ThriftyFun News
Volume Eight, Number 40, December 8, 2006
http://www.ThriftyFun.com
Hello,
This week we have some Christmas Traditions that have been sent in by our readers. Hope you enjoy them. If you have a Christmas tradition to share, feel free to submit it on the contest page.
Thanks for reading,
Susan
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An Ornament for Every Year
I have only one child, a wonderful 18 year old son who is a joy in our lives. Every year, including the Christmas that I was expecting, I have made him a special ornament. I love to do crafts, so I try to make the ornaments extra special, having to do with something that has gone on in his life for that year.
He didn't really start appreciating them until he was about 10 years old. Now, however, he can't wait to unwrap Mom's special present to him. When I'm no longer on this earth, he will hopefully have a nice supply of handmade ornaments, made by me, to mark the special occasions in his life.
I buy the satin covered styrofoam balls and decorate them with beads, sequins, or whatever. I had already made this years, but just today he found out that he's going to be helping to film a FEMA documentary that will air either on HBO or PBS. His life dream is to work in TV. So I will gather my beads, pins and glue and try my darnedest to make a TV camera in the shape of beads on an ornament.
By Louise from Port Charlotte, FL
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Teaching Kids About Christmas Giving
Because of the tough times we went through growing up, my husband and I know what it is like to grow up and not have presents at Christmas.
Every year we tell our children about some special Christmases that we have had and then we go out to our local mall that has angel trees with paper ornaments with a child's age and sex written on them. Each of my kids pick out a child their same age and sex and we go buy gifts for that child and return them to the tree. Our kids enjoy the gift of giving very much and if we had the money, they would give and give and give!
We also invite any of our single friends or friends with no family to come join us as well. Living in Alaska, not many people have family nearby and they make families of their own with their friends.
By Tawnda
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Creative Gift Wrapping - Hiding Gifts in the Pantry
For anyone wanting to hide gifts and save on wrapping paper, use boxes out of your pantry. When I start collecting gifts I hide them in my pantry in empty food boxes, they would not look into. I glue the boxes shut. Oatmeal, cake mix, even canned vegetables. Use the can opener that cuts the outside of the can rim and creates a cap. I put the gift inside and glue it shut.
On Christmas day they are given a grocery bag and a shopping list to go shopping for their gifts. They have to get the can opener to open the cans. Some cans have the pull tabs that make it easy.
I always make sure there is only one of the food items in the pantry so there is no confusion. It is time consuming but they look forward to their shopping trip.
By Lois
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Christmas Caroling
One of the things that our family enjoys most each Christmas season is to get together with other families for a night of good old fashioned Christmas caroling! We visit nursing homes as well as homes of others we know. We especially try to visit homes of elderly people we know who might be alone and sad during the season. It really makes the day of everyone we visit. It lifts our spirits as well to see that we have been a blessing to someone.. A good way to teach our kids to be kind and to do for others, too.
By Robin
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Hot Caramel Spiced Cider
By Susan Sanders-Kinzel
This is one of my families favorites. We make this every year during the holidays. The cider is good with or without the caramel and whipped cream.
We keep adding cider all day long when it starts to get low. You can add 2 cans of canned apple juice concentrate if cider is unavailable. I usually stock up a few gallons of apple juice or cider before the holidays so we don't run out.
Put 1 gallon of cider in a crock pot or large pot. Add spices. Heat it up until it is hot but not boiling. Once hot leave it on low heat with a ladle for serving. Add orange slices to pretty it up. Makes a nice warm beverage for the holidays.
Add a little caramel syrup to each cup, stir well and top with whipping cream. This gives it an apple pie taste.
My family likes this because it gives them something warm to drink in the evening other than coffee or eggnog. We started drinking it because we like what Starbuck's served and tried to replicate it at home. This is every bit as good.
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Bonnie's Christmas Tradition
I grew up in a family of eight children so the holidays were always hectic. To calm the morning madness and make sure we all had the chance to see and open our presents at the same time, we had a Christmas morning rule. No one was allowed to go downstairs until after breakfast. Mom would pick a different child each year to be her "helper" and she would go downstairs with her "helper" to get breakfast ready. The advantage of being the "helper" was that you got to see all the presents Santa left behind before anyone else. Of course it was a look, but don't touch deal. While my mom prepared a huge fruit platter with sliced apples, oranges, kiwi, pineapple, bananas and grapes, the "helper" would carry the bowls, spoons, cereal, milk, toothpicks and plates upstairs. (Note: A week before Christmas, Mom would let us pick out our favorite sugar cereals for Christmas morning and a couple of healthy cereals for the adults) We usually picked one of the bigger bedrooms to host breakfast in. After all the food was upstairs we'd kneel down as a family, bless the food and eat.
