Merry Christmas!

Hello All! I can't believe this weekend is Christmas. I'm nearly ready. Most of the presents are wrapped and under the tree and I just have a few things to gather and some goodies to make and I'm good to go. This week has been exceptionally crazy but good. A part time job that I've been drooling over hired me so not only did I start work this week but I'll be learning to balance work, home, (homeschool) and frugality as I enter the new year.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas season. Love on your friends and family and enjoy all the good food. Look ahead to the new year and start setting some fresh frugal goals and I'll see you on Monday.

From our family to yours....MERRY CHRISTMAS!

emilyannephotography.com

Give the Gift of Food

Food gifts are always a fun way to let someone know you're thinking about them at Christmas. I love to get them just as much as I love to give them. Some years we've put together trays of treats for friends but other years we put together decorative jars full of yummy mixes. Over the years some have been received with much more enthusiasm than others and we've learned which ones are the favorites. So hear are the two top food mixes that we use. I hope they make someone happy on your Christmas list.

Chai Tea Gift Mix

(We put this together in a basket with four (dollar store) mugs and maybe a few homemade scones. )

• 1 cup nonfat dry milk powder
• 1 cup non-dairy powdered coffee creamer
• 1 1/2 cups french vanilla non-dairy coffee creamer
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 cups unsweetened instant tea
• 2 teaspoons ginger
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon clove
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg

Mix all ingredients together in a food processor until powdery. Put in pretty airtight jar with the directions: Mix 3 tablespoons into 1 cup of hot water.

Chocolate Chip Crunch Cookies

• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup crispy rice cereal
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup white sugar

1. In a 1 quart jar, layer the ingredients in the order listed. Pack down firmly after each addition.
2. Attach a tag with the following instructions: "Chocolate Chip Crunch Cookies: 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 2. In a large bowl, cream 1/2 cup margarine until light and fluffy. Mix in 1 egg and 2 tablespoons water. Add the entire contents of the jar, and stir until well blended. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. 3. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in preheated oven. Remove from baking sheets to cool on wire racks."

$5 Christmas Idea - GCC Recipe Swap

So, I had a bored kid this week but I was heading out the door and didn't have to time to entertain him. He was begging for something productive to do and I decided I would take a few minutes and pull together some play dough for him. I was rushed and didn't really have time for the traditional stove top recipe so I decided to use my food processor to speed things up. What an amazing time saver! It came together so nicely and it's such a frugal toy that I though it would be great as a Christmas gift for the kids on my list.

Easy Scented Play Dough in 5 minutes or Less

• 1 cup flour
• 1 package of kool aid mix (makes it smell good and gives it color)
• **If you don't have kool-aid you can just mix in food coloring
• 1 tablespoon cream of tartar
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup salt
• 1 cup boiling water

Mix first 5 ingredients together in food processor. Slowly add boiling water and mix until dough is formed. Let cool and either play or package up as a gift.

You can get creative with packaging....maybe put it in a basket together with some dollar store cookie cutters or mini rolling pins or an apron. Have fun with it!

Do you have a recipe you'd like to share? Please include a link to your post not your homepage, and please include a link back here to the Grocery Cart Challenge.

Homemade Christmas - Hopscotch Rug

I love this idea just for the sheer simplicity of it. Where we live, the kids learn to play indoors at least half of the year and what a great way to keep them active and away from all the screens (tv, computer, video games) for a while. So if you're looking for a creative Christmas toy to give the kids this year, I think this one could be lots of fun and also pass on the heritage of the simpler things that we used to do to amuse ourselves when we were little. My guess is that if you scope out Goodwill or discount stores you can keep this project under the $10 mark.

So head on over to Sewing Dork to check out this Hopscotch Rug.

Homemade Christmas - Super Hero Fort Kit

Christmas shopping is upon us and I don't know about you, but I have a tight budget this year. So that requires me to get a little creative with the gift giving. A lot of times you mention the word "homemade" in conjunction with gifts and people cringe. But that doesn't have to be the case. I'm hoping to give you some ideas over the next few weeks for gifts that will not only be happily received but easy on the budget. So keep your eyes peeled for posts about unique and fun Christmas ideas.



