Recycled Christmas: The 4 Gift Rule

It is the thought that counts. 

This sentiment has caused much debate throughout the generations, but I believe it is a true sentiment. It is the thought that counts. The size of a gift doesn't indicate the quality or the thought put into it. A small gift, when unwrapped, can mean the world to a person and serve as a reminder to the person just how loved they are. While a large gift can serve as a reminder of just how little the person actually knows them. Again, it is the thought not the size, quantity, or expense of a gift that matters. This is where The 4 Gift Rule comes into place.

The 4 Gift Rule is a limit that is put on gift giving that limits a materialistic culture while improving the overall quality of the gifts. The 4 gift categories are something they want, something they need, something to wear, and something to read. The want category is defined by anything the person really wants and is something that would be listed on their Wishlist. The need category is anything they need, but might not purchase for themselves. The wear category is anything that the person can wear, including accessories. The read category is any form of writing that is meant to improve a person's mind. References to The 4 Gift Rule can be found all over the internet. Another version, used by churches, limits the gifts to 3 to symbolize the 3 gifts Jesus received: Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh.  The gold gift is the gift the person really wants, the frankincense is the gift that they can wear, and the myrrh gift is the gift that improves their mind. These gifts are wrapped in the colors gold, purple, and green. Regardless of which version you choose, limiting the amount of gifts you give allows you the opportunity to purchase well-thought out gifts. 

This doesn't mean that everyone on your gift list has to receive 4 gifts, but that we limit the gifts we give to those who do receive multiple gifts, such as our family. Since this year is a recycled Christmas I am embracing this 4 gift rule for my own family. Picking out the 4 gifts is challenging, but rewarding. I am having to think about the members of my family in different ways and imagining what they would like in each category. Limiting my gifts to 4 has allowed me to free myself from the pressure to buy more and more. I know that I am done when I have checked off each category and I don't have to be tempted to buy something else that I think they might like. The 4 Gift Rule is not without its challenges.

The most challenging part is filling each category and if your family is like mine then you will have an assortment of categories checked off for each person, but be stuck on various other ones. I am trying to purchase most of my gifts from eBay or Etsy and make the rest myself. I have bought some things new, but I am trying to limit the amount of products that will be replaced by companies after purchase. The bulk of my family is A's fans so finding at least one of their gifts has been easy with eBay. Some of the A's gifts I have bought include mustache socks, nail decals, and a Mark McGwire bobblehead. These items were giveaways at games, which mean they won't be reproduced, and are items that I know my family members wanted, but were unable to receive at the baseball games. Other things I have purchased include a devotional book for when you have trouble sleeping and some pencils for a lap desk that I am going to make. The gifts I plan on making include honey-dipped spoons, tea, and a scoodie. I am currently working on a few gift tutorials that I will be posting in the next few weeks.  All of the projects I am choosing are quick and include the use of materials I already have.

Hopefully my ideas for my own family will give you some ideas for your own family. What are your favorite gifts to give? 

Recycled Christmas: Gift Boxes

It is officially October, which means Christmas is now just two months away! There is still a lot to be done, but making your own gift boxes is a great way to finish some of your wrapping needs. Gift boxes are a wonderful solution for those who have difficulty wrapping presents perfectly and to stop peeking. However, gift boxes can be pricey and depending on quality, as well as use, are prone to tearing. Plus it isn't always easy to find gift boxes that match your theme. Yet, I bet that you probably have a lot of cardboard boxes lying around your house or leftover after grocery shopping. These cardboard boxes are usually sturdier than traditional gift boxes, which is why I prefer them to gift boxes. The cardboard boxes don't look like much at first, but with a little wrapping paper and tape they can turn into cute gift boxes for Christmas. I just started making these gift boxes so I have only made two, but these boxes are already proving functional.

I have used both a tea box and a candy box. The tea box is currently storing Christmas cards, labels, and stickers until I am ready to start my Christmas cards. This allows me to store the box, but still maximize the storage available in my Christmas box. The candy box will be used to store homemade goodies and will allow me to ship them more easily. When I first wrapped these boxes they still had their contents, but I stored the contents elsewhere because I liked the boxes and thought they would make wonderful Christmas gift boxes. You can use any boxes you want as long as they have either a lid or are able to close. Another option is to seal up the ends of a box and cut your own lid out of a side on the box. Keep in mind that these boxes need to be functional as gift boxes. 