Everyone would sit where ever they could find a spot. After eating, the "helper" would help Mom bring all the food and dishes back down to the kitchen. While that was going on the rest of the family in anxious anticipation would line up on the stair steps in order of age, youngest child on the bottom step. Mom would stand at the top and Dad would take pictures of the whole family from the stairwell.
When the pictures were over we would all place our hands on each others shoulders to form a choo-choo train down the stairs. Everyone would make choo-choo noises like "Choo-choo" and "Chugga-chugga" as we walked into the family room to see our stockings filled and presents left behind by Santa.
I love the memories of that Christmas morning tradition so much that I continue the tradition with my young children. When I was married and started a family of my own, I asked my mom where the tradition came from. To my amazement, she told me her mother started the tradition of eating breakfast before seeing the presents because she was tired of the children waking up Christmas morning and stuffing themselves with just candy. It's funny how something so small could grow into something so big that would touch generations and instill lasting memories of family togetherness.
By Bonnie from Aberdeen, MD
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Create a Christmas Newsletter
Use your calendar as a diary. When things come to mind that you are proud of about your family, jot it on the calendar. There's also extra space on the bottom of most calendars to write notes. Then in November, go over your calendar, and create a wonderful newsletter to send to family with everyones' accomplishments in it.
By Ardis Barnes
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Stacey's Christmas Tradition
"A Treasured Tradition"
I just wanted to share a wonderful tradition that I started about five years ago and I've enjoyed it so much. I call it my "Christmas Eve walk."
I had been feeling a little depressed this particular Christmas Eve and was trying to come up with something I could do to make myself feel better when an idea came to me. We had been baking Christmas goodies all day, so I got together a plate of cookies, candies and other things, wrapped it all up in plastic wrap, put a bow on it and left the house. What I wanted to do was "feel" out the right place. I just wanted to walk until I came to a place that seemed like it needed some cheer.
After walking for about five minutes, I came around a corner to a group of houses I'd never been to before and stopped. There it was; the house that needed a little Christmas magic. It was Christmas Eve and from inside the house, I could hear a baby crying and the vacuum going.
Smiling, I carefully went up to the porch, set the plate down, rang the doorbell and ran. I stopped just out of sight behind a fence and listened as the vacuum went off and the door opened. A few moments later, I heard them pick up the plate and shut the door. I was grinning from ear to ear all the way home and I sure felt a lot better. Ever since then, I take my Christmas Eve walk and I don't stop until I've reached the "right place." It sure brightens up the holidays and gives me something to look forward to each year! It certainly is a "treasured tradition."
By Stacey from Orem, UT
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Traditional Family Recipe Videos
My mom and aunts have many wonderful recipes for foods we enjoy at get togethers and Holiday's that were passed on to them from my grandmothers. The only problem is that my cousins and I have not really taken the time to learn to make these dishes.
So in order to continue tradition instead of just writing the recipe down I decided to go to my moms and Aunts homes and video tape them making their special dishes. Not only do we have a priceless momento of our family, we also have step by step cooking or baking instructions to carry on for future generations.
By Diane Rodriguez
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Doris' Christmas Tradition
When my first child was 4 years old, I decided to start a Christmas tradition that was inexpensive but fun. My son, Joe, was old enough to chew hard candy (with supervision). I bought him a "LifeSaver" Christmas box of LifeSavers that had a small ornament attached. I have continued this "Tradition" every year since 1969. Now I send a "LifeSaver" Christmas Box my two children, their spouses, and my grandchildren. A couple of years ago, I didn't send the "LifeSavers." Christmas morning, BOTH my children called and asked "Where's the "LifeSavers?" So now, the FIRST gift I purchase is a Christmas Box of "LifeSavers" for everyone, even though my son is now 40 years old and my daughter is 36.
By Doris from Yakima, Washington
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Debra's Family Traditions
My Family were not church going people and neither was my husband's so we had to come up with our own traditions. In doing Geneology for both families I saw that we had a lot of German ancestors so I went on line and found out about the german tradition of the Advent Wreath.
