This holiday, more people than ever will need just a little help to enjoy the season. How can we help others when we too are suffering the effects of the economic downturn? Even if you think you have nothing to spare, there are small ways you can make a difference.
Did your child receive a toy from a well-meaning yet distant relative that wasn't exactly age-appropriate, or something he or she would enjoy? Local fire departments host toy drives every year where they ask for still-packaged toys which they distribute to kids in need.
Do you have some cans of soup, chili or vegetables which you bought on sale and your family didn't like? Donate them to a canned food drive in your area.
Do you have some toiletries or makeup samples lying around? Did someone gift you with a bottle of shower gel for your birthday with a fragrance you don't care for, or a book you wouldn't enjoy? Deliver them to a women's shelter or retirement community. They are always looking for donations, especially this time of year.
Are there some holiday decorations that you just don't use anymore? You could offer them on Freecycle.org or donate them to a local thrift store so that someone who needs them can have them.
If you are unable to donate money or goods this year, what about giving your time? Many local churches and organizations such as women's clubs, the Salvation Army and Lion's and Rotary clubs need volunteers for relief events they are organizing this season. Check with local organizations to see if they need workers for toy drives, grocery giveaways, holiday breakfasts and dinners for the needy, etc. Local SPCA's and animal shelters may also need volunteers for holiday adoption drives.
Don't forget about people in your own neighborhood who may need help. You may have elderly neighbors that could use some assistance putting up their tree or Christmas lights. A "secret santa" gift left on the porch of a nearby family you know are having a tough time this year would be a nice gesture.
I hope this post has shown you some ways you can help out this season, even if you are experiencing some financial challenges yourself. Please share your own ideas for giving something back to the community.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
Uncork Your Creativity This Christmas
I'd like to share the directions for a quick and easy Christmas craft with you. We will be making a cute Christmas tree-shaped trivet which will come in handy for holding those hot cookie sheets and casserole dishes during all of your holiday baking and gatherings. You will need 34 wine corks, some glue such as Elmer's, and one sheet of green felt which you can get at the craft store. If you don't have corks saved up, you can ask friends to save theirs, make friends with a bar owner, or order some on ebay.It is easiest to work on a non-stick surface such as the backing from a sheet of labels or stickers. This keeps your trivet from sticking to your work surface while it is drying. Arrange your corks in rows on your non-stick surface. The top row will have one cork, the second row will have two corks, the third row three corks, the fourth row four corks, the fifth row five corks, the sixth row six corks, and the seventh row seven corks. The eighth and ninth rows will each have three corks. After you have arranged all of the corks, remove them one at a time, squeezing a line of glue between each where they connect and replacing it. Eventually the corks will all be back in place, and there will be glue between them on all sides where they connect. Leave the trivet to dry overnight. When it is completely dry, place it on the green felt, and draw around it with a piece of chalk. Cut out the felt about 1/2" smaller than the chalk line all the way around. Glue to the bottom of the trivet, being careful not to make the glue too thick or it will seep through the felt and show.
After it is completely dry, your trivet is ready for duty! These trivets also make a nice hostess gift if you are going to a party at someone else's house. Please let me know how you like it if you make one. I use mine every holiday season!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
A Custom-Made Celebration
This Thanksgiving, why not start some new family traditions? Thanksgiving is one of the few days of the year when extended families are typically gathered together. What better time to start some new holiday customs?
How about a long walk together after dinner? I'm sure everyone would welcome the chance to walk off that turkey and the extra helping of mashed potatoes! If there's nowhere to walk in your neighborhood, you could always drive to a nearby park or trail.
One idea I'm sure the hostess would appreciate is drawing names for chores. Since the person hosting has gone through all the work of preparing the meal, it's only fair that everyone else should pitch in with setting the table, clearing the table, loading and unloading the dishwasher, etc.
A particularly nice tradition, in my opinion, is to invite friends or acquaintances who are not having their own family get-together to celebrate with your family. If your guests are from another country, have them bring a traditional dish from their homeland to share. This should bring some new and interesting foods into the mix!
