8 Months

Today is the 8 month anniversary of Lucie's birth.  Man, time flies.  In some ways it seems like she's been here forever, in others, it seems like the time has passed in a flash.  She is all sweetness and smiles right now, she brings so much laughter to our family-- even to the other small member who certainly has mixed feelings about her.  And she already has her Daddy wrapped around her finger.

We had a nice Thanksgiving with my brother Drew up from Chicago, and my Uncle Bob who lives nearby.  They are both bachelors happy to have a meal cooked for them, so the pressure is low, which is how I prefer it.  Elliot and I did our grocery shopping the night before, foregoing Whole Foods and heading to our local natural foods store instead.  Figured the parking and crowds would be easier to handle there with a pre-schooler in tow.  We didn't have a ton planned except the staples- turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls and pumpkin pie-  letting ourselves be inspired by what looked fresh.  We also ended up with brussels sprouts, multi-colored baby carrots, and green beans.  I figured I'd cook until I was tired, but I ended up getting to it all.  The last few things were prepared with recipes from Martha, and were very easy.  I've never made brussels sprouts in my life, always thought I hated them, but they're delicious  roasted with apples and bacon-- what isn't right?

So, for the first time in my life I am nearly finished with my Christmas shopping.  I've done it all online during Lucie's naps, and even bought a lot of gift cards.  Every year I have the biggest struggle trying to marry my idea of a good gift with the recipient's, adding in the environmental effect.  Of course, I love to make handmade items, but if the recipient doesn't want/need/like it, then it ends up as junk in a landfill just as much as store bought stuff does, you know.  So, most of my recipients will get a small handmade item together with a gift card to a place that I know they frequent.  That way, there is very little spending on shipping, no gas to return items, I'm not adding clutter to their homes, and they can get something they truly want. 

I don't want to be a scrooge, but I feel like gifts have evolved from being a small token, or a thing that someone actually needs to just being over the top.  Remember when Laura Ingalls would be all thrilled to get an orange and a maple candy?  Maybe some wool socks?  Now kids need what, an 87th stuffed unicorn?  I certainly buy my fair share, but I suppose what I buy fits into my value system.  So this is my solution for this year, I still get to come up with some clever crafty packaging, but the recipient also will get to choose what "stuff" they want to bring into their life.  Any good ideas for gift card packing, preferably something useful as well?

Comments

[Lori]

i think your gift solution is an excellent one.

i am thinking about these things a lot this year. i'm really looking at the things i'm getting my boys and trying to think of gifts that will be experiences for the whole family or enhance something they're already interested in. it's definitely easier to get away from the toy avalanche as they get a little older.

for gift card packing, i've made little felt stockings -- they can be kept as an ornament or reused as a card holder next year.

[Lori]

oops -- meant to say also, beautiful beautiful girl! :^)

[erin]

can i tell you how jealous i am that you have redheads? i am. lucie is so cute!

how about tucked into a pair of mittens or gloves? also coffee cozy on a paper cup w/lid and gift card inside...one of my teacher friends came up with that.

[Jen]

I love your blog! Stumbled onto from a link from a friend...I also have a Luci that is 7 months old...Im sure they would be friends:)

What about using an old altoids box for giftcards? You could decoupage it or something clever! I love using them for all sorts of things from storing buttons to carrying jewelery with me on trips. You could include with the giftcard ideas for use after the giftcard is gone.

[Jessicah]

little bags are good packaging. A coin purse or drawstring bag. Last year I made shoe bags for a cousin who is nto travelling, a cotton bag with a shoe on the front. good luck!

[jennie]

So glad to see you back again.

I've been thinking about this myself. I think that my friends appreicate my handknits. Several guy friends are getting socks, and the girls are getting arm warmers or scarves. But with family, we have a budget, and I will be "cheaping out" financially if I knit them something, even though we both know that it's much easier to buy something than plan, buy materials for, and handmake a gift. People have so much stuff... I'm thinking about knitting Christmas ornaments to go with their gift or gift card.

Off topic, I just started quilting and I don't think I'm very good at it. Did you make the one in the second picture? My main question is, are those blocks appliqued onto the background fabric? That seems more mangeable than trying to piece squares together so they line up the way I want them.

Congratulations on a beautiful family.

[blair]

Oh I love what you are saying about gifting. I used to really make myself crazy about making the perfect gift, feeling so much pressure. But these days I will make a couple of homemade gifts for people I know would really covet them (i.e, my mom). And I couldn't think of a thing to get my Dad for his birthday tomorrow, then it dawned on me that he would love a gift card to his local book store for so many reasons. So thank you for inspiring me with your thoughts. And for that adorable picture of Lucie, I'm still just loving that halo of red hair.

[heather]

i have been trying to cut down on gift wrap but love a fun 'presentation' of a gift as well as what's inside. i have found different suitcase style boxes at paper source and borders that i am using along with a neat gift tag for my gifts this year. kids love these to put their collections in and for adults they can be a neat way to organize!
love you blog and i have a 15 month old lucy-so sweet!

[Lisa H]

Who needs gifts when you have such a darling girl? Gift cards are smart, though. There is a neat simple tutorial on U-Handbag for making origami gift boxes that is easier than that sounds:
http://u-handbag.typepad.com/uhandblog/2007/11/quick-and-easy.html
these would be easy to personalize with rubber stamps, comic pages, or even writing a big I Love You on brown paper.

[Lisa H]

looks like the URL got cut off above. it is

http://u-handbag.typepad.com/
uhandblog/2007/11/
quick-and-easy.html

[Sophia Sunshine]

We all have more cards than we can fit in our wallet so maybe you'd like to try little fabric pouches for your gift cards. It can be used to organize the cards your friends don't use everyday. If you use velcro for a closure they'll lie flat. I have one I use like a change purse.