I went to Walmart and got a nice green wreath and decorated it with some bows and balls. I bought 4 small candle holders and used a glass mirror square from the hardware store to lay it all on. I bought a white Christmas candle (pillar) to go in the center. I printed out prayers that were included on the website.
Now I invite my grown children and grandchildren to come to dinner every Sunday (4 sundays which could mean the last weekend of Nov.) We now light a candle in the center of the wreath and say a prayer and sing a Christmas carol and then have a nice dinner. I also try to plan one activity for each Sunday such as a free Nativity scene or Christmas Movies or making cookies. We light the pillar on Christmas Day.
Also this year we found the book "Christmas in the Manger" by Nola Buck and Felicia Bond. It is a simple hard back book that tells the Christmas story in short sentences. Each page tells about some character from the Nativity such as the ox, the sheep, and the wise men. To make it fun for my grandsons (ages 3, 4, 18 months) I hid each animal or person around the house (hidden in plain sight) and as I read the story they got to find the correct piece and return it to the Christmas Nativity set. They loved it and learned some too.
We have our Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve and then open presents. That way parents and children can sleep in on Christmas Morning. This is how we got around the Santa Claus Dilemma. My husband would take the children out to look at Christmas lights while I put out all the "Santa Gifts" I knew they would be back in 15 minutes or so and I had a string of jingle bells I would ring and say HO HO HO as they came in the door. They would come in and be convinced that Santa had just left. It sure made it nice to be well rested and able to enjoy our gifts the next day. Oh, I also would take a big drink of the eggnog and take a bite of the cookie also. My children and now the grandchildren loved the illusion and still do even now.
By Debra in Colorado
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Buckeye Candy (Grandma's peanut butter balls)
Every year my grandma made what we called "Peanut Butter Balls". She never went by a recipe and they always turned out perfect!
Over the years family members moved away and family gatherings became extinct (literally) and so we all missed out on Grandma's peanut butter balls.
Later, I found this recipe for Buckeye Candy that is almost exactly like Grandma's peanut butter balls!
Buckeye Candy
- 2 c. creamy peanut butter (not all-natural)
- 1/4 c. butter or margarine, softened
- 3 3/4 c. powdered sugar
- 2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable shortening
Line cookie sheets with wax paper.
Beat peanut butter and butter in a large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in powdered sugar until mixture holds together and is moist. Shape into 1" balls; place on cookie sheets. Freeze one hour.
Melt chocolate chips and shortening in medium, uncovered microwave-safe bowl on high for 1 min., stir. If necessary, continue every 10-15 seconds until melted completely.
Dip peanut butter centers into chocolate using a toothpick, leaving a small amount of center uncovered (hence, the eye). Shake off excess and place on cookie sheet. Refrigerate, covered, until chocolate is set. Store in covered container in refrigerator.
Variations: My grandmother used completely cover her peanut butter centers or another idea is to set the centers on top of a bakers cooling rack and drizzle chocolate back and forth over the peanut butter center.
You could do all three variations for gifts and put a few of each one in a little tin.
Yields approx. 6 dozen.
By Tawnda
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Presents from the Kids
I started a tradition 8 years ago for my son's first Christmas. Every year we MAKE a Christmas gift for the Grandparents and Great-Grandparents and Aunts and Uncles. The first year he was 9 months old and we made handprint pillows. 3 years later our second son came along and he joined in on the fun! Last year our baby girl joined the "team" and joined in on the tradition. Every year the kids look forward to the tradition, as do the Family members who receive these treasured gifts. We also make this craft for at home and it has a special designated area each Christmas.
By Katja from Kountze, TX
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Give the New Jammies the Night Before
To help ensure that your Christmas morning pictures look great with the kiddies, let them open one gift Christmas eve that is a pair of new pajamas or nightgown and have them wear it that night to bed. Then when they get up and rush to their gifts and the photos start being shot, they will look great and not be wearing anything that shows possible wear or fading.
By Diane from Paradise PA
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A Christmas Cake for Jesus
Our Christmas tradition is on christmas morning after we eat breakfast we would have a birthday cake for Jesus and my family would sing happy birthday to Jesus. We would also have a candle to blow out. This tradition helps my daughter to realize that Jesus was born on christmas and that's the true reason why we celebrate christmas.
