FRUGAL CHRISTMAS

[@ellenspn]

Can’t comprehend changing ornaments each year. We only replaced broken ornaments.

[@PenniestoDollars]

Smart. I agree.

[@Judi-lm2fj]

I was raised in the same era. Tinsel was a big deal. My Dad would buy a bag of nuts and hard candy. It was a treat for Christmas. Wonderful memories for a lifetime.

[@PenniestoDollars]

Yes! 🎄🎄🎄🎄

[@MsAmy-hy5ds]

Amen and Amen!

[@PenniestoDollars]

💚❤️💚❤️

[@maryannrogers8675]

How was your Thanksgiving dinner? I know your family came for a visit. I remember the tinsel on the tree. My younger sister and I would throw it up in the air and it would land on the tree. Thank you for sharing your Christmas childhood memories with us.

[@PenniestoDollars]

It went really well! I did a KZbin short telling about it if you happen to see that.

[@ireadnewton]

For years, my mom had a silver tree with blue ball ornaments along with a color wheel. Very 60s! Our stockings were just as you have described, and my sisters and I received several gifts each. I still have many of those gifts. I love to incorporate natural materials in decorations, so I went out this morning and picked up several long twigs from my driveway. I added them to one of my Fostoria silk flower vases along with a piece of stiff shiny Christmas paper rolled up tightly and a long red vintage tree topper, all thrifted and that I have had for years. I enjoy refashioning "decor" from found objects.

[@PenniestoDollars]

You are so creative, but I always love to hear about the things that you come up with! You should email me a picture of that!

[@sandrabryan9106]

One of my best memories was when I was in grade one, my Dad made me angel wings and put blue and silver tinsel garland to decorate them. It was a big deal. I had a solo performance in the school assembly singing “Hark the Herald Angels Sing.” I was so worried I wouldn’t hit the high note but when I did I looked down and saw my friend give me the thumbs up. It meant the world to me and 54 years later, we are still good friends.

[@PenniestoDollars]

What a precious memory, Sandra!

[@nancyanne5337]

No wonder you love everything about the Christmas season! You got to decorate the tree all on your own that's fantastic😊

[@PenniestoDollars]

I was much younger than my siblings, and so I lived alone growing up a lot as a child. This was a special part of that!

[@nancyanne5337]

Aw, such sweet memories

[@Brattyanne1231frugal]

I loved tinsel, my cat would eat it and choke on it 😢. I love that you have your mother’s recipe in her hand writing. That is a treasured gift .

[@PenniestoDollars]

Yes, I was so happy to find it❤️

[@sheilafreisthler4421]

As a child, I remember that my mom was the only who would put the tinsel on the tree. She was very particular. She also made her grandchildren ceramic ornaments each year. I have followed that tradition but I crochet different ones each year. As there is a gap of about eight years between the older and younger grandchildren, I am able to start repeating them!!

[@PenniestoDollars]

What a wonderful tradition 🥰🥰

[@Brattyanne1231frugal]

I feel like part of the magic of Christmas is taking out the Christmas ornaments that we’ve had over the years. It’s like opening a new present.. I have a Disney tree. My whole tree is ornaments that I have picked up on our many Disney trips so I have ornaments that are at least over 25 years from when my oldest was little. When I open up my Christmas tree ornaments we are all amazed..

[@PenniestoDollars]

❤️❤️

[@LindaFeldman]

Thank you for the walk down memory lane! Housing was scarce after W.W. 2 so my parents were fortunate to be able to find and afford half of a small duplex. We didn't have a Christmas tree because we were Jewish but our lovely neighbors in the duplex had one. They invited my young sister and I over to see it and I will never forget the tinsel all over it!

[@PenniestoDollars]

It was a big deal! 💜💜

[@lovsun]

Beautiful memories! Thank you for sharing.

[@PenniestoDollars]

Thank you for listening 🎄🎄🎄

[@nancyanne5337]

Yes, I remember the word Oleo that's exactly what my grandfather called it.

[@PenniestoDollars]

That was the only word my mother ever used for margarine!

[@nancyanne5337]

Yes!

[@DiasFrugalLife]

Awe, such Great memories 😊❤

[@PenniestoDollars]

😁

[@janiceurffer325]

I remember going to the theater for a Christmas movie. They gave out 1 pound boxes of hard Christmas candy and a navel orange. I have been collecting vintage Christmas items every year. I love looking for new things to add to my collection. I still have a box of tinsel and I crochet and knit ornaments every year. I enjoy swapping ornaments with people I meet.

[@PenniestoDollars]

What a wonderful memory and tradition 💚❤️

[@nancyanne5337]

One thing that I always loved about decorating the tree really as an adult was all of the ornaments that our kids made for us throughout the years they were growing up. One thing in particular is that each of my older children my two older children made a really pretty it looks like stained glass it was just made out of cardboard and different color plastic wrap with a cutout in the middle but it looks like stained glass and we always hang them we have a bay window in our living room and at each end there's one separate window and we hang those on each of those windows and it just looks really nice with the Christmas candles lit up.

