Christmas Presents

[Sunchimes]

I only have 2 kids this year. I am making 27 mo dcg a purse and this wooden food for her kitchen at home. http://sewcakemake.blogspot.com/2011...ies-check.html The food is subject to change since time is running short.

10 mo old dcb is getting a rainbow book and either a sock monkey or some farm animal fabric balls. Oh, and dcg is getting a small flashlight. She found mine and her favorite game is to turn off the light and play "find things". Since I have 3 big windows in the play room, it doesn't get dark, but she thinks it's fun.

I'll probably do a handprint ornament out of Model Magic unless I stumble across something more exciting for the parents.

[Meeko]

I make it very cheap as I have 16-20 kids depending on schedules. This year is homemade playdoh in decorated tins (used formula cans) Other years I have baked cookies and put in pretty bags etc. No toys etc. Waaay to expensive for this many kids.

I do send each family a card with a nice personal note. Some notes are easy because I love the families. Some are written with grit teeth........::::

[lovemykidstoo]

I love how we are all so different and it works well for each of us. I admit, I am a huge gift giver. I love giving things to people and spend a lot of time trying to come up with something creative and thoughtful for each person. I give to everyone....it's just who I am. I give gifts to neighbors, strangers, parents, the children, my family, my extended family, friends, ex-coworkers, etc.

I try to limit the costs but I find those closest to me tend to get more. It may limit our savings every year, but it fills my heart with happiness to think of everyone and plan something special. I try to limit the cost of daycare children's gifts to $20 (usually a $10 toy special for the child and a stocking filled with $10 worth of stuff that's identical for each child).

For those who I am not particularly close to, I give a tin of homemade baked goods. I absolutely love to bake so I usually end up making a variety of about 5-10 different cookies/candies. Each recipe makes about 2 dozen or more of the item x 5-10 different recipes = a lot of goodies. I don't usually eat much of it and neither does my husband, so we end up giving most of it away.

Can I give you my address?!!

[spud912]

Can I give you my address?!!

Excuse the bad picture, but here is my stash from last year:

I made 9 goodies last year (from upper left: chocolate covered peanut butter busters, chocolate covered cherry, Russian teacakes, chocolate drizzled macaroon, peanut butter blossom, jelly thumbprint cookie, peppermint bark, sugar cookie and toffee). All of the cookies were made from scratch and the chocolate candies were made from tempered chocolate, not the commercially prepared chocolate dips.

[lovemykidstoo]

Those look delicious!! I think I just gained 5 lbs!!