Some families pose with the entire clan for a picture on Thanksgiving Day. This photo is then used to create their annual Christmas cards. In larger families, sometimes names are drawn on Thanksgiving for the Christmas gift exchange as well.
Another nice idea is a toast at the dinner table in honor of family members who have achieved something during the year. It could be a promotion, high school graduation, a marriage, the birth of a new child, beating cancer, etc. For non-drinkers, make sure to have some sparkling cider on hand so they can participate.
After the table is cleared and everyone is in a turkey torpor, why not pull out those traditional holiday films and get into the holiday spirit? It's a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street are two of my favorites.
If the women in your family usually go shopping on Black Friday, what about having the women in the family sleep over so they can get an early start in the morning? While they are pounding the pavement for deals, the men can be pulling out the Christmas decorations and getting a jump on decking the halls!
I hope this post gives you a few new ideas for ways to celebrate Thanksgiving with your family. I would love to hear what some of your traditions are, too!
How about a long walk together after dinner? I'm sure everyone would welcome the chance to walk off that turkey and the extra helping of mashed potatoes! If there's nowhere to walk in your neighborhood, you could always drive to a nearby park or trail.
One idea I'm sure the hostess would appreciate is drawing names for chores. Since the person hosting has gone through all the work of preparing the meal, it's only fair that everyone else should pitch in with setting the table, clearing the table, loading and unloading the dishwasher, etc.
A particularly nice tradition, in my opinion, is to invite friends or acquaintances who are not having their own family get-together to celebrate with your family. If your guests are from another country, have them bring a traditional dish from their homeland to share. This should bring some new and interesting foods into the mix!
Some families pose with the entire clan for a picture on Thanksgiving Day. This photo is then used to create their annual Christmas cards. In larger families, sometimes names are drawn on Thanksgiving for the Christmas gift exchange as well.
Another nice idea is a toast at the dinner table in honor of family members who have achieved something during the year. It could be a promotion, high school graduation, a marriage, the birth of a new child, beating cancer, etc. For non-drinkers, make sure to have some sparkling cider on hand so they can participate.
After the table is cleared and everyone is in a turkey torpor, why not pull out those traditional holiday films and get into the holiday spirit? It's a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street are two of my favorites.
If the women in your family usually go shopping on Black Friday, what about having the women in the family sleep over so they can get an early start in the morning? While they are pounding the pavement for deals, the men can be pulling out the Christmas decorations and getting a jump on decking the halls!
I hope this post gives you a few new ideas for ways to celebrate Thanksgiving with your family. I would love to hear what some of your traditions are, too!
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Love Don't Cost A Thing
As I stooped to pull a weed from my neighbor's yard the other day, the idea for this post popped into my head. What little things can we do to help others, and make ourselves feel great, that are absolutely free?
If you have an elderly neighbor, or one that's been injured recently, pull a few weeds in their yard or take out their barrels on trash day.
Give out compliments liberally, but only if you really mean them. People can recognize an insincere compliment.
Leave a few coupons you can't use by their corresponding products on the shelf.
When you bake, bake a little extra for your neighbors.
Hold the door for someone, especially if you see they have their hands full.
In the morning when you retrieve your newspaper from the end of the driveway, grab your neighbor's too and place it on their porch.
Take an extra minute to greet the person who serves your coffee or helps you at the bank. Give him or her a nice smile.
Call someone who lives alone or has been ill recently just to see how they are doing.
Offer to collect your neighbor's mail or water their yard while they're away.
Take a minute to find a few things around your house you can donate to a thrift store, homeless or battered women's shelter, or animal rescue.
These are just a few ideas to get you started. I would love to hear your ideas too. Once you get in the habit of doing nice things for others, it will become automatic. Give it a try today, and remember, your good karma is sure to come back to you!
If you have an elderly neighbor, or one that's been injured recently, pull a few weeds in their yard or take out their barrels on trash day.
