We normally go to a ton of trouble to make gifts for Christmas, but this year we’re taking it easy. There are a couple of ideas we have for gifts that would fit most people on our list, so we could just make a bunch of the same thing assembly-line style. One of our ideas is a wooden cheese board and spreader, topped with a chevre log from our local goat farm. If these ideas don’t work out, we’re going to spend a little more and just buy most of our gifts. It gets hard to keep coming up with DIY ideas year after year! Our town has several little antique and craft shops that appreciate the business, and money is not quite as tight this Christmas as it has been in the past. Since we are now homeschooling (kindergarten) and my kids are keeping me busier than ever, I just want to be sure I don’t make myself miserable by trying to overachieve this Christmas season!

One other thing I’ve thought of doing is spending the several months before Christmas frequenting antique malls, flea markets, even yard sales. You can sometimes get an awesome deal on something vintage, or even something new with tags to use as a gift. I think this is totally okay to do. I found my grandma’s gift at a yard sale already and as my tightwad role model, I know for a fact she’d be proud!