Giving the Organized Christmas

I've been busy the last couple of weeks printing many of the forms Mary Ellen recommended from the Organized Christmas site.  Toward the end of last week, I found an inexpensive white binder that allows inserts in both front and back cover and the spine.   As I pondered the creative possibilities for cover, pages and content I was reminded of another Christmas book I received, as well as many types of books I'd like to give.  Years ago I received a little cookbook that was so lovingly prepared for me by my brother and his (then) new bride.  When I open this book I first see a photo of the couple in their kitchen.  Since it is a wire bound journal they did not simply print up pages and insert them later.  No, each recipe from my sister-in-law's native Argentina is handwritten and added to the Table of Contents.   I love this book and I love the thoughts and attention that were spent on my behalf in creating it.

Mary Ellen mentioned that a friend was going to receive a gift of one of the Christmas Organizers.  Many years I have a theme gift for birthdays throughout the year and I'm considering this idea for my sisters and sister-in-law and daughter-in-law during 2007.  While I know I will never be able to carefully handprint each recipe (and I do want to include recipes), I believe I will ask my mom to write a couple of her most popular favorites on recipe cards for duplication and insertion in the notebooks.  And now that I have the idea, there's time to get a few photos of mom and dad during the Christmas season: baking; making Thanksgiving gravy; serving Christmas Eve Wassail; presenting the homemade Caramel Corn.   If my sister hosts the Christmas Cookie Exchange she keeps promising, I’ll include all the aunts’ and cousins’ cookie recipes and some photos.  So the organic Christmas Organizer will be something between a scrapbook and a cookbook, with all the blank forms recommended by Mary Ellen included for the women to add the information that will personalize it for them.

Now that I'm considering recipe gifts, I should try to work on another project that was abandoned last year for lack of inspiration.  I think I'm on to something this time (which is unique considering I get my greatest ideas when there is less than 24 hours left before the event and a mountain of chores to finish).  While my 10 year old son isn't an arts crafty type, he does love to cook and has amassed his own recipe collection in a folder.  He would love to share these recipes with a cousin of a similar age, perhaps in a baking kit or smoothie basket.  Like the ladies' books, his might feature photos of his cooking adventures and 4H ribbons.  Since we got stuck on making the actual book last year, perhaps this 3-ring binder or a store bought journal will be just the thing to get us started on assembling the important things; the recipes!

By the way, thank you Mary Ellen for inviting me to be a part of your blog!

Comments

[Alice Gunther]

Gwen, this is brilliant! Thank you for posting this while there is still time for me to use this great idea!

[Rebecca B.]

I second Alice's comments and somehow had missed Mary Ellen's post with all the forms. This is all so helpful! I love this blog :)!

[Andrea]

An Aunt did this for me as a wedding shower gift. It's precious...such a good idea!