THE BUBBLY BLOG

In the current economy, lavish Christmas presents are either a thing of the past or were never really an option for many of us.  This brings to mind that old addage, "It's the thought that counts."  Admittedly, that's going to be a tougher sell for younger children that have grown accustomed to fairly extravagant Christmas presents.  But for those that know or should know the truth behind the cliche, there should be no concern. 

I don't fall 100% into the category of folks that bemoan the commercialization of the holiday, but I appreciate their perspective.  To bring Christmas in on a shoestring or, essentially, non-existent budget does require thought and knowing a little bit about the person you wish to give a gift.  Years ago, when my baby sister and her husband were just starting out, she got some construction paper (available in a small pack at the dollar store) and made coupons for everyone.  The coupons were for services that she and her husband could provide at some future date:  car washing, baby sitting, etc.  My son was a toddler at the time and I was thrilled to get a half dozen coupons for an evening of baby sitting.  Normally, my mother was the designated baby sitter (which she loved, of course), but it felt really good to have options.  In the case of Joy's (my baby sister's) coupons, she made them in Christmas shapes (stockings, trees, candy canes, etc.) and used Christmas colors (red, green, white, etc.).  Every single member of the family was delighted.

Though most everyone has "domestic" skills they can offer in lieu of a purchased present, not everyone has a schedule that would allow actually providing those services and you really shouldn't give someone coupons you don't intend to honor.  There are options beyond your time (although giving someone your time is a pretty nice gift). 

I have found it generally true, in my life, that when I have time, I don't have money and, of course, when I have money, I don't have time.  If you don't have time to give, I'm going on the assumption that there is at least a few dollars with which you can work to put something together.  Clearly, as the website would suggest, I always find that home-crafted gifts are best.  The benefit of making presents is that you can schedule the time according to what you have available (as opposed to your recipient's needs as would be the case with service coupons) . . . for me, that is often the middle of the night . . . no phone calls and fewer interruptions.

The polymer clay Christmas ornaments illustrated in the website are a cost effective option and one that your gift recipient can use for years to come.  Soaps are, naturally, another possibility . . . particularly if you have downloaded the CHRISTMAS SOAPS COLLECTION tutorial.  Consider putting together your own inexpensive gift baskets or use, for example, a Mason jar to put your collection into.  You can decorate the jar with stickers and rub-ons and ribbon.  My baby sister (whose ears must surely be burning by now) also gave me a "Recipe in a Jar" a few years ago.  Most of the ingredients for chocolate chip cookies, layered beautifully in a Mason jar.  There was a swatch of Christmas fabric on top of the lid and under the ring and a beautiful bow around the neck.  There was also a "Recipe Card" attached to the bow.  I have discovered that internet researches yield numerous websites with details instructions on putting together your own "Recipe in a Jar" gifts. 

So you're thinking measure, measure, measure . . . that's going to be a lot of time.  Okay, (back to the dollar store) get a few inexpensive, lidded, candy jars and buy a bulk-discounted bag of candy and fill them up.  With candy, you wouldn't need to measure but could still layer for a more "polished" look.  Have relatives or friends with diabetes?  An excellent alternative to candy is dried beans and they layer beautifully.  If you don't already have a bean soup recipe, there are also a number of those that can be found online.

Write a friend or sibling a letter, on Christmas paper letting them know exactly how much they mean to you and, perhaps, re-living a few special memories or Christmas moments.  Though the paper isn't cheap, you can get a pack of glossy brochure paper (not the kind that is pre-scored for brochures) for less than the cost of photo paper and you can print out a collage of appropriate pictures for them.  I did a collage of my middle sister's wedding photos and it was very well received.

For those of you that can cook or bake . . . hello?  What could be better than homemade cookies or muffins or a loaf of dessert bread?  For those of us that are a bit more challenged when actually cooking in the kitchen, they have those little packets of mix (at the grocery store) for less than $2.00.  If you can spend a little more, pick up some compatible dried fruits and add them to the mixture.

Party mix is another really good option for making at home and putting in decorated jars.  Pick up some dried fruit and/or a variety of nuts and things and mix up your own trail mix.