Give out compliments liberally, but only if you really mean them. People can recognize an insincere compliment.
Leave a few coupons you can't use by their corresponding products on the shelf.
When you bake, bake a little extra for your neighbors.
Hold the door for someone, especially if you see they have their hands full.
In the morning when you retrieve your newspaper from the end of the driveway, grab your neighbor's too and place it on their porch.
Take an extra minute to greet the person who serves your coffee or helps you at the bank. Give him or her a nice smile.
Call someone who lives alone or has been ill recently just to see how they are doing.
Offer to collect your neighbor's mail or water their yard while they're away.
Take a minute to find a few things around your house you can donate to a thrift store, homeless or battered women's shelter, or animal rescue.
These are just a few ideas to get you started. I would love to hear your ideas too. Once you get in the habit of doing nice things for others, it will become automatic. Give it a try today, and remember, your good karma is sure to come back to you!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Carve Out Some Frugal, Fun Time With Family and Friends
When October rolls around, one of the things I look forward to the most is my sister's annual Pumpkin Carving Party. We always have at least 20-25 participants in the carving contest, and lots more people just socializing, drinking wine and watching the contestants. She fills the whole house with decorations collected over the years. Some people wear costumes, some wear Halloween t-shirts, and some just come as they are.
It's not a really expensive event to plan, because everyone brings a dish for the buffet, and a pumpkin to carve. If you can't find a pumpkin you like, try a turnip, beet or butternut squash. Those all work well, and have a unique look. The hostess provides drinks, more food, and prizes for the contest winners. We pick up prizes inexpensively at the after-Halloween sales for the next year.
Usually people arrive in mid-afternoon, hang out, talk and eat for a couple of hours, then the carving begins. We have a binder of patterns that we have saved and photocopied over the years for those who don't know what they want to carve, but most people just free-hand a design with a permanent marker. We stock up on those carving kits with the tools after the holiday every year, so we have plenty on hand. We also stock up on those little votive candles at the end of the season. When it starts to get dark, we line all the pumpkins up, light candles inside each one, and draft some party-goers who did not carve to be impartial judges. We have categories like cutest, spookiest, most original, most traditional, scariest, friendliest, etc. We make sure all the small children win a prize so no one feels left out. We always try to have a variety of prizes for different age groups. At the end of the night, everyone takes their pumpkin home to display.
Host a Pumpkin Carving Party this year. You, your family and friends will all have a great time, guaranteed! Don't forget to save and roast the seeds in the oven. Salt lightly for a tasty, inexpensive and healthy snack!
It's not a really expensive event to plan, because everyone brings a dish for the buffet, and a pumpkin to carve. If you can't find a pumpkin you like, try a turnip, beet or butternut squash. Those all work well, and have a unique look. The hostess provides drinks, more food, and prizes for the contest winners. We pick up prizes inexpensively at the after-Halloween sales for the next year.
Usually people arrive in mid-afternoon, hang out, talk and eat for a couple of hours, then the carving begins. We have a binder of patterns that we have saved and photocopied over the years for those who don't know what they want to carve, but most people just free-hand a design with a permanent marker. We stock up on those carving kits with the tools after the holiday every year, so we have plenty on hand. We also stock up on those little votive candles at the end of the season. When it starts to get dark, we line all the pumpkins up, light candles inside each one, and draft some party-goers who did not carve to be impartial judges. We have categories like cutest, spookiest, most original, most traditional, scariest, friendliest, etc. We make sure all the small children win a prize so no one feels left out. We always try to have a variety of prizes for different age groups. At the end of the night, everyone takes their pumpkin home to display.
Host a Pumpkin Carving Party this year. You, your family and friends will all have a great time, guaranteed! Don't forget to save and roast the seeds in the oven. Salt lightly for a tasty, inexpensive and healthy snack!
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Create, Relate, Celebrate!
