So every year my husband and I give all of our neighbors the exact same gift…ever year…same thing…year after year…
a big old roll of wrapping paper.
Seriously. Every year.
(Except for that year when I read that book about the history of salt and gave everyone a can of Morton’s Salt along with a note about why salt is the most interesting thing ever…but that is another post for another time.)
Anyways as I was saying we always give our neighbors wrapping paper for Christmas. I’m big on giving gifts that either mean something or are useful and I figure at this time of year wrapping paper definitely falls into the later category.
So one night each holiday season we pile up the wrapping paper and I start putting name tags and big bows on each roll. As soon as I get one finished my husband and the kids set off to deliver it. By the time they return I have another one ready to go. (We have it down to a science.) Then when we finish giving all the wrapping paper out we all eat something warm for dinner (usually soup) and have treats.
It’s a tradition.
This year I had the opportunity to help make a small gift for all of the ladies in my church group. With a limited budget we decided to make each of them a set of 5 note cards. Some of them received Christmas note cards:
While others received more generic ones:
They were easy to make. We just bought card stock from Wal-Mart and cut it in half (hamburger way, not hot dog way) and then folded the half sheets in half to make the card.
Next I cut fabric from my scrap bin into pieces measuring 3 and 1/2 inches by 4 and 1/2 inches and tacked it onto the front of the white card stock card with a glue stick.
After that we sewed the fabric to the card with colored thread. And finally we tied them up in sets of 5 with notes and name tags on the top.
It was so easy and so affordable! We made almost 550 cards and the entire cost was less than $15.
Awesome.
I think I am going to make a bunch for my grandma-in-law. She just loves to send notes and cards and I think she would like something like this for Christmas as well.
***
Now before I sign off for the day I just have to ask:
Do any of you have a Christmas song that you just love even though it’s cheesy or terrible (or both)?
For example: My family has been making fun of me like crazy this year because of my love for Jimmy Dean’s version of “A Christmas Room”.
I know it’s beyond nerdy but I can’t help it I just LOVE it.
A lot. And probably always will. In fact, I’m listening to it right now….
But, my husband has no room to talk. On of his favorite Christmas songs is Bing Crosby’s version of “Christmas in Killarney”. He sings it NON STOP during the holidays. (Just ask Elizabeth—it makes her want to go Mid-Evil on him. I actually think he ruined an entire Christmas day video of hers because all you can hear during the whole thing is him in the background singing…”It’s Christmas in Foolawney..”)
So do you have a Christmas song that you know you shouldn’t love but you jut can’t help yourself? If so do tell.
(Except for you Stacy…I already know all about you and Neil’s Cherry Cherry Christmas…which I’ve already listened to, oh, about 783 times already this year. Thanks again for the CD.)
-liZ
Big fan of bing’s melikimikimaka! Dont mess with the Bingster! LOL
The song that atcually drives me wonky is last christmas i gave you my heart by george michael…woooooonky.
And we always loved to laugh over dominic the donky growing up :).
Those note cards? Awesomeness!!
Oh, how do I love those cards! It’s a great way to put fabric scraps to use. Love!
I don’t have a bad Christmas song that I love, but I do think I’ll be downloading some Neil today. 🙂
Yep, I start singing “Christimas Is Coming (The goose is getting fat)” around Thanksgiving and then make the family sing it with me in rounds. They loved it when they were little. Now they think “Mom is corny”. Ha! Ha!. I never knew there were a ton of verses (like 30 lines) until I found it on Wikipedia recently. Woot! I’m going to print the lyrics on note cards like yours and tape it to the kids door and my husband’s laptop. Oh, they’re going to love me!!! (LOL)
I would never think to do a roll of wrapping paper! I have to imagine a few of the neighbors were thrown. Not the usual type of gift but you are right, make it practical, and who can’t use it? Too funny. I like all the traditional oldies along with Josh Groban singing Christmas songs. Every year, on Christmas morning, we start with Elvis! My husband started the tradition and I like it–his songs are not “Holly Jolly” but religious based and very moving.
oh yes, we love dominic the donkey (hee-haw, hee-haw) in this house! the chipmunks is a must and we have also been loving chirstmas music on the banjo. im off to google your songs now. i have never heard of them:)
The Waitress’-Christmas Wrapping. It’s so ridiculously 80’s and sort of sounds cynical until you really listen to the words. Love it. Also Mariah Carey – All I want for Christmas is You. My husband is from England and he came to the United States right before Christmas so we could get married. All through the Holidays anytime it comes on the radio I sing it Elf style (The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.) At first he protested, told me how dreadful Mariah Carey is, how bad the song is etc. However, I’ve won him over (It only took five years.) and now he smiles and hold my hand whenever I start bellowing it.
Cute notecards and you can’t be that budget!!! I walk around singing, “I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus…..” I don’t know why?? 🙂
hahahaha at ‘hamburger way, not hotdog way’
And there’s Dominic the Donkey, I Want A Hippopotamus for Christmas, Six White Boomers, and the best of the worst…. the entire Alvin and the Chipmunks Christmas CD
I can’t think of any cheesy ones,but I love Bing Crosby’s Christmas songs. I guess my all time favorite is “Breath of Heaven” by Amy Grant. It truly resonates the meaning of Christmas. Love your blog,the adorable pics of your kids,and all the inspiration. Merry Christmas!
“Last Christmas, I gave you my heart, but the very next day you gave it away…” WHAM! or is it George Michael? Either way, when it comes on, the whole family sings it out super cheesy and it makes me laugh so hard because it is such a terrible song! But Christmas wouldn’t be the same without it in my family!
My husband read SALT too and loved it. I tried but never quite finished. 🙂
Other than Cherry Cherry Christmas by Neil Diamond, you can’t forget his version of the Hanukkah Song! I love it more than Adam Sandler’s version because Neil is so serious about it! LOVE IT! Oh, and then there’s the family favorite of mine, Percy the Puny Poinsettia by Elmo and Patsy (the same people who sing Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer). Seriously, check them out!
I have to comment about the song “Last Christmas”. My daughter plays guitar and picked it as her one to play for the recital so I have had to listen to her practice it since September! I detest that song so much (fortunately, it got scrapped from the recital).