My goal was to always have my Christmas letters and pictures out by Thanksgiving. Now, I send them by e-mail and donate the money to a good cause. This there there are two: Blankets for an orphange in Mongolia and raising money for a neighbor who is about to be cut off from his Health Insurance (he is on a liver transplant list). I am giving a letter to loved ones and friends telling them how many blankets I donated in their name for Christmas.

A sister-in-law wrote last night that as a neighborhood they get today, have hot chocolate in someone’s garage and then donate the money they would have spent on neighborhood gifts to a worthy cause. (Great Idea)

SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIY, SIMPLIFY and enjoy the true reason for the season. Jesus said, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Is this not HIS birthday?

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

We are on a budeget and I have always Made a Menu so I know what to buy for each Month. When my husband was hurt back in 1983 we lived off $400 a month and I want you all to know that was very hard to do. We couldn’t hardly do anything so because of that we learned to make our time worth while for our two kids. We would play games with the kids at night cause we didn’t have T.V. and those were good time for us. Our kids went without for many years but we all had each other and we made do with what we had. Yes we had family around but they couldn’t meet our bill and food for us each month. We made it fine and we are better people for learning while our children was young and since they went through that with us they know now how to handle times when there is now money or all the comfort of life isn’t given to us.

Happy Holidays to each and every one of you.

Plan in advance. I find that if I start planning ahead of time I will find bargains in stores or will come across items I already have in the house that we can use.

Who needs money to have a party. All you need to have is 2 or more people and you have a party. Then all you do is tell stories, play games, etc. You don’t need decorations or food. If you want something to serve (or eat) just look in the fridge or pantry and start to raid. It’s fun.