Clutter Busting Christmas Presents

*This post was originally published on 12/7/11. Enjoy!

 It's unbelievable that Christmas is only 17 days away.  For some of you, you may be feeling like "Big deal.  Seventeen days is an eternity."  For me, however, I know that 17 days is going to pass like the blink of an eye.  December always finds us so busy; I have a hard time keeping it all straight.  And presents?  I've hardly had time to think about that.  So while a friend and I were brainstorming usefully gifts, I thought I'd share me list with you in case you're in the same spot.

Looking at our list this year, I really wanted to purchase gifts that would be useful and not just add to the consumer pile.  I still like blessing our family and friends at Christmas, but rather than buying another CD, I like to search out those items that they'll really use.  Hope you find this list helpful!

In the kitchen:
*Glass dishes--I love cooking with glass.  And with high quality items available, you won't be throwing these out like some of the cheaper items on the market.  These can be personalized as well if your recpient is big on entertaining.

*Pastry blender--Just a small thing, but this on packs a huge punch.  If you're buying for a baker, they won't underestimate the value of this gift.

*Garlic press--One of my favorite tools in the kitchen.  Pampered Chef sells a great one, but you can find them other places as well.  Great for cutting down time and money.

*Local roasted coffee and honey--Support your local businesses by purchasing a local roast coffee.  Then stop by the farmer's market for some raw honey.  Giving two ways by supporting your local farmer's.

*Homemade vanilla--An inexpensive and easy item, the quality of homemade vanilla is unbelievable.  What a great addition to any kitchen!

Going green:

*Microfiber clothes and homeade cleaner--I found a package of these clothes at a local discount outlet and love them.  They don't leave streaks on my windows and can be laundered for use again and again.  Please with homemade cleaner, you can control the substances that come into your home.  Be sure to include the recipe for a refill.

*Homemade laundry soap and reusable dryer sheets--We love our homemade laundry soap.  My favorite feature is that it's fragrance free.  Being inexpensive doesn't hurt either.  Pair it with some homemade dryer balls and you've got a great eco-friendly gift.

*Reusable Lunch baggies--I'm dying to make some of these.  What a great gift for a niece or nephew, or stocking stuffer for just about anyone.

*Recipe a month club--Plan 12 meals to deliver to the recipient, one a month for an entire year.  Now that's a labor of love.

For the gym rat:
*Homemade Yoga Mat Bag--I want one of these.  Next year, I'm making one!

For the book lover:
*Books on CD--My kids love listening to books on CD in the car.  And Mama loves it too.  It makes those long trips to Grandma's so much easier.

*Chapter books for older kids--I don't consider books to be clutter so as my children grow I'm excited to add chapter books to our collection.

*An e-book for the Kindle or Nook--Inexpensive and definitely a clutter buster, there's such a variety of e-books available.  Purchase a gift certificate and allow the recipent to choose their own.

For kids:
*Homemade Playdough--There are so many recipes out there.  Start with a basic and a pumpkin pie recipe, and go from there.

*Family memberships to a local zoo, museum, theater, etc.

What are you shopping for this Christmas?