The first one is for a Super Hero Fort Kit from Meg + Andy. It's an adorable bag filled with everything your little boy would need to have his own super hero fort. So head on over and check it out. With some creative shopping at the dollar store and local thrift stores I'm thinking this could be put together for $10 or less.

Check back for more Homemade Christmas ideas in the coming days.

101 Stocking Stuffer Ideas

A stocking hanging on the fireplace mantle is a long standing Christmas tradition steeped in history. As one legend goes, a poor man had three beautiful daughters. He had no money for their dowry and he was worried what would happen to them after his death. Saint Nicholas was passing through and heard the villagers talking about the girls. He wanted to help, but knew that the old man wouldn’t accept charity so he decided to help in secret. He waited until it was night and crept through the chimney with three bags of gold coins, one for each girl. As he was looking for a place to leave them he noticed the girls stockings hung over the mantelpiece to dry. He put one bag of gold in each stocking and off he went. When the girls and their father woke up the next morning, they found the bags of gold coins and were overjoyed. The girls were able to get married and live happily ever after and to this day we continue the practice of stuffing stockings full of gifts.

Some of my fondest memories centered around pulling endless stream of tiny presents from the recesses of the homemade stockings my Mom made for us. And I’m happy to now be the Mother who gets to stuff my own children’s stockings on Christmas eve. So if Santa has designated you to be the stocking stuffer in your family, here’s a list of 101 ideas, some more frugal than others, to fill up those stockings this Christmas Eve.

Garden seed packets
Homemade coupons ie: back rubs, dessert before dinner, no chores for the day,
Candy
Card games
A Charcoal briquette as coal for those on the naughty list
A thrift store spoon dipped in melted chocolate and wrapped for a flavored coffee stir stick
fingernail polish
Single flavored tea bags
Single-load boxes of laundry detergent for kids home from college
Bubble bath
Candles
Prints of favorite photos
A homemade cookbook or set of recipe cards
Scratch off lottery tickets
Favorite spices for the cook
Copies of old home movies
A hand written love letter
Homemade chocolate lip balm
Bottle of Pain Reliever
Homemade Play Dough

Homemade gingerbread men
A paperback book
Gumballs
A roll of quarters for laundry
A Keychain with a first set of house keys for your pre-teen
A new toothbrush
A letter from Santa
Golf balls
Tire gauge
A favorite magazine
Nuts
Batteries
Body sprays
Scented soaps
Vitamins
Flavored coffees
Character band-aids
Coloring books
Lint brushes
Crayons
Granola bars
Gift cards
Cd’s
Mittens
A piece of exotic fruit
A Scarf
Flavored popcorn seasoning
Packets of cocoa
Fishing lures
A bottle of hot sauce for those who like it spicy
Stickers
Water paints and brushes
A poster
A jar of homemade cinnamon syrup

Calculator
Puzzle
Homemade Sidewalk chalk
Camera memory cards
Magnets
Maps for the traveler
Small picture frames
Chapstick, lip gloss or lipstick
BBQ or fireplace lighters
USB flash drive
Laptop power cord
Decorated notepads and pens
Personalized return address labels
Perfume samples from the cosmetics counter
Personalized stationary
Crossword or Sudoku books
Ornaments
Paper dolls
Doll clothes
Action figures
Baseball or other trading cards
Fun socks
Small lego sets
Special Coins or Currency ($2 bill, $1 Presidential Coins, State Quarters)
Hair accessories
Temporary tattoos
Juggling balls
Flashlight
Desk calendar
Cell phone cover
Book marks for the reader
Fun pencils
Cookie cutters
Measuring spoons
Pet treats
Crochet hooks
Knitting needles
Tape measure
Padlocks
Car air fresheners
Pedometer
Small baking mixes
Stamps
Personalized M & M’s
Silly putty
Ear warmers or muffs
Rolled up t-shirt

GCC Recipe Swap!

