest way to eliminate stress is to focus on what can be done between the 4 walls of my home.  We can serve others by baking cookies together as a family.  We can create memories together with out going to the theater for the latest Christmas spectacular.

The reason for Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Christ.  It is not called “Stressmas” .  “Letting it go” and simplifying is one of the best ways we can focus on the celebration of the season.

 

If you missed other posts in my ₵entsible Christmas series, feel free to check them out here:

• A ₵entsible Christmas
• A ₵entsible Christmas : Jesse Tree
• A ₵entsible Christmas : Making a Plan
• A ₵entsible Christmas :Simplifying Gifts
• A ₵entsible Christmas :5 Simple DIY Nativity Crafts

 

Linking to Frugal Friday

5 Simple DIY Nativity Crafts

A ₵entsible Christmas is not only about saving money. It’s about making the season count. It’s about spending less, giving more, building memories and focusing on the ONE that we celebrate.

Typically, we fail to make crafts with our kids because we either  A) don’t have the supplies on hand or B)lack  inspiration. 

The good news?  I have inspiration to share with you. The really good news?  The following Christmas crafts primarily consist of items you might already have on hand.  I am excited to share with you 5 Simple DIY Nativity crafts you can create with your children. (click the photo or the link for details)

Extra popsicle sticks?  How adorable is this manger scene?

 

A few empty egg cartons?  These nativity characters look simple enough.

 

An unused shoe box?  Turn it into a Bethlehem stable.

 

Yarn and pipe cleaners cluttering your craft bin?  Create the whole nativity scene to go in your shoe box stable.

 

Toilet paper rolls?  I know we all have toilet paper on hand.  Your kids will love creating the manger scene with what you normally throw away.

 

There is nothing wrong with plain paper crafts.  Here is a really cute, yet simple printable nativity scene that will keep your kiddos busy for awhile. 

The best Christmas crafts ever?  Using what you already have on hand while creating fun memories for you and your children.

 

If you missed other posts in my ₵entsible Christmas series, feel free to check them out here:

• A ₵entsible Christmas
• A ₵entsible Christmas : Jesse Tree
• A ₵entsible Christmas : Making a Plan
• A ₵entsible Christmas :Simplifying Gifts

Linking to Women Living Well Wednesday

Centsible Christmas: Simplifying Gifts

A ₵entsible Christmas is not only about saving money. It’s about making the season count. It’s about spending less, giving more, building memories and focusing on the ONE that we celebrate.

As a child, I found Christmas to be magical. I loved the enduring traditions. I also could barely contain my excitement waiting to see gifts under the tree on Christmas morning. I hope it is the same for my children. As a mom, I want so much for my children’s eyes to light up when they walk down the stairs and see the tree.

Of course we want that for our children. Magical memories.

However, what if in our effort to create the magic, we lose sight of reality? Reality being how much can we really afford this Christmas? When I had 1 or 2 children, I just bought gifts.

Once I had 4 children, I found the gift spending easily to get out of control. If I bought 6 gifts for one child, I then had to buy 6 gifts for child 2, 3 and 4. That added up quickly. It also began to set a precedent of what is expected on Christmas morning. I didn’t want my children to be disappointed because they only received 5 gifts, when the year before they received 6.

So, 3 Christmas’s ago things had to change. We developed the 3 gift guideline. The 3 gifts are to represent the 3 gifts given to Jesus. I figured if Jesus only received 3 gifts, my children didn’t need to receive more (although they still do since they receive from family too).

This guideline has helped me immensely. It has forced me to:

1. Keep spending under control. Even though I am frugal, I still struggle with wanting to spend money. Too much money. I love to shower my kids in gifts at Christmas, but it is not good for them or us.

2. Prioritize. If I have a list of 20 items I want to buy for one child, it forces me to choose which is really most important. I suspect that life will go on without all of the other gifts.

3. Simplify. More gifts means more clutter. Enough said.

4. Focus. It reminds me that Christmas is not just about buying gifts. It is about traditions and faith. When the gift buying is simplified, it allows the other areas of Christmas to become more clear.

I still do stockings with the kids in addition to 3 gifts each. Perhaps some of you already keep Christmas more simple than this. That is wonderful. Many families apply the 3 gift rule with many creative ideas to go along with it. I am not that fancy with it yet.

Focusing your gift buying can create a more ₵entsible Christmas for you and your family. The good news? If you already bought too much, you can return a few of the gifts. How does your family simplify gift giving?

If you missed other posts in my ₵entsible Christmas series, feel free to check them out here:

• A ₵entsible Christmas
• A ₵entsible Christmas : Jesse Tree
• A ₵entsible Christmas : Making a Plan

Do you want to celebrate a ₵entsible Christmas too? Subscribe to the Frugal Flamingo via email, Facebook or Twitter so we can celebrate together.

