This site is an archive of ChiotsRun.com. For the latest information about Susy and her adventrures, visit the Cultivate Simple site.
Thank you for all your support over the years!

2010 Calendars

November 12th, 2009

We celebrate a simple Christmas with my family. We don’t spend much money and we try to make homemade gifts or use our talents to make gifts for others. This year I decided to make calendars for everyone. It’s something useful and it won’t clutter up the house, use it for a year and recycle it. I’ve been sorting through all of my photos picking out the best ones for each month and I think I finally settled on a design (it sure was hard narrowing down the photos). I’m going to get them printed up at Lulu so they’re really nice, and since I’m getting more than 10 printed up I can get them for a pretty good deal!
calendar_cover_image_with_text2
Here are some of the photos I chose to go inside. I tried to choose photos that depicted the month they corresponded to. Some months have more than one picture.

JANUARY
Raised_Garden_bed

FEBRUARY
reducing-maple-sap-over-firesunset-on-sugaring

MARCH
basket-of-lettucePicking_Radishes

APRIL
bee-hives1
ants-on-a-peonyhoneybee-on-chives

MAY
alliums_by_garden_bench

JUNE
Pink_Peony

JULY
Sunflower_against_blue_sky

AUGUST
Colorful_Tomatoes

SEPTEMBER
zinnias_on_porch

OCTOBER
Yellow_maple_leaves

NOVEMBER
farmers_market_apples
pumpkinscat_on_apple_crates

DECEMBER
watering-can-on-fence-with-ice
I’ll make them public at Lulu in case anyone wants to buy one (when I finalize the design), I’ll also be giving one away in a contest when I get them.

Do you make any of the gifts you give out during the holidays?

20 Comments to “2010 Calendars”
  1. Monica on November 12, 2009 at 7:41 am

    Awesome!
    I never thought of this and will keep it in mind for next year. Really excellent idea—your thinking cap was really working :-D

    Reply to Monica's comment

  2. kristin @ going country on November 12, 2009 at 8:42 am

    That’s my kind of calendar. All those photos of produce . . . The August cornucopia of tomatoes was particularly thrilling.

    I usually give people food for gifts. Homemade jam (or pickles, or whatever) is always a hit. Especially for my city-dwelling family.
    .-= kristin @ going country´s last blog ..Bah =-.

    Reply to kristin @ going country's comment

  3. Tree on November 12, 2009 at 10:12 am

    That is so awesome. I want to move to a more homemade Christmas. I grew up with homemade Christmas and it was time to spend with my mom working on things. My girls are getting older and I want them to have the knowledge that Christmas doesn’t have to involve a trip to the Mall or other stores in the Chaos that forgets the REASON FOR THE SEASON, which in our house is spending time with family and friends.
    .-= Tree´s last blog ..50 Things Update =-.

    Reply to Tree's comment

  4. Annette on November 12, 2009 at 10:21 am

    The calendars are a great idea. The gifts we give are always handmade. =)
    .-= Annette´s last blog ..Taxes and Etsy =-.

    Reply to Annette's comment

  5. Diane@Peaceful Acres on November 12, 2009 at 10:29 am

    Your composition is beautiful!!!
    .-= Diane@Peaceful Acres´s last blog ..Beauty Abounds =-.

    Reply to Diane@Peaceful Acres's comment

  6. Andrew Odom on November 12, 2009 at 10:30 am

    The past four years have been transition years in that we have moved from 100% purchased to now 100% made-recycled-upcycled (including gift tags, cards, etc). We now prefer to give and receive gifts that have a very personal touch. No gift is too small and not item goes unappreciated.

    Reply to Andrew Odom's comment

  7. Carol on November 12, 2009 at 10:48 am

    I’m making fish hats (http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter08/PATTfishy.php) for all the nieces and nephews. I’ll try to post a picture of all them in their hats after Christmas. :)

    Reply to Carol's comment

  8. Missy on November 12, 2009 at 10:52 am

    We still give traditional gifts to some people in our family, but I really love giving experiences whenever I can. The kids in our family do not want for ANYTHING—so I get them memberships to museums or the zoo, day passes to water parks, etc. Each year I try to think of something different. I am making homemade card sets for the women in my family this year. They’ll be blank on the inside and decorated in a style that suits each person on the cover. For example, my aunt Pam always sends Birthday cards to everyone in the family, so I am making her birthday cards.

