I can't believe it's over!

Well Christmas has now come and gone- Boo Hoo! I am fighting off the after-christmas-blues. I love the holidays- from about Halloween until New Years there is always lots going on- lots of fun, lots of family events and just great chances for memories. This has been the case again this year and as I only have New Years left I am feeling a bit glum.

But a quick look back,...

Christmas was wonderful! The kids were soo happy with all the gifts they received. Visiting with both sides of our families was fun. And, to keep you in the loop- we did NOT do the Christmas scavenger hunt for gifts (as mentioned in a previous post). I had quickly mentioned it to my son who thought it was not a good idea- he wanted all of his gifts right there under the tree for him to open on Christmas- not all over the house. SO we will save the scavenger hunt, as our regular Easter basket routine.

We have soo much food left here from hosting Christmas this year. Our Waistlines are not doing well. (More on this in a minute)

I have done my After Christmas Shopping- which turned out to be much smaller than I expected. Not because the deals weren't there- but I just didn't need as much stuff. I did run to Target (with my SIL) right before it closed- which kept us moving and not lolli-gagging and picking up to much stuff- as they kept announcing how many minutes until they closed. Here's what I bought:

4 rolls of wrap(50%off)- Total: $8
3 packages of white tisssue paper (50% off $.49/ea.) = $.99
1 pack of reen/red tissue paper (50% off $.99) =$.99
2 packs of sticker-style To/From Tags (50% off $.74/ea)= $1.49
1 box of 12 ball-ornaments (50% off)= $3.99
1 package of White garland (50% off)= $1.99
10 twin-packs of Xmas Playdough (so cute in tree and snowman containers)= $9.90
2 boxes of 50 mini-candycanes(50% off $.49/ea.)= $1.99
2 Coca-Cola Lip Gloss & Lip balm sets (50%off )= $4.99
(While I was there I also picked up 2 bottles of soda and bought a water bottle- which have nothing to do with the after Christmas sales- but in the notion of Full Disclosure)

My Total was :$40.23
I used a $25 gift card I received for Xmas and only paid $15.23 out of pocket!!

I am total stocked for next year!! And a few extras- Like the 2 lip gloss sets for the girls for Valentine gifts and the 20 play-dohs will go in the 20 celephane bags my sister picked up for me at her Target along with 2 mini candy canes feach from my 2 boxes I bought -- these will be my gift bags for my students next year!!

What I didn't buy: no cooking mixes or sprinkles or candy-- why? well I aksed for muffin tins for xmas and my sister brought them for me and packed it with 4 boxes of cake mix and 4 tubs of icing-- so I didn't really need any, and as for the candy- althougth we like it- it brings me back to our waistlines.... more on that tomorrow!!

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and I wish you a Joyous New Year!!

After Chirstmas Sales- Shopping List

My favorite time to shop is the week AFTER Christmas. Everything is a bargin! 50%-75% signs will be all over. I was at Target last week and they already had alot of Christmas things 30%-50% off.



I sat down to wrap gifts this weekend and as I pulled out my Christmas box of wrapping stuff- I was so excited to find all the stuff I got last year after Christmas- right there waiting for me this year. It is so great to know you planned ahead. I found 4 new rolls of wrapping paper (along with several left over from last year)which i paid no more than $1/roll, 5 boxes of Christmas cards (yea-cards will go out this year- just without a picture of the kids in it)which I paid no more thatn $1 each for, a 3pack of scotch tape, 2 packages of to/from sticker-style tags (totaling 144 tags) each pack cost me only $.25, a 4-pack of cute shirt boxes with pictures on the lids normally $1.99- I paid $.49 for, a large pack of white tissue paper 50 sheets which was $1.99 and I paid $.49 for and a colored pack of red and green tissue also paid $.49 for and a dozen other things I was so excited I felt like I had just opened a gift to myself. And to know I paid almost nothing for theses items just makes it fun!