[@PenniestoDollars]

I still have items my children made as well, and they are so special! Thank you for telling us about those, Nancy!

[@nancyanne5337]

Absolutely

[@nancyanne5337]

That top looks so pretty on you. You radiate joy.❤🎄

[@PenniestoDollars]

Thank you, Nancy!

[@nancyanne5337]

❤

[@nancyanne5337]

As soon as I saw hot milk sponge cake I had to smile. My husband's mother for many years made a hot milk cake it wasn't called hot milk sponge cake it was just called a hot milk cake and it was a yellow cake and then she would ice it with chocolate icing. It was one of my husband's favorites as a kid growing up

[@PenniestoDollars]

I bet it is a variation of the same cake!

[@patbethea111]

I remember that we had a light Base that would turn and change the color of the tree. It turned green, red, blue and yellow. I use to sit on the floor and watch the color change the color 🤗

[@PenniestoDollars]

My grandparents had one and I did the same :)

[@cynthiablodgett1882]

When we bring out our Christmas decorations. It's like visiting with a dear friend. Each 1 is remembered for how we got it and when. The simple things in life.

[@PenniestoDollars]

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🎄

[@sammie44]

Good morning Bonita! 😆 I could watch and listen to you everyday! I enjoy your childhood memories and the stories that you recount and talk about. I also grew up decorating the Christmas tree with tinsel and garland. Looking back, I feel it made the tree shine and sparkle and gave it a special glow. Christmas villages are so enchanting to look at and create a magical touch when lit up. Like you, I still use my old ornaments and decor. I especially, love displaying my children’s handmade Christmas decorations, from years ago, even if they’re not in tip top shape. lol 🎄 🌟

[@PenniestoDollars]

I also have items that my children made that I still have as well! They are so special. Thank you so much for commenting and I’m so glad that you enjoy listening to my memories. It’s fun to share them with you. 🎄🎄

[@Alittlelady83]

Love this video my childhood was the same. The tinsel was so beautiful.

[@PenniestoDollars]

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄😁

[@blackfootdaisy]

We got fruit and nuts in our stockings too, and we were so excited! I remember mostly just the magical feel of Christmas: the music, all the homemade candies and we used a lot more candles at that time, simply because it added to that magical feel. We definitely did not get new ornaments each year. Seeing the old ones was nostalgic, again, adding to that magical feel.

[@PenniestoDollars]

Love those memories!

[@ellenspn]

Tinsel was a big part of our Christmas trees too.

[@PenniestoDollars]

For sure and it’s all but forgotten now.

[@lindagbukvic9441]

I think back in the day, it was made out of lead.

[@debbiedorsey2371]

Great video! Thank you! Love your top. ❤

[@PenniestoDollars]

Thank you!

[@patbethea111]

Yes I love Christmas Season 🤗💃🙌🙌🙌. Besides Christmas it's my Birthday on the 28th 🎉🥳

[@PenniestoDollars]

Happy Early Birthday!!

[@judithhansen-nt9zm]

It was my dad who put on the tinsel...one strand at a time. And we took it off the same way. Haha

[@PenniestoDollars]

Everything was so special and we saved it to use again the next year! Thank you for sharing that, Judith!

[@kerryjames6312]

I enjoyed walking down memory lane wuth you

[@PenniestoDollars]

I’m so glad. Thank you!

[@susanrehak398]

It is so funny that we have a lot of the same memories. Our family did the same things for stockings. I remember having tinsel when we had real trees. Once we went to artificial we changed to garland. I do remember that silver and gold chintzy garland. Shed like devil.

[@PenniestoDollars]

Yes, it was so simply made. 🎄

[@nancyanne5337]

If you have the ability we would love to see that Christmas Village you're telling us about❤

[@PenniestoDollars]

🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

[@nancyanne5337]

😉🎄

[@nancyanne5337]

I love your new song. Is that the one that is your favorite that your son sang and you gave us the link to it? If so please send the link again I would love to go watch that again.

[@PenniestoDollars]

It’s Carol of the Bells, which is my favorite, but the one he sang, I will share again!

[@nancyanne5337]

@PenniestoDollars awesome, thanks so much.

[@barbaratolker4366]

Tinsel was a must in our home, but it got everywhere! We'd find it in corners months later. 😂

[@PenniestoDollars]

It was messy!

[@patbethea111]

My Mom used to cook pineapple upside down cake ❤

[@PenniestoDollars]

A classic!

[@DiasFrugalLife]

We need to go back to that…. We have such a disposable mentality now. We would all save so much if we kept what we had and did t upgrade very much or replace just because.

[@PenniestoDollars]

For sure, Dia