I'm really trying to dig into stockpile.

Yesterday, I had to buy cat food and a loaf of bread; $13.63. I had all ingredients on hand to make tuna salad for sandwiches. Dinner was completely out of stockpile; chicken and dumplings, an extra can of chicken added to that, brussell sprouts, cream-style corn, applesauce, sliced tomatoes, compliments of my dad, crescent rolls, and Gold Peak tea. I took dinner next door to my 85 year old neighbor. I spoke to him earlier today and he said I brought him enough for 2 days, so, I am not going to cook tonight. For tomorrow, I'm planning on the Romano's boxed dinner, adding chicken from freezer stockpile. Got the boxed dinner in the mail the other day. Free food! Gotta love it!

I am starting to put together Christmas gifts today. I purchased some cardboard or corrugated file boxes at Office Depot (had a $4 Q to use there) and I am going to drag out all the stuff I've been getting all year with an eye toward the holiday. The niece and nephews (and families) are getting a big box of useful stuff out of stockpile. I do have some toys for the little girls. There will be HBA, cleaning, things of that nature, and some gourmet chocolates for everyone. I hope they appreciate the gesture I am making, as money is tight and I cannot go "shopping" for their Christmas gifts.

I know that giving things from the drug store or grocery store is not most people's idea of gift-giving. Remember when CVS had those Russell Stover Internationale chocolates BOGOF with ECB? I think that's good enough for gift-giving. It's a very upscale product that my kids have probably never seen or heard of.

I am not the most creative or artistic person by a long shot, but, every Christmas, and lately I started doing this for Easter, too, I make gift baskets for my secretaries, paralegals, and lawyers for whom I work. It's mostly those little packets of coffee, enough for a few pots, the flavored kinds and regular, Christmas candies (you know, the regular candy that the companies dress up in Christmas colors), candles, some little doo-dads, and I bake a bunch of stuff for them, too. They all go crazy over them! It's just a little homemade job, but, they make these folks feel special. Throughout the year, I scout out thrift shops and sometimes yard sales for small to medium baskets, spray paint them red, green, and gold, start with some pretty tissue paper, use those little plastic Christmas "bouquets," because I'm not really sure what you call them. They have a stem you can poke through styrofoam or just down into the basket. I garnish the finished product with silver and red "icicles," and sprinkle with little glitter candy cane shaped "doo-hickies." I don't know what you call this stuff. I'm sure you people who do craft projects are cringing at how I described these things and that I don't even know what to call them!

When I know that one of the secretaries or paralegals is going on vacation, I make them a little goody bag of trial size things. They always say, "Oh, I didn't even know you could get these sizes. Now I don't have to carry the big stuff." I don't tell them that companies send out these things free!

Just some ideas for you to ponder now that it's getting closer to the holidays.