Grandma Stories» homemade christmas gifts

Christmas For Grandparents – Personalized Christmas Gifts For Grandparents

Grandma — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 23:37:52 +0000

Choosing Christmas gifts for grandparents can at times be difficult, especially since many if not most grandparents have a home full of just about everything they need. Having seen several lists of what are deemed to be the “worst Christmas gifts for grandparents”, it is easy to see why gifting grandparents with things like cookbooks or knickknacks that must be cleaned or dusted aren’t the best ideas for gifting purposes.

Many grandparents have already or are in process of downsizing their homes to smaller abodes, so the last thing grandparents or elderly people need or want is more “stuff” to fill shelves and spend time on cleaning. Finding the perfect Christmas gift for a grandparent doesn’t have to be expensive, can certainly be homemade and dearly loved, and the more personalized the gift is the happier the grandparents will be.

While many grandparents love to receive new photos of their grandchildren for Christmas or other occasions, a new twist on the photo gift is to make a homemade iron on transfer and put the grandchildren’s picture on a sweatshirt or t-shirt for grandma and/or grandpa to wear proudly. Using fabric paint for the grandchildren to put their little hand prints on the front or back of the shirt is also a nice idea, and some parents even have their children use a fabric marker to write a special personalized message on the sweatshirt for an inexpensive gift.

Both grandma’s and grandpa’s love to bake cookies with their grandchildren, so one homemade gift idea might be to make “jar gifts” from your kitchen with dry ingredients for making cookies, brownies, muffins, cakes etc and place the ingredients in wide mouth jars or Mason jars in layers, decorated by the grandchildren with pretty ribbons and recipe instructions.

Another nice Christmas gift idea for grandparents requires a little help from the parents for making a homemade calendar with computer software with photos of the grandchildren for each of the twelve months. The grandchild(ren) can help select some of the best pictures to be used on the homemade calendar for a personalized touch, and may even want to use some decorative stickers for special dates like birthdays, holidays and anniversaries. Kids can make some kitchen magnets with self-photos using magnetic sheets, or plain kitchen magnets in various shapes with small photos applied, poems, special phrases or quotes.

For grandparents who have gardens, making some personalized stepping stones with clay kits is another cheap gift idea that grandparents will love, or handprint clay kits for young children to give their grandparents with hanging ribbon to display on the walls of their home. Personalized Christmas ornaments are lovely gifts for grandparents to trim their Christmas tree each year, and many other do-it-yourself craft kits for making grandma a necklace or bracelet and many other homemade craft gifts.

For Christmas, grandparents of all ages and abilities love nostalgia. Giving thoughtful gifts that bring back memories of long ago and perhaps forgotten over the years can brighten the smile on a grandparent’s face, being reminded of fun family times and family gatherings with a digital photo frame to cycle through important happy events. Grandchildren making a homemade scrapbook with help from mom and dad is another inexpensive but well thought out gift for grandparents to cherish.

Many grandparents love to read books but may have difficulty reading books with poor eyesight, which makes audio books a great gift option. Noise-cancelling earphones or headphones with volume controls allows grandparents with hearing impairment to enjoy listening to their favorite music or TV shows without difficulty. Senior grandparents who have difficulty getting around on their own, but enjoy activities to keep their mind sharp, find gifts like crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, board games, dominoes and crafting supplies wonderful gifts for grandparents to keep active.

Deciding on the best Christmas gifts for grandparents of any age is just a matter of knowing what their interests and hobbies are. Gift Grandma and/or Grandpa with a luxurious shower gift set or bath set for enjoying a soothing, warming and body-ache-reducing luxury bath or shower, perhaps with a bottle of their favorite women’s perfume or men’s cologne for a nice xmas present. As always, it truly is the Thought behind the gifts given that counts not the price tag, no matter how cheap the gifts may be, your thoughtful gift will be appreciated and cherished for many years.

Similar Posts:

Easy Beginner Sewing Patterns – Easiest Sewing Patterns for Beginners to Learn How to Sew

Grandma — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 21:13:32 +0000

As a sewing beginner, it makes sense to learn how to sew different things from easy sewing patterns, whether the patterns are free pattern downloads found online or quick and easy patterns made and bought from Simplicity and others. I’ve been making a long list of easy sewing and craft projects I want to make myself with my sewing machine, but I’m also planning on taking advantage of as many no-sew crafts and kits as possible too, for home use or to give as gifts for various occasions that come up.

