A Sort of Homemade Christmas

I started to title this post "A Semi-Homemade Christmas", but it made me think of the chick on Food Network with the crazy-annoying voice, so I changed the title.

Over my summer break, I worked on learning/refining some new skills. Specifically, sewing and crocheting. Now, I have the amazing (stupid? overly ambitious?) idea to make a lot of Christmas gifts for this year. Here are my ideas:

For the 2 new babies: embroidered bibs (gingerbread men in Santa hats, with their name embroidered on the hat). One complete, one half-finished.

For the 4 little boys, age 2 and under: A stuffed scrappysaurus. Basically, a stegosaurus made from odd fabric pieces. There are 4 spikes on the pattern that I found in a library book, and I'm thinking of putting one letter of their name on each spike (Evan, Izak, Luke, and Levi).

For the girl, age 6, and Jake, 8, at the family gathering: crayon rolls and a coloring book. I picked up a few extra boxes of 20 cent crayons during the back to school sales for this project.

For Jake, at home: a crocheted blanket (already started), flannel pj pants (need to find a pattern and fabric), a hat and a scarf (finished). His "big" gift will be a bike that the grandparents are chipping in on. I've already got some Legos and Lincoln Logs for him.

My grandmother: a scarf (done), and some lotion that she likes (done).

SIL: a travel jewelry pouch (it's a round drawstring bag with small pockets on the inside). I used to have one of these, and I loved it. I don't know what happened to it, so I'll probably make myself one, also. SIL is also getting a set of the new Outspoken Avon perfume.

Future BIL: a sweater (already bought) and probably an I-tunes gift card. The sweater is NOT going to be homemade, I'm not that good yet.

Mom, Dad, MIL, and FIL: scarves (1 done), restaurant giftcards (done)
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Steve: scarf (done), pj pants to match Jake's, and possibly a bike, depending on funds.

Teachers and Bus Driver: Snowman Soup (homemade hot chocolate mix, marshmallows, and Hershey's kisses, with a candycane attached) in snowman mugs (bought after Christmas last year).

Left to do:
4 dinosaurs
3 scarves
2 crayon rolls
2 pj pants
1 hat
1 jewelry pouch
half of a bib
...and a partridge in a pear tree :)

I'm estimating that the crayon rolls, jewelry pouch, and pj pants can be done in 1 weekend. The dinosaurs will take another weekend. The scarves will each take about a week, the hat probably 2 weeks. The bib will take about another week to complete. I think I can do it! Or am I crazy? I guess we'll see.


Has anyone else started on Christmas already?

Fabulous Weekend

Today has been busy, but so productive. Last night, son spent the night with his grandparents, so hubby and I slept in this morning. After that, hubby worked on his project, a 1956 Chevy sedan that he is restoring, and I worked on some things around the house. The weather is starting to get cooler here, so I got all of the winter blankets and such down, and got them all washed and dried and ready to use, making up all the beds with an extra blanket to ward off the chill on cool nights.

While the blankets were in the wash, I loaded my bread machine to make a loaf of honey wheat bread and made my grocery list. I went to the grocery and also stopped at a few stores to begin Christmas shopping. Hubby wants a stereo for his truck, so that is going to be his main present from both me and son. I got a few things for some of the children in our extended families, and picked up some things for Operation Christmas shoe box. This is a ministry at our church. Each family fills as many shoeboxes as they can afford to with health care items (toothbrush/paste, combs, soaps, shampoos), some non-perishable snacks and candies, and a few toys/trinkets. These shoeboxes are then delivered both domestically and abroad to children whose parents are poor. Often, these boxes are the only gifts these children recieve at Christmas. As of right now, hubby and I have enough to fill 16 shoeboxes for this Christmas. I will purchase more as I go shopping between now and them.

Now I am back home from my shopping, and relaxing in front of the television for a few minutes. Law and Order: SVU is running a marathon today, this is one of my guilty pleasures. In a few minutes, I will be sorting through sons clothing that he has outgrown to give to some friends at church who have boys younger than mine.

Tomorrow, we have Sunday School, church, then home for a few hours, then back to church for Christmas choir practice and evening services. Everyone have a great weekend!