It's been kind of quiet around here this week as I studied and took finals but I'm done...(deep breath) and have three weeks off school. All I want to do is be Mom again and cook and organize and all that good stuff. I'm thinking it's going to be a productive few weeks.

This week we are doing our Christmas baking and homemade gifts. I'll be making some gift mixes and packaging them up to take to friends. Here are mix ideas that you might want to use.

• Package up some homemade laundry soap with directions.
  
• A spa package with some Green Tea Bath Salts, add a loofah and a pretty washcloth.
• Add some cute mugs to a basket with a mix of homemade chai tea, gingerbread coffee creamer or some candy cane hot cocoa.

Or do a whole meal basket of ready made mixes with...

• Minestrone soup
• Beer Bread
• Chocolate cranberry cookies

Have fun making and giving your goodies!

Do you have a recipe you'd like to share? Please link directly to your post, not your homepage, and please include a link back here to the Grocery Cart Challenge.

One Of A Kind Gifts

I love giving gifts to people that are unique; that aren't mass marketed and found on a Wal-mart shelf. It just makes them so much more special and it's fun to have something that you know nobody else has. Couple that with the fact that I prefer to online shop rather than brave the crowds and the parking and the long lines plus the luxury of having it delivered to my door is a huge perk. So I've found this cute little online shop founded by a gifted mom who makes amazing one of a kind items. She has unique kids clothes and one of a kind purses, handbags, totes, and pooch purses made with mouth watering fabrics.

I've chatted with her a few times and she's as nice as she is gifted. So if you need a one of kind gift for someone, go take a look and check out her things. They are all ready to ship and arrive by Christmas!

Give The Gift Of Memories

I love to watch my kids eyes light up when they rip the paper off their presents on Christmas eve. I put lots of thought and effort, time and money into those gifts just so they will have that effect. But as my kids get older and their wish lists lean more towards the latest toy or gadget or technology I feel like I’m just buying them another thing that will disconnect them from the family. We’re all so busy and scattered nowadays with jobs, sports, friends and other activities that it’s an effort to sit down, all six of us, and look each other in the eye. I don’t have the kids clambering for my attention like they did when they were littler. “Mommy, can I sit on your lap?“ or “Will you read my another story?“ or “Mommy will you hold me?“ Sadly, I’m not the center of their world anymore and my little boys have quit asking for my hand in marriage. And while we still get the gadgets, I like to make sure that I’m also giving them the gift of memories and fun moments with their family. Because sooner than I realize they will be out of my home and it will be even more of an effort to get us all together again.

So how can we make sure this holiday season that our gifts are bringing us closer? With a little ingenuity we can give a family gift that will make memories that last well beyond their years at home. Here are some ideas.

• In a basket or fun box put a new puzzle, some microwave popcorn, instant hot cocoa and a new Christmas CD. Spend the evening putting together the puzzle and having snacks and singing along to the songs. You can even have a vacation photo turned into a personal puzzle.

• Have a cookie decorating night. Buy some rolls of prepared sugar cookie dough, sprinkles, and frosting and go for it.

• Put together a game night. Buy a few new board or card games and snacks and have a little competitive fun.

• Wrap up some new sleds to put under the tree and a package of hot cocoa. Make a homemade gift certificate for a day in the snow. Hold a “best snowman” contest where everyone wins.

• Wrap up a new video recorder and attach a paper describing an upcoming family talent show. Take funny videos of everyone doing their own thing. Or wrap up a script and give everyone a part while you record the play.

• Buy a funny book and have a read aloud night…with voices. Let the kids eat snacks while you read them a story.

These are some ideas to get the creative ball rolling. Tailor your gift around your families own interests, just make sure that it’s an idea that connects you and is fun. These would be great ideas to give to other families on your gift giving list too. Have fun creating lifetime memories this holiday season.

