Comments on: Finally Back! Christmas Prayers, GREENery, Gifts to Keep and Return! http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2009/12/31/finally-back-christmas-prayers-greenery-gifts-to-keep-and-return/ Balancing God's Gifts...One Baby Step at a Time Mon, 13 Feb 2012 01:49:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Patty http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2009/12/31/finally-back-christmas-prayers-greenery-gifts-to-keep-and-return/comment-page-1/#comment-8815 Patty Thu, 07 Jan 2010 13:50:29 +0000 http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/?p=4202#comment-8815 Sarah W, That is awesome. I got outdoor compost bins from the husband last year. I picked up my own kitchen bin this year on clearance at TJMaxx because I too was using and old plastic container. Maybe we are getting through to our relatives! :-) Sarah W,
That is awesome. I got outdoor compost bins from the husband last year. I picked up my own kitchen bin this year on clearance at TJMaxx because I too was using and old plastic container. Maybe we are getting through to our relatives! :-)

]]> By: Naomi http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2009/12/31/finally-back-christmas-prayers-greenery-gifts-to-keep-and-return/comment-page-1/#comment-8803 Naomi Thu, 07 Jan 2010 07:40:52 +0000 http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/?p=4202#comment-8803 We're in the process of building our own family traditions. The Slovak traditions are from my husband, but we incorporate my Canadian family traditions too, that randomly started. Christmas morning is (soaked) pancakes with all the trimmings, and on boxing day we had a turkey for his family - new to them! New Years Eve we wanted to make sushi (my father is Japanese and New Years is big there) and forgot the day of. Next tear! We’re in the process of building our own family traditions. The Slovak traditions are from my husband, but we incorporate my Canadian family traditions too, that randomly started. Christmas morning is (soaked) pancakes with all the trimmings, and on boxing day we had a turkey for his family – new to them! New Years Eve we wanted to make sushi (my father is Japanese and New Years is big there) and forgot the day of. Next tear!

]]> By: Sarah W http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2009/12/31/finally-back-christmas-prayers-greenery-gifts-to-keep-and-return/comment-page-1/#comment-8799 Sarah W Thu, 07 Jan 2010 04:35:16 +0000 http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/?p=4202#comment-8799 My favorite "weird" gift this year was a compost bucket! (I'd been using an old plastic storage container which was pretty hideous.) The best part was that I never would have expected it from my SIL!! My favorite “weird” gift this year was a compost bucket! (I’d been using an old plastic storage container which was pretty hideous.) The best part was that I never would have expected it from my SIL!!

]]> By: Barb from Allendale http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2009/12/31/finally-back-christmas-prayers-greenery-gifts-to-keep-and-return/comment-page-1/#comment-8666 Barb from Allendale Wed, 06 Jan 2010 06:04:35 +0000 http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/?p=4202#comment-8666 Katie, if you have baked loaded potatoes and leftover chili again next Christmas Eve, it will have become a tradition. We don't have any cultural traditions either, but 20 years ago my DH hurriedly put browned hamburger and spaghetti sauce together as Sloppy Joes before the kids went trick-or-treating. This past October those grownup kids still at home walked in sniffing the air. "She did make Sloppy Joes!" (I took over when dad was on second shift.) It's a tradition. Katie, if you have baked loaded potatoes and leftover chili again next Christmas Eve, it will have become a tradition. We don’t have any cultural traditions either, but 20 years ago my DH hurriedly put browned hamburger and spaghetti sauce together as Sloppy Joes before the kids went trick-or-treating. This past October those grownup kids still at home walked in sniffing the air. “She did make Sloppy Joes!” (I took over when dad was on second shift.) It’s a tradition.

]]> By: Katie http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2009/12/31/finally-back-christmas-prayers-greenery-gifts-to-keep-and-return/comment-page-1/#comment-8657 Katie Wed, 06 Jan 2010 05:08:37 +0000 http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/?p=4202#comment-8657 Naomi, I just loved reading about the Slovak traditions! I have fond memories of having Oplatky, too, as a traditional Polish Catholic Church. What beautiful traditions! That's the kind of thing I want for my children, but I don't have any cultural traditions that we actually did on Christmas to start with. This year we had loaded baked potatoes and leftover chili on Christmas Eve, but I don't know if that will make a good "every year we did this" memory! :) I'm so glad you shared -- Katie Naomi,
I just loved reading about the Slovak traditions! I have fond memories of having Oplatky, too, as a traditional Polish Catholic Church. What beautiful traditions! That’s the kind of thing I want for my children, but I don’t have any cultural traditions that we actually did on Christmas to start with. This year we had loaded baked potatoes and leftover chili on Christmas Eve, but I don’t know if that will make a good “every year we did this” memory! :) I’m so glad you shared — Katie