It's truly the thought that counts.  With thought and a real assessment of what you can do, what your abilities are, the time you have available, what supplies you may already have at hand . . . you can give delightful, often unexpected, gifts this season without touching a credit card.

Wishing you and your loved ones a happy, safe, blessed Christmas and holiday season,

Norma

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It's the week of Thanksgiving, so it seems appropriate to take a minute and think about that for which I am thankful.  First and foremost, I am eternally grateful for those that have loved, supported and believed in me.  [Cue the tears.]  It sounds cliched, I know, but if you take a step back and look at the current economic status for many in this so-richly blessed country, you know that not everyone is as blessed as we are . . . I am including you in that number because you are reading this blog and, therefore, have at least access to the internet.  Some fellow countrymen (and women) don't.  If they get a turkey dinner or any food at all, they will have to rely on shelters or churches or some other form of outreach for that food . . . for themselves and, sadly, for their children.

I have a phenomenal circle of love and support, in my family and in my friends and in those friends I think of as family.  My son, thankfully, has a job . . . but he doesn't have a car, so he walks to and from work most days.  But, thankfully, his job is a mile or less from his home.  There's the blessing . . . he has his own home . . . at 20.  He's learning the pros and cons of home ownership, the maintenance and the upkeep . . . but he has his own home.  He's working the grill at a local diner but wants to go to school for culinary arts.  There's the blessing . . . he has a job.  He's not getting as many hours as he'd like, but he's working at a time when nearly 10% of the country can't get a job.

That includes me.  I've been out of work for more than two years.  Of course, I'm on the north side of 50.  It's the first time I've been unemployed for this length of time since I was 17.  But a friend told me, "You have to make your own economy in this economy."  My mother (who is still working) told me, "If you can't find a job, you'll have to create one."  There's a blessing . . . sage advice from those to whom I am close.  So I started writing a book, RAISING THE BAR OF SOAP.  I fell back on a craft that I've enjoyed for more than a decade.  It took nearly two years to complete the book, but I did and had it copyrighted.  I used my mother's computer to type the manuscript.  Once the book was finished, I accessed my sister's computer to research the venues for publication.  A friend reminded me, "Electronic publishing is going to be the most immediate venue."  Another friend got me my own computer for my 50th birthday in September.  With financial assistance from a benefactor, I have been able to translate my book to this website.  The website has been a labor of love . . . the labor, naturally, has been mine . . . the love has come from those to whom I am closest.  Things could, of course, be better . . . I could have 10,000 hits a day on the website and 1,000 sales a day from the online store.  I could have more than 3 followers on twitter . . . I could win the lottery.  But there is, for many (if not most) of us, so much for which to be thankful already.  I wish all of you a happy, food-filled, love-filled, blessings-filled Thanksgiving and hope you will take at least a moment to realize and recognize the many things that make your life so blessed.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

I hope that if you leave a comment to this blog, it will be one that expresses the things for which you are thankful!

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With most melt and pour soaps, as the term implies, you melt the soap base and pour it into a mold of some description.  You'll find, as you purchase and the downloads in the store, many of my soap designs require a more "hands on" approach. 

Though I'm not what you'd call a "good cook", I manage.  When I make meatloaf, I put the ground meat and all the goodies into one large bowl and mix it and squish it together with my hands.  I'm not particularly keen on getting raw meat underneath my fingernails, but I think it makes a better, moister meatloaf.

When my grandmothers made biscuits, there was no large appliance in which to place the flour and milk and lard and have the dough blended up for you, they dug in a mixed it with their hands, kneading the dough to exactly the right consistency for amazingly yummy biscuits.

Though the "taste" element has been removed, I am a firm believer that you still need to "get your hands dirty" when you make melt and pour soaps.  Until you handle the just set or almost set or only stir-cooled soap, you can't really, well . . . get a feel for the various stages of setting the soap goes through.  This "hands on" approach will give you a greater insight to how to manipulate the soap and what to expect from the soap, the same way my grandmothers new, by touch, exactly when the dough was ready to patty out into biscuits.

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