Here’s everything but the raspberry hard candies. I got distracted yesterday and didn’t get those made yet. I will add links this afternoon to recipes. All of these are gluten free. I think they all have dairy though. Hard candies later only have flavoring oil, sugar, water, food color, and corn syrup. Clockwise from top left: Lofthouse Style Sugar Cookies, Cut-Out Iced Cookies, Peanut Butter Blossoms (with mini Reese’s cups instead of Kisses), Oreo Truffles, Gingersnap Rum Balls, Cherry Licorice, and Mocha Crinkle Cookies. The only problems I’ve had were not refrigerating the peanut butter cookie dough due to a sudden piano lesson time change (the cookies spread, oh well), having to put the PB and mocha cookies in the same container makes it all taste peanut buttery, and the first time I cut the twizzlers they melted back together into what DS10 called “Cherry Twizzler Casserole”. Oops! They recut easily though. (and yes, DS5 decorated the snowman lol)

I think what makes this uncomfortable for me is the idea of it being printed and mailed out to complete strangers (to the GF). I can't quite articulate what I mean by that. It sort of messes with the temporary and awkward nature of young relationships, and emphasizes it for memory when it may be best someday forgotten. I'm sure many people are fine reflecting on past relationships and accepting them as part of their personal history... and then there's me, cringing hard enough to grind my teeth out of my skull remembering everything I said/did/thought more than an hour ago. I don't even want to think about the pre-DH boyfriends. Ugh.

Another high school marching band couple here too (going on Year 20 now), and I agree. Too soon for Christmas card photos and matching PJ's, although I personally think the best time for sending out matching holiday pajama photos for any family is never. I think by late high school/early college, before engagement, I did attend his family holiday stuff as long as it didn't conflict with mine. I'm not sure when he ended up at my family's holiday insanity gatherings (and he'd still rather not be there, haha!).

If it's women's or kids' clothes, is there a DV shelter nearby that will take donations?

There was a large display at the one I went to Monday, although I did grab the last box of the gluten free ones. I'm only in Trader Joe's about once a year, so I don't know how fast they go. I'm assuming you mean the candy cane/mint ones and not the regular ones? I also saw them at our Aldi, up on the register endcaps, on Wednesday.

I am 5' on a bad hair day (but definitely done getting any taller!), and DH is currently assembling my new bike in the living room. It's a women's bike, but with a 24" wheel (same as DS10's). The minimum recommended inseam was 27", but mine is only 26". I really couldn't find anything shorter without getting into $$$$$ bikes and custom bikes. I guess I'll find out in about 15 minutes whether that's a problem or not. DS10 is almost my height. DS9 is much shorter, and we went with a 20" for him.

Last year, I didn't bake anything. I made four types of hard candies (cinnamon, creme de menthe, root beer, and strawberry) but that's it. I didn't feel up to a bunch of gluten free baking, and DH was still smarting a bit from the Celiac diagnosis. But this year I'm back in. I finally have a stand mixer and the elves kids are better at helping out in the kitchen without making huge messes (the Omelette Incident yesterday excepted). Here's my to-do list (all gluten free): Mocha Crinkle Cookies Cut-Out Iced Butter Cookies (dough made and chilling!) "Lofthouse"-Style Sugar Cookies (DS9's request) Ninjabread Men (if I can find my ninjas) Oreo Truffles (MY FAVORITE!) Peanut Butter Blossoms (with mini-Reese's cups instead of Kisses) Gingersnap Rum Balls (must. make. tomorrow. or they won't be potent enough by Christmas) Red Cherry Licorice (DH misses Twizzlers so much) Raspberry Hard Candies (DS10's request, not a huge cookie eater) Not a sweet treat, but I did make the GF Ritz-like Crackers from Gluten Free on a Shoestring the other day to go with soup, and I'll make another batch to take for Christmas Eve pre-dinner snacking.. I'll update the thread with recipes/links/photos if things turn out okay. And I don't give up over constant mixing bowl washing. I don't want to lead anyone down the path to failure, haha.