I recently came across a complete list of sewing pattern companies, with many company names I’ve never heard of. The most well-known, popular pattern companies tend to be Kwik Sew, McCall’s, Simplicity, Stretch & Sew, Butterick, Burda, Amy Butler, Vogue, etc. Since my order for fleece and cotton fabric has arrived from my favorite online fabric stores and so quickly, I’m ready to really jump-start my sewing hobby by making several easy scrub tops, since Grandpa’s no-sew throw blanket is nearly finished.

At this point, I definitely fall into the category of beginner/novice vs. intermediate, advanced or expert, so it‘s important for me to choose from the easiest sewing patterns as a sewing beginner for quick results to stay motivated and not become bored or overwhelmed. It was somewhat surprising to find Vogue patterns in the “easy” category, since much of the fashion patterns and crafts I’ve seen made by Vogue don’t look easy at all, and definitely not quick.

Easiest Sewing Patterns For Beginners

As much as I like finding and using copyright free, downloaded patterns for sewing projects and crafts, I actually prefer to buy easy sewing patterns that are not only cheap but by reputable, well known pattern companies known for making patterns with easy-to-follow how-to instructions, pictures and diagrams, as well as detailed information on the amount of fabric needed and what types of fabric to use for what I’m trying to make.

For that reason, I really like Kwik-Sew and Simplicity’s sewing patterns for dummies because of how easy it is make sewing a hobby rather than a boring chore to be avoided, and there are so many great beginner sewing ideas to choose from. Some of the easiest sewing projects anyone can make with even a beginners sewing machine are pillows, door draft stoppers, pot holders, throw blankets, flannel baby blankets, simple tote bags, homemade grocery bag holder, sachets, hats and hood scarves, basic aprons, hair scrunches, pillow cases and shams, fabric eye glass case, wraps, pajamas and nightgowns, cloth napkins and placemats, baby shoes and slippers/booties, soft toys and more.

We’ve gotten more involved with recycling than ever before, and an easy sewing project on my list is to make some cheap cloth, reusable grocery bags out of unused, leftover, recycled fabric rather than asking for paper or plastic at the grocery store or paying for the cloth grocery tote bags at the store. I found a couple quick and easy stretch and sew patterns for tote bags that would make great grocery store reusable totes, and I’ve even been asked to make a few extras for friends and family who have begun recycling coffee grounds and want some fabric grocery bags in an effort to become more eco-friendly.

Clothkits

Years ago I remember hearing about the British Clothkits company mail order business, which specialized in selling silk-screened patterns pre-printed onto fabric – clothing kits for children and adults, containing all the materials needed to cut out and assemble clothes without the need of pinning paper patterns to fabric.

I looked up Clothkits online to see if the company had resurfaced, and if by chance there might be any USA Clothkit stores online or any stores at all that might sell cloth kits, as a quick and easy sewing project for beginners, older kids, moms and Grandma’s like me. An artist named Kay Mawer bought the Clothkits brand in 2007 and relaunched the UK company in 2008, which is great for people who live there but not so great for American’s who don’t want to pay the international shipping costs to have cloth kits delivered to the US.

While browsing Facebook pages “liked” by friends, I happened upon information about a store in Columbus Ohio called Lottie Da, owned and run by Amy Routh. Amy’s online Lottie Da Baby website says she’ll soon be selling Clothkits, but there’s no information yet on exactly when that will begin or how much cloth kits will cost consumers. Considering how popular cloth kits clothes are in other countries, it sounds like a great kids sewing project and a good one for sewing beginners to check out. If the price is right.

Similar Posts:

Door Draft Blockers – How to Make Door Draft Stoppers with Door or Window Draft Dodger Patterns

Grandma — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 21:20:46 +0000

Door draft blockers are called by many different names. Door draft blocker, door draft stopper, door draft dodger, door draft stop and even a “bean snake”. Simply put, a door draft dodger, stopper or blocker is a long tube of fabric that is sewn and stuffed with various materials and used to keep the cold and windy outside air from coming into your house or apartment through drafty windows, doors and fireplaces.

Using door draft stoppers under doors, along drafty window sills, to cover any cracks where cold air leaks in or around fireplaces helps keep warm air in and cold air outside where it belongs, and helps consumers save money on heating bills and energy during cold and blustery winter months. During hot summer months, cool air conditioned air can leak out through the same cracks around doors, patios and windows, substantially increasing your electric air-conditioning bills.

Stop Door Drafts! Every home has at least one leaky door, window or window sills, patio sliding door, basement doors or windows, fireplace or attic doors that should be checked for air leaks. To check for any air leaks or cracks, feel around every door, door frames, windows and other areas of your home with your bare hand or cheek and see if you feel any amount of air leakage or draft.