Today marks the fourth annual World Cardmaking Day. This occasion was created to celebrate the creativity involved in making your own cards, to provide an opportunity for card-makers around the world to connect, and to officially kick off the holiday card-making season. Why not celebrate by making some handmade cards?
Basic card stock can be found at craft stores such as Michael's or Joanne's, or even sometimes at your local dollar store. Although you can buy a lot of beautiful stickers, rubber stamps and ink at such stores, I think it's a lot of fun to use materials found around the house. A potato can be cut in half and then carved into a stamp. Magazines provide good sources for pictures or letters that can be cut out and glued on, ransom note style. Buttons or dried flowers can be adhered with craft glue. A plain old glue stick works great for flat stuff such as cutouts, photos or postage stamps. One interesting effect is to draw a word lightly on the wrong side with pencil (keeping in mind it will need to be backwards to read correctly on the front) and then poke a pin through at regular intervals along the lines. You can also stitch designs on the card with embroidery stitching. You are limited only by your imagination.
When your card is ready for an envelope, you can either buy a box of blank envelopes, or fold your own. Old calendar pages, wrapping paper, maps or comic pages are great for this. Here is a basic envelope template which can be resized as necessary:
http://www.houseofstirfry.com/chia/templates/4x4env01.html
People are so used to receiving electronic greetings these days, think how excited they will be to receive an actual handmade card! Have some fun today and make a card or two. Reaching out to those you love in a creative way is what it's all about!
Basic card stock can be found at craft stores such as Michael's or Joanne's, or even sometimes at your local dollar store. Although you can buy a lot of beautiful stickers, rubber stamps and ink at such stores, I think it's a lot of fun to use materials found around the house. A potato can be cut in half and then carved into a stamp. Magazines provide good sources for pictures or letters that can be cut out and glued on, ransom note style. Buttons or dried flowers can be adhered with craft glue. A plain old glue stick works great for flat stuff such as cutouts, photos or postage stamps. One interesting effect is to draw a word lightly on the wrong side with pencil (keeping in mind it will need to be backwards to read correctly on the front) and then poke a pin through at regular intervals along the lines. You can also stitch designs on the card with embroidery stitching. You are limited only by your imagination.
When your card is ready for an envelope, you can either buy a box of blank envelopes, or fold your own. Old calendar pages, wrapping paper, maps or comic pages are great for this. Here is a basic envelope template which can be resized as necessary:
http://www.houseofstirfry.com/chia/templates/4x4env01.html
People are so used to receiving electronic greetings these days, think how excited they will be to receive an actual handmade card! Have some fun today and make a card or two. Reaching out to those you love in a creative way is what it's all about!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Tweak Your Routine To Sneak In Savings
Adjusting your habits even slightly can result in savings which can really add up over time. What are some of the ways you could tweak your routine to sneak in savings?
One way would be to get up earlier and go to bed earlier, allowing you to do more things by daylight. This would save energy used for lighting, resulting in a lower electric bill. I've also chosen to do things like reading that use more light earlier in the day, and then watch TV or listen to music which require less light, later in the day.
Another slight adjustment I've made to my routine is to walk to the grocery store when I only need a few things, or walk to perform other errands, especially in cooler weather. This saves gas, wear and tear on the car, and I get some much-needed exercise all at the same time.
You could also spend your free time on a paying hobby, such as making crafts for sale, writing articles to be published, or panning for gold, instead of watching TV or pursuing a hobby that costs you a lot of money.
Another small change I've made is to dry clothes in the dryer for a few minutes and then hang to dry after washing. This helps me avoid "crunchy" towels and jeans, and saves energy and wear on my dryer.
When cooking pasta, I always use the Indian method I read about somewhere. Bring the pasta to a boil, then add the pasta, turn the burner off and put the lid on. The pasta will cook in the still-hot water in about 15 minutes. This saves the energy that would be used to simmer the noodles for 10 minutes or so using the traditional method.
