Homemade Christmas

I'm sure you all have read or at least heard about our Christmas changes this year.

Basically, we were getting overwhelmed and annoyed by all the negativity associated with Christmas shopping. After we'd been out grocery shopping! It was awful. Kids screaming and parents bribing them with treats, toys, games, etc., people pushing and shoving in the aisles and walkways, angry attitudes and a general disdain for positive living.

Well, I decided that I simply could not take part in that this year. I told Robert I really felt like we ought to make or bake all of our gifts this year. (This was back in late October/ early November). He agreed with me, and told me that whatever I felt like doing, he would support. He was just as irritated with the grouchy attitudes!

So, I sat down and made a couple lists: one for Christmas cards, one for who we were going to buy for, and one for budgeting. I have to admit, the budgeting one really didn't help at all, because at that point I was so undecided as to what I would be doing.

Anyway, here are the much anticipated pictures of a few things we did:

From left to right, Mocha Hot Cocoa Mix, White-Chocolate Raspberry Dessert Spread, and Orange Creamsicle mix. (I think I spelled Creamsicle wrong on the label, whoops!

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This recipe was sooo easy! Vanilla instant pudding, tang, more vanilla pudding, lemonade!

Mocha hot cocoa mix was super fun to make! We just mixed cocoa powder, dry milk powder, chocolate chips, Starbucks Via coffee and sugar (and a couple other small ingredients). Then we divided it into jars. :)

White-Chocolate Raspberry Dessert Spread - made with real vanilla beans, raspberries, pectin, sugar, white chocolate and a few other yummy ingredients. This was a BIG hit!

 

I did make some blankets for my dad, step-dad, and brothers, but I spaced on taking pictures of them. They were pretty easy, though: fleece + embroidery floss for the folded edges + 15 hours of sewing. :) I chose Dallas Cowboys fabric for my step-dad, gray, white and black plaid for my dad, blue & brown for my younger brother (to match his room), and black with white trim for my older brother (since he lives in San Diego, and I have no idea what his room looks like, lol). 

We also framed some pictures for moms and dads and grandparents as well. 

Anyway, that was our homemade holiday in a nutshell. We had a lot of fun working together to make special gifts to give to everyone, and I'd say it was a successful Christmas! (We spent less than $100 on gifts for about 25 or 30 people).

What We're Doing This Year

Tonight's errands confirmed for me that I made a good decision with my husband this year.

This year, I have a little poem that I wrote that I'm living by. I call it, "Christmas For Real." (Those of you who watch the Food Network probably have seen Sunny Anderson's show, "Cooking For Real." It's where I got the idea for the title.)

Christmas For Real

By Kimi Crombie

Instead of spending time,

Getting tied up in store hopping,

We're going to save the headache,

And forego the Christmas shopping.

On brand new toys, clothes, and random gifts, 

We will not spend a penny, 

Because the blessings that we already have,

Are so very many!

We want to show our love and care,

To those who love us so,

Therefore this year instead of shopping,

It's homemade and home-baked we go!

This year we're trying something new,

Without the holiday stress,

And instead we're going to make or bake,

All our gifts to give the rest. 

To give you some reasoning, I got the overwhelming conviction early on this holiday season (before Thanksgiving), that seeing what the Christmas season brings out in people is genuinely a gross display of selfishness, greediness and impolite behavior towards the general public.

One example is what happened to me today. I was in a crosswalk, walking from my SUV to a store, and traffic heading one way had already stopped for me. A woman in a sports car was racing through the parking lot and barely screeched to a halt about 3 feet from me (again, I'm already halfway through the crosswalk), and I yelled, "What are you doing?! Drive slower! You could kill someone!" She was shocked; I saw it on her face, but as soon as I started to continue walking, she stepped on the accelerator. She almost hit me not once, but twice. 


Now you tell me: Is it really that important that she beat the next car (you know, the one that stopped for me), or is it more important that a pedestrian's safety be preserved? I don't really want to answer that based on my experience only. But it is disgraceful.

So here's what I've come up with:

We're not shopping for everyone. Family and a few close friends - that's it. We've already bought each other our gift - a new TV. Everything we give to others will be homemade or home baked. Period. This can be anything altered or made to look new, but it cannot be a store-bought only item.

I must say that even at this point in the season, I'm still thankful that we've made this decision. I don't feel pressured to buy things, I don't feel like we're so pressed for time that we have none to ourselves, and our wallet doesn't feel crunched, either. We've discussed this many times, and we are certain that we're enjoying this year's Christmas season more than years past. It's too early to know if it's because of my policy this year that Robert whole-heartedly agreed to, but still - I'm loving it.

I would encourage you to try the same thing. Just see what happens when you open yourself up to it!

Thought I'd Escaped...