You can buy snake-shaped door draft dodgers to guard and protect against air leaks that actually look like a snake with a whimsical designed red felt tongue and button snake eyes, or various animals like dogs and cats. Grandpa and I love the Hallmark Maxine door draft dodger we found on eBay, which could be used to block door drafts or as a decorative fireplace mantel shelf sitter.

How to Make Door Draft Stoppers

Making door draft stoppers is an ideal, inexpensive craft project for sewing beginners and a great kids craft project for older kids, sewn on a sewing machine (with help from mom or Grandma), crocheted or knitted. Beginner sewing books and simple door draft patterns with easy to follow instructions are cheap, with suggestions on fabrics to use and a list of things needed to make whatever style door or window draft stopper you might want to make.

Free, printable, downloadable sewing patterns can be found online to make fabric snake door draft stoppers, patchwork door draft blockers and very cute character themed drafty door blockers that look like a dog (dachshund, sheepdog, husky, lab, etc), cool cats, cow, leopard, dragon, hippo, camouflage, giraffe, bunny rabbit, Santa Claus, snowman, Wizard of Oz wicked witch of the west ruby slippers and legs draft stopper, dolls, a Star Wars space slug, brown wood fireplace log, a tree branch with green leaves, gnome and mushroom, and many other ingenious ideas for craft hobbyists.

If you want to make your own fabric stuffed draft snake with your sewing machine, you will need enough fabric to cover the area where your draft dodger will be placed. Fabric needed for making draft stoppers can be heavy duty fabrics like corduroy, denim (old jeans), upholstery or quilt fabric. You can also use 100% cotton, flannel, heavy stretch knits or polar fleece, polyester blends, super soft micro-suede fabric, dad’s old neckties, etc. If you have any leftover fabric pieces from previous sewing/craft projects, these would work nicely for making patchwork draft stoppers.

Besides your sewing machine (unless sewing seams by hand -ugh!), you will need measuring tape, matching or coordinating thread, good quality fabric cutting shears, your sewing pattern/template (if needed), straight/stick pins, funnel and stuffing materials. Optional materials needed for DIY draft stoppers, depending on what kind of draft stopper you plan to make, might include a variety of decorative accessories such as buttons for eyes, felt material for snake tongue, etc.

What to stuff your door draft dodger with? There are many ideas for stuffing materials that range from eco-friendly recycled products you may already have in your home like old socks, cloth scraps, old sheets, pillowcases, cut up sweatshirts or t-shirts, cotton gloves and towels etc will all make great stuffing for recycled door draft stoppers.

Stuffing ideas may also be sawdust, sandbox sand, dried beans, peas, shredded up newspaper, un-popped popcorn, aquarium gravel, cat litter or “yesterday’s news cat litter” made from recycled newspaper, pieces of quilt cotton batting, fiberfill pillow stuffing, polypropylene pellets used in beanie babies which are washable and nontoxic. Uncooked rice and feed corn is sometimes suggested for filling draft dodger snakes but is not recommended for homes with pet dogs or cats, and anyone experiencing trouble with mice should definitely not use corn or other grains as an organic filler for draft stoppers.

5 online resources where you can learn simple and easy ways of making adorable homemade drafter stoppers are:

Door Draft Blocker Snake Craft that Kids Can Make at CraftJr.com
Martha Stewart’s Draft Dodger Tutorial and Template at her website
20 Door Draft Snake Ideas for Do-It-Yourselfer’s at The Daily Green
15 Door Draft Stoppers, Dodgers, Snakes with FREE Patterns at TipNut (love this site!)
FREE Download, Printable DIY Door Draft Snake in PDF at VonFrau

Detailed, step-by-step “how to” instructions, pictures and printable tutorials to make your own door draft stoppers includes my personal favorite which is the “hot dog draft stop” snake I found on the craft stylish website, that I am in process of making into a Lab draft stopper for Grandpa.

Crafter’s and hobbyists can turn their homemade sewn, knitted or crocheted door draft stoppers into wonderful wintertime Christmas gifts, donate the draft stoppers to homeless shelters, senior citizens, low-income families in need, church groups, or even sell them online at Etsy.com or at craft sales or garage sales. Fun, easy to make, and best of all…appreciated.

