Hand-Made Holidays

One of the things we've taken to in the last several years has been handmade holiday gifts. Granted, a large portion of that is because we're not exactly the most well-off of families, but it's also because a lot of times the holidays are a time when we all accumulate... stuff.  The state of the toybox is usually the listed culprit, but it happens to all of us.  So what do you do?

A lot of times people go to experience gifts. Trips (even just "out for a movie and then pizza") and memberships to zoos and museums seem to be the preferred not-stuff gifts of the holiday seasons.  Thing is, when you're a little one, it's not as much fun to unwrap... nothing. Or a membership card. It's also less fun to give.  So, a compromise was in order.

The last few years, we've given things that are wrappable.  Chocolate syrup, applesauce, apple butter, strawberry jam. I have plans in the future for ice cream and toppings - made by us here at home.  This year is arts and crafts, made by hand by us.  It's a little more challenging than food gifts, largely because two weeks lost to illness is a huge chunk of time when you're supposed to be making gifts, but in all honesty, I'm looking forward to seeing how everything comes out, and how gifts are received.  In the past, it's been wonderful - people have pies in jars, or big batches of soup, things that are ready for them at a moment's notice.  And you know the work that went into the gift means that someone was thinking of you the entire time it was being created.  It's not likely to be exactly the thing that someone wanted for the holiday, but at the same time, it's hopefully something useful... that won't add to the post-holiday clutter.

This post is part of the Hoagies Gifted Blog Hop, Holiday Gifts Without The Buy-Buy-Buy.  Click the button for the next blog in the hop!