Fru-Gal Friends

Subject: Re: Christmas Ideas Thu 09 Nov 2006, 10:46 am

Last year I did two things for my youngest that she adores to this day. I made a craft box and a dress up box.

I got misc craft supplies from the dollar store and from freecycle along with a rubbermaid container and filled it to the top. It cost me less than $10.00!! I made a sign on the computer that said Bailey's Craft Box and taped it to the top. She loved this gift and still loves it. I will be refilling it this year with different craft items that I am getting off of freecycle.

Dress Up Box - Got the rubbermaid container, jewelry, gloves and play shoes off freecycle, got several different Princess costumes from Kmart after Halloween last year for 80% off, and then purchased some jewelry from the dollar store, crowns from the dollar store, makeup from the dollar store and some more play shoes from walmart. Total was around $20.00. This is another favorite item of hers.

This year I am sort of using Kims idea. I am taking a rubbermaid container (free) and filling with aprons (free from freecycle) and homemade Easy Bake Oven Mixes. She got an Easy Bake oven for free over the summer from my Mom's yard sale (it was my nieces) and she loves cooking with it. We made several things together but I thought it would be neat to have the mixes already made up for her.
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Vicki

Subject: Re: Christmas Ideas Thu 09 Nov 2006, 11:13 am

Vicki I have several myo easybake oven mixex my Grandbabies are getting easybake ovens for Christmaa from my DD and I make us the mixes.
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Gayla

"They take great pride in making their dinner cost much; I take my pride in making my dinner cost so little."

---Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)

Very Valuable Member Joined : 12 Oct 2006 Posts : 368

I'm putting my tree up on November 24th (day after Thanksgiving). We leave for Disney World on the 25th, and hubby wants the tree up before we go.
I actually have two trees....one for the living room & one for my bedroom. Maybe if I wish real hard(LOL!),they will BOTH get up before we leave! laugh

Last year, I didn't put the one up in my bedroom...I felt too harried & cluttered, so we didn't do it. Now I have new bedroom furniture, a new floor, & de-cluttered...and plan to do more de-cluttering of old holiday decorations, so everything "should" work out better!! Smile

My kids get to choose one big gift & that's it. I even things out with gifts to each other from their siblings(if they don't have jobs yet, if they do, it's their responsibility to get their sister or brother a gift, but there must be a price limit...which is &20-$25),and of course a gift from Santa. Then each kid gets a stocking, ten small stocking stuffers & the rest candy/edible things. I always have Christmas Club money left over which we then deposit into our Emergancy fund. Works for ME!! Very Happy

Moderator Age : 27 Joined : 12 Oct 2006 Posts : 1693

I am planning on finishing my mom's basket today...I am also going to print of some nice recipe cards and a book mark on cardstock...that I got for free!

kim

Subject: Re: Christmas Ideas Thu 09 Nov 2006, 12:52 pm

gayla would love to have your MYO recipes for Easy Bake if you wouldn't mind
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Vicki

Subject: Re: Christmas Ideas Thu 09 Nov 2006, 1:11 pm

heres a few (I looking for the file with the rest )

Graham Brownie Mix ( easy bake oven )

1/3 cup graham wafer crumbs
1 teaspoons cocoa
1 teaspoons chopped nuts
to use
1 pkg Mix
1/8 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon sweet condensed milk
blend throughly : spread in well- greased pan
bake in oven 10 minutes
Oatmeal cookie mix
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup quick oats
Combine in a bag seal
to use
1/4 cups softened margarine
1 pkg mix
blend well . let stand 5 minutes . Form dough into 1/2 inch ball
place on ungreased baking pan and press down slightly on each to
flatten our a bit bake makes about 24 cookies
Lemon cake
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 t lemon Kool-Aid
1/3 cup vegetable shorening
combine dry ingredients . cut in shortening spoon 1/4 mixture
into about 12 sandwich bags. Zip it up and store it on the shelf in the
pantry it will keep for about 6 months
to make a cake
mix 1 package of mix with 1 teaspoon of water. Stir well until smooth
Bake in greased pan in easy bake oven until slightly brown

