C2C - 3 more sleeps to go!

Christmas is a time to stop and think about others.... and not everyone is as fortunate as ourselves. Be mindful of countries, nationalities, ever your neighbours who may be struggling at this time of the year to make ends meet, let alone lavishing everyone with gifts and stuffing their belly with gourmet delights!

Some ideas for you:
* donate to giving trees (Kmart is one we do every year)
* think of making a donation of money or food (do it as a family gift)

Remember the people who live in your street...
* bake some biscuits or a pudding and leave it at their door step from "the elves next door"
* be neighbourly and find out who's away during the Christmas / New Year period and work out amongst yourselves about clearing mailboxes and keeping a look out on the house.

Lastly, if you're holding a grudge against somebody or something..... let it go!
Enjoy family and friends and be grateful for what you have in your life.

C2C - 4 more sleeps to go!

If the weather is okay and night warm, why not pitch a tent in the back yard and camp under the stars! Tell each other stories and watch the stars come out.... might be hard to see if you live in the city....

Okay, another alternative could be if you have a Christmas tree inside, why not set up camp under it for the evening and watch those lights instead!
Put on some Christmas movies or music and chill out for the night.
Who ever happens to fall asleep under the tree, can stay there!

C2C - 5 more sleeps to go!

If you have time to think about how you are going to 'wrap' up the present, you'll make the gift extra special!

Use re-usable packaging:
* fabric bags that fold up into small wallets
* nice strong boxes (decorated or covered in paper or fabric)
* tea towels
* canisters, baskets, funky pencil case

Paper:
* re-cycled paper, exotic newspaper (other languages)
* sheet music (Christmas tunes!)
* decorate butchers paper (big white sheets from the butcher!) get the kids to draw pictures on it

Personalise presents:
* hair ribbon wrapped around present into a bow
* biscuit cutter with name tag attached to gift

The ideas are endless! Just look around your home for inspiration.

C2C - 6 more sleeps to go!

Print out onto white card and cut out. Just write and stick onto gift, or hole punch a hole in one corner and thread ribbon through so it can hang instead. Enjoy!

Countdown to Christmas.... 7 more sleeps!

Do you have an answering machine or service for your home?
Why not get really silly and record a festive message! (It may help remind people that it will be Christmas soon....)

* sing a song (just the chorus will do)

* put on a pretend voice and introduce yourself as Santa, Jesus or the Christmas fairy from on top of the tree, just standing in for the usual answering service....

* get the kids to say something Christmas-like (not what they'd like as a present!)

* play a song in the back ground (quietly) and say your message.

Countdown to Christmas.... 8 more sleeps!

It's the joy of getting lots of little presents that make Santa Sacks such a hit! Both the girls, mummy and daddy get one in our family (a good excuse to get all the little things you need, plus some extra spoils!)

Hard and fast rules:

* decide here and now who gets one!

* find a sack for each person. It can be anything really.... pillow case, knitted sock / stocking, gift bag.... look, as long as it's big enough to fit everything in, you can't go wrong!
* set a total $ ($50 or $100) you want to spend per person.

* fill the sack with small gifts up to $5 or $10 per gift only (so, yes, some presents may be big, it's up to you whether you look at sizes too)

* think about what they need for school or work... hobbies and interests....

* food snacks and treats are great too (stuff they maybe don't always get to eat!) Good quality chocolates for the grown ups...

* activities for them to do on Christmas day... games, books, novelties (great for when grown ups are busy, resting, car trips etc)

* not a must, but you may want to wrap each present 1. exciting to unwrap 2. can make the sack last all day! 3. plus helps them concentrate on one gift at a time (good for littlies) Use left over scraps of wrapping paper, or tissue paper that isn't up to scratch for normal gift wrapping.

* decide now when they get to explore their sacks... Put at the end of their bed for them to do first thing when they wake up? Or under the tree with the other gifts? Do you do it together as a family or let each person secretly go through their sacks and compare later?

Handy tip: With kiddies, it's a great idea to take their sacks with you (where ever you will be going) for the day.
*** we do this every Christmas with our little ones and it was a hit... plus it keeps all their pressies together.

I'm sooooo excited now!

Countdown to Christmas.... 9 more sleeps!

It's the personal touches, the thought and time involved that make gifts from the maker worth giving. You don't have to be an artist or a craft nut to use the resources around you!
Need some inspiration for handmade gifts?

* handmade produce (jams, pantry stuff, veggies, fruit from your garden, a cutting or seeds from a favourite plant)

* handmade crafts (stuff you've sewn, carved, knitted, scrap booked, anything you can make with your hands!! Or your feet, if you're that way inclined....)

* Check out this great idea to make.... it's a CD case calendar!

* Got kids? Use some of their drawings from earlier in the year, laminated or framed... or made into place mats or as wrapping paper.

This year, I bought a cute cake tin which leaves heart impressions on the top of the cake (thanks Ikea!) and will be baking flourless orange cakes, using oranges from our prized tree! Then giving them out to family in re-usable cake storage containers. Chai and La (both still under 5) will be painting pictures on mini canvases for family gifts. On Mat's side of the family, they are the only grandchildren / nieces .... so everyone should get a kick out of those.