Similar Posts:

Best Last Minute Christmas Gift Ideas of Last Minute Gifts to Make or Buy

Grandma — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 08:00:42 +0000

No one can accuse me of being a procrastinator, waiting until the last minute to buy Christmas gifts for everyone on our list. Shopping for Christmas gifts at the last minute, within days, hours or minutes of Christmas gift-giving exchanges would make this Grandma stressed out and unable to enjoy the fun festivities of the holiday season. Christmas Eve gift shopping? Yikes!

Even though our Christmas shopping is often finished well ahead of time, gift-wrapped and ready for Christmas gatherings with family and friends, sometimes there is a need to buy or make a last minute Christmas gift for an unexpected guest. It isn’t much fun watching or participating in opening Christmas gifts when someone is invited at the last minute to a Christmas dinner party when there is not a single present for him or her to open. Awkward is putting it mildly.

I like to keep a list of a few last minute gift ideas for those “just in case” moments at Christmastime, gifts that are inexpensive but still thoughtful, and certainly something the child, teen or adult would actually like and enjoy receiving. If I were as crafty as I’d like to be, I’d have a few pre-made, homemade knitted or crocheted hats, scarves, mittens etc in a nicely decorated Christmas-themed box for those surprise moments when a last minute gift is needed.

Since I don’t know how to sew very well yet, and I certainly have no experience with knitting or crocheting or making other handmade crafts to give as gifts, I have to stick with quick and easy cheap gifts from a retail store or homemade gift ideas of things that can be quickly made and given from my kitchen. Homemade Christmas sugar cookies with icing and sprinkles, brownies, fudge, Pecan Sandies tea cookies, soup mixes in a mason jar, my pecan pie muffins with a recipe card attached etc.

Homemade Christmas food gifts like: rum cake, coffee cake, pumpkin bread, popcorn or granola mixes, caramel corn clusters, chocolate bark with or without nuts, homemade biscotti cookie samplers, canned jams and jellies, chocolate-dipped peppermint sticks, homemade hot chocolate mixes presented in a holiday-themed coffee cup or mug, all make easy last minute Christmas gifts to make and enjoyed by the recipient.

Last minute gift ideas for wine drinkers isn’t hard either; just make a small homemade gift basket out of a good quality bottle of wine, add some cheese and cracker selections along with a new bottle opener, wrap it all up in a pretty basket or box with some colorful cellophane and ribbon and you’re all set to go.

A last minute trip to our local grocery store or pharmacy offers some quick and inexpensive gift ideas of fruit and nut gift basket selections, varieties of bubble bath or novelty soaps, great smelling candles, gift cards for restaurants or movie theaters or electronics stores etc, gourmet coffee and tea gift sets, women’s perfumes or men’s cologne’s, just to name a few of some of the best things that can be found last minute.

Shopping last minute for Secret Santa Christmas parties at work with co-workers can sometimes be a challenge, especially when the maximum price for a gift is no more than five, ten or twenty dollars. We found a cheap webcam within the required price range and it was one of the gifts everyone was fighting over. Inexpensive tools for men or women, small electronic gadgets, digital photo frames, barbeque/grill tool sets, books from a top-notch author, movies, CD’s, magazine subscriptions all make excellent, quick and easy to find last minute gifts.

Last minute Christmas gifts for kids or grandchildren might include a couple of the most popular board games for kids, building blocks, jigsaw puzzles, stuffed toys, high-bounce balls, toy cars or trucks, etc. The possibilities are endless if you really put your mind to it. Gift shopping at the last minute before Christmas still means putting some thought into what the gift recipient likes and enjoys, specifically needs or wants for Christmas.

Even though we’re finished with all of our Christmas shopping and ready for just about anything, there is always the possibility that an additional guest or two will be added last minute to our dinner guest list. We’re not worried at all though, as we’ve got lots of ideas for gifts we can make at home, in the kitchen, or quickly run to a local store and buy a small gift for our house guest just in case.

Similar Posts:

Decorative Christmas Boxes as Christmas Decorations to Decorate Your Home for Christmas

Grandma — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 20:49:59 +0000

I get a real kick out of decorating our home for Christmas. I love everything about Christmas. The Christmas music, lights, holiday-themed movies, parties, gatherings of close friends and family for a meal and presents on Christmas Eve, and especially the joking and laughter that goes with spending time with people you love and who love you.

Buying Christmas decorations to decorate for Christmas can get very expensive, so I’m always looking for great ideas on how to decorate for Christmas inexpensively, on a budget. While I’m definitely going to be working hard to make my own Christmas decorations with my new sewing machine, homemade decorations that look good and presentable, I can’t help but smile and laugh at some of the ideas I’ve come across lately. When I say that I laugh, I mean that in a very good way. I’m often amazed at the craftiness some people have.

