Happy Holidays!

Hello everyone!  I hope you're all enjoying this time of year!  I've finished another semester and said a little prayer for my Political Science grade...LOL  It's also been a lot of hustle and bustle trying to get ready for the Holidays.  My husband taught his first full semester as a college professor so he was gone a lot dealing with the learning curve of settling in to a totally new type of job.  I've been visiting a lot of Christmas Craft Fairs with the jam business, which I must say has been so much fun.  

We laughed around here because it took us 9 days to get the tree up.  Yes, NINE days.  Just for the tree.  With everyone so busy, we did a little at a time.  A very little.  But it got done and it looks pretty good too!  It took another 2 days on one weekend to get the outside stuff up.  That was exciting to see since I got the lights last year on after-Christmas clearance for next to nothing.  I got lucky and even the picked over Christmas section at the stores yielded enough of the same type of lights that I was able to do the front of the house for under $25.  I'm going to have to really hunt this year's after-Christmas sales as my husband wants to turn our flagpole into a Christmas tree in the way the city of Indianapolis turns the Soldiers and Sailors Monument into a Christmas tree.  That's a LOT of lights.  

Back to the Christmas Craft Fairs.  I would really suggest that you check out some of these in your area.  There are some really wonderful things out there that people make that are unique gifts.  I didn't think to get a picture of it before I wrapped it, but I got my nephew a VERY cool bow and arrow toy (I wish I had gotten his information to share) that is safe for kids to use with nice padded tips on the arrows, is simply  made with some PVC pipe and kite string (it's nice that if the string breaks, it's just kite string and can be replaced), it doesn't shoot far, which is good for little kids and it is going to give me some serious "Great Aunt Points"!  LOL.  I have gotten some amazing goat's milk soaps and lotions from Solstice Sun Farms, I'm diabetic and have seriously dry skin and I'm amazed at how well they work.  I got my son a lotion that smells like Juicy Fruit chewing gum!  I found my grandkids some crocheted blankets in their favorite colors made by Favors by Design.  My granddaughter got some hair bows from MiaBownita.  She'll be so excited.  I was at a Christmas Craft Fair sponsored by the Special Olympics and there was a beautiful young lady with Down's Syndrome who made some beautiful bracelets that she was selling to raise money.  My grandkids got some of those too.  

I could go on and on, but you get the idea.  The point is that this is a wonderful way to support small local business people and crafts people.  You can get some really unique gifts that go beyond just buying the newest thing out there or the same old gift set.  Take the time, generally on a weekend, and go find a local show near you and just check it out.  You'd really be amazed at what you'll find.  
Tomorrow, I will have my grandkids here and have a little fun planned for them.  I'll get pictures and share in a day or so.  In the meantime, have a wonderful holiday!

EDITED TO ADD:

I thought I'd edit this to add some local craftspeople I know (other than those linked above) to a list with links to how to find them.

Jennifer Wainscott makes diaper babies