Homemade Holiday Gifts on a Budget

I know it's hard to get excited about the holidays when you're broke, or nearly so. It can be pretty depressing to face the holidays with bills looming. Believe me, I know. And for most of us above the 34th parallel, the temperature is dropping and we're spending more on utilities just to keep the icicles from forming on our noses while bundled up at home. I mean, where's Han Solo with his Tauntaun when you really need one? (What? Too gross?)

Side note: I was always amazed that Mattel didn't have a Tauntaun action figure with his belly sliced open, so you could just slide your Luke action figure inside. I mean, yeah, gross—but seriously, as a 10 year old? That would've been the shit.

And if that imagery didn't get you in the mood for the holidays, honestly, I don't know what will.

Hello Winter, My Old Friend...

Modern Lumberjack—because why wouldn't you wear your flannel shirt open to the navel with a jaunty (and bulky) wool scarf touching your bare skin? Very practical.

I love Fall. I mean, I seriously LOVE fall. Not in the pumpkin spiced latte with a side of pumpkin cruller kind of love. More like the lumberjack wearing flannel everything (so long as it's not chafing) kind of love. Except, I don't love the colder weather, and I certainly don't love it getting dark or snowing before it's supposed to. (That's just rude.) And come to think of it, I don't love raking leaves. But I like the other stuff. mostly. sort of.

Christmas is Encroaching Once Again

Don't get me wrong. I love the holidays.

I am however thankful, for the most part, that stores weren't stocking Christmas stuff back in August as they've done in years past. But when one walks into Target on Halloween expecting to get that last batch of candy (to replace the all of the candy one may or may not have eaten), and finds Christmas trees set up where the costumes had been the day before, well... that's enough to cause a certain person's brain to frazzle.