I love the quilt Lucie is modelling - do you have more photos of it posted somewhere?

[molly]

i've got a similar mindset this year about the holidays. I've decided to do all my shopping in a few favorite catalogs and at etsy. It just seems so much simpler and it keeps me HOME, which is what is important to me right now.
Someone (I can't remember who at the moment) made me a really cute, simple credit card holder. Just a long rectangle with two card-size pockets at each end, then it simply folded in half. I really love it for the overflow cards--grocery discount cards, insurance cards, etc in my wallet. that might be a cute way to package it, with a note tucked in the other side.
let me know if you want a picture of it...

that lucie is looking so cute (and long)--I'm totally in love with this age, too.

[molly]

the name just came to me:
http://homebaked.etches-johnson.com/

[Karin]

Or 87 fire trucks... LOL

[Melissa H]

Here's an easy gift card holder pattern that can be re-used as a mini wallet (or a place to stash all those gift cards as you spend them down)
http://handmadeparade.blogspot.com/2007/11/gift-card-holders.html

[allison]

Starbucks had little felt ornaments last year that held their gift cards and were actually cute and reusable. Also I have received gift cards framed in a picture frame, very cute. Once I received a gift card from Target in a little tin of bath salts (where the actual card was the back of the tin). You could probably make something like that. You could even nestle a card in a tin or jar of chocolates, cookies or candies.

[fiveflowers]

Wow what a cutie- and such red hair! So sweet! I feel the same way (as does the husband) about the holidays. I think we all have too much stuff anyway!

[Joy]

Wow! I can't believe that Lucie's already 8 months. How time flies! Such a cutie, though.

I too have been struggling with the whole present thing myself. This year, I have mostly ordered from my favorite Etsy places, made one thing myself, and then, for the two people that simply must have brand names, I got gift cards. It's the first time I've done this. I'm not sure how it will go over. I am also using the little suitcases from Paper Source too...my friend gave me a birthday present in one, and I totally fell in love with the idea for both kids and adults.

I'm hoping that by starting young with my kids (they're 5,4, 18 months, and 1 month) that I can instill in them the idea that Christmas isn't just about the presents. It's a part, but not the whole point, ya know?

[Patricia]

what a cutie pie your little girl is!

i'm with you about gifts... i've been giving gift cards or non-material gifts like spa treatments, museum memberships and concert tickets for years and everyone is always thrilled!

[Janice]

i do handmade.

i have 3 sisters and for the past 5 years we all make each other 1 handmade gift. this evolved from filling stockings for one another, as we were loath to give up this "favorite" part of our Christmas memories from childhood.

then it got to be too much. we all agreed we had too much and were grateful for what we did have--but still wanted to do something special for one another.

and we LOVE this part of our gift giving tradition and we all seem to have a different artistic passion...sewing,knitting,paper, writing...

this year i commisioned small quilts from an esty artist:
http://www.etsy.com/shop_sold.php?user_id=45492

for my nephews.

....and other people in our lives will be receiving handmade food gifts,which i know will be enjoyed, as the hints come in several weeks before if we are "still making our holiday food specialties"...so no waste there!

and i do gift cards as well for 2-3 people. wrapped in brown parcel paper, tied up with striped baker's twine or vintage seam binding ribbon and usually a vintage trinket from my stash.

i have also made lovely little origami wallet/folders for gift cards from brown parcel paper--no tape or glue--easy to recycle.

we have cut down our adult gift giving considerably and focus more on quiet times, evening walks, watching films and enjoying music and good books.

it does more for us during this special time and we feel rejuvenated for the new year instead of harried.

and i now look more forward to this time of year, than I did 10 years ago.

[sandra]

while at michael's today i spotted the cutest tins for packing small things, like gift cards. they look similar to altoids boxes, but are a bit bigger. they seemed like a fun and practical way to package and probably would be reused again by the recipient.

enjoy!

[Michelle]

Your daughter is adorable!!!!

I've used these for gift card holders: http://cmfoster2005.blogspot.com/2007/07/coffee-cuff-and-another-pop-up-card.html They make a nice presentation and serve a use after.

[Stephanie]

do I detect a BumGenius diaper on the kiddo? That's what my baby wears.

[Sara]

Totally agree on the gift thing. Things have gotten out of hand. We try to keep our kids gifts low key. BTW, my baby turns 8 months on Friday. The time does fly. Feels like yesterday he was a newborn.

[kathy]

Lucie is so adorable, makes me miss the baby years. I'm making simple mini-wallets in my sewing room right now, I was thinking they'd be perfect for a gift card. Except for the UPS guy, I need to read through your comments and see what has a masculine twist.

[Julie]

How gorgeous is little Lucie!!! I have a Tommy who could easily be a cousin. When I saw Lucie's picture I had to post one of T at the same age. You can see him here: http://julie329.vox.com/library/post/growing.html. (and in other posts you'll see a similar cat to the one Lucie has.)

I love your gifting idea, and will think of doing something similar. Someone mentioned Altoids boxes, which seems a great idea. Lots of others have mentioned bags and pouches which is what I was going to say. Little zippered bags like the ones Lotta Jansdotter (sp?) has.

[Grace]

I've never noticed how red Lucie's hair is. Adorable!

[Ella]

awwwww sweetest Lucie. She's not camera shy is she? i really like your Christmas gifting ideas. I've traded most things for Arlo this year and the nephews will all receive a handmade gift. The adults will all be left out. There's just too many of them and many of them i don't know well enough to get them something they would love.