SO I have started to create a shopping list to hit Target and Walmart with the day after Christmas. It is not complete yet- but here is what I have so far:

• 4 rolls of gift wrap


• 4pack of shirt boxes with cute lids (but only if it $.49 again)


• Cellephane gift bags (20 to a pack) for gifts for my class next year.


• Funfetti cake mixes (last year I got 5 of them for just $.25 each! who cares if they have red and green speckles- still yummy)


• Funfetti icing (last year I got 8 of these for $.50 each! I'd have gotten more but that was all they had left. The icing is really just white- the funfetti pieces are in the lid- so these could be used anytime of year- just don't put the sprinkes on)


• Red/green star mini marshmallow bags- last year $.25 each- I got several- we use then in hot chocolate all winter and my class even used them for a project- you could seeperate them into red ones and green ones and make pink rice krispie treats at valentines day and green rice krispie treats for st. Patty's day


• Russel Stover Boxed chocolates (these are still sealed under the gift wrap- so you can buy them take the wrapping paper off and still use them in the next several months as hostess gifts)


• Red and Green sugar sprinkles or other sprinkles- these will keep until next year.


• Boxed christmas cards- can never have too many- in case, like this year, you plans to make a photocard don's come together


• Red paper bags (like a brown lunch bag- but red) I use these to make Valentine bags for my class to decorate to receive thier valentines in.


• Christmas candles (Yankee candle- sales!!) I will always buy candles when on sale- But I like the "good ones" not the cheapy ones- the scents never last through the whole buring of the candle. Iwon't buy a ton- because they are just for me- but a few to last the winter is always nice.


• a few holiday candies- red/green M&M packs, red/green/silver hershey kisses- cause we love these two candies.


• White/Irredescent garland for the tree- I need some more of this.


• I'll have my eye out for general boxes of ornaments (a few break every year- so a few new ones each year is nice to keep the tree full) Nothing specific- just the right look at the right price will do.
  

Some things to think about if you are going out the day after Christmas. Take a minute and think about the people in your life and what they, or you, have coming up in 2009.



Is anyone pregnant? Grab that cute baby outfit or bib that is red and green or says "Baby's 1st Christmas" now while it is 75% off and set it aside for next year.



Anyone moving? First home? Grab that great housewarming gift now or an ornament that says "Home Sweet Home" just watch- some ornaments have the year on them (and that's just tacky to give next year).



Anyone getting married? Look for items that may say "Our first christmas together", or any "love" or inspirational phrases that talk about love. If you are a close friend of the bride and maybe involved in the shower- look for things that can be used as favors- lots of silver & gold, hearts & stars type items can be found after Christmas. Also pick up that roll of gift wrap that is silver and gold foil- great for wrapping that wedding or shower gift in. Silver or gold ribbons too! and tulle- you can usually find Tulle on sale.



Just some ideas- Hope it gets you thinking of what you may be looking for at the wonderful After Christmas Sales!

I'll see you there!!

Lean Christmas and Planning Ahead Next Year

This Christmas is going to be a lean one. Not that that's bad, it's just a reality of what we are going through. This year will be a bit better than last year and I am hoping the next one will be back to normal. Actually I am not hoping-- I am planning to make sure it becomes a reality.



Planning ahead helps save money and the more organized you are the better. This year, as organized as I tried to be, I have had several factors holding me back. The largest one being money. We are living paycheck to paycheck, therefore buying gifts has been in drips and drabs, since I can only really put about $100 per paycheck towards Xmas. And really that $100 is stretching it a bit. I get paid from my job on the 15th and 30th- so Monday will be the next chance for me to do any shopping and I still have to order xmas cards (photo cards) online and at this point I am not even sure they will get here in time for me to address them and get them out before Christmas. And I am never late with cards! Normally I have the kids photo taken when they are off from school on Veteran's day(yes, Veteran's Day!), then I have my photos in hand by Thanksgiving. I casually write them out and mail then around the 15th of December. Not this year!! Oh my!