Choose wrapping paper in a color or theme that you want and use clear or decorative tape to wrap the cardboard boxes, turning them into gift boxes. I used the edge of a ruler to score the wrapping paper on the edges of the boxes. Depending on the box you might need to cut triangles out of the corners to make the edges lie flat. I didn't use wrapping paper on the inside of the box, but this is definitely an option and something to consider if you don't plan on using tissue paper. I have a lot of cardboard boxes left so I will be making more gift boxes in the next few weeks as I purchase more gifts. 

 I love how these boxes look and that they are recycled! Each box is perfectly matched to my theme and allows me to recycle the cardboard boxes that are already coming into my home. The only caution I have is to make sure you match your boxes to your gifting needs so that you don't waste materials on a box that you are not going to actually use. If you have boxes to recycle, but that don't meet your Christmas needs, make sure to check out Pinterest for great ideas to reuse boxes in your home. I have seen many wonderful posts where people turned diaper boxes into storage boxes that looked store bought so the options are endless. 

Gift boxes are not the only option for gift wrapping and are not necessarily useful  for certain items. For those odd shaped items gift bags are a wonderful solution. Next week I will show you how to make a gift bag from wrapping paper and other gift wrapping ideas using recycled materials. Do you have a favorite gift wrapping method? Or ideas to use recycled materials in gift wrap? I can't wait to hear your ideas for having a recycled Christmas!

Reverse Lent: Week 4

Spring is almost upon us and everything seems to already be in bloom. The weather is warm, too warm for winter, and reminiscent of new beginnings. This week I have been thinking about the end of winter and putting last year behind me. Yes, it is March, 3 months into the new year, but there is still this focus on the past. I feel certain I'm not alone in this thinking or there wouldn't be the need for Spring Cleaning. I always liked Spring, with the flowers blooming, and the possibility of new beginnings looming in the future. This week, the week before Spring's official start, I am ready for new beginnings. I am still behind in my Reverse Lent challenge and my schedule does not look any clearer in the next few weeks. I am not complaining. I know I am blessed to be busy with school and work, not everyone has a job or the opportunity to further their education, but this also means I can't keep up with all of my projects without finding myself drained.

I am, however, anticipating a brief and I mean brief period without school, which I hope will give me the opportunity to catch up on my Reverse Lent blanket challenge. I also am hoping to finish some home renovation projects and catch up on Spring Cleaning. I am ready for Spring and for new possibilities. Where do you spend the most time cleaning for Spring? What are your best tips for surviving Spring Cleaning? Leave your answers in a comment.

Reverse Lent: Week 3

They say when it rains it pours and this week has definitely taken an unexpected toll on me. I am not one to complain, but it has felt as if it has been one thing after another. Health wise it has been a continuous stream of one thing and then another, ending this week with a likely ear infection or ruptured ear drum (pending a doctor's appointment). The decline in health probably has much to do with stress, but there are certain stressors in life that are unavoidable, such as going to work. I'm not complaining, but since I'm not super woman I am once again behind on my blanket for this week. In fact, I am so behind with blanket 3 that I haven't even started it. I know that eventually it will get done, but I do feel disappointed that I was unable to stay up on the challenge for this year.

Perhaps I set an unrealistic goal. After all I am once again a student, am working full time, and trying to find time to breathe. I probably should have looked at my commitments and known that it would be too hard for me to accomplish everything I needed to get done, especially without leaving myself room to be sick or brought down by health issues. I'm not ashamed. I envisioned a big plan for myself this Lenton season and am learning to be more realistic about my goals. In different circumstances it might have been possible for me to complete this challenge and it isn't impossible now, just unlikely I will finish on time. While I don't have a blanket to show for this week, I do have a few lessons I would like to share with you.

Lesson 1: Waiting
Waiting is inevitable. In life we are guaranteed we will have to wait. We will wait on people, dreams to be realized, and prayers to be answered. Personally, I have never been good with waiting. I don't like it. If I don't see a reason why I can't have something then I want it now and am going to be upset if I don't get it. Now, I'm not a child and so when I have to wait I don't throw a fit, but I am unhappy about it. I've noticed that the longer I have to wait the more discouraged I become. The discouragement comes from a lack of understanding. I read this great article When God Makes Us Wait and it explains why we are made to wait. Right now, this article speaks to my heart. I am in a position where I am waiting for prayers to be answered. If you're in this place too then I know how frustrated you are, but I can honestly say that waiting has a purpose. When you are made to wait, God isn't saying "No" and He isn't ignoring you, He is telling you "Not yet," He is telling you "I have something better for you," and He is telling you "I will strengthen your faith." So hold on, I know it is hard, but the answer you receive will be worth the wait.

Lesson 2: Change
Change, like waiting, is an unfortunate aspect of life. Some change we experience is good and rewarding, but change represents the unknown and is therefore scary to many people. I also don't like change and make it part of my life to avoid it, for the most part. I know some change is necessary and changes our lives for the better, even if not at first, but if you ask me I would probably tell you I could live without it. Change is inevitable and whether we like it or not, we need to learn to accept the change in our life. We don't have to like it, I don't like the changes happening in my life at this moment, but you need to accept it as reality. It is real and you can't go about your life pretending it didn't happen. I wish very much if we didn't like something we could change it back, but unfortunately we don't have that kind of control. The point is change happens and when you're unhappy with the change remember, "This too will pass." This might mean your feelings about the change will pass or it might be the change changes itself. Either way even change changes. Be patient and wait because it won't last forever.

Lesson 3: Endless Supply
Change, being made to wait, and the other stressors of life will bring you down and weigh upon you. You will face struggles and not want to go on, but you don't have to do it alone. God has an endless supply of whatever you need and He is waiting to give it to you. You just have to trust He will and then lean back to enjoy your endless supply. This week I have said more than once that I can't do this, but then God fills me up again and I can give it one more try. Yes, some weeks and some days you will have to cry out for replenishment more than once, but you will always be replenished. You might not be able to do it anymore, but God can. Remember His supply is endless and He is waiting to give it to you.

I don't know where you are this week, but I know I have been reflecting on these lessons every day and I am still learning. Some days are easier than others, but I know I'm not alone and neither are you. Have faith and be happy. You are loved. If you enjoyed this week's post, consider reading my blog Lessons detailing this journey of faith. 

Reverse Lent: Week 2

I am sitting here, on this beautiful day, reflecting on this past week of Lent. I can't help, but be reminded that this time last week I was sad and felt like a failure because my first blanket wasn't done. I was feeling sorry for myself, I was too busy, and I didn't have time, but I was missing the point: this wasn't about me. This Reverse Lent was about loving and caring about children because God loves these children and called them to my heart. Then there was also the fact that I was blessed to be busy with work, not everyone has a job or is able to work, and to be busy with school, not everyone can afford an education. I was selfish to complain. Now, I will admit they there are times when you need to complain, to vent, and to release that frustration, but it isn't healthy or beneficial to stay in that place. I left off last week feeling convicted and decided that I would finish the week smiling instead of complaining. The change in attitude proved effective because this week I am feeling blessed and accomplished.

The blanket for the first week of Lent is finished and simple, but beautiful. The blanket was made using Red Heart yarn in Grey Heather using single crochet stitches made with a crochet hook size G (4.25 mm). I originally intended this blanket for one of the All Kids Need Love comfort kits for foster children, but have since decided that the blankets I make during Reverse Lent will be donated to Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep Remembrance (Nilmdts Remembrance). This organization provides comfort kits to families who have lost a newborn or given birth to a stillborn. I was aware of this organization before, but only vaguely. This last week this organization was referred to me by my sister. She knows more about the organization and recognized their need for crochet or knit blankets to include in the comfort kits they send out to families. I knew that I had the ability to help this organization and felt convicted. As I sat thinking about this I realized that this might have been the reason why I had trouble finishing the first blanket on time. 

Yes, I still could have donated the blanket later upon discovery of the immediate need, but then the blanket would have been too large to be donated. Since I was behind, I was able to make the blanket in the size specified in the description: 16" x 16" to 20" x 20". This is significantly smaller than the blankets I intended on making for the foster care children. This much smaller size is much easier to manage. I am now back on track to finish a blanket a week during Lent while still maintaining my busy lifestyle. Even when everything seemed turned upside down this weekend, I was still able to work on the blanket for week 2, and handle the painfulness life sometimes brings. 

This week I have learned that there are times when we need to be weak, when we need to rely on our friends, and when we need to have faith that there is more than we can see or experience in our current state. I do not usually spend my posts reflecting on life or the shared experiences we have, but I feel that Reverse Lent is an opportunity to share more than just my projects, it is time for reflection. Although, the purpose of this blog is not to discuss life or the lessons we learn, I recognize the need to sometimes discuss life, after all it is a journey we all are experiencing. It would take too long to explain why this weekend was painful or why there was a need to be weak, but I can  assure you that the worst of storms will pass leaving you with a rainbow. 

I would like to leave you with a final thought, a passage from The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch:

"Proper apologies have three parts:

1) What I did was wrong

2) I feel badly that I hurt you

3) How do I make this better?

Yes, some people may take advantage of you when answering question 3. But most people will be genuinely appreciative of your make-good efforts. They may tell you how to make it better in some small, easy way. And often, they'll work harder to help make things better themselves.

Students would say to me: "What if I apologize and the other person doesn't apologize back?" I'd tell them: "That's not something you can control, so don't let it eat at you."

If other people owe you an apology, and your words of apology to them are proper and heartfelt, you still may not hear from them for awhile. After all, what are the odds that they get to the right emotional place to apologize at the exact moment you do? So just be patient. Many times in my career, I saw students apologize, and then several days later, their teammates came around. Your patience will be both appreciated and rewarded." (The Last Lecture, Pausch, pp. 162-163)

The only thing you can control in life is yourself so apologize when you need to and be patient with those who owe you an apology. You might never receive the apology you deserve, but that isn't within your control so you can't let the mistakes of others eat at you. Live your life in a way that you can be proud of when you are out of time. 

Happy New Year!

10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1 and it is officially the start of 2015! Happy New Years! The start of a new year always holds so much excitement and anticipation for the coming days, weeks, and months. Even on my hardest years, when I am rather reluctant to celebrate, the new year represents the promise of a better year and a brighter future. Of course life has its ups and downs regardless of the year, but reflecting on the possibilities has a restoring affect on our lives. This is equally true of crafters reflecting on their goals for their future. Last year I shared a video of Threadbanger's resolutions for crafty people and made similar resolutions for myself. And like everyone else I have failed to keep all of my resolutions for myself and for my business. The important thing to remember, regardless of the resolutions you make, is not to set impossible goals for yourself, but to set goals that you can continually work on across years.The resolutions I set for myself last year will continue to be my resolutions for this year, with the addition of a few others, and I will continue to reflect on my goals for myself and my business. 

Last year, in my personal life, I set a resolution of recording daily the blessings in my life. I found this resolution to be helpful for refocusing me daily to the positives in my life and really enjoyed the benefits of this resolution throughout the year. Due to the benefits of this resolution I have decided to make a craft journal this year where I will reflect on the projects throughout the year, my struggles, and my success as a crafter, blogger, and business owner. I hope this will allow me to focus on what I have accomplished rather than what I haven't finished. Last year I set unrealistic goals for myself for my blog and ended up quitting under the influence of overwhelming frustration. This year I am trying to be mindful of my limitations. I am once again a student, working full time as a behavioral technician, while also trying to maintain the business I founded in 2010. There will be days, weeks, or months when I don't feel like I can blog because I am overwhelmed by life and that is ok. This year I am going to remember it is ok if I can't blog regularly and to celebrate when I do. 

Another resolution I plan on keeping this year is the resolution to finish my projects rather than continually starting new projects. I was not very successful at this last year, but I did manage to finish several projects. Red Heart Yarn once posted on Facebook that is helpful to have multiple projects at one time because then you always have a project to fit your mood. However, I have found that these endless projects are taking over my space and my life. So along with limiting the amount of projects I start I am going to work on finishing my current projects. This will cut back on the amount of clutter-related stress I endure while giving me the benefit of feeling accomplished and isn't that the point of resolutions: to feel better about yourself? As my project pile eventually shrinks down I will begin to incorporate a project limit for myself to prevent future project clutter. This doesn't just apply to projects, but craft supplies as well. I don't really need endless supplies of every craft supply imaginable and won't honestly use all of those supplies. This year I will be mindful of the craft supplies I purchase and more willing to part way with extra craft supplies.

My final resolution is to use my crafting abilities to give back to others. Last year I worked on several projects for charities while also volunteering my time, but this year I find myself short on time. I am unable to volunteer in person this year, but will inevitably continue crafting. I am hoping to finish many projects this year and will showcase the projects I finish, along with the charity, on this blog. As I am typing this I am thinking of two projects I would like to start working on: fleece hats for the homeless and tote bags for foster children. Both projects will include other items such as water bottles, hand warmers, and activities for children. I already have many of things I will need to work begin work on these projects. 

2015 is upon us and represents a wonderful opportunity for success in all areas of our lives. I am excited for the possibilities that await. I encourage all of you to leave your own craft resolutions in the comments below or your tips for ensuring your success in keeping those resolutions.