Linking up with the 5 days of Christmas and Frugal Friday

Centsible Christmas: Making a Plan

A ₵entsible Christmas is not only about saving money. It’s about making the season count. It’s about spending less, giving more, building memories and focusing on the ONE that we celebrate.

Taking the time to plan for Christmas is an easy way to eliminate some of the stress the season can bring.  The majority of my stress is mental stress.  I carry around in my head all of the things I want to do.  I become even more stressed when I realize that I have run out of time to incorporate my ideas.

In my focus to have a ₵entsible Christmas, I set aside a block of time to brainstorm and plan.  I did “big picture” planning.  I have a goal for each week instead of a specific day and time.

Here are my plans for this Christmas.  I kept my expectations low.  If I decide to do more than I have planned, great.  Setting your goals low makes them attainable.

Read Aloud Books:

The Magic Tree House: Christmas in Camelot

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Read at least 5 other Christmas books

Baking:

I plan to bake 2 types of cookies or goodies a week.  I will plan the cookies for the week when grocery planning for that week.

Advent:

Continue Jesse Tree tradition

Kids Crafts:

Choose 2 different crafts for the kids to make

Make a Gingerbread house

Homeschool:

Choose 1 Christmas based lapbook or unit study

Family nights:

Pile in the car to go choose a tree, order pizza and drink hot chocolate while decorating

Surprise the kids with a road trip looking at lights

DIY Decoration:

Choose 1 project to make

Christmas shopping:

Be completed shopping by December 15th (high goal for me.  I am out on Christmas Eve often)

Be finished wrapping by December 20th (nerve racking goal)

Dollar store night for the kids to choose gifts for others

Make teacher gifts

Service Project:

Choose 1 way to serve others over the season.  My goal is to have a service project completed by New Years.

I plan to share with you each week the progress I am making with my ₵entsible Christmas plan.  I will also add details as they are planned.  Tomorrow is December 1st.  Looks like I need to get started.

What about you?  Do you have plan for Christmas?

Do you want to celebrate a ₵entsible Christmas too? Subscribe to the Frugal Flamingo via email, Facebook or Twitter so we can celebrate together.

Centsible Christmas: the Jesse Tree

A ₵entsible Christmas is not only about saving money.  It’s about making the season count.  It’s about spending less, giving more, building memories and focusing on the ONE that we celebrate.

Last year, we began to incorporate the tradition of the Jesse Tree into our family Christmas celebration.  The Jesse Tree is a fun way to celebrate and learn advent with your children.  You can get a better understanding of the Jesse Tree here.  I fell in love with this tradition because it doesn’t focus only on the birth of Christ.  The advent tradition begins at creation.  It interweaves everything before the birth of Christ to the birth of Christ. 

Last year, I was not fully prepared for this tradition.  I didn’t have the ornaments assembled and we started too late into December.  This year I am focused.  Beginning today, we will read a small advent devotional every evening and hang the related ornament on our newly formed Jesse tree.   Your tree can be as simple as using branches in a vase.   Here are some ideas on Jesse Trees.  You can also see my Jesse Tree Pinterest board for more inspiration.

Source: christmas.yourway.net via {Flamingo} on Pinterest

  Source: ourhappylittlenest.blogspot.com via {Flamingo} on Pinterest

Source: Simplemom.net via {Flamingo} on Pinterest

The good news?  You can start this tradition today.  Ann Voskamp offers a free Jesse Tree Advent e-book.  It is over 80 pages and is beautifully written.  I became emotional several times last year reading the eloquent words she shares. The best part?  It is free.  Simply subscribe to her via email or reader.  Included in her e-book are also printable ornaments. 

I love the idea of passing this tradition down to the next generation.  A free and faith focused tradition.  Definitely a ₵entsible Christmas.

Do you want to celebrate a ₵entsible Christmas too? Subscribe to the Frugal Flamingo via email, Facebook or Twitter so we can celebrate together.

Centsible Christmas

Thanksgiving has come and gone. We are now in the beginning of the Christmas season. For me, each year feels the same. I have intentions. Good intentions. However, Christmas always seems to pass me by without doing everything I intended. I often spend too much money, fail to read enough Christmas books with my kids, google swagbuck crafts without ever doing them and neglect truly focusing on the true reason for the season.

I want this year to be different. I want to implement more traditions, enjoy building magical memories with my children, focus on the birth of Christ and spend money sensibly.

I want to make this a ₵entsible Christmas.

Would you like to join me? From now until Christmas, I will share with you many ways we can do just that.

A ₵entsible Christmas. Doesn’t that sound nice?

Do you want to celebrate a ₵entsible Christmas too? Subscribe to the Frugal Flamingo via email, Facebook or Twitter so we can celebrate together.