Online Christmas Shopping

I just started my Christmas shopping today. Thrillingly, I did it in my jammies while I was eating breakfast. Online shopping is equally as frugal as physically shopping in the store and much more convenient. You also get the added benefit of having a delivery guy bring packages to your door. It's almost like getting the presents twice! But there is one little tidbit you should know. When you're at check out and they ask for a promotional code for extra savings, don't be discouraged if you don't have one. Just do a google search (ex: "Bath and Body Works promo code") and up will pop several codes you can choose from. Find the one that offers you the best savings and plug it in. I just took advantage of a buy 3 get 3 free from Bath and Body Works and used the promo code "F103373" to get another $10 off my purchase. It ended up covering shipping, tax and a little bit off my bill. What a deal!

Christmas Shopping

I honestly hate the crowds at Christmas while I'm trying to shop. Black Friday? There isn't a deal in sight that would make me enter into that craziness. The older I get, the more peeved I get at people's rudeness.....and the touching. My personal-space bubble is large and having someone cough on the back of my head and bump into me a gazillion times while I'm standing in line waiting for an hour is pure torture. So my solution is either shopping when I know the crowds are low or online shopping at Christmas.

And you can still find amazing deals online if you know where to look. Here are just a few that I threw together to get you started.

• In my left sidebar you'll find Amazon's biggest deals of the day.
• Bath and Body works SALE page is HERE.
• Aeropostale offers free shipping if you spend over $100. Clearance page is HERE.
  
• We save lots of money by using Netflix. Give a Gift Subscription to a friend for as low as $9 for a month of instant streaming and DVD rental.

These are just a few ideas to get you started. Make sure and check your favorite online stores the day after Thanksgiving. The offers are still great, even if you don't leave your home.

$5 Christmas Gifts - Works For Me Wednesday

***This is a repost from last Christmas time. Since it's that time of year I thought I'd repost to hopefully inspire you to get frugally creative in your gift giving.

Gosh, it just feels tacky to put a price tag to a gift. But in an effort to get your creative juices flowing (and mine) I thought I'd post a thrifty gift giving idea since we ARE getting close to Christmas and most of us ARE aware of the cost.

And if I know you in real life I might at some point post YOUR Christmas gift. Do me a favor and act surprised when you get it. OK?

If you have co-workers, secret sisters, hostesses, neighbors, or friends on your gift giving list this year then this just might do the frugal trick.

I got the cookbook off paperbackswap.com for free. (if you decided to join please use my e-mail address as your referral gaylebryant4@gmail.com) It's called 101 Things To Do With A Cake Mix. I found a simple recipe inside and bookmarked it so the receiver would be able to find it.

I had a basket stashed away so the cost was again free. You could use any sort of container...a garage sale mixing bowl, a decorated box, pretty Tupperware. Then I decorated it with a star Christmas ornament that I found in my craft stash.

I purchased a wooden spoon for $.25, a holiday towel at the dollar store for $1, a cake mix for $.99, and a bag of M & M's for $1.99. The recipe was for M&M cookies.

I laid the towel in the bottom, tied a scrap of ribbon around the wooden spoon and arranged the ingredients in the basket.

And the fun doesn't stop there. If you have lots of people to give this kind of gift to then the possibilites are endless. Each cookbook can be different, each basket will have different ingredients, different colors, etc.

So there you have it. The grand total was $4.23 and I have a nice gift for my friend who constantly has people over at her house and needs to have a quick snack ready to put together. And I didn't break the budget or need a credit card to pay for it.

Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap

Saturday night I'm going to a Christmas party where we will be having a cookie exchange. I found this great recipe that is not only freakishly easy but I had all the ingredients on hand so I made up a test batch for the family. They vanished in a nanosecond! These are some seriously light and buttery cookies which I of course promptly dipped in chocolate. If you need a simple recipe for Christmas treats you've come to the right place.

Brown Sugar Shortbread Cookies Dipped in Chocolate

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

In a mixing bowl, cream butter, vanilla and sugar. Gradually stir in the flour. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 3 min. Roll to about 1/4 inch thick and cut out with cookie cutters. Place 1" apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 300 degrees for 14 minutes or until bottom begins to brown. Cool for 5 min. and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. When completely cool, dip halfway in melted chocolate and let dry on waxed paper.

If you'd like to share a recipe please link directly to your post, not your homepage and also include a link back to The Grocery Cart Challenge from the body of your post.