]]> By: Rita http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2009/12/31/finally-back-christmas-prayers-greenery-gifts-to-keep-and-return/comment-page-1/#comment-8652 Rita Wed, 06 Jan 2010 02:30:10 +0000 http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/?p=4202#comment-8652 I love reading what everyone got for Christmas! I borrowed Artisan in 5 from the library and it was amazing! We have been making our own homemade bread for almost a year now (I have only bought 2 loves since last March) and I think the secret is finding a recipe you can do without thinking about. Also, we use rechargable energizer batteries for our camera and really like them. We got mostly money which we put into our house that we just bought in August (new rugs!!) and lots of clothes for the little man. Hubbie gave me some new pyrex! The wrapping paper kills me at least my dad and brothers opt for newspaper and mil passes a bag for the bows to be reused. But I reused Christmas cards from last year and made gift tags that I was quite proud of! I love reading what everyone got for Christmas! I borrowed Artisan in 5 from the library and it was amazing! We have been making our own homemade bread for almost a year now (I have only bought 2 loves since last March) and I think the secret is finding a recipe you can do without thinking about. Also, we use rechargable energizer batteries for our camera and really like them.

We got mostly money which we put into our house that we just bought in August (new rugs!!) and lots of clothes for the little man. Hubbie gave me some new pyrex!

The wrapping paper kills me at least my dad and brothers opt for newspaper and mil passes a bag for the bows to be reused. But I reused Christmas cards from last year and made gift tags that I was quite proud of!

]]> By: Naomi http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2009/12/31/finally-back-christmas-prayers-greenery-gifts-to-keep-and-return/comment-page-1/#comment-8624 Naomi Tue, 05 Jan 2010 13:43:47 +0000 http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/?p=4202#comment-8624 Christmas Eve we managed to go to an afternoon Mass, then sat down to dinner. The fast is observed here in Slovakia during the day. In the evening we burn incense (the church kind), the father goes around the house sprinking it with blessed water, and then we sit down to dinner. The first part of Luke is read, and then each person opens a walnut (predict health for the next year), has money under their plate, shares an apple among the family, eats a clove of garlic (to make you healthy for the next year), and eats oplatky (sweet thin wafers) with honey. Different areas have different traditions, but in dh's family dinner is cream of lentil soup with prunes (sounds wierd but is good) potato salad and fish. Then we open presents. This year our kids both got a book and a wooden toy (from us). I originally wrapped my husband's gift in fabric, but when he heard he was horrified. So, we did have wrapping paper (some reused gift bags too), much to my chagrin. While my family has the same sort of toy ideas, my in-law family doesn't, but fortunately there are too many grandchildren (20) to give everyone something, so each child gets one more present Christmas day. I've managed to give the anti-plastic impression to the others, judging by the wooden toy each recieved. There was an inordinate amount of wrapping paper, but it got recycled at least. oops...didn't mean to write a book. Christmas Eve we managed to go to an afternoon Mass, then sat down to dinner. The fast is observed here in Slovakia during the day. In the evening we burn incense (the church kind), the father goes around the house sprinking it with blessed water, and then we sit down to dinner. The first part of Luke is read, and then each person opens a walnut (predict health for the next year), has money under their plate, shares an apple among the family, eats a clove of garlic (to make you healthy for the next year), and eats oplatky (sweet thin wafers) with honey. Different areas have different traditions, but in dh’s family dinner is cream of lentil soup with prunes (sounds wierd but is good) potato salad and fish.

Then we open presents. This year our kids both got a book and a wooden toy (from us). I originally wrapped my husband’s gift in fabric, but when he heard he was horrified. So, we did have wrapping paper (some reused gift bags too), much to my chagrin. While my family has the same sort of toy ideas, my in-law family doesn’t, but fortunately there are too many grandchildren (20) to give everyone something, so each child gets one more present Christmas day. I’ve managed to give the anti-plastic impression to the others, judging by the wooden toy each recieved. There was an inordinate amount of wrapping paper, but it got recycled at least.

oops…didn’t mean to write a book.

