hundred dollar hanukkah

We are sort of always in the process of refining our holiday traditions. What felt manageable for a family of three isn't necessarily sustainable when you add another kid, and when the first one starts getting attached to certain aspects of different celebrations you sometimes have to do a little hustlin' to make things work.

While I dearly love Hanukkah and all it entails (fried foods, especially), eight nights of gifts for four people felt overwhelming financially and ethically, and when it came to ideas I (the gift-giving engineer of the family) wasn't sure I had the wherewithall to come up with 24 presents, however small. Throw in the fact that George's birthday falls on the 7th night and Nathan's just a couple of weeks later, and the gifting can get pretty intense. To curb the consumerism and lighten my own load, I floated past Nathan the idea of eight nights of family gifts, and he agreed that it would be fun to try. I also set a budget of $100, which still seemed a little much to me, but when broken down, actually amounts to a VERY reasonable $3.13 per person per night. 

It was challenging and so much fun finding things we'd all enjoy and in the end, my frugality meant that we could splurge on two gifts; I spent $40 on nights one through six.

With a broader focus than just things to open and play with, I found myself with an abundance of ideas. Experiential gifts like museum tickets, a few new cutters and the ingredients to make cookies (similarly: a large terra cotta saucer "pizza stone" -- a trick learned from bowtie wearer extraordinaire Alton Brown -- and pizza fixings), and a homemade family portrait were all ideas I pocketed for another year when Zelda can better get in on the action. That said, I think there's a little something for each of us in every night's surprise, and I'm excited about what I hope will be a new tradition for our family. To see what we'll be opening this Hanukkah, check back before the holiday begins. I'll do a rundown with sources. 

thrifty sunday: you are my sunshine

Friday was great: playdate replete with teeny tiny cupcakes and on the way home, a surprise meet-me-for-lunch message from one of our best gals who was breezing through town on her way south. After some rice and beans and a margarita, I stopped into Goodwill to look around, blatantly milking my baby-free afternoon for all it was worth. 

Three treasures came home with me, totaling $9 and some change. Considering I would've paid a lot more for just one of them, I feel like I scored. 

1. Little wooly vest for George, for when he's feeling like a cultural anthropologist: 

The middle section of the vest is not symmetrical; this detail eluded me until just now. Anyway, I feel like he needs a graying pony tail and some hornrims to really complete the sensitive adjunct professor look.

2. Amazing homemade wallhanging that immediately went up in our bedroom:

It's pretty big, like maybe 18 inches by 18 inches, and fits beautifully on the wall that I often wake up facing. I've tried several other pieces of art there, and nothing ever worked. Clearly, the wall was biding its time until I found the perfect piece.

3. The sweetest ever, can-you-believe-someone-got-rid-of-this crewel work wallhanging:

I have my suspicions that the same person is responsible for both this and the above piece, and if that is indeed the case, I would like to call this woman (assumption, sue me) up and thank her from the bottom of my homemade-loving heart. This one is a little smaller -- maybe 9 inches by 14 inches -- and the lines are sort of wonky, but that only adds to its charm. As with a lot of things that I find at thrift stores, I wonder how someone saw fit to give this away. I imagine it being lovingly worked on after bedtimes by a long-haired lady in high waisted jeans, then hanging in a nursery circa 1978. I figured that it would be expensive, considering its awesomeness/similarity to something one might find at Urban Outfitters, but I turned it over to see the price, which said $3.99! Easily one of my all-time favorite thrift purchases.

Happy shopping and happy week, you guys!

thrifty sunday

I like recurring things. Routines. Being a "regular" somewhere. In that vein, I'd like to introduce you to (trumpets, please!) Thrifty Sunday!

When I worked at the fabric store that I mentioned in my last post, the Sunday shift was my favorite. Next door was a Thrifty Drug that eventually became something else (I think), but as any good Southern Californian knows, Thrifty's appeal lay in its ice cream counter. We would mosey in at eleven o'clock, get the cash register going, I'd collect a dollar from everyone and go on an ice cream run: cones all around. We each had our regular order. This became known as Thrifty Sunday. We would sit, gossip, talk about our works in progress, pass around whatever we'd just finished and savor our treats. Some loyal customers knew about our ritual, and would visit just to see what any given Sunday's show and tell offered. I miss those ladies like crazy, especially when a stubborn seam is puckering or I can't remember how to make a crochet bauble look just right. So, this regular feature goes out to you: Gertie, Shirley, Dorothy and Leona. 

Of course, while documenting my ice cream consumption would make for truly riveting reading, I'll spare you. Instead, Thrifty Sundays will consist of me showing off my awesome thrift shop scores, in order for me to justify their purchase. Without further ado:

1. A BAGGU penguin, $2.99

George saw this little guy from afar and seemed to fall instantly in love. I let them cuddle for a few minutes before asking George to say goodbye to Mr. Penguin and leave him on the shelf for someone else to take home. Poor George waved so sadly, so persistently at his lost friend that I caved. On further inspection, he had his original price tag ($19.99) still attached and he was first bought at the San Diego Zoo! One of my favorite places on Earth. Their love was obviously meant to be. 

As an aside: BAGGU bags rule, and I had no idea they had branched out into the toy market. 

2. Two sewing patterns, $1.99

I've been dreaming of making George a Huckle Cat outfit, because he kind of looks like Huckle Cat. Um, perf! That little lederhosen number on the far left is a Huckle costume waiting to happen:

Also, a Cabbage Patch-esque doll pattern, with some basic outfits. I love making dolls, but I always mess them up somehow. Perhaps a pattern will help this?

3. Odd linen minidress, $5.99

I'd just like for you to know that I am currently wearing this dress with tights and socks that have kokopelli on them, no lie. My descent into weirdo hippie chicken lady territory continues unabated.

There you have it. Something magical also happened on this shopping trip: I reunited some stolen comics with their rightful owner, after their thief (who also happens to be a car thief) evidently donated them to Value Village. The mysteries of the Universe! Happy thrifting!