Alternative to New Year's ResolutionsI like the comment I heard today in exercise class. This young woman said she doesn't make new year's resolutions but instead picks a word to think more about and implement personally for the year. Her words this year were "commitment" and "support". That's an interesting concept!
Youngest Child Opens Presents FirstOne tradition my husband introduced to my family when we married 42 years ago has become a custom of all of my sibling's families also. I would like to share it with you.
Celebrating Lunar New YearLunar or Chinese New Year is celebrated worldwide, but especially in China and surrounding Asian countries. This important festival has been celebrated in China for over 2000 years, spreading to the other countries as did Chinese culture and language during that time.
How to Easily Stuff and Unstuff a TurkeyOne member of my family insists on stuffing cooked in the turkey at Thanksgiving. I do that, as well as a separate casserole of stuffing. I noticed that much of the stuffing that goes into the bird gets stuck in the nooks and crannies. And it's kind of a pain to stuff the bird and have to find a way to keep it from spilling out.
Setting The Thanksgiving TableSome might think we non believers are a shallow, misguided, ungrateful lot. Nothing could be farther from the truth. While we may not practice a ritualized, much commercialized form of giving thanks to a deity, we too can deeply appreciate, even be humbled by, what we have.
Recipes for ThanksgivingAlthough everyone's Thanksgiving food varies for each family, there are some traditional dishes that grace tables across the U.S.; like turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. These recipes are all from New England, where the first Thanksgiving was celebrated. Families have incorporated their own favorite dishes into their own celebrations. My family is planning on rice, stir fried green beans and mac and cheese this year, in addition to the basics.
Plan Ahead for Holiday MealsHosting a holiday dinner? Planning ahead is crucial! Plan your guest list, your menu, and your detailed shopping list. Plan for extra /backup food items.
Using the Nursery Theme for the Baby ShowerI used the motif of the nursery theme for the cake, also in a frame where the beverages were being served. I got the matching gift bag. Then using baby hangers, ribbon and blue clothes pins, I hung each outfit up, tied it to the ribbon on the hanger, knotted it, then went on to the next outfit. Total of twelve hangers, leaving at the end a tied round handle dangling from the bag that said'"pull me!"'
Frying Banh Tet for the Lunar New YearOur family loves to eat banh tet, which is a Vietnamese savory sticky rice cake eaten during the Lunar New Year (Tet Nguyen Dan) but can be found sold year-round if you have a Vietnamese market in your community.
Transporting Helium BalloonsI buy lots of helium balloons. All of the birthday parties in my family are hosted by me, and I handle all of the decorations, party planning and food. Who doesn't love grandma's cooking!
Quick Easter Dinner For OneDue to COVID-19 and being quarantined, Easter for everyone was different this year.Well, I told myself I would not get upset and would try to make a similar but somewhat traditional dinner for one. I bought a ham steak, a baking sweet potato, fresh asparagus and pineapple chunks.
Construction Themed Birthday CakeMy son recently celebrated his 6th birthday and really wanted to have a construction themed party. The cake was simply decorated with construction orange icing, had a caution tape border around the top, and was finished off with grass and a crushed Oreo cookie "dirt road". I then placed a brand new front loader toy on top and filled its bucket with more crushed up cookie.
Buy New Year's Party Supplies for 2020 GraduationDo you have kids graduating in 2020? Or, are you graduating in 2020? You can stock up and save money on New Years Supplies that feature 2020 to use for the graduation party (if you plan on hosting)!
No Present ChristmasWhen my mom got diagnosed with cancer, we had one last Christmas. We all decided we all are having a no present Christmas. Honestly presents were the last thing on our minds. As sad as it was that Christmas was the best Christmas. Just the three of us together. I learned that the presents isn't what makes Christmas, it's truly just being with the people you love the most.
Spread Out Thanksgiving Dinner ExpensesOne way to make Thanksgiving expenses less painful in the wallet is, say a month to 6 weeks before the big day, gather your recipes, assemble a grocery list, and start buying non perishables every week. On the last week, you should only have to buy the turkey, fresh vegetables and any dairy products.
Ferrero Rocher Golden Snitch (Harry Potter)My son had a Harry Potter themed birthday party. One of the treats I made were these Ferrero Rocher Golden Snitches. They were the perfect pairing to go with the red and gold Gryffindor cupcakes that we had.
Tighter BowsAfter making all the loops you need for your bow twist the bow instead of the wire holding your bow together. This makes a much tighter and fuller bow.