Thanks!

Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap - Chai Gift Mix

I like to recieve food gifts at Christmas and I love to give them too. It's like sharing a little bit of homey comfort with the people in your life. It can also be a family project to pack cozy baskets with seasonal treats and warm drink mixes and then have a family delivery night.

So here's a yummy drink mix that you can make for the people on your list. To keep costs down even further check the bulk bins for some of your ingredients.

Creamy Chai Tea Mix

1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1/2 cup powdered vanilla coffee creamer (dry)
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened instant tea (dry)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Mix all together and place in pretty airtight container or jar and attach these instructions:

For each serving, place 3 to 4 heaping teaspoons mix in a cup. Fill with 1/2 cup very hot water and 1/2 cup hot milk.

Do you have a recipe you'd like to share? Please link directly to your blog post and please include a link back to The Grocery Cart Challenge.

Homemade Christmas

We do lot's of homemade Christmas gifts around here for friends and family and all year I've been collecting links to presents I'd like to make and give this season.

Here's directions for homemade soap made in the crockpot. I've purchased all my ingredients and I'm getting ready to make a batch this week. It takes a few weeks to cure so if this interests you it's best to get started on this now. Wouldn't this look pretty packaged up in a basket with a few rolled up wash cloths and a loofah and maybe a few of these fizzy bath bombs to go with it?

Is there somebody in your family who spends lots of time at Starbucks? Try these earth friendly coffee cup sleeves. I've made several of these and they turned out so cute! Package it up with a few homemade flavored sugars for coffee and tea and you have the perfect gift.

You want frugal? How's this. These adorable stuffed hedgehogs are made from a dollar store car mitt. So stinkin' cute for the little one on your list.

Take a $3 frame and a little creativity to create this amazing dry erase wall calendar. I want this for MY wall but it would make a fantastic Christmas gift.



Broken crayons turn into custom monogrammed pictures. Seriously! How do people come up with this cute stuff? Anyone could make this.

So these are some ideas to get your Christmas giving under way. Remember, Christmas doesn't have to be a rack-up-the-credit-card holiday. It doesn't even have to be a spend-100's-of-dollars-in-cash holiday. You can truly make some amazing frugal gifts that are just as wonderful or better than store bought gifts.

And I've got plenty more where that came from so keep your eye out for more Christmas posts coming soon.

Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap

Ok, think Christmas goodies with this recipe. I love handing out homemade treats to friends for Christmas. Not the standards like chocolate chip cookies or brownies but something different and unique...maybe even NEW. So this recipe is great in cellophane bags with a pretty ribbon at the top and maybe a gift tag with the name of the recipe on it. This recipe is for carmel corn lovers but with a different twist. We really like it.

Caramel Corn Puffs

1 bag or box corn puffs (like Kix or Corn Pops...check bulk bins...about 1 lb)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup corn syrup

1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon baking soda

Bring the brown sugar, corn syrup and butter to a boil, add the baking soda and stir Pour the corn puffs into a cake pan and pour the caramel over, stir to coat Bake at 250F, stirring every 10 minutes for 45 minutes. Let cool and enjoy.

Would you like to share a recipe? Please link directly to your post, not your homepage and please include a link back to The Grocery Care Challenge.

Oh...and my friend is having a great giveaway that you might want to go check out HERE.

Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap

It's cookie season at our house. We like to pull out all the stops to make goodies for friends. And this is one of our favorites.

Chocolate Dipped Krispies Peanut Butter Balls

adapted from Recipezaar

Cookie Ball

1/2 cup butter or margarine

2 cups chunky peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups powdered sugar

3 cups rice krispies

chocolate dip

1 package of chocolate chips

2 Tablespoons of shortening

• Melt butter and while hot, stir in peanut butter.
• Mix well and add vanilla, powdered sugar and Rice Krispies.
• Work in with hands until it will form small bite size balls.
• Dip balls into melted chocolate and shortening
• Decorate damp chocolate with sprinkles or drizzle with melted white chocolate
• Cool on waxed paper in refrigerator.

makes 100 balls

I wrap these up in $1 store boxes, burn some free downloaded christmas music onto a CD and give them as gifts.