When I approached Grandpa a few weeks ago to ask him how he felt about possibly giving Christmas gifts to some of the people we stopped buying for a couple of years ago, I expressed my desire to give Christmas gifts not only to the very young grandchildren but also some of the adults as well, and I was happy to hear that Grandpa was in agreement with me. I knew then that I needed to come up with pretty unique ways to decorate, at least inside the house, otherwise it wasn’t going to look much like Christmas around here.

Since I really didn’t have the time or money needed to go and buy Christmas decorations this year, I began looking for some alternative decorating ideas online that are easy on the wallet. That’s when I heard about decorative Christmas boxes, and how you can make your home look beautifully decorated for Christmas just by using small, medium and large boxes that you might already have in your home to decorate with.

There are different kinds of decorative Christmas boxes, with completely different uses. Some people buy decorative Christmas boxes to put Christmas presents in rather than using wrapping paper, ribbons and bows, etc. That’s not the kind of Christmas boxes I’m referring to though. The type of Christmas boxes I’m talking about comes from the long list of holiday decorating ideas found right here and on other sites that might be referred to by some as “dollar store” Christmas decorations.

Decorating with boxes means gathering up empty boxes in various sizes, from very small, to medium, to large boxes and wrapping each box with Christmas wrapping paper, ribbons and bows, and maybe even slap a nametag on the top and place the empty wrapped boxes in groups around your Christmas tree, livingroom, or other rooms in your home as a cheap and inexpensive decorating idea. My favorite thing to do with empty boxes as Christmas decoration is to use oddly shaped boxes, cylinder/tube shaped boxes etc along with the regular square or rectangle-shaped boxes.

What had not occurred to me until a friend mentioned it, is that wrapping empty boxes (or a few lightly packed boxes with non-perishable junk inside) with old, unused Christmas wrap and faulty bows (where the sticky tab doesn’t stick anymore) works very well to thwart off pesky thieves. Place empty, Christmas wrapped boxes under and around your Christmas tree and wherever else you want to use boxes as decoration pieces, until just before the Christmas Eve or Christmas Day gift-unwrapping foray begins.

My friend even suggested putting old, to-be-thrown-away shoes, boots, shirts, broken electronics etc inside the boxes that will be wrapped and saved for next year’s Christmas decorating, to give the added illusion of there being real Christmas presents inside the boxes (in case your home is ever broken to). That was when I started laughing. Some people are so crafty it makes me smile.

Another friend of mine knows how to make glass block Christmas decorations out of real glass blocks that are drilled into from one side and decorated all sorts of unique and special ways. She made a 3-piece handmade set of decorated glass blocks with cut-out nativity scenes and fancy lettering designs and twinkling lights for Grandpa and I, wrapped them all in beautiful red and golden ribbon and gave it to us recently as one of the most thoughtful gifts we could have ever received.

Even if my own craft projects of making homemade decorations, gifts and crafts don’t turn out as nicely as some of those I’ve seen lately, I won’t mind at all because I know I’m in the company of many good friends who will teach me how to make homemade crafts like the professionals they are. The cheap decoration of wrapped empty boxes…, now that’s a decorative idea I can do on my own.

Similar Posts:

Handmade Christmas Decorations – Indoor Christmas Decorations to Make

Grandma — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 19:21:01 +0000

Making handmade Christmas decorations, Christmas tree ornaments, diningroom table and fireplace mantel xmas home decor is just one of the many reasons why I’m anxious to receive my new sewing machine for Christmas this year. Christmas is my all-time favorite holiday, not because of all the festive Christmas gift-giving or receiving gifts that goes with the holiday season, but because of what Christmas means to me personally.

To me, Christmas means spending time with those you love and who love you, remembering that Christmas is all about Jesus and all He did for us, not about Christmas presents. Christmas is a time of sharing and being with family and close friends, helping those in need who are less fortunate than ourselves, like people living in shelters or homeless people living on the street or those who don’t have enough food to eat. You don’t have to be a Church-going attendee to understand the true meaning of Christmas.

Decorating for Christmas, indoor and outdoor, can get very expensive. I’m not really interested in decorating every room in the house for Christmas, but I’ve gotten quite a few great ideas on ways to decorate for Christmas from online pictures and sewing patterns of things I can make myself, at a much cheaper price than simply buying decorations at retail or online stores. As a self-proclaimed sewing beginner, finding simple, quick and easy craft projects that I can make with my sewing machine or by hand, gives me so many Christmas decorating ideas that I don’t know where to begin.

