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Christmas is just over a month away.  It is a holiday that brings joy to my heart.  Christmas is an extra special day to celebrate the birth of our saviour Jesus.  But for many people it’s a time of stress.  You want to give gifts to all of your family and friends.  But money is tight, or the stress of shopping this time of year is overwhelming.   You need to take a step back and make a game plan.  This will keep you from over spending.

1.  Make a list of everyone you feel you need to give gifts to.  Your children, spouse, parents etc.  It’s YOUR list and everyone’s will be different.

2. For extended family and workplace friends organize a secret Santa exchange.  Set a dollar limit up front.  With a little thought you can easily find a low priced but special gift for that person, or make one!

3. Give the gift of homemade treats!  I have yet to meet anyone who doesn’t love home baked cookies, breads, pies etc.  Making these your self is fun, get the kids helping!

4.  Make themed gift baskets.  Look at the people on your list, what hobbies do they enjoy?  Are any tea or coffee lovers?  Go to the local thrift shop or dollar store and pick up some baskets.  Add some coffee or tea mixes a pretty mug etc.  Maybe tuck in some cookies to go a long with them.  For a gardener a pretty flower pot (paint it yourself!) seeds, mini garden tools etc. work wonderfully.

5. Give the gift of time.  Do you have elderly neighbors?  Maybe elderly family members who have a hard time getting out.  Go and spend a few hours with them.  Share a tea, read together they will treasure your visit.

6.  Share a skill.  Do you knit, crochet, quilt, bake, can, garden etc.?  There are many people who would love to learn these things.  Volunteer to teach them.  Perhaps a gift basket with the tools to practice along with a coupon book for “lessons” would be a nice surprise!

7.  Before heading to the stores check the facebook and twitter pages for your favorite places.  Many put up coupons, sale codes on these sites.

8.  Shop online!  Many stores offer free shipping and have products lower priced online then in the store!  Take advantage of that.  Besides it’s nice to shop in your jammies with a hot coco isn’t it?

9.  Buy gifts of items that are needed.  When I’m going to spend money on something it has to be practical and something we would use anyway.  A new coat, winter clothes, replacing an old or broken appliance.  I needed item will be used and remembered for a long time.

10. Gift cards!  I love gift cards, but you need to buy them wisely.  Find out where the person likes to shop.  You don’t want to give a gift card to a store that they never shop at.  If they are online users sites like Amazon are great.  They sell a wide range of items, at a low price and have free shipping.  Gift cards to favorite restaurants are a nice treat to.

 11.  Make your own coupon books up for family and friends.  If you love kids you could make up a baby sitting coupon book.  That would be so much appreciated by the tired mom’s and dad’s on your list!  You could also make up booklets with a variety of coupons.  Some for yard work, spring cleaning, walking the dog, lunch out, a movie etc.  Think about what would be special to that person.

Remember don’t let the holiday stress you out.  This is a special time to share with family, friends and thous  in need the love of our Lord Jesus.  Don’t let over commercialism bring down your holiday!

The original kitchen cupboards. It's the only photo I could find on the pc!

1 AM and painting the kitchen. LOL!

Some time in the 1960′s this house was renovated and new cupboards installed.  They run all the way to the ceiling and the doors are flat.  There is a slight rounded edge along the side where the hinges attach, other then that no texture at all.  They are simple plywood, birch I think.  When we moved in, even after a good cleaning they were a brown/yellowish color.  We thought we would paint them white to brighten the kitchen up.  It sure did!  But it wasn’t long that I realized having all white cupboards with a houseful of little children, was a bad idea! LOL  Also I started not to like the bright white after a while as well.  I like a bit of country charm or textures!

Next we tried painting them slate blue.  This is the same slate blue we used in the wainscoting in the rest of the house.  I like it, but it makes the kitchen look dark and cold.  I think this is partly because the cupboards go all the way to the ceiling.  If they had a white area at the top for decorations it would break it up a bit.

This past while hubby and I have been talking about repainting them again.  I’ve had a few thoughts about what to try and searched the internet looking for similar ideas.

