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Like so many this Christmas, we are looking to give nice gifts without breaking the bank. We have been blessed with a HUGE crop of pecans this year, so the kids and I have been gathering them up to give as gifts.





Somehow I think I am the one picking up all the pecans while the kids have all the fun ;-)

This is a small portion of our crop. I picked up this bag of pecans yesterday afternoon. I estimate it to be 30 lbs of pecans! The pecans pictured are from one tree in our back yard. The tree is STILL full of pecans that have yet to fall. We also have 2 more trees in the front yard, but we haven't been able to pick those up yet.



There is NO WAY I could crack these by hand so I took them to the local roadside market and had them cracked for $0.30 per lb. The above picture is 60 lbs of pecans!!!

I've started the shelling process. We plan to fill up cellophane bags with pecan halves and tie them up with ribbon. We are going to pair up one bag of pecans with a bag full of Spritz cookies for a pretty, yummy, frugal gift.

What are your frugal gift ideas? Leave me a comment and link to your blog....I'd love to see what you're doing to save money on gifts this year.

Every year I buy one of these hand painted eggs for my hubby and me! I've been buying them since 1992! I have a great little white Christmas tree covered with these beautiful eggs. I'll show the whole tree in my Tour of Homes post on December 15.

I've also added a bit of Christmas music to my blog. I don't usually like music on blogs, I can't listen and read at the same time, but I thought it added to the season. It's just temporary ;0). After Christmas, the music will go, I promise!

I am so excited! I'm really looking forward to seeing all the beautifully decorated homes and sharing Christmas will you all!

Oh, in case you want an egg ornament of your very own, I order them from

Egg Shell Magic

She does beautiful work! Stop by and look around.

Just A Girl has a great post about making frugal gifts for Christmas this year. There are SO many neat ideas linked to her post. I'm late, but here's my idea.

My mom LOVES Christmas ornaments! Every year the kids usually give her a new one to add to her tree. Last year I was looking for a frugal idea for a special, homemade ornament and came up with this idea. I didn't think this up, I found the idea on the internet, but I have NO idea where I found it.



I had some old green and red glass balls and some white paint. I painted my kids hands white and had them grip the ornament. This was a bit difficult with Daniel's as he was 6 months old at the time ;-)

After the paint dried, we painted on little eyes, mouths, scarfs and buttons to make snowmen.

I took more white paint and added the date and the name of the child whose hand was on the ornament. After all the paint was good and dry, I sprayed each ornament with clear acrylic to protect the paint.

Of course, I made a set for myself as well ;0)

These are some of my most cherished ornaments and they were practically free!

James 1:1-8 (King James)

1.)James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

2.) My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

3.) Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

4.) But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

5.) If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

6.) But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

7.) For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

8.) A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

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James 1:1-8 (The Message)

1.) I, James, am a slave of God and the Master Jesus, writing to the twelve tribes scattered to Kingdom Come: Hello! Faith Under Pressure

2 -4.) Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

5 -8.) If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves. Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.

A bailout for the auto industry?

More bailout money for AIG?

We own a small business.

Will you bail US out, President-Elect Obama?

This week Walgreens has wrapping paper on sale Buy 1 at $1.99, get 2 Free. That breaks down to $0.67 per roll! Right now they have lots of designs to choose from. I bought 6 of these today.

They also have tissue paper, bows, name tags and mini-stockings Buy 1 at $0.99 get 2 Free. That breaks down to $0.33 each. I got 3 packs if tissue for $0.99!

Here is what I bought at Bloom today. I did 2 transactions and they are pictured together.

Transaction #1:
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Bananas: $1.34
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2 Eggo Mini Pancakes: $1.99 (sale price. Reg $2.79) - $0.55 Q x 3 = $0.34 each
`
4 Lipton Pasta Sides: $1.00 (sale price Reg $1.25) - $0.60 / 2 Q x 3 $0.20 / 2 OR $0.10 each
`
2 Birds Eye Green Beans: $1.00 (sale price Reg $1.99) - $0.35 Q x 3 = FREE each
`
2 HillShire Farm Turkey: $3.99 - $0.55 Q x 3 = $2.34 each
`
2 Kraft American Cheese Slices 12 oz : $2.00 (sale price Reg $2.69) - $0.50 Q x 3 = $0.50 each
`
2 Pillsbury Danish : $2.00 (sale price Reg $2.19) - $0.30 Q x 3 = $1.10 each
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2 Pillsbury Crescent Rolls: $2.00 (sale price Reg price $2.19) - $0.35 Q x 3 = $0.95 each
`

This time there weren't very many "super" deals to be had. I did well with what I bought, but I had hoped to do better. I did 2 transactions and they are pictured together. Here's how it broke down:

Trans #1:
`
3 Lysol Wipes: 2/ $4.00 - $0.75 Q x 3 = FREE each (they did not give overage)
`
2 Ivory Soap bundle: $1.49 - $0.25 Q x 3 = $0.74 each (these are a gift)
`
2 Domino Brown Sugar: $0.99 - $0.25 Q x 3 = $0.22 each
`
2 Carnation Evaporated Milk: $1.98 / 2 - $0.50 / 2 Q x 3 = $0.48 / 2 OR $0.24 each
`
1 Coffeemate : $1.99 - $0.50 Q x 3 = $0.49 each
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2 Pillsbury Cake Mix: $1.29 - $0.40 Q x 3 = $0.09 each
`
2 Eggo Waffles: $279 - $0.55 Q x 3 = $1.14 each (not a super great deal, but okay)
`
1 Super Pretzel: $2.65 - $0.50 Q x 3 = $1.15
`

Anyway, he wanted to buy it. I have no idea what to charge for something like that. We were planning to just haul it off and dump it. I told him to make an offer and he said "How's $25?" I took it! That is enough money to pay for the shipping charges for the shoe boxes and give the $4 that is left back to God!

Could I have gotten more for that old lawn mower? Maybe, maybe not. But, the timing and amount was too perfect to not be God working.

Thank you God for your blessings.

Thank you for allowing us to bless others.

Did your child recently get their report card? Did they make any "A's"? Then they can get FREE DONUTS from Krispy Kreme donuts.

For every "A" on their report card, they can get up to 6 original glazed donuts. All you have to do is bring in their report card! How simple is that?

I have 3 school age children. My 5 year old does not get a report card yet, but my older 2 received all "A's" so we're going to be heading over to Krispy Kreme for free donuts this week!

We did this with our last report card last year and we had a ball! We got 1 dozen free donuts, bought 2 milks to share (they are BIG) and enjoyed a fun, frugal snack! The kids were SO excited! I can't wait to do it this time.

In a local restaurant my server had on a 'Obama 08' tie. I was pleased, as he had given away his political preference-- just imagine the coincidence to come.

When the bill came I decided not to tip the server and explained to him that I was exploring the Obama 'redistribution of wealth' concept. He stood there in disbelief while I told him that I was going to redistribute his tip to someone who I deemed more in need--the homeless guy outside. The server angrily stormed from my sight.

I went outside, gave the homeless guy $10 and told him to thank the server inside as I had decided he could use the money more. The homeless guy was grateful.

At the end of my rather unscientific redistribution experiment, I realized the homeless guy was grateful for the money he did not earn, but the waiter was pretty angry that I gave away the money he did earn even, though the actual recipient needed the money more.

I guess redistribution of wealth is an easier thing to swallow in concept than in practical application.

Janet Niemi Chubb, DHSc, RN