WOW - was I ever blown away? Last Christmas was full of so much laughter and surprise. It was definitely our family's favourite Christmas. Ever.
My parents were so sorry they didn't participate and have already started their homemade gifts for this year! As for this year, I can't write about what I am making, but I will blog about it after Christmas:-)
Last year, I gave everyone local canned peaches (that I had made in the summer) and homemade chocolate truffles, all boxed up nicely :-)
Leah and Craig put together family cookbooks for everyone. This was a gift we all knew about, so we all had a chance to submit our favourite recipes. The only thing we didn't know was how fantastic it would turn out! They did an amazing job putting together the cookbook, complete with personal thoughts and photos!
Lauren beaded the girls all necklaces and gave each of the guys personalized t-shirts. Her and Nat bought the t-shirts and then either stitched a cool design on it or ironed on a personalized logo. Super thoughtful.
Dave and Kristal made something different for each of us. A birdfeeder for my family, an outdoor stand-up ash tray for Leah and Craig ( they are not smokers, but entertain a lot and have friends who do smoke), a Christmas tree stand for Lauren and Nat and a personalized "Gran and Granda" sign for my parents house. I think Drew received money, being the student and all...
Drew was the wild card. Last Christmas Drew was just finishing up his first semester of his second year at University. He literally came home for Christmas after his last exam on the 23rd. I think we all kind of assumed that Drew would make his famous "tablet" for everyone, which we were great with. Tablet is a british candy - kind of like fudge...made with condensed milk, sugar and vanilla. It sounds easy to make, but it's trickier than it sounds. The key to fabulous tablet is all in the boiling - knowing how long and how hard to boil it for. This is a family recipe that my Granny Harper used to make and Drew has continued the tradition.
In case you are wondering, Drew still did make tablet and I received a tin of it on my birthday just before Christmas. Drew has started a bit of a tradition and each year he makes me a tin of tablet for my birthday. It's pure gold. I'm already looking forward to my upcoming birthday :-)
Anyways, Drew totally surprised us and between the time he came home on the evening of December 23rd and the afternoon of December 26th when we exchanged gifts - Drew knit us all hats. All different colours. 19 in total. Unbelievable.
Here are some photos:
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| peaches |
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| Leah |
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| Dave |
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| Steve and Drew |
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| Eva |
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| In addition to making my parents a family cookbook, Leah also put together a book for my Dad which was full of all his favourite sayings. |
Even my girls got into it. Grace made all of the females embroirdered pin cushions and all of the males crocheted dish clothes ( gotta love a modern girl!). I had no idea what Grace had even made everyone, because she made them all one weekend at Gran's house and even wrapped them before she came home. Eva painted every family a small painting on a canvas. Super cute.
I'd love to hear from you...
Are you making homemade gifts this holiday season? What types of gifts have you made in the past and what are some home made gifts you have received? What went well and what didn't?
If you want to give homemade gifts, but don't have the time, check out Hand Made Market. It's happening in Niagara on the 27th and 28th of November and is fabulous. Some of my friends are the organizers and this is their second year. It's pretty fantastic.
handmademarket.ca
This year I am making homemade gifts for as many people as possible. I figure it's super thoughtful and way easier on my budget. These days I am trying to simplify in every area of my life and this seems like a good way to be creative and simplify at the same time.
There are so many cool things you can make. Here are some that I have been thinking about and considering for the years to come:
- fudge
- knitting mittens, hats and/or scarves
- homemade chocolates
- homemade flower arrangements
- jam, jellies, preserves
- knitting slippers
- homemade greeting cards all boxed up as a gift
- jewlery
- a homemade quilt
- wine
- gift certificates for babysitting, delivery of cookies each month, meals etc
- a personalized scrapbook
In addition to making gifts, I've also been thinking how I can combine the gift of giving with making a difference in the world. Here are some cool ideas I have come across:
- kiva gift cards Kiva.org
- fair trade jewlery, coffee, chocolate, ornaments, scarves and more from 10 000 Villages ( you can even order on line at www.tenthousandvillages.com)
- purchase a pair of shoes from www.tomsshoes.ca and a second pair is given to a child in a third world country. I just found out that you can also purchase Toms gift cards. Super cool.
- purchase an item from the World Vision Catalogue on behalf of someone www.worldvision.ca/gifts
- It's not on the website yet, but at Southridge, you can also purchase a gift on behalf of someone - a backpack for a child in Guatemala, a year's tuition for a child in Africa or a care package for a resident at the homeless shelter.
Oh and there are some great ideas for creative, homemade, eco-friendly and budget-friendly wrapping ( from the Simple Mom blog): at www.simplemom.net - just click on the "green and frugal" link.
There are so many great ideas out there and I love that Christmas awakens in each of us a spirit of generosity! Happy giving!
