A monthly online magazine chock-full of insightful articles for busy mothers.

By Tammy Paquin

Despite recent predictions that we’re coming out of the recession, I know many people are still struggling. Holidays like Christmas where there is financial pressure to spend money on stuff makes it hard for people to find the joy in giving so instead of looking at these situations as a burden on your wallet, look at them as an opportunity to give from your heart.

Think of your talents-Do you scrap book? Do wood working? Do you quilt, knit or do other crafts? Do you make jams, jellies or other preserves? Are you a car buff? Do you have an eye for details? Think of creating presents with your talents! Truthfully, anyone who puts down a homemade and thoughtful present isn’t worthy of receiving them.

• Scrapbookers- Giving grandparents a page of scrapbooked pictures set into an inexpensive frame is thoughtful and I can think of many grandparents who always complain of never having updated pictures. Down the road, you could give them an expandable storage book for their outdated pages. How about scrapbooking your cherished family recipes for your children?

• Quilters and/or sewers-Create gifts with those talents! I found a pattern for quilted checkbook covers. They were fast, easy and allowed me to personalize them for each recipient (cat fabric for my cat loving friend). I’m not much of a sewer but even I was able to make flannel pajama bottoms for my boys.

• Knitters/crocheters- My Great Gram always used to knit mittens for us. She would also make us hats and scarves. I still have a pair of double-yarn mittens she made me over 40 years ago. They’re now stashed safely in my closet but I still think fondly of how warm they were and how much I loved wearing them and loved my Gram for making them for me. Who can’t appreciate a homemade present like that?

• Car person-I know it’s not as easy as it used to be to work on cars but thankfully, oil changes are still generally a do-it-yourself deal. If you’re still into changing your own oil, considering giving coupons to your friends or family to change THEIR oil as a present (note that it’s for labor only and the recipient still has to buy the supplies). I know I would LOVE getting a practical present like that!

• Eye for detail? –My mother-in-law has pretty much everything she wants or needs. My husband has an eye for detail-detailing cars that is. He gave his mom the gift of a car detailing. He spent about 5 hours washing, waxing and detailing her car and she was thrilled. Keep in mind that a present like this would cost over $100 at a detailing shop. If you have an eye for detailing homes (you’re good at cleaning) how about offering coupons for housekeeping services? I know come spring time, I’d love an extra pair of hands for spring cleaning.

• Baker/cook- My sister-in-law was a really busy woman with three young boys, finishing her teaching certificate and working almost full time. I gave her a gift basket full of homemade frozen cookie dough logs, homemade dry baking mixes (similar to those layered jar mixes where you just add the wet ingredients) and two bags of store bought gourmet coffees. I told her that I was giving her the gift of time with her boys. She could take one of the frozen cookie dough logs out of the freezer in the morning and put it in the fridge and then that evening, she could make a cup of coffee, make cookies with her boys and enjoy spending time with them (without the hassle of trying to follow a recipe and mix dough with three youngsters trying to “help”). She loved the gift! Think about what you can make or bake along the same lines. You could make bread dough that could be frozen and used the same way. Be creative.

• Gardeners-How about sharing saved seeds with your favorite gift-recipient? How about offering up your time during planting season? Personally, I’d love coupons offering to tend my garden when I go camping for a week. A gift basket with coupons for garden tending saved heirloom seeds, homemade row markers and a fresh set of garden gloves would be loved by any gardener!

I’ve given you just a sampling of how you can put your talents to work creating thoughtful, relatively inexpensive and practical presents for the holidays. What talents do you have? What can you do? Before you go out and buying something and spend a bunch of money, think on how you can create those thoughtful gifts first. I think you’ll find that during these tough economic times, practical, thoughtful gifts from the heart are more appreciated than ever before.

Tammy Paquin is a work-from-home mom of 3 boys and the owner and publisher of Frugal-Families [1], an online resource for frugality, finances, budgeting and everything else related to stretching the dollar. For more ideas on practical, thoughtful and inexpensive gifts visit, Thoughtful, Practical and Inexpensive gifts [2]

by Patricia Twitchell

The holidays can be one of the most exciting times of year and at the same time, one of the most stressful. To avoid unnecessary stress you can t! ake a few simple steps to ease through the season with joy, ease and fun.

1. If you are going to shop – pace yourself. You don’t have to get everything done in one trip. Set aside a short period of time over several days rather than trying to accomplish everything in one trip. For some people, this type of shopping is favorable to doing everything in one trip.

2.There are some personality types who find it less stressful to get all their shopping done in one shopping spree. They do better to complete all shopping in one trip. It saves the need to make several trips to the stores. This is a great way to avoid t! he crowds often associated with the holiday season.

3. Shop in smaller stores. You will avoid crowds by visiting small shops in quaint towns. Often, you will receive more personalized service due to the owner being the one to serve you.

4. Get your gifts wrapped as soon as you purchase them. This one tip can save countless hours of frustration. There are still shops that will take care of the gift wrapping at no additional cost. Even if you have to pay, the convenience alone may be worth it.

5. Write a list of people you plan to shop for. To avoid unnecessary debt put a dollar amount you are able to comfortably afford. Stay within your budget. Although a couple dollars here and there doesn’t seem like much, it can quickly add up.

6. Be aware of misleading sale items. Often what may seem like a great deal really isn’t. If you are buying a large ticket item, do some research before you go shopping. You can save an incredible amount of money by doing so.

7. Enjoy the experience. Often people get so caught up in the pressures of the holiday season they fo! rget to enjoy themselves. Relax in the experience.

8. Remember, the holidays are all about sharing with others. It isn’t about how big a gift you can give, In fact, your expression from the heart is the greatest gift you can give.

About the Author: Patricia Twitchell is the proprietor of Just Bears and Stuff, a unique shop for gift collectors located in Myrtle Creek, Oregon. Enjoy one of the best selections of Boyd’s, Gund, Cottage Collectibles, Quarry Critters, Ganz and more. We can ship your gifts anywhere in the world. Get FREE gift wrapping with every pu! rchase and receive “Beary Special Moments” a free online teddy bear facts and tips e-zine by visiting www.justbearsandstuff.com