I’ve made my own Christmas wreaths before and the wreaths turned out quite nicely, so much so that I’ve been asked a few times to make Christmas wreaths for others, and I was happy to oblige. A few years ago I was asked to make several wreaths of varying kinds and styles that would be sold at a church craft sale and the proceeds donated to charity, and I fully intend on making and selling other Christmas decorations and crafts where the profit proceeds are once again donated to charities.

I enjoy handmade and commercial Christmas decorations and ornaments of all kinds just like everyone else does. Angels, gingerbread houses, snowmen, reindeer, Santa’s and elves, they’re all beautiful and unique in different ways. Indoor and outdoor animated Christmas decorations make us laugh and smile, but I have no lofty plans of making animated decorations or wooden outdoor Christmas yard art whatsoever. I’ll leave the animated stuff and lawn décor to the skilled and experienced professionals.

To make Christmas decorations that are homemade, made by hand or with my sewing machine, will be a long-term project of making a variety of crafts to display throughout the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season at home, to give as inexpensive gifts or to adorn Christmas presents with homemade Christmas tree ornaments rather than using typical cheap ribbons and bows sold in stores.

I become a kid-at-heart during the Christmas holiday season, especially during our annual visit to a relatively expensive Christmas decoration store where I get some great ideas for decorating at Christmastime without actually buying much of anything at the very high-priced store. Virtually everything sold at the local Christmas décor store is handmade, including artificial Christmas trees, ornaments, stockings, tree skirts, countdown calendars, garland, home decorations, tablecloths, wreaths etc, but buying unique handmade Christmas decorations there comes at a very high cost that will drain your wallet dry rather quickly.

With my adoration for reindeer and snowman Christmas decorations being at the top of my list of craft projects to start making, besides the usual Santa’s and elves and sleighs of course, decorating the front door, fireplace mantel, kitchen, bathroom, living room and dining room areas for the Christmas season is going to be a lot of fun. It will also give me plenty of time and opportunity to greatly improve my sewing and crafting skills in order to feel competent and good enough to sell (or give as gifts) the homemade Christmas decorations I decide to make.

I’ll of course be watching closely for after-Christmas sales, discounts and clearances on exterior Christmas decorations to save for next year’s lawn displays. Finding unique and inexpensive blow up outdoor decorations shouldn’t be too hard, except at retail stores that have already been picked over and the only yard art left is stuff no one else wants either. I have no intention of turning the inside or outside of our house into a Santa’s village or “winter wonderland” at all, but it will be a lot of fun to at least have a few rooms decorated nicely for Christmas parties and family gatherings and not look so primitive and bare.

Similar Posts:

No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe

Grandma — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 01:58:22 +0000

The No Bake Chocolate, Oatmeal, Peanut Butter Cookies is a family favorite throughout the year, but these delicious cookies are especially requested around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays and I’m happy to oblige.

I’ve been known to make these cookies and ship them overnight to family and friends living out of state, or make them and give a batch or two to friends as a “just because” gift. I’ve recently heard that some people refer to these cookies as “Reindeer Turds” and I can understand why, based on how they cookies look when they’re done setting up, but if you like chocolate, oatmeal and peanut butter, you will love these cookies.

My Pecan Pie Muffins are made every year during the holiday season at the request of family, as are my Pecan Sandies cookies baked and rolled in powdered sugar. If you haven’t yet made these easy no bake cookies that have been popular for many years, I would highly recommend spending the few minutes of preparation time and give them a try. These chocolate oatmeal peanut butter cookies require no baking in the oven at all, as all the “baking” is done on the stove top and only take a few minutes to prepare.

No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies

Measure out the ingredients for this cookie recipe ahead of time because you’ll need each item listed pretty quickly and you don’t want to burn the mixture as it cooks on the stove.

3 1/2 cups dry quick-cooking oatmeal

1/2 cup peanut butter (creamy, crunchy or extra crunchy)

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 stick butter (8 tablespoons), cut into pieces

2 cups sugar (white granulated)

1/2 cup milk

4 tablespoons cocoa

How to Make No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies

Place the butter, sugar, milk and cocoa in a large saucepan, gently mix together. Turn the heat on high and bring cookie mixture to a full, rolling boil. Let the mixture boil for exactly 1 minute uncovered, no more and no less than a minute. Remove from heat and add vanilla, oatmeal and peanut butter. Use a large wooden spoon to quickly stir the ingredients together completely and thoroughly.

