Holiday Meme from Sew Mama Sew - UPDATED!!!

Want to participate? You can by following the link to the Sew Mama Sew Handcrafter's Holidays Meme

GIFTS:

Do you have a favorite gift that you love to give?
I love to find out something about the person and then get them something that they have a hard time giving themselves. My FIL really loved the movie Private Eyes and had looked for several years for a copy and was unable to find one. I looked for seven years before I was able to find him a copy (thank God for the internet). My MIL had a beloved cookbook that was old and well used. She had wanted another copy, but could not find one (at least not at a reasonable price because the book was out of print). I was able to find a copy online for the right price. She also really liked a certain brand of cookbooks that also were no longer in print. I searched several old bookstores until I had found her most every copy in the series.

Are you making gifts this year? If so, post what you are making!
Unforutanely because of baby JJ's hospital stay, I am unable to make gifts this year. But I am making stuff to sell in my Etsy store. Our gifts this year is coming from our stash! We go shopping throughout the year and buy things with people in mind when things are on sale! :) We then put their name of the price tag (which of course is taken off when it is wrapped) and put the gift downstairs on a to give shelf. We also have a to keep shelf which has gifts for the children. We always have our Christmas shopping done before the end of the year. AND we save lots of money doing it too! Sometimes we are able to get some great after Christmas sales on gifts to give the next year. Just be sure it is not food related! (Don't worry family - when we buy food gifts they are always bought in the same month we ship so the food is fresh).

Do you have any good stories about handcrafted gifts you've given or received?
Actually, my beloved made a game for me one year. It is a romantic game with questions to get to know each other better. It had a game board and everything. It was very sweet, and innocent enough that we could give copies to our parents if we wanted to and not have to blush. :)

Do you have any great gift compliation ideas?
Well, while not handmade, the items COULD be handmade if you knew how to. THIS is my most favorite gift received.

Name one thing on your personal wish list.
Only ONE?? Hmmmmm.... I would have to say a gift card (then I can buy all the fabric and books I want!). :) But if it has to be a specific item, I would have to say a box full of cute fabric already cut up in circles for yo-yo's. I am on a yo-yo kick right now. They work up SO EASY, but cutting out those circles is not as fun.

Do you make and sell things that would make fantastic gifts?
Oh I cannot WAIT to see what others say! I do have an etsy store that has a few items in it (with more to come).

TRADITIONS:

Favorite family holiday tradition?
I know that in Victorian times, parents would hide a pickle in the tree, and whoever found it on Christmas morning would get money or a gift or something. We hide a long nail in our tree. On Christmas morning, we wake up and after breakfast read the Christmas story from Luke. THIS BOOK is awesome as it has pictures and goes verse by verse! The little ones will reenact with the Fisher Price Nativity kit. Then the children look in the tree to find the nail. Whoever finds the nail, tells the reason it is there, which is to remind us that while we celebrate the birth of Christ today, we remember that He came to die to save us from our sins. Then they get to pick the first present to GIVE. The pick up a present, read whose name is on it and gives it to that person. That person opens the gift, and all oh and ahhh. Then he picks a gift and gives it to the person whose name is on the gift. This goes on and on until all the gifts have been given and opened. It does take a while, but it really does make Christmas last MUCH longer than everyone getting their piles of gifts and ripping into them. And it allows each gift giver to see the recipient's face when he opens his gift. It really is a GREAT tradition!

Have you started any new traditions with your family that you did not practice growing up?

The nail mentioned above is something my beloved and I started. The opening one gift at a time is actually from my husband's side of the family. My side of the family really never had any traditions.

What do you love most about the holiday season?
The lights. I love seeing all the beautiful lights up at Christmas. And I also love the gathering of friends and family. I wish there was that kind of spirit all the year.

What do you like least about the season?
That is starts the day after Halloween. I mean what is up with that? We totally skip Thanksgiving and go straight into commercialism. Totally skipping the true meaning of CHRISTmas.

Anyone close to your heart that you will be missing this time of year?
I really have been missing my great grandmother and great grandfather recently. They died over 11 years ago, but it is only now that I am realizing just how much I missed out on not getting to know them better. Such an awesome generation and there is so little known about them. So little I know about them.

What is your favorite holiday food?
Sweets.

Do you have a great recipe to share?
No. Sadly, I usually just pick and choose from the cookbooks. Trying new things all the time. :)

Want to participate? You can by following the link to the Sew Mama Sew Handcrafter's Holidays Meme