One more thing I stopped doing years ago was blow-drying my hair. This saves me time in the morning, and electricity. It works fine for my all-one-length long hair, but may or may not work for your hairstyle. Give it a try and see.
Buying staples such as oats, flour, sugar, pasta etc. from bulk bins is another tiny thing I do differently nowadays. They are much cheaper that way, and I like reusing jars and other containers to store them.
I discovered that my grocery store has an extensive section of marked-down baked goods that have reached their sell-by date in the back of the store, so now before I buy bread, I always check there first. I store it in the freezer anyway, so it never goes bad before I can use it.
When I want to eat out at a restaurant, I always choose between those that I have coupons for, rather than making a completely random selection. This saves quite a bit of money, and I always find one for whatever type of food I might be in the mood for.
I always cook small meals in my toaster oven, because it uses a lot less energy than the regular oven. I have also become very proficient with my microwave and crock pot.
It may sound silly, but if I'm home alone, reading my book on the couch, I use my book light, which is powered by rechargeable batteries, rather than needlessly lighting the whole room.
When I use my dishwasher, if I only have a lightly soiled load, I use the "ecowash" setting, and I always turn off the "dry" setting. These two things save a lot of energy, and my dishes dry just fine if I prop the door open a little at the end of the cycle.
These are just a few of the ways I have made slight adjustments to my daily routine to save money and/or time. What are some of the tweaks you sneak into your routine? I look forward to hearing some of your solutions I haven't thought of.
One way would be to get up earlier and go to bed earlier, allowing you to do more things by daylight. This would save energy used for lighting, resulting in a lower electric bill. I've also chosen to do things like reading that use more light earlier in the day, and then watch TV or listen to music which require less light, later in the day.
Another slight adjustment I've made to my routine is to walk to the grocery store when I only need a few things, or walk to perform other errands, especially in cooler weather. This saves gas, wear and tear on the car, and I get some much-needed exercise all at the same time.
You could also spend your free time on a paying hobby, such as making crafts for sale, writing articles to be published, or panning for gold, instead of watching TV or pursuing a hobby that costs you a lot of money.
Another small change I've made is to dry clothes in the dryer for a few minutes and then hang to dry after washing. This helps me avoid "crunchy" towels and jeans, and saves energy and wear on my dryer.
When cooking pasta, I always use the Indian method I read about somewhere. Bring the pasta to a boil, then add the pasta, turn the burner off and put the lid on. The pasta will cook in the still-hot water in about 15 minutes. This saves the energy that would be used to simmer the noodles for 10 minutes or so using the traditional method.
One more thing I stopped doing years ago was blow-drying my hair. This saves me time in the morning, and electricity. It works fine for my all-one-length long hair, but may or may not work for your hairstyle. Give it a try and see.
Buying staples such as oats, flour, sugar, pasta etc. from bulk bins is another tiny thing I do differently nowadays. They are much cheaper that way, and I like reusing jars and other containers to store them.
I discovered that my grocery store has an extensive section of marked-down baked goods that have reached their sell-by date in the back of the store, so now before I buy bread, I always check there first. I store it in the freezer anyway, so it never goes bad before I can use it.
When I want to eat out at a restaurant, I always choose between those that I have coupons for, rather than making a completely random selection. This saves quite a bit of money, and I always find one for whatever type of food I might be in the mood for.
I always cook small meals in my toaster oven, because it uses a lot less energy than the regular oven. I have also become very proficient with my microwave and crock pot.
It may sound silly, but if I'm home alone, reading my book on the couch, I use my book light, which is powered by rechargeable batteries, rather than needlessly lighting the whole room.
When I use my dishwasher, if I only have a lightly soiled load, I use the "ecowash" setting, and I always turn off the "dry" setting. These two things save a lot of energy, and my dishes dry just fine if I prop the door open a little at the end of the cycle.
These are just a few of the ways I have made slight adjustments to my daily routine to save money and/or time. What are some of the tweaks you sneak into your routine? I look forward to hearing some of your solutions I haven't thought of.
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