We had the same issue, and some of those big mostly empty boxes are so banged up from being, ya know, empty. One wasn’t reusable. Fortunately I needed one huge box for a family gift and managed to get one, but I think it was from Amazon and properly packaged. And this is going to sound horrible, but I am so sick of my kids building things out of ginormous cardboard boxes. It makes me grit my teeth just thinking about it. The mess, the clutter, the missing items from all over the house to complete the ensemble. My middle son makes absolutely amazing, multiple moving part cardboard contraptions, and I just... Argh. Not again! #scrooge @Lady Florida., is that a Fortnite piñata? My kids and nephews would get a kick out of that on Christmas!

Option 4: I don't send anything to anyone.

Ugh, I’m sorry. Some years DH gets the idea to “surprise me” at Christmas, which never works because a) he refuses to shop in-store with cash and I watch the credit card closely for fraud, b) he asks me so many specific questions that it’s impossible to not know what he bought, c) I always get the packages in the mail because I’m home and we have no way to hide them from each other, and d) it always screws up my budget! Not sure what to do about coworkers for DH. He’s not great at this kind of gift giving/obligation either (total deer-in-headlights, prefers to just pretend he forgot), so I help. Last year I made homemade candies, but someone on his team was just released from the hospital after diabetes complications, so sugary stuff is out. I might look for some packets of spice blends from a local spice shop. Maybe next year I’ll grow my own herbs for it. Doesn’t help now!

The weekend went from "pretty frugal" to "horrifically expensive" in one fell swoop. I couldn't find any decent used bikes at thrift stores, and I worry about buying a stolen bike, so I ended up ordering new bikes for the three people in our family that needed them. Christmas money from relatives should cover most of it, but then I can't save that money for anything else. While shopping for a bike, DS10 found a new-to-him baseball glove and cleats at the resale sporting goods shop for next season, and I had enough store credit to cover nearly all of it. Baseball equipment is really, really expensive once they hit the double digits, even used! After I ordered those, I realized my phone that was manufactured during the stone age wasn't holding a charge anymore. Since DH washed his phone and we have yet to replace it (work pays for a phone, so it was really overkill to have two phones), I bought a new phone and case for me and a battery replacement kit for my old phone to transfer his number to. Then we'll move his number to a Tracfone or Airvoice prepaid plan and let it be the backup phone we leave with the kids when they are dropped off somewhere. I'm trying to hold off going to the store until Wednesday or Thursday, except for the errands I'm running with DS10 today. I need some oddball ingredients to make DH some homemade GF "twizzlers" as one of his Christmas baking treats (he's not a huge cookie fan). Oh, and probably not a frugal win because even homemade gluten free stuff can be pricey, but I managed to figure out gluten free cinnamon rolls this weekend! They are big and fluffy and taste just like "Quiver's recipe" that floats around here a couple times a year! Instead of buying prepackaged breakfast for Christmas (DH has insisted on NO DISHES on Christmas morning), I can make these the night before. Although just to appease DH, I'm going to put them in a disposable pan and use disposable plates and utensils for serving. More trash than I like to accumulate, but I'll make it up to the Earth next year.

I just got one (a 12lb twin-sized one from Target), and yes, they do stay comfortably cool. I sleep with a heating pad across my midsection every night, and I'm not too hot with both. That being said, the blanket will tell you the first night you use it how out of shape you are. I was surprisingly sore the next morning just from trying to untangle myself from that thing! Part of it is that it's a bit heavy for my weight, but.... yeah, I need more weight training, lol.