So the cupboards on the top are coming off!  No I’m not getting new ones, just can’t do that right now.  But I LOVE the look of open shelves.  They are bright, easy to find things and get them down.  Easy to keep decluttered as well!  You don’t want to clutter them up as everyone will see it. lol

So I’m planning to take the doors off the tops, remove the strip of wood where the hinges attached the doors to the cupboards.  The strips are decorative and not needed.  I’m going to paint them a shade of cream, not sure what just yet.  Then I want to antique them a bit.  I found this post with lots of great kitchen shelves!

The bottoms I will leave as cupboards.  Dh is going to use the table saw to put small groves in the doors.  This will give it a old clapboard look.  Or I think that’s what it’s called!    Then I want to put trim around the edges of the doors.  This would make look like their is a panel in the middle.  I need some texture!

I’m thinking I’ll paint them cream like the tops, but put a wash of country blue over top.  This kitchen decorating article has blue cupboards that I fell in love with! Then distress them a little by sanding the paint off here and there.  There’s no need to add distressing dents to them, after so many years they are well marked already! LOL

I’m hoping to post photos as I go along.  I would like to get started soon.  But the first step is to declutter the cupboards! Oh yes, I think we are going to put that old farmhouse sink into the main kitchen.  It had been in the old summer kitchen and I had planned to put it back in there when dh finished the renos.  But it could be some time before the room is done and I think it would look great in the main kitchen with the changes I’m making!

How is your kitchen decorated?  Anyone else love open shelves?

Well with the super hot and humid weather this week, I’ve had to change my normal menu plan around!  Its time for some lighter and cooler dishes.

Breakfasts

• Oatmeal
• Fruit
• Muffins

Lunch

• Yogurt
  
• Fruit
• Salad

Dinners

• Tomato sandwiches, veggies and dip
• Chicken breast, garden salad
• Pork chops, potato or pasta salad
• Stir fry, rice
• Pasta, cesar salad
• Pizza, garlic bread, cesar salad
• Chicken breasts, mashed potatoes, carrots

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Monday: Baked chicken breast, mashed potatoes, gravy, veggies.

Tuesday: Sheppards Pie, mashed potatoes, garden salad.

Wednesday: Hamburgers and fry’s.

Thursday: Stir fry, rice.

Friday: Baked tomato pasta, garlic bread, ceasar salad.

Saturday: Pizza, garlic strips, salad

Sunday: Roast, scalloped potatoes, carrots.

Mix well, place in spray bottle.  Keeps indefinitely.

1 C. Water
25 drops lavender essential oil.

Mix well, place in spray bottle.  Keeps indefinitely.  Wonderful
cleaner, air freshener, etc.

1st.  Go into each bathroom and put cleaner in the toilets and sinks.  Then leave it to soak and do it’s job for you.

2nd. If you have a dish washer load it up and get it working for you.  If you don’t then fill the sink up with hot soapy water and get them soaking.

3rd. Then grab your broom and give the bare floors a quick sweep.  Don’t worry about moving furniture right now, just get the walking areas cleaned up.  Also vacuumed the main area of your carpet if you have one.

4th. OK now if your hand washing your dishes go back to them now.  They wont take long to do after the nice hot water has softened any stuck on food.  If you have big kiddies get them helping to, they can wash if they are old enough or help put a way.

5th. Then go through the main area of your home (kitchen, living room, bathrooms) and through out any trash, put away any clutter laying about.  If your in a REAL rush put it all in a box and tuck the box in a closet.  You can deal with it when your company leaves.  But it’s best to do it now if you can.

6. Now get a wash cloth and cleaner and wipe down your table, and counter tops.

7. OK now take another look at your floors.  Do you see any were that needs a spot mop?  Grab a bottle of spray cleaner ( I like fantastic but even vinegar/water works) and spritz the areas.  Give it a quickie mop.

To Make Liquid Soap

1 bar ivory soap
2 cup borax
2 cup washing soda

Shred the ivory using a cheese grater, place in a pot with some water and melt over low heat.
Pour the borax and soda into a 5 gal bucket, add hot water and stir to dissolve.  Add melted soap mixture, stir and fill up the bucket the rest of the way.
I use 1 cup per wash load.

To Make Powdered Soap follow the same steps as above, but do not mix with water.  I use 2 tbs of powder in my top loader and 1 tbs in a front loader.  Adjust the amounts to suit your water type.