You can find free christmas music downloads here, here, and here. The blank CD's cost about $1 each and the labels that you can design yourself and attach to the CD's can be purchased at an office supply store and work out to be about $.50 each. Total cost for the CD $1.50!

Your turn....PLEASE remember to link directly to your post (not your home page) and provide a link back here from your post.

$10 Christmas Gifts - WFMW

Can you smell Christmas in the air? It's almost here.

If you still have a few kids on your list then I have an idea for you. This brilliant idea comes from my friend Sharnessa. She gave one to both of my younger boys for their birthdays this year and I thought it was genious. Even more important is that THEY thought it was fun!

Indoor Sandbox

• You'll need a shallow plastic bin. I got a 27 quart bin for $4.99
• A 5lb bag of cornmeal $1.99
• a bag of marbles or rocks. I got marbles at the dollar store
• toy trucks or cars or bulldozers...again, check the dollar store

This is a five minute project. All you do is dump in the cornmeal for the sand, plop in the rocks or marbles and set the cars on top of the cornmeal. Seal it up, add a bow (I'm sure you can find a prettier one than I used) and you've got a great gift.

This has been tested on a 3, 5, and 8 year old and they all LOVED IT! They like to bury the marbles and then use their scoops to find them and dig them out. They make roads in the cornmeal to drive on, they build mounds for thier cars to drive over. We are talking hours of play here folks. I like that.

Total Cost for mine? $8.98

Go check out Rocks In My Dryer for more Works For Me Wednesday ideas.

$5 Christmas Gifts - Works For Me Wednesday

Christmas is just around the corner, a mere 29 shopping days away, but who's counting? If you're anything like me you have a bazillion people on your Christmas list and a bunch of lint in the bottom of your purse. So it's time to get creative. I've been posting a few $5-or-less gift ideas and you can see them here and here.

Today's idea is brilliant and not really my own. My creative friend Barb came up with this cute gift and she was gracious enough to let me share it with you.

Emergency Purse Kit

She started with a soft plastic cassette case ($.20) and trimmed out the two prongs from the inside. Then she designed the title on a sticky address label and attached it the front. To keep it from peeling off and to give it a nice shiny finish she put a piece of clear shipping tape over the label.

Then the fun starts. You could fill it with any small assortment of goodies. Barb was a frugal smarty pants and went to Quizno's and asked if she could have a few sugar and salt packets as well as a few individually wrapped toothpicks. They were happy to oblige. She also went to Hallmark and got some of their free credit card sized calenders. She put the calender in first so it would show through the back and the kits owner could see it without having to open the case.

See! Isn't she a smart one?

Then she added

• a small packet of pain relievers
• a band aid
• a birthday candle
• a match
• a stick of gum
• a mini chocolate
• an Emory board cut in half to fit inside the case
• a match (that could be lit on the Emory board)
• a breath mint
• 3 different sized safety pins
• a paperclip
• a dental pic
• the salt and sugar packets and the toothpick
• this cute little homemade emergency sewing kit

It was a piece of card stock cut with pinking shears. One side has slits. Then she wrapped four different colors of thread in the grooves of the pinking shear cuts and finished off the ends in the slits. She also added two buttons and slipped a needle in there under the thread.

After exclaiming over her genius for a good 15 minutes I asked her how much she thought it cost to make this.

Her answer? Less than a $1.

To account for the fact that you might have to buy everything in your kit I'm going to round it up to $2.

But still....2 bucks for something this cute and practical? I love it!!!

For more Works For Me Wednesday ideas go visit Rocks In My Dryer.

Crockpot Recycled Candles

Some people are just genius. If you haven't checked out the blog A Year Of Crockpotting then you're in for a treat. She's taught me how to make yogurt in a crockpot and now she's got an idea that is just brilliant. It's how to save those candles that have burnt down to a nub using your crockpot of course. So go check it out here. I think this would be a great idea for a Christmas gift...a basket of candles and homemade bath bombs anyone?