[Counting our Blessings]

It'll be here soon! I was just sharing this with you, no real reason I guess.

I have a hard time spending lots of money on kids toys. Plus, with 8 kids it gets spread pretty thin. So for Christmas the kiddos get 1 or 2 used toys, 1 new thing, and something from Santa. I pick up things at garage sales all year round and store them until Christmas. On Saturday I hit a great sale and got 8 toys for $3! I'm thrilled. I'll just wash them up good and wrap them up. We have no packing waste to get rid of, and it saves a good plastic toy from the landfill.

Something else we are doing this year. I was given oodles of scrap fabric, lots of Christmas in there and I'm stitching up the sides and using it as homemade wrapping paper for our family! I think I'll make some ribbon from the scraps to tye the ends. Plus we will have no ripped paper from the curious ones. I'm excited about that. Than we just fold it up and pack it away with the stockings. I'm sure for my inlaws we will use throw away paper because I would be called so cheap for doing this, but for us and our kids it's a great solution!

[Christina33]

This is such an amazing idea!! It never occurred to me to use cloth. But it sounds so warm and personal and Green! LOL I love it! I may have to try it!

**a little OT: One year a friend of mine gave me 2 sets of cross-stitch patterns for Christmas ..... and it was in a square box, wrapped in brown paper and tied in brown twine. "Cute" I say, not really getting it, but I thought it was pretty adorable. "It a Brown Paper Package Tied Up With String" she tells me! I loved it! She really understood me and knew that was the kind of thing I appreciated!

[Indymommy7]

COB- Yeah, I get called cheap for doing the used toy thing for the little ones, but oh well, lol. What's the point of BRAND new? Packaging for waste?

ANother great thing for wrapping paper is coloring book pages from coloring books. Okay, it may not look the greatest, lol, but it stretches and repurposes. Also, paper bags from the grocery store from those times you're short a reusable bag or two is awesome.

I also have Christmas decorations dating back from my family before I was even born. So that saves a lot on decorations.

[greenchild]

my mom used to save the comics from the papers (the rest of the newspaper got recycled) and she'd use that to wrap birthday presents. Or, she would use the paper bags from grocery stores turned inside out so there was no print, and then she'd draw all over them. Such fond memories

I LOVE the sewn bag idea, I think I'll use that one!

[marmeeof5]

I love the idea of cloth for wrapping gifts! Why didn't I ever think of that?

As for children's presents, we always did/do used stuff too! And when they were little, we told them they got 3 gifts, because Jesus got 3 gifts from the wise men. They could open 1 on Christmas Eve- it was always pjs or a nightgown, usually home-sewn and matching. Then they got 1 gift from Santa that was unwrapped under the tree Christmas morning so if they were up before us, there was something to play with until we got up! We told them it was just 1 because he had so many children to give to, he didn't want to run out! We also do stockings with practical, fun, personal stuff in them. (chapstick, bandaids, toothbrush, hair stuff, and always a packet of hot cocoa and a piece of chocolate!) I also give them an ornament each year. Lately these are totally green, usually homemade from something found outside, such as pinecones or seedpods jazzed up a little.

Now that they're growing up/grown up, we are together for Thanksgiving weekend- Thursday is Thanksgiving, Norman Rockwell style with all the fixings, homemade and healthy! Then Friday morning the men sleep in and the women go shopping (definitely more looking/laughing than buying!). Then Friday night we put up the Christmas tree and decorate it. Then Saturday morning I get up early and make Christmas morning breakfast on our Christmas dishes. (Breakfast casserole, homemade cinnamon rolls, bacon, eggs, juice, Santa's White Christmas coffee, juice for the little ones and eggnog) Then we all open presents from each other. It is so special to be able to see everyone opening their presents together! We buy small, personal gifts for each one throughout the year (used is fine!) or make things. Then I send the married ones home with their stockings filled so they have something from me on actual Christmas! It is also such a relief to have that done early while others are frantically shopping. And if the gift is holiday-related, they have all December to use/enjoy it!

I love this weekend, my family and the memories we make!

Oh, and we always take our family picture, which I use as my Christmas card!

[GranolaMama]

I love the cloth wrapping idea! I've seen it done before, and thought it was cool. Now I just need to DO it! lol!

This is the blog I first saw the idea on- Cloth Christmas Wrapping - Progressive Pioneer (love this blog btw!)

Marmee- Oh, and don't forget the oranges and peppermint sticks in the stockings! ...I love our Christmas!

[marmeeof5]

I think we might have a new tradition! Thanks Heather!