Using two spoons or a small ice cream scoop, drop the hot cookie mixture by tablespoons on wax paper. Allow the cookies to cool until set, approximately 30 minutes.

We usually double the recipe for a larger batch of these delicious cookies to last longer than a day. I’ve noticed some people suggest making individual cookie batches and repeat the stove cooking process for each additional batch desired because the cookie dough can become rather difficult to mix once the oatmeal, peanut butter and vanilla have been added. That hasn’t been a problem for me, so you’ll have to decide for yourself if separating batches is really necessary or not.

These no bake cookies ship well overnight boxed up in an airtight container. I also like to include a index card with the recipe for the recipient to enjoy making them on their own and share with loved ones. I haven’t tried it yet myself, but I bet this cookie recipe would do very well as a Christmas “jar” mixture gift, where dry ingredients are layered in a mason jar and the jar lid is decorated with Christmas ribbon and a recipe card attached. Enjoy!

Similar Posts:

Bad Gift Emporium – When It’s The Thought That Counts is Bad Gifts

Grandma — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 15:58:32 +0000

Heard of the Bad Gift Emporium? The Bad Gift Emporium is a site dedicated to re-gifting a gift received that are unwanted gifts. Bad Gift Emporium is the online version of people standing in those long return lines and gift exchange lines at stores to return bad gifts, since the belief of it’s the thought that counts is just a lie.

A bad gift may be both radiant or repulsive to the gift recipient, depending on the eye of the beholder. If you’ve ever stood in the gift returns line to return or exchange a bad gift, or a White Elephant gift you don’t want, check out Bad Gift Emporium at badgiftemporium.com

The day after Christmas is always a popular day for people to go to Bad Gift Emporium, which makes the bad gift site show up on the list of trending topics at Google Trends. Remember, it’s the thought that counts…..right? Wrong.

If you received a few gifts that you don’t want or don’t like, Bad Gift Emporium is the site of the day to explore, trade or compare your own bad gifts collection with the gifts that have been submitted.

Remember the old saying “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”? That’s one reason why Bad Gifts Emporium is so popular right after Christmas. No driving to the store and standing in those long lines to return bad gifts anymore. Just head over to the bad gifts official website and turn in your bad gifts or unwanted gifts for someone else to enjoy.

At Bad Gift Emporium, people upload photos of bad gifts they received with hope that some visitor will see it and want to take their gift off their hands. Some people may have to keep their bad gifts, especially if they live with the bad gift-giver, so those people just share photos of the bad gifts they have to keep and put up with for a verrrry long time.

If nothing else, checking out the Bad Gift Emporium website can be a fun and entertaining site to visit just to see what sort of things people consider to be a bad gift. Plus, it further proves the point that it’s the thought that counts is just a bunch of bull.

Similar Posts:

Homemade Christmas Gifts For Grandparents-Personalized Grandparent Gifts

Grandma — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 20:25:28 +0000

Homemade Christmas gifts for grandparents vs. personalized grandparent gifts, which is best for grandma and grandpa? It can be a challenge to think of new Christmas gift ideas for grandparents, especially when Christmas shopping for elderly or senior grandparents who have everything already or grandparents who don’t live nearby. Gifts for grandparents, especially Christmas gifts for grandparents over 70, only requires a little creative thinking and time to find unique grandparent gifts grandma or grandpa will love.

Thoughtful Christmas gifts for grandparents are those that take care of needs, solve problems, keep them comfortable and show them you care. The best gifts for grandparents are tailored to their tastes, interests, hobbies and activities. Grandparent activities or hobbies may include things like bowling, golfing, fishing, hunting, gardening, boating, traveling, cooking, needlepoint, crafts, sewing, reading and volunteering. Many grandma’s and grandpa’s of all ages are also computer geeks, internet surfers, web-savvy, techie/gadget electronics lovers.

Best Christmas Gifts For Grandma and Grandpa

Today’s grandmother and grandfather are younger thinking than in past generations, keeping active by walking, hiking or playing tennis, and have a longer life expectancy. All grandparents love gifts that focus on their grandchildren, especially recent photos put in a digital photo frame that holds a lot of pictures. With a little help from you in learning how to add photos to a digital picture frame, grandma and grandpa will enjoy the pictures of their grandchildren for years to come.

Another favorite gift idea for grandparents are personalized Christmas gifts for grandparents and collectibles that take into account the personal interests, wants and needs of grandma and grandpa. Have you considered a family ring or mothers ring as a great keepsake gift for grandmothers and grandfathers?

