I know this is post-Christmas, but I thought it still might be useful for future-Christmases or birthday presents. Here’s a few of the low-budget gifts we gave this year: Home-made hot cocoa mix. There’s a lot of different recipes out there, but I stuck close to this recipe, only I used french vanilla creamer. This [...]

Things are a little busy right now…tomorrow is our last day of classes for this semester and we’re heading out to visit my family for Christmas (haven’t spent a Christmas with them in 6 years!). I’m sure you’re all busy right now too, but I had a few moments and thought I’d make a quick [...]

I thought I’d share the links to some of my older posts that are Christmas related, since it’s already December 3rd! Giving Freebies as Gifts with out Being Tacky Newspaper Bow Gift Wrapping alternatives Christmas Wrapping #2 Cheaper Play Dough (gift idea) Crayon Cookies (gift idea) Helping Kids Learn to Give

I keep thinking I’m done with gift wrapping, then realize I’m not. Last night I pulled out Gracia’s Duplos (which by the way we got for only $20 on Amazon), thinking I might have a gift bag big enough for them….nope. So I grabbed the biggest roll of wrapping paper I stilled had left from [...]

Here’s most of our gifts for family, other than ones I already sent and a few I hadn’t gotten yet. As you can see by the picture, I did wrap many of my gifts with wrapping paper, but it was all wrapping paper I already had. I haven’t bought wrapping paper or gift bags in [...]

When you’re spending money on gifts, decorations, special foods and travel, the least you could do for your budget is not spend money on wrapping paper. Here’s a slew of ideas to help make this a cheaper (and greener) Christmas: Put your gifts in re-used gift bags. Use cloth gift bags, these will hold up [...]

It’s so fun to give Christmas gifts to our little kids, isn’t it? Seeing their little eyes light up with excitement as they tear the paper off a gift! But them sometimes they get a little greedy with all the gifts and instead of appreciating the ones they’ve already opened, just want to open more [...]

Gracia got a nice crayon set for her birthday this year. She had crayons before that, but they were all broken and miscellaneous crayons. I didn’t throw the old crayons out though. I saved them to make crayon cookies with, and finally got around to doing it! Take all the paper off the crayons (if [...]

If you’ve followed my blog very long, you know I love to sign up for freebies in the mail! If you get freebies too, here’s some ideas for how to tastefully give them as gifts this Christmas. Toiletry bag A lot of the free samples I get are small shampoos and conditioners, perfect to make [...]

Here’s my latest freebies! 3 Kleenexes 2 princess vitamin gummies – Gracia was very excited as eating her vitamin gummies is the highlight of her day! Chocolate sun warrior raw protein blend – I mixed this up in a smoothie the other day for breakfast and it was pretty good! Unstoppables laundry smell good stuff [...]