Barbie Pretty in Pink cake

5 tablespoons Flour
1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoons salt
5 teaspoons Red Sugar Crystals
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
8 teaspoons Milk
stir together cake flour , baking powder, salt. red sugar , vanilla, oil
and milk unti the batter is smooth and pink. Pour 3 Tbsp/ of batter
into greased and floured cake pan. Bake 15 mins. Repeat for secon
layer

Barbie's sparkling frosting mix

4 teaspoons Vegetable shortening
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoons milk
colored sugar crystals for decoration
in a small bowl mixt together shortening powdered sugar
vanilla and milk unti smooth and creamy. Spread 2 tsp of
frosting on top of 1st layer . Add 2nd layer and contine frosting
Sprinkle with colored crystal sugars.
Frosts a 2 layer cake

Easy bake Chocolate cake mix

6 teaspoon flour
4 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa
3/4 teaspoon shortening
1 pinch salt
6 teaspoons milk
Mix all dry ingredients slowly add milk. pour into greased pan
Bake as directed in the oven
***Note for a vanilla ( yellow cake ) omit the cocoa and add a drop or
two of vanilla with the milk.
makes 1 cake

chocolate frosting

2 cups confectioners sugar - sifted
3 tablespoons instant nonfat milk powder
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
6 table spoons vegetable shortening
in a meduim bowl, combine confectioners sugar, milk powder
and cocoa powder. Cut in shortening. spoon about 1/3 cup of mix int o
9 ziplock bags and seal Label with date and contents store in cool
dry place use within 12 weeks make 9 packages of frosting
to use
1 package Frosting mix
3/4 tsp water in a small bowl combine frosing mix and mix frosting
mix and water.
stir with a spoon until smooth. makes about 1/4 cup

Kens Deep dish pizza

2 tablespoons All purpose flour
1/8 teaspoons baking powder
1 dash salt
1 teaspoons milk
1 tablespoon Pizza sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons shredded Mozzarella cheese
stir together flour, baking powder,salt, and margarine unitl dough
looks like meduim sized crumbs. Slowly add milk while stirring
Shape dough into a ball and place into a greased pan. Use fingers
to paut the dough evenly over the bottom of the pan. then up the
sides Pour the sauce evenly over the dought then sprinkle with
the cheese . Bake 20 minutes Remove makes 1 small pizza.

Quick cake mix
3 tablespoons cake mix ( Betty Crocker , Duncan Hines, Jiffy)
1 1/4 tablespoons water
blend cake mix and 1 tablespoon water make sure not to add too much
much water . Your want a traditional cake batter consistency . Pour
batter into greased and floured toy cake pan. Bake as directed.
_________________
Gayla

"They take great pride in making their dinner cost much; I take my pride in making my dinner cost so little."

---Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)

Subject: Re: Christmas Ideas Thu 09 Nov 2006, 2:46 pm

a few more

Thumbprint cookie mix
a tablespoon powdered sugar
2 tablespoons margarine
1/4 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoons water
1/4 cup Flour
your favorite jelly
stir together powdered sugar, margarine, vanilla . water and flour
until the flour disappears. Roll the dough between your fingers and
make 12 small balls 1/2 inch each. Place a few balls at a time
on an ungreased sheet or pan with space between them.
press your thumb into the middle of each ball to make a thumb
print . Bake 10 t0 12 minutes, then remove . Repeat until all the cookies
are baked. when the cookies are cool fill each thumb print with
jelly. makes 12 cookies

Snow mound cookies mix

6 tsp shortening or soft butter
2 tsp confectioners sugar
1/8 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup flour
1 dash salt
2 tbsp. finely chopped walnuts
confectioner sugar for rolling
cream together butter and 3 teaspoons confectioners sugar Blend
in vanilla , flour and salt. Add Walnuts and mix well. Shape into 1 inch
balls. place 3 balls onto greased Easy baked pan Flatten slightly bake
5 minutes When cool roll in confectioners sugar. make 10 to 12 cookies.

secret chocolate chip cookie mix
1 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs firmly packed brown sugar
2 tsp margarine
1/8 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp water
3 tbs all purpose flour
4 tsp semi sweet chocolate chips

stir together the sugars and margarine. Add the baking soda vanilla water and flour, stirring until flour disappears Mix in the chocolate chips. Roll the dough between your fingers and make 12 small balls, 1/2 in each . Place a few balls on a greased and floured sheet or pan with space between them. Bake 10 to 12 minutes . Repeat untill all the cookies are baked . makes 12 cookies.