There are many family ring designs to choose from, often personalized with genuine birthstones or simulated stones signifying the birth month, and/or names of each child or family member. Jewelry gifts for grandmothers or grandfathers may be rings, bracelets, charms, necklaces, pendants, lockets, gold or silver cufflinks, money clip, new wrist watch or pocket watch are all appreciated by grandparents.

Christmas Gift Baskets and themed gift baskets are a personal favorite, as gift baskets are a simple and inexpensive gift idea for grandparents regardless of their interests and hobbies. There are gift baskets that meet the needs and tastes of every grandma and grandpa regardless of age or ability, and you can’t go wrong giving your special grandparent a perfect gift basket filled with goodies or delectable gourmet snacks.

If your grandparent is living in a nursing home or senior care center, choose appropriate Christmas gifts that won’t take up a lot of room or add a lot of clutter, but pay close attention to what things grandma or grandpa may be needing or replaced because of wear and tear.

Bathrobe

Nightgown

Undergarments

Comb or brush set

Slippers

Cologne or perfume

Bath products, powders or lotions

Books or magazines

Word search or crossword puzzles

Chocolates or candy

Lap tables make a great gift!

Playing cards, dominoes or board games

New pillow, sheets, quilt or comforter

New clock or clock radio

CD player and CDs of their favorite music

Large button Universal TV remote

DVD player and/or favorite movie collection

Gift Cards, Restaurant Gift Certificates, large print books, lap blanket or throw, Grandma brag books, money and TIME spent together with family and friends are some good Christmas gift ideas for senior citizens and younger grandparents.

Similar Posts:

Christmas Gifts For Grandparents-Homemade Christmas Gifts For Grandparents

Grandma — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 02:59:00 +0000

Being a grandparent is one of the greatest joys in life, and when Christmastime rolls around, finding special Christmas gifts for grandparents can sometimes be challenging. Most grandmas and grandpas fall into the category of being grandparents who have everything they need or want already, and most grandparents will tell you not to buy them a Christmas gift that requires a lot of attention, dusting, or money.

For a grandparent who has everything, there are still many options in choosing creative and unique presents for grandparents that don’t cost a lot of money. Grandparents understand the financial strain that the economy is having on families struggling to provide for themselves and their children, and grandma and grandpa gifts don’t need to be expensive.

Christmas presents for grandparents that are homemade are some of the best gifts anyone would be thrilled to receive, especially when the gift carries some special meaning and sentiment between the grandparent and gift-giver. Grandchildren can make homemade Christmas ornaments that have been hand-decorated with their name, age and date as a creative and cheap gift for Granny and Pop Pop.

Gift baskets for grandparents that contain sweet treats, cookies, candies, chocolates, gourmet coffee and tea, bath products and other cheap additions are an excellent gift idea for grandparents that won’t break the bank.

Homemade Christmas gifts from your kitchen can be given as gifts in a jar such as muffins, breads, hot cocoa, dry soup mixes, brownie mixes and other tasty treats that are layered in mason jars and decorated with Christmas ribbon and recipe instruction note cards.

Many grandparents have gone digital and are quite computer savvy. If Granny or Grandpapa enjoy sending cards to family and friends, consider buying the Hallmark Card Studio software where printable cards can be created and printed right from the computer! That’s a time-saving, cost effective way of giving cards throughout the year.

Out of all the gift ideas that grandparents could suggest, there aren’t many that would suggest giving Grandma or Grandpa a new puppy or kitten. Some grandparents might be thrilled to be surprised with the gift of a new pet, but other grandparents may not wish to be responsible for feeding and taking care of a pet at this stage in their lives. If in doubt, always ask a grandparent about their interest in having a new dog or cat to love and take care of before buying or adopting a pet for a grandparent.

The best Christmas gift grandparents of all ages would enjoy is the gift of time spent with children and grandchildren. Pull out some of the old classic board games, card games or dominoes the family used to play together, take some family photos of everyone having a good time together and create some lasting memories with the pictures being placed in a digital photo frame for grandma and grandpa to enjoy.

There are many Christmas crafts for grandparents who are crafty and like to make things with their hands, so consider your grandparents interests and hobbies when deciding on a Christmas gift. Does Grandma like to sew, knit or crochet? Is Granny active or more sedentary? Does Grandpa enjoy fishing, hunting or sports like golf? Make your grandparents a homemade shadow box of their favorite things to do, or a shadow box of their accomplishments, awards and achievements from days gone by as a treasured Christmas gift.

Similar Posts: