80 Days until Christmas

80 Days until Christmas

Oct 6, 2018 | Family & Friends, Fun & Recreation, Home and Environment, Vision Board, Wealth & Money

Does that number strike a feeling of panic and dread, or are you ready for the holiday season?

I have to admit, I am one of “those” annoying people who does not stress about Christmas or the cost of giving gifts.  And, yes, I have just about finished my Christmas Gift shopping.

Why??  Well because I buy all throughout the year 🙂

I am fairly lucky in the fact that we do not have a huge family so I only need to buy around 20 gifts.

My husband knows that I cannot pass by a sale table or dump bin 🙂   Invariably I see something and think “Oh! “S” would like that” or “Wow! That would be great for “M”

I have one shelf in a cupboard that we call the “present cupboard” On the inside of the cupboard door is a small whiteboard with all the names written down one side in permanent marker.

Then I fill in the gifts as I buy them in whiteboard marker.  That way it is a simple matter to erase the gifts as they get given.

I also know that some of the best gifts can be bought at a bargain price at certain times of the year.

  • Anything “Christmas-y” can be bought for a tiny fraction of the price just after Christmas.  I always buy Christmas paper and cards in the last week of December, often at up to 90% off.  Look for such items as paper, cards, decorations for the tree, and themed tableware like plates, bowls, glasses etc.  I like to have a supply of Christmas theme plates, cups or glasses that I can use as part of a gift.  Make a cake or batch of cookies and display them on a Christmas plate, or simply place chocolates into a Christmas mug and wrap them with cellophane.
  • The lead-up to New Year’s Eve often brings up good specials on Champagne, Wine and other Alcohol.  It can be a good time to buy for birthdays early in the year.
  • January is the best time to buy stationary, school supplies and office equipment in the “back to school” sales.  This is a good time to buy plain-coloured kid’s clothing and running shoes.
  • February is the time to buy chocolates in the after Valentine’s Day sales.
  • March -April is Easter, and again after Easter is the time for chocolate and “Easter-y” decorations.
  • May is Mother’s Day. This is a good time to pick up perfumes, bath sets, soaps, and kitchen appliances.
  • June – July is a time to keep an eye out for End of Financial Year Sales. This is often the best time to buy big appliances or cars. Any big ticket items often have sales targets to reach and you can very often drive a hard bargain the closer it gets to June 30.  Also at this time of year, the Christmas Toy Sales start with the option to purchase on a 6-month lay-by.
  • August is usually quiet with no major sales happening.
  • September is Father’s Day and Football grand finals.   Father’s Day is a time to pick up gift sets of male toiletries, hardware, BBQ accessories and food sets ( think BBQ sauces and rubs etc), tools, car-related things and the ubiquitous alcohol.
    The last weeks of September are another time to stock up on alcohol as the stores prepare for football grand final parties.
  • October is the Bathurst Car Race weekend, so again there are car-related accessories on sale.
  • November- December brings sales in the lead-up to Christmas.

I find that by purchasing gifts throughout the year, the strain on the budget is minimal. Our family has a dollar figure to work to for gift giving, so I can regularly spend the recommended amount but give a much higher value gift – eg a $50 gift budget, can result in a $100 value when that gift is bought at 50% off.

How do you plan for gift giving?  ??

A Spring “High Tea” Picnic

A Spring “High Tea” Picnic

Sep 17, 2018 | Family & Friends, Fun & Recreation

This weekend was a family birthday, so we packed up the car and ventured out to have a special picnic.

The spring weather here is just lovely, and it is always a great time for a picnic.

I designed a “high tea” type spread with pikelets with jam and cream, finger sandwiches, chicken and vegetables, bruschetta, mini prawn cocktails, cupcakes, brownies and fruit salad cups.

None of the elements of this are difficult. The appeal comes in the presentation.
I arranged most of the food on a large platter around a central upturned lunchbox, upon which I placed the pikelets. This replicated the “high tea” look I was after.

I also managed to do this for under $36 to serve 3 people.  Even if I include the cost of the items I already had in the pantry or fridge, it would still have come in at under $50.

This was our main meal for the day, and we were all satisfied without being “stuffed”

I am happy with how it all turned out. The family felt they had been thoroughly spoilt  🙂

This is what I made ( with recipes where applicable)

A Different Advent Calendar.

A Different Advent Calendar.

Nov 24, 2017 | Family & Friends, Free Resource, Fun & Recreation

My daughter-in-law does enjoy a nice cup of tea 🙂

I came up with the idea of making an Advent Calendar with various types of teabags for her this year.

I had done a tea wrapper for my Mum for Mother’s Day a couple of years ago, so I had a template for teabag envelopes on my computer.

It took me a while to play around with Photoshop and create 25 different envelopes, but I got there in  the end

You can download the instructions here

Here is how I made the board

Step 1:
Print the 25 teabag envelopes and cut them out carefully. Each little envelope has the date (1-25) and a cute “Tea Quote”

Step 2:
Cut out the matching tags that will be stapled to the teabag. I stapled on one side only so the type of tea is able to be read.

Step 3:
Fold the envelopes and secure with a little craft peg.  For my calendar, I will be displaying the large number on the outside, so each day the quote is revealed.

Here is the step by step pictures of how I did this.

Step 4:
Make a pretty board to display the envelopes.   I bought a corkboard from the discount store and decided to cover it with Christmas-y foil.  I chose foil as I thought it would stand up to craft glue better than thin paper.

Trimming the foil proved to be a little tricky, as it had a tendency to want to rip rather than cut.  I had a nice fresh blade in my knife, but perhaps a craft scalpel might have worked better.   To cover the few tears, I edged the board with glittery silver tape.  I am pleased with the result.

Step 5:
Lay out the envelopes to get a rough idea of spacing.  Once you are happy with where each envelope goes, glue the pegs to the board with good glue. ( I used super glue)

And there you have it.. 🙂  One cute Advent Calendar with a variety of teas and a different quote each day in the lead up to Christmas Day on the 25th.

You can download the envelopes and tags from my free resources page