Brownies
2 1/2 Tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 Tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon oil
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 teaspoons chocolate syrup
blend all ingredients until the batter is smooth. Pour batter into greased and floured toy cake pan . Bake as directed in child oven.

Biscuits

1/4 homemade bisquick
4 teaspoons milk
Combine biscuit mix and milk with a folk
drop by half teaspoons onto a well greased pan
bake as directed
_________________
Gayla

"They take great pride in making their dinner cost much; I take my pride in making my dinner cost so little."

---Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)

Very Valuable Member Joined : 12 Oct 2006 Posts : 368

Vicki, who is the author of "The one hundred dollar holiday"? I would like to investigate that book; sounds interesting!!

I know the financial author Michelle Singletary has advocated trying only to spend one hundred dollars on Christmas, and she said she wasn't very popular in her family!! laugh

I don't know if she still does it, or does it every year, or whatever, but it was in one of her books. Personally, I don't know if I could do it I know I could if I had no family laugh

,but with 4 kids & hopefully future grandchildren....ah, I don't think I want to. tongue

Subject: Re: Christmas Ideas Thu 09 Nov 2006, 3:32 pm

Hundred Dollar Holiday BY: Bill McKibben
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Vicki

Moderator Age : 27 Joined : 12 Oct 2006 Posts : 1693

I usually spend $100 on each child...I thought that was CHEAP! Does she mean $100 all together? How can this be done?!?!?!

kim

Subject: Re: Christmas Ideas Thu 09 Nov 2006, 10:18 pm

I dont think I could do it either Kim... and I shop all year long ..

funny thing when I was getting those myo recipes for easy bake my dd who is 11 said Mama I never knew you could make those mixes she went to her room and came down with two one much older and one she got when she was about 7/8 she and my Dil had a ball this afternoon Bree ( her best friend) made little cakes and mini pizza it was fun for them
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Gayla

"They take great pride in making their dinner cost much; I take my pride in making my dinner cost so little."

---Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)

Subject: Re: Christmas Ideas Fri 10 Nov 2006, 7:06 am

Yes it is $100 for the entire Holiday. They relied on homemade gifts and activities instead of gifts. Some gifts were gifts of time spent with the person instead of a gift also. I know I couldn't do it either although it might be close this year due to finances.
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Vicki

Moderator Age : 27 Joined : 12 Oct 2006 Posts : 1693

It would be nice to be able to only spend $100 alltogether...except there seem to be SOOO many expectations and things you "have" to buy...like for DH side of the family the kids all exchange names and buy gifts...this adds up to alot of gifts...and if we say we don't want to do it, then it messes it all up for all the others and my kids (who are still young) would be the only kids not recieving a gift...which would be ok, but as they are still little they might feel bad...it's hard to know what to do and how to do it! And some people are not happy with homemade gifts..etc...it can get complicated!

Very Valuable Member Joined : 12 Oct 2006 Posts : 368

Yes, Kim, I am a little skeptical, too...I mean, don't get me wrong, I would lOVE to try to keep the budget to $100, but it seems like such a challenge. I can't wait to read the book to see what ideas the author has.
Maybe even some of his ideas can be implemented into a Christmas budget. As I said, I know that if it was just me & hubby, I KNOW I could pull off the $100 Christmas!! Wink

Subject: Re: Christmas Ideas Fri 10 Nov 2006, 10:39 am

I think it would be impossible... I havent spent alot this year I bought alot of things early this year and I made alot of things but just $100 that would be difficult this year I have in to find this book ...
did any one else even come close ????
_________________
Gayla

"They take great pride in making their dinner cost much; I take my pride in making my dinner cost so little."

---Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)