....the cold and flu season. :(

Sad to report that I definitely have the onset of a nasty cold heading my way. My chest now burns (new symptom), I have a very sore throat and sinuses in pain, as well as two ears that really hurt.


If you think of it, please pray for me today. I really don't have time to have a cold, and I've been diligent to get 8 hours of sleep every night, and to take time to rest during the afternoon.

Thanks!

This Weekend in the Crombie Home

Well, a few of you know the struggles that we've had here with our red Espana dishes that we registered for when we got married.

If you don't know exactly what happened, here it is in a nutshell:

We registered for red Espana dishes at Macy's a few months before our wedding. They were supposedly dishwasher and microwave-safe.
We got a bunch of dishes for our wedding (10 place settings and some serving dishes).
Within 2 months, 6 pieces were cracked, chipped and/ or broken - all from the dishwasher.
Within 6 months, Robert had burned his hands on a serving plate that was, again, "microwave-safe," and the plate broke apart in his hands!
Within 18 months, nearly every piece form the Espana dishes we had was cracked, chipped, broken or unable to be used because they are not microwave-safe.

So, instead of being upset about it any longer, I finally called the makers of Espana. I was on hold for nearly an hour, passed from person to person until I finally got a CEO or something. (I don't really remember who, because I was so angry by that point!) I explained for the 7th time that day why I had a problem with their products. The person I was speaking to told me that I was "definitely not being truthful," and that "they stood behind their dishes," AND they REFUSED to refund my money. I was hung up on.

That was the last straw for me.

Our friends and family spent good money on those dishes, and so did we! I called the Macy's where we registered, and got the manager of the bridal registry department. She was super nice and helpful, and before I even got my first full sentence out, she asked me, "You registered for Espana, didn't you?" I was shocked. Apparently, we are not the only people to have these problems! She told me to clean it all up - whatever we had left - she had pulled up our registry and verified what was purchased for us, and told me to bring it all to her there. She told me they'd give us the value of it on a gift card to replace it with something more worthwhile.

They did better than that.

Robert and I went on a weekday afternoon (the only time we could do that 25-mile trip), and we returned it all. It took awhile, but we were given the full value for each of the 10 place settings and the serving sets on a gift card. The total was $430.

We used that gift card to purchase "every day china," which is made by a reputable brand, it is dishwasher, microwave and freezer safe, and my favorite part: If we have any problems, we just bring it back and they'll replace it. No questions asked. We ended up getting 16 place settings, 4 or 5 serving pieces and are very happy with our new dishes!

Since Robert likes round and I like square, these dishes were an excellent compromise: square-shaped with rounded edges. We can even put round bowls, plates, etc. with it, and it looks fantastic.

Here's a picture of Robert opening everything and getting ready to wash it all:

So, after the dishes arrived on Friday and they were unpacked for the most part, I had my violin recital yesterday. (No, I will not be posting the video on here). It went very well. :)

Today, we had to be at church bright & early so I could play with the orchestra.

Now, it's jurisdictions and other random chores time! We are whipping this place into holiday shape. My goal is to get all the rooms picked up and bathrooms cleaned, and the rest of the Christmas decorations put up and the totes put back in the shed.


My break is over; it's back to work for this girl!

Not Just To Cross It Off

So, a lot of you have asked me why I'm so candid about my monthly goals and ambitions. Some of you have commented that you think I push myself too hard. Others have written me sweet notes of thanks for encouragement.

I do it for all these reasons, friends.

Isaiah 35:3 says, "Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble." 1 Thesselonians 5:14 says, "We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone."

How could I not try to live that out on my personal blog? It's a struggle to do daily, but that's one of the reasons I'm trying to get back to the basics with my goals this month.

For example, one of my goals is to encourage someone every single day. Today, while it may not be a big deal to everyone else, I had to go to Costco on my way home from work. I was tired, hungry, and had a long list in my mind of what needed to get done at home. I only needed one thing. (Not that you should put off your household, but you'll understand soon why I made an exception!) Instead of just racing through and getting what I needed, I called my mom and my auntie to ask if either of them needed anything from Costco, knowing that saving them the trip would make them so happy.

They both did.

In the course of getting to the aisles where I needed to get their items, I ran into Tim & Shelley. We chatted and had a great time visiting for a few minutes.

If I'd just had a narrow-minded perspective on that trip (which, wasn't really out of my way or too much more time-consuming than normal), I wouldn't have had the ability to encourage my auntie and her foster babies and my mom - all of whom were beyond grateful that they didn't have to go out to Costco! - and I would not have seen Tim & Shelley, as my item was not on the side of the store where they were.

I may have needed only one thing, but I turned that trip into a time-saving, encouraging blessing for my family.

MERRY CHRISTMAS! I hope you find a way to encourage someone today!!