A non commericial christmas

[Merry]

Designer trees!!
Last year I made a set of tree decorations for my grandchildren with their names done in crystal beads - dead pretty. They were really excited when they opened them. Then I saw that my daughter in law was looking uncomfortable. She said - "How sweet, put them away now dear!"
Then I spotted their tree - all co-ordinated and smart.
There was no way my hand made stuff was going to pollute that!

[womble]

Designer trees!!
Last year I made a set of tree decorations for my grandchildren with their names done in crystal beads - dead pretty. They were really excited when they opened them. Then I saw that my daughter in law was looking uncomfortable. She said - "How sweet, put them away now dear!"
Then I spotted their tree - all co-ordinated and smart.
There was no way my hand made stuff was going to pollute that!

oh how sad, i would have loved a present like that, i'm making presents again this year and told my dad that most people would be getting pickles, cakes etc and he said why, so i told him i'm broke as usual and then he said well i don't want any, so s*d him he's getting nowt this year

xx
ps i'm more like the goods and my parents are definately margo and jerry lol

[Masco&Bongo]

know what you mean! its like those magazines that tell you that this year's Christmas colours are silver and purple.. or something.. and i think huh? and look at my tree (when the time comes!) and its covered in all sorts.. old cracker toys, tatty decorations made by my son when little, some special decs OH and I bought in our first year together, some hand made ones, biscuits son and I made together a bauble with 2004 on it cos a friend gave out baubles ones year instead of cards, an awful lot of hand-me down decs that we can remember from our childhood... a real hodge podge. and I love it.

Yup, that's the one! They've bought a home magazine and realised that, shock horror!, their red and gold tree is so last year! Quick, off to buy exactly the same thing in lilac and green or whatever!!

We have a fake tree (the dog attacks real ones ) and our decorations are also a hodge podge! I like it because when we put the tree up, we spend ages reminiscing about stuff!

[mrsflibble]

we have a fake tree 'cos I'm terrible at vaccuming. and plus the fact, the smell of musty dust and plastic is THE smell of xmas. it gets even better when the dust on the fairly lights heats up and you get that midly singed dust and musty attic smell. that's xmas for me more than the smell of mixed spice and oranges lol!!

[Milims]

I just found this and thought I'd share:-

http://www.buynothingchristmas.org/index.html

Looks good to me!!

[Silver Ether]

Designer trees!!
Last year I made a set of tree decorations for my grandchildren with their names done in crystal beads - dead pretty. They were really excited when they opened them. Then I saw that my daughter in law was looking uncomfortable. She said - "How sweet, put them away now dear!"
Then I spotted their tree - all co-ordinated and smart.
There was no way my hand made stuff was going to pollute that!

Now that is so sad... What I do to get round that is have a tub of twigs and every thing natural or hand made goes onto those and its very effective.

I have a posh fake tree and its brill, had it years for the kids and it got all posh balls of silver and blue and even though I dont do Christmas as such ... the kids would be devestated even though they are 23/24 years if I didn't put it up.. so we have compromise and they allow me to put gifts under it cuss thats when they want them in reused tissue paper in a co-ordinated bag one each...

Two years ago I got out a decaration that we had made together when they were very tiny. Its a salt dough tree with parcels and candles on it all painted up ... I think the design came from Prima Magazine Its a particular treasure of mine. So out it came to go with the Yule decs and it had gone soft... I actually sat and cried after all the times we had used it I thought I was going to loose it ... so I put it on some greasproof on the airer above the kitchen fire woodburner as it was then and it dried out, went firm and I revarnished it I was a very happy mummy I can tell you and its kept very safe now.

Not taking a pop at your daughter-in-law Merry ... but society in gen ... they have all lost the plot... I dont see why you cant have the designer and the trad ... most of us have space for more than one way of celebrating.

[Chickenlady]

Fantastic thread! I was just about to start one on a similar vein.

I have been trying to scale down Christmas for a few years, but I get the impression that my family think I am just a tightwad. Last year I suggested a £5 limit for adult prezzies, but I was outvoted. We finally agreed on £10, but I think my sister thought I was being a Scrooge even then.

I made soap for all the women in the family last year, although I gave them a little something to go with it too. I got zero feedback. I would love a home made present like this, and it was lovely soap, if I say so myself. I have made some more this year: one is marbled mint, the other is chocolate. But I don't know if anybody appreciates my efforts!

I am giving them this and a fairtrade cotton shopping bag each, plus a bottle of natural hand and body lotion (not made by me, sadly).


Does anybody else find this? Mine don't go as far as snidey comments, but I think they would if I offered them a pot of my home made jam for Christmas.

(and I won't even start on my children...I am losing the battle to stop them being serious mini consumers!)

[Silver Ether]

They can be as snidey as they want ... I will just have it back thanks... I havent had that problem actually a couple I know all grown up they are to lll start looking in my shopping bag to see what I have got for them ...

Dont tell them you made your gifts, let them think it came from craft fayres.

The kids will grow out of it ... they suffer from peer pressure, they dont always want the stuff its just because their friends have it...

[snapdragon]

for the first time last year i got the courage to send out charity 'givens' to all my family (they all earn enough to live and buy their own 'tat' should they want to) what a relief when my sister was happy with her goat (just found that emoti - how cute :) )

this year will probably be a different charity (as I am still earning a wage), but I might have spun sufficient yarn by next year to be able to make some birthday gifts as the year goes by

I love the idea of a 12 day winter festival welcoming friends and relishes and just being in a big hug, but am sick to my socks of the commercialism and advertising

[possum]

I was never a huge fan of xmas whilst in the UK, too many years of mother goin OTT and then getting so stressed out that you darn not say a word for fear of her biting you head off
"oh that was nice" (after eating food)
"only, nice?, I spent 2 hours making that"
you get the picture.
I used to choose to spend xmas on my own, I would make my own yew and holly greenery to bring inside, as it used to be.
Having moved to the southern hemisphere, I don't celebrate it at all, it should be the winter equinox, there is something wrong with a barbie on the beach.

[zombiecazz]

Last year I made the adults hampers full of homemade tablet, jams, chutneys and fruit done in alcohol. For the kids I made scarfs, bags, painted tshirts, runes and a chinese meal making set.

This year I am not sure I will have time to make anything. Hopefully I'll make some tablet and sweets up. I really want to make some funky melt & pour soaps, some fimo jewellery and fake fairisle gloves. But other than that I trawl the charity shops for nice clothes.

[the.fee.fairy]

Wow!! If any of you want to be my secret santa this year, you'll be guaranteed a grateful response!!

[yugogypsy]

With just Rick and I here its easy, he sends cards to his family, I phone the few of mine I'm close to.

We usually have Cornish Hen, but this year we are going to have a West Coast Christmas and have Salmon.

We don't exchange cards between each other and our gifts to each other are usually one each and something we NEED.

Lois