In years past I have always set up a Chirstmas club. I open it with $100 and then religiously put $50/paycheck into it from January until September. Therefore I have $1000 by October and can do most of my shopping before Black Friday. This leaves me a nice, stress-free December to enjoy the holiday season and all it's festivities. Not this year!! Oh my!



I usually host Thanksgiving dinner and then the day after- spend cleaning up and putting up all my Christmas Decorations. This year we went away the day after Thanksgiving and my tree and decorations went up late. I feel like I have been playing catch up ever since. My casual December this year did not happen. Not this year!! Oh My!



So for next year I am back to my old ways! I am planning ahead for a stress free Holiday season next year.



Step 1: Right after Christmas, I plan to open a Christmas club with $100 no matter how hard it is to come up with the money. The first step is always the hardest.



Step 2: Set it up for automatic withdrawls on the 15th and 30th for $50 each. This will be my hardest step- money is tight and it has been hard to keep up with $100/check but knowing it was short term we have done without alot of extras. $50 is less but it will still mean constant sacrifice, not just short term doing without. But I am determined. Two Christmas in a row that were lean is enough for me!



Step 3: Starting the day after Christmas I will begin shopping for next year. I have already started a list of some items we were "short" this year. At after Christmas sales I should be able to get these items at up to 75% off. These might include: Gift wrap, cards, gift tags, ornaments (some of mine broke this year), Christmas outfits for the kids (buying one size up- for my older one this might just be a red turtleneck), and stocking stuffers (like holiday stickers, coloring books, lollipops, pez dispensers) also white tissue paper and other solid colored tissue paper that can be used year round for b-days. I will also keep my eye out for anything that is 75% off and can be used at other holidays- red things for Valentines, Green things for St. Patrick's Day, Red/gold/silver stars for 4th of July. I will also be looking for non-perishable like notecards, thanks you cards that don't look too-"holiday" . I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea.

I have found great stuff in the week after xmas- It is where I spend most of the money I might recieve at Christmas. But I don't care because I know I am buying stuff at 75% off, it is stuff I will use, and by thinking ahead I have saved tons over what I would have paid if I ran out in December and grabbed these items last minute.



Wow! That last one was a big one. It is one of the steps I did do last year even though money was tight. I just didn't get as much as I would have liked and I think this is why I am runnig short on things this year. But the frugal me says- do NOT run out and buy it- Use what you have on hand. Which leads me to my next post...you'll have to check in tomorrow to see.

Missing in Action

Sorry I have gone AWOL for a bit. Katilyn as been sick since she came home from school on Tuesday. She said she was tired and didn't feel good, laid down and fell asleep. One hour later she woke up only long enough to say I feel yucky and for me to realize she was roasting with a fever. She went back to sleep and sleep for 24 hours with only minor breaks to drink some water, use the bathroom or take more tylenol. She spent Wed and Thursday the same way, then Thursday night she spent most of the night coughing and complaining her chest hurt. So Friday. off to the Doctor we went, and the verdict was she has croup. She is 6 1/2 - I thought croup was a baby/toddler illness, I did not realise older kids get it too. For those that do not know croup is a really awful cough that sounds really bad and makes it hard to breathe, it is a full-body cough that tires then out quickly. And croup is worst as night and better during the day. So I have not slept much in days.. which is why I have not posted.

And tonight Sophia has a fever and a mild cough. I hope this is NOT the start of the next set. Kaitlyn is not even better yet... oh my!

So if my posts are spratic the next several day, you'll know why.

My Frugal Christmas tip for today...Re-use Christmas cards!
Every one ends up with a few leftover cards after writting then out, hold onto them. Then after Xmas, take your left overs and the ones you have received. And carefully cut the covers off them to use as Thank You Postcards. If you carefully cut the front off of the cards and then on the blank side draw a line down the center. Jot a quick Thank You note on the left side and put the mailing address on the right side along with the stamp. Not only does this save you money on buying thank you cards- it saves postage too! (postcard stamps are cheaper than first class stamps). It also cuts your "greeting card garbage" in half!

I'll be back this weekend with more money saving tips!