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Elegant Frugality
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And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”
Dr. Seuss
Last year my sister asked me if I’d like to forego the exchange of holiday gifts and exchange poems we wrote instead. The economy was crashing and she thought it might be easier on my husband and I, as small business owners. Well, we did the poem thing, which was a lot of fun. My sister wrote a beautiful haiku about her first visit east to us in nearly 20 years. I wrote a rhyming thing about an unpleasant foster cat who bit me and sent me to the hospital! (Fluffy turned into a permanent resident because the shelter couldn’t risk sending her to a real home!) Michel illustrated it and my sister loved it. We’re doing it again and I’ve been rolling lines around in my head the past several weeks.
I’m also making a calendar with pictures from our garden with gardening quotes. (Check out www.gardendigest.com for thousands of great quotes about gardens, nature.) Staples or any office store can help you with the actual printing of the calendar. And, of course, the calendar can feature anything you have photos of – family, trips, etc. I have a beautiful one my sister made of my (now deceased) parents’ lives. I get to remember them as beautiful young people - my mom in her Red Cross uniform, Dad as a handsome lieutenant, before they headed off to opposite parts of the globe in 1943.
Here are more no-cost/low-cost ideas I have borrowed from a number of websites:
If you are skilled in a particular area, offer a lesson or class.
Fill an old trunk or suitcase with fun clothing, hats and gaudy jewelry for the kids in your life to play dress-up.
Videotape and interview your elderly parents about childhood memories, how they met, etc. and give to siblings or children.
Give people CFL bulbs to save energy. Create a “Green the Earth Basket” with some of these easy, super inexpensive home-made items. http://www.care2.com/greenliving/make-your-own-non-toxic-cleaning-kit.html?&page=2
Create a “His and Her” basket with a Coffee Sugar Bath Scrub, Men’s After Shave Gel, and a Pick-me-up Spritzer. (Recipes at end of newsletter.) Create a Gourmet Basket with easy to make, inexpensive items. Include a gourmet mustard, herbed oil, and seasoning mix. (Recipes at end of newsletter.) Create a “Honey Basket” with a handmade honey lip balm, foaming vanilla bath and herb infused honey (try lavender or rosemary and orange) (Recipes at end of newsletter.)
Recycle a book with a note sharing “Why I think you’ll like this book!”
Make your own…lots of things! http://www.care2.com/greenliving/25-great-consumer-less-gift-ideas.html
Give a donation to a favorite organization of the recipient. (As a volunteer in several animal rescue groups I really like this idea. I have discovered that, however well-meaning a thought, it doesn’t really feel like a gift unless it’s directed at a cause your recipient is interested in)
Adopt a dog or kitty from a local animal shelter. The best gift Michel and I ever gave each other was the adoption of our beloved pitbull, Nicky. Nicky has lived with us nine Christmases and we can’t imagine life without him. REMEMBER, offering a forever home to a furry being is a gift you give yourself. They are members of your family and are not disposable. Our friends at Angelcathaven (www.angelcathaven.com) have asked us to put the word out about a wonderful cat named Gracie who has been waiting for her forever family for far too long.
RECIPES
Coffee Sugar Bath Scrub
1/4 cup sweet almond oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup fresh coffee grounds.
Directions: Combine the almond oil, extract and essential oil in a glass measuring cup. Stir well and set aside.Mix the sugar and with fresh coffee grounds. Pour the oil mixture into the sugar mixture and stir well to incorporate fully.
Men’s AfterShave Gel
½ cup pure Aloe Vera Gel, 1 T water, 2 tsp. 100 proof vodka, 2 tsp, witch hazel, 1 bay leaf or 10 drops of bay essential oil
Directions: Allow bay leaf or oil to remain in gel and age for approx. 2-3 days. Then add remaining ingredients and mix well. Put into squeeze bottle or pump bottle for easier dispensing.
Pick-me-up Spritzer
2oz. distilled water, 5 drops of peppermint oil, 10 drops of lavender. Witch hazel or vodka to act as preservative. 2oz. spray bottle.
Directions: Add oils to water. Add a small amount of vodka or witch hazel. Shake.
Fenway Park Mustard
2 T mustard powder, 1T turmeric, ¼ tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar, water and white vinegar to mix
Directions: Combine mustard, turmeric, salt and sugar. Slowly add the water and vinegar to make a smooth paste of any consistency you want.
A Spanish Olive Oil
Directions: Add six inches of thoroughly dried orange zest, three to four cups virgin or extra virgin cold pressed olive oil, a few red chilies, one bay leaf.
Make sure your bottle is thoroughly dry or your oil will mildew! Place zest, chilies, and bay leaf in the bottle and use a funnel to pour in oil. Set in a cool, dark, dry place for at least a week. .Honey-
Kissed LipBalm
1 cup sweet almond oil, ½ cup beeswax, 2 T honey.
Directions: Heat almond oil and beeswax in a double boiler until beeswax is melted. Whisk honey into beeswax mixture and stir well. Set aside to cool. When cool, pour into small containers with lids. Use as a lip moisturizer or on top of lipstick for extra shine. Makes about 1 ½ cups.
Foaming Vanilla Honey Bath
1 cup sweet almond oil, ½ cup honey, ½ cup castile or other liquid soap, 1 T vanilla extract.
Directions: Combine all ingredients, stir until fully blended. Pour into a clean plastic bottle with stopper or lid. Attach a note stating, “Shake gently before using. Swirl into bathtub under running water. Enjoy your silky, warm escape.” Makes 4 baths worth.
Lavender–Infused Honey
1 cup honey, 1 T ground lavender.
(You may substitute ginger root, peeled and julienned, one crushed vanilla bean, zest of an orange, fresh or dried rosemary etc.)
Directions: Place honey in a double boiler with water in bottom. Add lavender (or other choice and bring water to a boil. Keep it boiling for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, let stand 10 minutes and then strain. Place in sterilized jars and cap.
Give a Seven Arrows Gift Card
(It never expires and your recipients can use it to make the world a little more beautiful!) Click here.
I salute you!
There is nothing I can give you which you have not; but there is much that while I cannot give, you can take.
No heaven can come to us unless our hearts find rest in it today. Take Heaven.
No peace lies in the future which is not hidden in this present instant. Take Peace.
The gloom of the world is but a shadow; behind it, yet within our reach, is joy. Take Joy.
And so, at this Christmas time, I greet you with prayer that for you, now and forever, the day breaks and shadows flee away.
Fra Giovanni. 1513
Peace. Shalom. Salaam. Namaste.
Happy whatever you celebrate!
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