Sandy
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Cute Peanut Butter Snowman Treats
This is so simple but so good. My family expects it every year. Spread peanut butter between two buttery round crackers (I use Ritz) and dip into melted white chocolate or white candy coating. Place on wax paper until set. I put several peanut butter and crackers together first, then start dipping. When finished you can decorate the top to look like a snowman face, using icing for the eyes, nose and mouth. Even better, before the white chocolate starts to set, place chocolate chips for eyes, mini chocolate chips for mouth and a piece of candy corn or M&M for the nose. They are almost too cute to eat!
By Melanie
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Christmas Countdown For Kids
To help the kids with counting down till Christmas and wanting to open presents I get small inexpensive gifts for as many days before Christmas as I like. I usually do two weeks. I buy small erasers, pencils, sweets, etc. and wrap each individually. I then get string or yarn and attach each wrapped gift along the string. I attach the whole thing to a wall horizontally. I then tie a small pair of scissors and tack it close by so every morning the kids can clip one gift off and get a nice little surprise. My kids loved this so much that I still do this even though they are now teenagers.
By Diane from California
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Celebrating Christmas With My Italian Relatives
Because we now have 4 generations of relatives we hire a hall. We do this about the 2nd Sunday of December. That way everyone knows every year when to plan to celebrate. The hall is decorated with a tree with ornaments and we have holiday music playing (a boom box). Folding tables provided by the hall are set up with chairs and disposable holiday tablecloths are put on them. (We wait until after Christmas each year and when they go on sale, we buy them and put them away for next year).
Everyone brings their special dish to share and this is displayed on a separate long large table. This year we had chicken wings, ham, turkey, meatballs, potato salad, macaroni salad, tossed salad, homemade bread, dinner rolls, pizza, and many, many delicious desserts. One of my aunts makes a traditional dish called bacala which is a fish dish made from soaked codfish and then cooked into a soup like dish. It is so good and it is the only day out of the whole year that I get to eat it. I even bring a little container with me and bring some home and the next day I cook some linguine and heat the bacala up and pour it over. I feel like I have died and gone to heaven. It is so g.o.o.d.
Santa pays a visit dressed in his royal attire with a beard thrown in and offers gifts to all the little ones as well as the big ones. It's nice to see how the little kids have grown, to hear how they are doing whether in nursery school, regular school, college or in the working field. My aunts, cousins, their children and their children (4 generations) mingle and laugh and break bread. This is a tradition that my nona and nono had when they were alive in their home. Then when they died their children took turns every year hosting it at their home. It finally got to a point that there were close to 60 of us so we rent a hall now. I hope this continues for the rest of my life and then is handed down to the next generation to keep doing it. I look forward to it every year.
By Joesgirl
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Karen's Family Tradition - Christmas Ornaments With Stories
Every year, I buy everyone in the family a special ornament that has something to do with their past year, their interests or accomplishments. When I got divorced and had 2 young girls, we started some holiday traditions of our own.
The favorite of everyone is a Christmas eve picnic under the Christmas tree. We eat easy finger foods, spread a tablecloth on the floor and play I-Spy with the Christmas ornaments. When the specific ornament is found, there is always a story told of that particular ornament and what it means.
The kids all love hearing the "family history" and even know the stories from the ornaments I received from my Mom each year growing up. It is truly our favorite tradition.
By Karen Bates-Earnest
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Connie's Christmas Tradition
We have an unique Christmas tradition at our house. When the kids no longer believed in Santa and the thrill of the moment wasn't as intense as it once was we started this. On Christmas morning each child receives a small piece of paper with a poem/hint on it and they have to figure out the clue and follow it just to find another clue. After the third clue there is their gift.
Example: "Your gift is new, it isn't old, you will find it where things are cold" (they finally looked in the refrigerator and there is clue 2 .) "You are getting warmer, you're almost there, look around the Christmas bear" We have a bear collection so there is clue 3. Final clue is "It's not low, it's really up high, you'll find your gift where the wind goes by" We had placed their small package on the blade of the stopped ceiling fan.
They get really excited trying to follow the clues. We only do a couple of their gifts this way. The rest is under the tree with everyone elses. It brings a lot of laughs on Christmas morning and the pre-teens go nuts trying to find their gifts. Of course we make different clues for each child and each gift for each year. The hiding places are endless. What is really funny is when the wrong kids accidently finds the wrong gift and they have to stay quite and continue to hunt theirs.Happy Hunting!
By Connie A. from Tennessee
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