    Reply to Missy's comment

  9. warren on November 12, 2009 at 11:47 am

    We always make calendars too…they are what everyone looks forward too. Of course, ours are mostly pics of goofy things the kids do…but it’s a great gift!
    .-= warren´s last blog ..The rodent war of NW PA =-.

    Reply to warren's comment

  10. Jaspenelle on November 12, 2009 at 12:30 pm

    I love this idea, you have so many gorgeous photos well suited for their months!

    I am very much a food gifter. I make a lot of preserves and sweet treats as gifts during the holiday season. On Yule we deliver cookie plates to people in town we know and most of my friends receive some kind of preserve as well. Last year I made raspberry vinegar and handpainted the bottles for my friends. This year I am giving plumcot butter and maybe lemon cordial (if it turns out well.) A couple people are getting knitted scarves too.
    .-= Jaspenelle´s last blog ..Blessingway =-.

    Reply to Jaspenelle's comment

  11. Maureen on November 12, 2009 at 12:54 pm

    Love this idea!!!

    …but can’t I just buy one of yours? :)

    Reply to Maureen's comment

    • Susy on November 12, 2009 at 1:04 pm

      You can, I’ll make them public at Lulu in case anyone wants to buy one, I’ll also be giving one away in a contest when I get them.

      Reply to Susy's comment

  12. the inadvertent farmer on November 12, 2009 at 12:54 pm

    Only handmade this year…scarves, clothing, photobooks, food, photos, and a ragdoll for Sweet Girl who wants to be Laura Ingalls!
    .-= the inadvertent farmer´s last blog ..Pear Tree on Fire =-.

    Reply to the inadvertent farmer's comment

  13. Leiah on November 12, 2009 at 1:02 pm

    Great Idea, and fantastic pictues.

    In my family we are also having a more “homemade holiday”. This will be only our second year of not participating in the commercial hoopla, but it does seem to be more meaningful.

    One of the things we decided to make as a tradition in our family is storytelling. When we get together for our holiday each year one member of the family has to tell a short story, starting with the oldest member of the family and working towards the youngest member. This year it will be my turn. I need to start working on what my story will be.

    Thanks for sharing your calendar idea, I think I may try that next year.
    .-= Leiah´s last blog ..Business as Usual =-.

    Reply to Leiah's comment

    • Susy on November 12, 2009 at 1:05 pm

      We always read the Christmas story before the gift exchange.

      Reply to Susy's comment

  14. Jamie on November 12, 2009 at 1:09 pm

    I am making dish cloths and scrubbers, and packaging them, along with homemade jams and jellies, into reusable shopping bags. This is the first year I have done homemade gifts, and I am actually quite excited about it!
    .-= Jamie´s last blog ..Finally Snow! =-.

    Reply to Jamie's comment

  15. nic @ nipitinthebud on November 12, 2009 at 1:34 pm

    it must have been agonising choosing which photos to use but the result is beautiful. I look forward to doing this next year. I’ve only been blogging since June so only half a year in the garden captured! I may yet do it and just have cat photos for the first half of the year!

    Reply to nic @ nipitinthebud's comment

  16. Jane on November 12, 2009 at 5:53 pm

    Calendars are always very cool to give and get. Love your pictures!

    I’m giving jams, jellies, pickles or canned meats. I also do cookies (I made over 500 last year), and cordials. Of course candy. If the item has won an award I always say, “award winning (what ever it is)” . People really like that also. I really give to anyone who I know. Why not. Brightens one day.

    Reply to Jane's comment

  17. Conny on November 12, 2009 at 6:07 pm

    Your calendar shots have taken my breath away! By the 3rd shot I was already wishing to be a recipient on your Christmas list. Glad you’d consider selling them on Lulu because I’ll be ready to “stand in line” to order. Very cool.
    .-= Conny´s last blog ..Corner view – favorite dish =-.

    Reply to Conny's comment

  18. Norma on November 12, 2009 at 8:14 pm

    Your Calendars are a great idea! Beautiful photos that match the months. Every year I make at least one homemade decoration for the house and over the years they really build up. This year I’m making pink, rose geranium soap for the girls and star anise soap for the boys. I have many times given homemade fruitcake, White Christmas and gingerbread. Threaded popcorn garlands on the tree is a very old tradition too!
    I looked at pyjama short for the guys and wonder why they are so expensive. Thinking of sewing a few in nice cool cottons for the hubby and teenage sons. Well, Christmas in the south is HOT, ho, ho, ho.

    Reply to Norma's comment

About

This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

Admin
Read previous post:
Quote of the Day: Thorton Wilder

"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures." -Thorton...

Close