Christmas is now just 3 days away. Usually we do our family Christmas gathering on Christmas Eve, or a day or 2 before depending on my brother's schedule as a fire captain. This year we are actually doing our gathering ON Christmas day in the afternoon.
As usual, I got a late start on the gifts that I made for everyone. A list of 30 people to give to. 28 of those are getting covered composition notebook covers. I sewed a total of 35 of the covers (the remainder goes to my quilt guild to put in the boutique at the quilt show).
Each notebook also comes with a pen and a mechanical pencil in the front pocket. I bought a package of either one each time I shopped at Dollar Tree until I had enough.
I am still in the process of finishing up the stuffed Care Bears for baby Jordan and baby Amelia. I was blessed to find that panel at a rummage sale where I bought a whole stack of fabric for just $4.
In fact, some of that fabric also was used to make the notebooks.
The other fabrics for the notebooks came from my stash and from a member's sale at the evening quilt guild where I paid 50 cents for each fat quarter. I also did buy one yard of fabric from the markdown section at the quilt shop.
Buying a little here and a little there is how it has to be done, watching for bargains all the time!
Excuse the same picture as what I posted in my WIP Wednesday post, but I didn't get any others taken.
You will see the Car Bears on the table. The box is the notebooks I had wrapped up already, plus a stack still to wrap, plus the extras. You can see the pens and pencils laying there. (The towels on the table are hopefully going to be made into the double towel scarves by Saturday evening as a lady at church has a friend that wants to buy them for gifts if I can get them done.
My wrapping paper somehow got wet, but I used it anyway. I just can't let anything go to waste, and there was no money to buy new!
I pulled out my tote--the tote where I stash gifts as I find them throughout the year. I had Eggtastics for most all adults (bought at Dollar Tree for just $1 each)
I had some small things for the children. I was worried as I didn't have enough for 2 of the teen boys. I then remembered that I had the miniature Jenga and dominoes that I had picked up at Dollar Tree one day just because I thought they were cute. Whew! Just what I needed to fill in the rest of their boxes. Not much in each box, but it's something extra to go with their notebooks.
I wasn't really going to talk about food this week (believe it or not!), but I don't want you to forget to get your Friday Freebie.
Free Barilla Ready Pasta at Kroger & Affiliates
I also want to talk a little about our "baking day" that my 3 daughters and I had. We made a day and evening of it on Wednesday to get together and make our treat boxes that we give to each person. I had boxes that I bought last year half price after Christmas from Dollar Tree and my oldest daughter had a few larger boxes too that she bought this year.
I made the Ritz crackers with peanut butter in the middle and coated in chocolate. Heather made banana bread, which she sliced, and she made peanut clusters. She also made "Puppy Chow". Elizabeth made the treats where you put a Rolo candy on a pretzel and top it with a Pecan half. She also made peanut butter cookies with Hershey Kisses on top. Jasmine helped where she was needed.
Each of 31 people get 2 of each thing that we made, plus the bag of Puppy Chow.
For our family Christmas gathering, we each bring food to share. I can't wait to give these Christmas tortilla chips a try.
CHIPS AWAY! HOMEMADE CHRISTMAS TORTILLA CHIPS
I have gotten really wordy today, so if you are still reading, thanks so much! I will close by wishing you all a Merry Christmas!! (and, don't forget to link up your frugal posts this week too)
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