I was starting to think we all threw in the towel on December, lol. So far so good here. I finished Christmas shopping completely on the 2nd, and everything is wrapped, too. Paid subdivision dues and property taxes. Still need to make some budget adjustments for next year: switch phone plans, switch trash haulers, drop full coverage on DH’s aging car. Electric budget billing decreased, but I’m not helping it stay there by loitering in front of space heaters all day. I bought the Target gift cards for 10% off, and made that my 2019 Target Budget. DH thinks I can’t do it. Challenge accepted. Enjoy your trip! Is it a surprise for the kids or does everyone already know? I’m considering making Universal after Christmas our “yay the house is fixed up and we can afford travel” trip in a couple years, but I’m curious about the crowds post-holiday. Ack! Our cars are now 12 and 9 years old. I see $$$$$$ repairs in our future, because I really don’t want to replace them until the kids are old enough to not ruin them.

It’s not just sports. Marching band was similar (and yes, we had marching band injuries, like broken bones and concussions and stuff). There is a unique perspective in watching the show go on without you. You see things that *seemed* okay from your position on the field, but realize it’s quite sloppy looking from the sideline.

Eh, I have a complicated relationship with my digestive system. It could be (and has been) worse.

There’s a house near us that has a “mooning Santa” inflatable. It drops its drawers every 20-30 seconds, and it says “‘Merry Christmas” across the, um, backside of the underpants. I think it’s my kids’ absolute favorite part of the holiday season. We’ve been on “Santa Butt Watch” since the day after Thanksgiving. I saw it in their yard yesterday, not yet inflated though. Soon kids, very soon.

No kidding! I won’t even use the non-master bathrooms in my own house for that. Of course (TMI time) I’m on the “once or twice a week” schedule in that regard, so it’s not too hard to make sure I’m home for that.

Speaking of Target, the online price is often lower than the in-store price, but you can price match at the register. I scan everything with the app, and show the cashier each scanned item that’s cheaper online. We replaced our fridge with one that doesn’t have a dispenser, and the online price for an ice scoop and faucet filter were both cheaper than the shelf. The actual filter cartridges were more expensive online though, so it goes both ways. Also, the prices when I scan with the Target app on an iPhone are often lower than the prices on my mom’s Android app. I think hers sets to the store prices automatically, but mine still shows online pricing. I can’t find a setting for that, so I’m not sure how that happens.

I think the only stuff they moved around in ours was the stuff I never look at or use - cosmetics, hair products, pet stuff, and home decor. Food, pharmacy, seasonal, hangers/tubs/filters and kitchen stuff weren’t touched. I did end up doing three laps around the store last night, but that was my own fault for not realizing that $7.00 really was the cheapest box of Christmas cards they had.

Yikes! I hope everyone’s okay! I always figured I’d lose dishes in an earthquake but I never thought about the spices, which are already falling out of the cabinet on a normal day.

Frugal warning and tip... when you buy wrapping paper on clearance BEFORE December 26th, take a moment to wonder why you're getting such a great bargain. Glitter. Glitter everywhere. Adorable wrapping paper, hazardous to contact lens wearers.

I think mine was close to needing replacing, and the light left on just finished it off. Argh. I usually leave them off, but couldn’t find my other glove. Now I have a dead battery and still only one glove. My brother is a mechanic, so I texted him today and asked for a “housecall battery installation” for Christmas.

I'm 96% done Christmas shopping. I have to get a few gift cards still, but other than that, done. Did someone here have a dead car battery recently due to a light left on? Yeah, guess what I did this week... argh. I also had to buy clothes this month. I looked a bit ridiculous. I now look slightly less ridiculous.

No, of course no one says, "I'm going to name my kid after a toilet!". I was saying that name, while a completely normal and common and "appropriate" name, still opens up an avenue to teasing because... well, because middle school. And that you can't choose a name like John and expect its common and historical meaning to make them immune from bathroom jokes.

Yeah.... same. And honestly, lots of people name their kids the same as a slang term for toilet (John). Extremely common, boring, "presidential sounding" name that is also the place where one empties their bowels. It's not just first names, either. I had a friend in elementary school whose last name was pronounced "semen" (spelled differently though). You really can't use the "Will kids make fun of ________?" test, because the answer is always yes. Because generally kids are little you-know-whats. A few of them grow out of it.