]]> By: Katie http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2009/12/31/finally-back-christmas-prayers-greenery-gifts-to-keep-and-return/comment-page-1/#comment-8613 Katie Tue, 05 Jan 2010 04:46:45 +0000 http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/?p=4202#comment-8613 Patty, What an excellent, eco-friendly, thrifty Christmas! It makes me reminisce for Little House books a bit. ;) Katie Patty,
What an excellent, eco-friendly, thrifty Christmas! It makes me reminisce for Little House books a bit. ;) Katie

]]> By: Patty http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2009/12/31/finally-back-christmas-prayers-greenery-gifts-to-keep-and-return/comment-page-1/#comment-8601 Patty Mon, 04 Jan 2010 22:47:32 +0000 http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/?p=4202#comment-8601 Our gift to my family was a sampler pack of gourmet popcorn from a small female run business we know the owners of. Yay for consumables and supporting our friends business! My mom gave me pencil color drawings of my dogs and my brother got a drawing of his house. Since this was the first year of all siblings being married off there were a lot of flashback family picture cards and ornaments. Our 'big gift' was that my husband and I each 'snagged' an old bicycle from our respective parents garages. We did have to get one a new tire but otherwise a great reuse. My husband got a hair cut kit and a good flashlight for walking the dogs and hurricanes. I mostly wrapped everything with giftbags from past years and they all got folded back up for future use. Stockings had fruit, snacks and goodies for house decorating->We did the traditional family gingerbread house decorating but I pared it down to people sharing half size cakes to limit waste there. We still *gulp* managed probably two trashbags at my house and countless at my sisters house where I had less control. It was fun and we'll do better next year! Our gift to my family was a sampler pack of gourmet popcorn from a small female run business we know the owners of. Yay for consumables and supporting our friends business! My mom gave me pencil color drawings of my dogs and my brother got a drawing of his house. Since this was the first year of all siblings being married off there were a lot of flashback family picture cards and ornaments. Our ‘big gift’ was that my husband and I each ‘snagged’ an old bicycle from our respective parents garages. We did have to get one a new tire but otherwise a great reuse. My husband got a hair cut kit and a good flashlight for walking the dogs and hurricanes. I mostly wrapped everything with giftbags from past years and they all got folded back up for future use. Stockings had fruit, snacks and goodies for house decorating->We did the traditional family gingerbread house decorating but I pared it down to people sharing half size cakes to limit waste there. We still *gulp* managed probably two trashbags at my house and countless at my sisters house where I had less control. It was fun and we’ll do better next year!

]]> By: Paula http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2009/12/31/finally-back-christmas-prayers-greenery-gifts-to-keep-and-return/comment-page-1/#comment-8530 Paula Sat, 02 Jan 2010 17:07:20 +0000 http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/?p=4202#comment-8530 My parents are great when it comes to gift giving. They gave my children gift cards to the sporting goods store where one son bought a bat for upcoming baseball season and another son bought a bike since he was busted up beyond repair (we've repaired it 7 times!). They gave us cash, which we applied towards my son's medical debt so I can hurry up and quit my part time job and be a SAHM mom once again! We couldn't recycle wrapping paper around here, but I did my best to wrap presents in gift bags from previous years and I put up new bags that were given to us via presents into next year's stash of bags! I think next year, I"m going used bag route or towels or something rather than shipping paper which is what I wrapped some gifts in. .-= Paula´s last blog ..<a href="http://motherhen68.wordpress.com/2010/01/02/craziest-photo-of-me-evah-2365/" rel="nofollow">Craziest Photo of Me Evah! 2/365</a> =-. My parents are great when it comes to gift giving. They gave my children gift cards to the sporting goods store where one son bought a bat for upcoming baseball season and another son bought a bike since he was busted up beyond repair (we’ve repaired it 7 times!). They gave us cash, which we applied towards my son’s medical debt so I can hurry up and quit my part time job and be a SAHM mom once again!

We couldn’t recycle wrapping paper around here, but I did my best to wrap presents in gift bags from previous years and I put up new bags that were given to us via presents into next year’s stash of bags! I think next year, I”m going used bag route or towels or something rather than shipping paper which is what I wrapped some gifts in.
.-= Paula´s last blog ..Craziest Photo of Me Evah! 2/365 =-.

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