Budget American Girl fun

Okay, I seem to be on a roll here so why stop? This might make a good stocking stuffer, or just a fun project. I've loved American Girl dolls since they started. Last year, we read the Felicity series together after my kids watched the movie and loved it. Then we read the Kirsten series. Last night we finally saw the Samantha movie and loved that too. We initially made paper dolls of Felicity and Elisabeth for Anna Kate to use with out toy horse collection, and we've added to them. Just mount the pictures of the dolls you like on thin cardbaord, such as a cereal box, cut them out , then laminate them. They are played with often at our house!

these are just a few - the others, having been played with recently, are scattered.

Simple Toddler gift

My mother made this photo album picture book for Anna Kate last year. Anna liked it, but Rose loves it, then and now. There are favorite characters from Disney princesses to Nick Jr. pals, foods, animals, letters - anything likely to peak a toddlers interest is game. She used a stack of old Family Fun magazines.

Budget Christmas gifts

So many people sweat out how they are going to pay for gifts for so many members of their family. I'm thankful that my extended family does not go way overboard for gifts. I'm sure there are plenty of you all that spend less, but, in general we spend $25-50 for each kid, $10-25 on each other (Brian and I), $15-20 on each of our parents, about $5-10 for each grandparent, and as close to $5 as possible for my six siblings and their spouses (Brian is an only child). This calls for creativity to find things on sale, used (which no one in my family minds), homemade, or just something new and different. This year at Thanksgiving I got one sister a Christmas nightshirt at Walmart, which she gleefully began wearing right away, and the other a pair of the cutest Christmas slippers. Sisters are easy - I just buy them whatever I wish I were buying for myself - but it's even more fun to get it for them (they're the best!). My brothers will be getting some great books from Amazon's "used and new" sellers. You can often get great books in new or like new condition for a dollar or two plus $4 shipping. This year I got my two grandmothers and Brian's great aunt a Gl*de flameless candle. Something none of them would likely buy for themselves, but a great gift for them. I got several of the Gl*de light show fresheners with coupons and rebates last year. Good gifts for kids, teens, or someone in the hospital. And before I had a chance to post this, I ran across Crystal's post telling you how to get a great deal on the Gl*de Flameless Starter Kits at Target this week.

On another note, you can often be rescued from expensive gift exchanges outside of your family by suggesting a white elephant exchange. Everyone else will be relieved too.

Never underestimate the power of the dollar store

Some Christmas treasures from the Dollar Tree where everything's a dollar :

1. A set of five tools - a hammer, phillips and regular screwdriver, pliers, wrench, and hammer to replace the plastic tools in Ethan's toolbox, so he can really help Dad - $4
2. A few "decorate it yourself" travel coffee mugs. One for Pa maybe, and Daddy, and one to surprise Ethan with his own. My kids all love coffee. Even the two year old.
3. "build a bear" size outfits
4. 2 plastic mermaids to replace the broken ones in the under the sea castle playset that Rosie loves - $1
5. 12 inch doll outfits
6. dress up accessories such as Ninja weapons and a pirate set with earring, hook glove, and patch, for the stocking (they take up lots of space for the money!)
7. glow bracelets in red and green for Christmas travel or evening parades - glow bracelets can save your life when you're travelling at night, but before bedtime.
8. Christmas tights
9. a "learn-to-make balloon shapes"kit with a mini pump, long balloons, and instructions for several things - $1
10. A set of Santa's-sleigh-size jingle bells for Polar Express ornaments - $1
11. paint-your-own ornaments craft sets
12. a miniature silver tree, 20 colored lights (yes, from China, got to go donate!), a mini garland and star, and twelve little colored drum ornaments - $4. The delight my children took in decorating it, plugging it in in the playroom, and giving a stout rendition of "O Christmas Tree" in the tradition of Charlie Brown - priceless. Oh, and the silver branches with the colored lights make it look like a rainbow tree. It really looks lovely - much better than expected.

Update: I know that most of us don't have a ton of extra money left over for donations, but donating $1 to VOM for a Christmas Care Pack to China per string of Christmas lights you buy is really quite painless ( I just did it for the lights I bought yesterday) - and you may be helping the family of a Christian prisoner that made those very lights! Go here and donate now!!

Christmas time is here!

I am in the mood now! It suddenly came to my memory that I always go to Ross after I've shopped everywhere else and wonder why I didn't go there first. Plus, I was looking for Barbies from the older movies and they often have the "not quite as new" varieties. Did I ever hit the jackpot! Let's just say that Santa is going to be very good to two little girls I know, and while Mama splurged just a little (upping the budget to nearly $50 total for one of them (gasp!), it is going to be sooo worth it! I walked in and right there at the front was a Cinderella Mega Bloks castle with Cinderella, Prince Charming, and a dance platform that spins and plays music. Rosie's in love with princesses and "Cinderella, Cinderella" is her new favorite. I got it and an add on set for just $24! On to Anna bug. All she wants are Twelve Dancing Princesses. She's got the books, DVD, and five of the twelve Barbies. They are not to be found, but online and rather expensively. But I just snagged the palace! Woohoo! I can't wait 'til Christmas, I can't wait "til Christmas! Lest you worry, the boy is well taken care of with a special Star Wars transformer, some Magnetix, and a couple of Dollar Tree build a bear - compatible outfits. I even found a pack of eight large jingle bells at the Dollar Tree to make the requested bells from Sants's sleigh. You know, the ones that you can only hear if you believe in Santa.

Homemade gifts for young kids

1. Lacing cards made from cereal boxes


2. Melted and remolded crayons


3. Paper dolls - one of Anna Kate's favorite toys is a set of American Girl characters cut from the catalogue and mounted on cardboard, then laminated. Ethan has a set of Zelda characters. This is an especially helpful idea when your child falls in love with a movie , book or show that you can find pictures of, but no toys.


4. An alphabet book or favorite things book - my mother used a magnetic photo album and cut out pictures of disney characters, favorite foods, and other happy things from old catalogues - Rose loved it


5. Bean bags - beans are cheap


6. A personal photo album


7. A costume box of accesories, hats, etc.


8. An old jewelry box with costume jewelry - my grandmother passed one of these on to my then 3 year old daughter, just a box, a necklace, a braclet, and a bright pink scarf, I think and she was thrilled with it


9. Print out personalized stationary


10. Video of several episodes of a favorite show

There are so many great, easy, and virtually free ideas, especially for young kids. Most of these are gifts I've given my kids or someone else has given my kids. Some years are lean years and no one minds saving money and giving more peronal gifts even in fat years, so add your ideas for kids...

graphic from Anne's Place

The gift of an experience

Tickets to all sorts of things are great gifts. Purchase family memberships to the zoo or science center. I want my children to appreciate cultural things too. Try tickets to the ballet, a children's concert at the symphony,or a children's theatre production. I know that these sound expensive, but local colleges often have free plays and concerts. Also our local symphony association has a program for homeschoolers that offers tickets for just a token price. In the past I've given my husband tickets to Lord of the Dance and he's taken me to plantation for the day, and another time bought me tickets to Les Miserables. You could also make your own "tickets" up for a variety of local activities like ice skating, a historic home tour, etc., and make your kids a tour package. Give the gift of a day trip to an attraction, event, or historic site farther from home. Treat grandparents by taking them along to activities they would enjoy sharing with your family. And classes or lessons: cooking, sewing, gymnastics, piano. Be creative and do your own. And tell me some of your ideas.

The best place to shop for Christmas toys...

is our local thrift store. On Friday I got a nearly new fisher price dollhouse for $.50, a boy's bike for $7.50, a huge Rescue Heroes plane in perfect condition for $.50, a bunch of new Christian books, some pillows for the play corner I'm making for the girls for Christmas, and more! My second run on Saturday produced a working Little Touch Leappad for $.50 and a beautiful Moses basket complete with yellow gingham bedding for $8 (future baby shower gift- usually $70-100). I'm on a roll--gotta go back today.