SURVIVING BLACK FRIDAY TO GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY

Hope everyone survived BLACK FRIDAY yesterday. I personally do not fighting the crazy mob of people in the lines at the stores so I did some on-line shopping. Actually this is very convenient and is more my style. My daughter-in-law loves the excitement of fighting the crowds for the best deals. She has her sister wait in the long lines with the cart while she runs around getting all the items on her Christmas list. She invited me but I declined as us older folks enjoy sleep too much. They left at 10pm on Thanksgiving night and they returned about 10 am the next morning.

I was so full of turkey and the chemical that is in it that puts you to sleep took affect immediately after dinner. I was happily sleeping while she was on the wild shopping spree. I have to say she did get some good deals but so did I on the computer safely at home. She said there was some mean arguments over the last item but she enjoyed watching the verbal garb that both ladies spurted at each other. Thank goodness for on-line shopping as it makes life a little easier.

Back in the day I remember a fist fight over the famous Cabbage Patch dolls. I was amazed at how barbaric people could actually get over the last one. This was a hair puller, punch and grab session until they were removed from the store. Neither one of them ended up with the last doll. Sales were up 16% yesterday so I sure some merchants are happy today. Well now there is only 27 days left to shop.

Remember that you can always buy certain things on-line unless you are the kind of person that needs to see what you are buying. You can do a lot of research on the computer before you go to the store. Computers have really changed the retail industry and if you are on a budget like I am this year you can find the best deals so you know where to go. I like the shopping on-line so I can find unique items for the person that you can never figure out what to get them. Better hurry though as it takes time for shipping and you want to have it by Christmas. In my next post I will find some websites where nice gifts are less than $20 and they are unique.

Good luck on your shopping this year and remember to stay within your budget. Nothing is worth feeling overwhelmed by debt that you can't afford. Your loved ones will understand if you cannot afford a lot of gifts. I would rather have nothing then to have a loved one deep in debt after Christmas. Just to have your family with you is the greatest gift of all.

Our family is going to Harvesters to help box up food for families that are having difficult times. The grandchildren are going with us as this is a way to give back something to our community. There are many families from all walks of life that are in need in this recession. Even though I am currently jobless I still want to give something to my community. This is giving a gift that is more precious than any store bought item. I feel rich in love and when money is running low we celebrate the hard times. You should try this as worrying never gets you anywhere and things will change when you least expect it.

THANKSGIVING CRAFTS FOR CHILDREN

Thanksgiving is is a great time to encourage the children to participate in the festivities. Being the guest of my of my son and daughter-in-law's house at Thanksgiving gives me the opportunity to play and spend special time with my grandchildren. We like to do art projects together as I am an artist and when they come to Grandma's house that is what we do.

Thanksgiving day is no different because as soon as they see me they want to do crafts. We use this opportunity to create name tags for the table setting. Just a little colored construction paper and a few crayons with a little glue is all that is needed.  Actually you can fold the paper into a triangle shape without the use of glue if you want. My 3 grandchildren work very hard to make a special name tag for each of the family member that is attending the dinner. They spend about an hour working quietly and feel they are included in helping with the festivities.



They really are proud when you take notice of the work they put into your name tag. I have saved them every year as they are very special to me. This is something new that we added to our family tradition. As we work on the name tags we talk about the things we are grateful for and the meaning of  Thanksgiving.

We also try a new recipe each year which started with my daughter-in-law and me but now that the children are 7 and 9 they want to help cook. I let them decide what they wanted to add to the dinner and they came up with this unique idea. Initially we made designs out of sugar cookies then decorated them. This year they decided they wanted to make a special cookie for each family member creating  a design of something that reminds them of that particular family member. This is when they really surprise me.

All I can say is out of the mouth of babes comes that youthful honesty. We use a knife and with grandma's help we shape the cookie with what they decide. I am always surprised at what they associate with each family member. We laugh and have a great time and I am thankful for these special moments with my grandchildren. Have a Great Thanksgiving and in the spirit of the day be thankful for all you have!

HOLIDAY SEASON

I don't know about you but I am ready for the TURKEY DINNER, FAMILY AND FRIENDS. Thanksgiving reminds me to be grateful for all the family and friends I have in my life right now. This year I will not be going to grandma's house as she is no longer with us. I am grateful for all the great turkey feasts we had on Thanksgiving at her house. What a feast they were. She always made it very special and the smells of food, the sound of laughter and seeing the family you only see on Thanksgiving or Christmas brings warmth and fond memories.

Could I make Thanksgiving special like my Grandmother did? Now it is my turn to carry on the tradition for the family. I want to keep some of our family's special traditions alive and create new ones in a subtle manner. The biggest hurtle I have to cross is if I can capture the spirit and essence of the Thanksgiving day of the past years. Times change and so do families. Grandmothers loss affect the family members that use to enjoy the dinner together and they slowly separate off with their own children. The key is trying to hold onto some of the past while adding your own new unique touches. Getting the decorations out is the first thing and now to add my new ideas.