Debt Free Holiday > 3/4 > Joy Makin Mamas

Debt Free Holiday: DIY Felt Boards

December 9, 2013November 17, 2014 - by Meghan G - Leave a Comment

That’s right, it’s that time of year again, when we are thinking of how to have a lovely, thoughtful holiday without breaking the bank (or the planet!). Every year I look for “green” gift ideas that save cash and reduce, reuse, recycle while still being special and encouraging creativity. (I recently saw Polar Express for the first time, and I LOVE the scene where they explain that Santa is now in the refurbishing business, giving unloved toys new life. I’ve been saying that for years!)

Family Traditions: (Free Printable) Advent Calendar

November 24, 2012October 9, 2017 - by Meghan G - 3 Comments.

Here is a crafty Advent project that needs only four things: our free printable, six sheets of cardstock, clothespins or binder clips, some pretty ribbon, and someplace to hang it. …

Debt Free Holiday: Alternative Gifts

November 23, 2012November 26, 2014 - by Meghan G - 2 Comments.

Alternative gifts are gifts that literally change the world. You can choose from dozens of ways to spend whatever amount is at your disposal that will help families feed themselves all year, improve our ecology, further the study of science, and more. Come talk about where to buy them, how to select them, and how to present them for maximum impact.

Debt Free Holiday: Personalized Calendars

November 13, 2012October 24, 2017 - by Meghan G - 1 Comment

One of my favorite debt-free gifts, because it lets you use your creativity and because you can give it every year, is the personalized calendar. This is also great because …

family traditions parent child cooking via Flickr Alan Wat

Debt Free Holiday: Family Traditions

November 7, 2012October 24, 2017 - by Meghan G - Leave a Comment

When we become parents, most of us have to figure out how to create family traditions that belong to our brand new nuclear family. Most of the time, we look …

Sock Monkey and beyond: Stuffed toys to make

November 6, 2012October 18, 2017 - by Meghan G - 1 Comment

You can make a stuffed toy out of anything. Scraps, fabric you get off freecycle, old sheets, old t-shirts, you name it. Fleece and flannel make particularly cuddly toys, and since blankets and sheets tend to wear out in the middle first, you may be able to score plenty of toy making materials with a “wanted” on your local Freecycle list or the free section of Craig’s List. If you’re planning ahead for next year, be advised that those Christmas prints are going to be on super-duper sale starting sometime in December, and will be going for pennies starting December 26. For some reason, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa prints tend to follow the same sale price schedule, even though they don’t follow the same calendar. You can sometimes find craft panels that will be great gifts at those sales, too.