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by Hope

I can’t wait to share with you some of my gifts I’m making.  But I’m really enjoying the process of finding things around the house, mostly things we would normally trash or recycle and seeing what I can make out of them that would be both practical and a craft worth giving.

So I’ve got these 1/2 gallon milk jars, glass, that I’ve been trying to find something to do with.  For this I have LOVED Pinterest.  So I’m stuck between painting them and making them – gratefulness jars – you know where you write little notes of praises or compliments and drop them in the jar.  I thought if I did one for each child, then on Christmas they’d get a decorated bottle full of notes to read.  Or doing some kind of recipe in a jar of some sort for teacher gifts.  I see lots of these with the smaller jars, but not sure it would work with this size.

My other thought is to take some plain clipboards which I have around from homeschooling and decorate them with paint, paper and other stuff for teachers at the co op.  I’ve actually done this in the past, but we’ve got lots of new teachers, and more importantly I’ve got ALL the supplies on hand to make them.

I’m also making a ton of homemade soap.  This was more of  a practical way to save some money.  I buy the supplies in bulk and have made my own for years due to the kids sensitive and dry skin.  So I’m thinking I can maybe wrap some of it up nicely as gifts too.

So I’m really working on this…it takes my time and attention off the difficulties at hand, uses up supplies I have on hand, and most importantly gets me set up for what could be a nice Christmas.

Two questions…

1. Have any great craft, gift ideas I could do with 1/2 gallon glass milk jugs?
2. What are your go to crafty gifts that you are proud to give?

I am thankful for this season in my life.  I get to spend every moment with my children. I continue to make improvements to how I manage my “stuff” and my money, learning more every day.  And I’m super excited on what is coming right around the corner for us!

Hope

Hope is a resourceful, solutions-driven online business manager with over two decades of experience helping clients streamline operations, manage projects, and grow their businesses through digital marketing and technology.

But life has a way of rewriting your plans.

A year ago, Hope made the decision to move in with her aging parents full time – a season she wouldn’t trade, even as it came with its own financial and emotional weight. Earlier this year, she lost her mother, and is now walking the tender, disorienting path of grief while learning what “forward” looks like from here.

Hope came to the Blogging Away Debt community in 2015 as a single mom raising five foster and adoptive children. She’s written through job changes, financial setbacks, and the bittersweet transition to an empty nest. Her kids are finding their footing in the world now – and so is she.

Rooted in faith and fueled by the same perseverance she’s brought to every hard season, Hope is ready to face her finances with fresh eyes and an honest pen. She believes that clarity, courage, and community can change the trajectory of anyone’s story including her own.

She lives in Austin, TX with her dad, loves adventures with her dog Addie, and is figuring out, one step at a time, what this next chapter is meant to be.