Host A Great Theme Surprise PartyNo matter what the age group, everyone loves to come to a great theme party. However, they can cost a fortune to host. Check out this frugal but memorable theme and trust me your guests will have a blast and it will be the talk if the town for years to come.
New Years JarOnce a week all year long, write something good that happened. Put the slips of paper in a jar and read them on the next New Year. Then you can reflect on all the good things that happened that year.
Birthday and Christmas Gift ListsChildren want a lot of things. When my children were growing up, I would put everything they asked for on a list. Items had to be in our budget to be included on the list. A few weeks before their birthday or Christmas, I would have them look at the list and circle the 3-5 items they wanted the most. This way they would get something they wanted and still have an element of surprise.
Thoughtful Christmas Gift IdeasI am looking to gift others with lasting items this year. I liked how this seasonally decorated tray looked and I paired it with a seasonal adult coloring book. I decided to top it off with a small box of chocolates.
Fitted Twin Sheet as Party TableclothA fitted twin sheet over your picnic table for children's birthday parties, their favorite character or new one, adds to the fun and clean up.
Recycled Lids as Tiny Gift BoxI bought this little Coke Cola magnet for a friend of mine. I didn't have any cute little gift bags so I made a little present box out of two Stax lids. I just measured it and the magnet inside fit.
Personalized Store Bought Party HatIt is hard to come by party hats with the age on it. Most of them are sold online and they can get expensive. This is a quick alternative.
Saving on AlcoholWhen we have parties or get-togethers many guests prefer to drink alcohol. Alcohol can get pretty expensive, for example - a 6 pack of Heineken is $8.99.
At Home Birthday IdeasAs a 13 teen old, I am anything but girly. For my birthday, my parents and I decided to have an at home birthday. We had a campfire and did a lot of stuff with nature. If you are not a girly girl, I say try it. All my friends loved it.
Christmas Gifts: It's The Thought That CountsHow many times we've heard that old saying. Is it really true. I mean 'really'? When you've been dropping hints for the past three months you'd like to have a new BMW M4 for Christmas, only to wake up Christmas morning and find a Nissan Versa in the driveway with a big bow around it?
Give Gifts People NeedI am big on giving and living frugal. I truly find things of need a treasure when people give it to me. The other day, a friend mailed me 4 stamps. Another purchased me 3 packages of apples. I sent a picture to a friend and she saw I needed something in my kitchen to help with storage. It was sent by surprise.
Clay Pot Craft For Valentine's DayI made these clay pots for Christmas. You can change them up for Valentine's Day. Just change the colours and use Valentine candy. I used candy hearts. The girls loved them.
Christmas Gift for your Mail CarrierI think I found the most unusual gift this year for my mail carrier, Pete! While I was at the Post Office the other day, I bought him and his wife a book of stamps and put it in a very cute Christmas card. I think it will be his most unusual gift EVER! What do you think? They need stamps just like you and I.
Corrugated Cardboard for Christmas Shipping and WrappingIf you want to help our environment as well as save money then stop using wasteful, polluting bubble wrap and tape for wrapping and posting your gifts. Look instead at using almost free and stylish products like corrugated card and old fashioned string. Corrugated cardboard can be found at any supermarket, where they throw their used packing materials.
Revisit Magazines SeasonallySave your subscriptions or favorite free magazines to use for future years! Some of the ones I read are timeless and give gardening, planting, and recipes according to the seasons.
Look for Greeting Cards at Yard SalesI got 7 Hallmark and Papryus cards for $1.50. The cheapest I have ever gotten cards was for 50 cents at Dollar Tree. These are far nicer, and one even plays music when you open it. I keep my cards organized by category, so I know when I need to stock up on a certain type.
Shower Hooks to Hang Wrapping PaperYou can hang wrapping paper on shower hooks on a towel bar,or in a closet.That way it will not get ruined like most of mine does.
Glow Sticks for Fourth of JulyFor only 97 cents each, you can buy assorted glow accessories like: necklaces, headbands, flags, wands and more. This is ideal for summer camping nights, or specifically Fourth of July when it's fireworks at night! The kids will have a blast with these lights and be festive!
Father's Day Goodie BucketWhat a great idea for Father's Day! No more boring ties or coffee mugs. I buy an empty pickle barrel from Firehouse Subs, and they donate the proceeds from those sales back to local firefighters. Then I fill it with chips, candy, DVDs, cigars, socks, ink pens; a variety of little things both useful and tasty!
Pre Scoop Ice Cream for PartiesHere is a way to make it much easier on your hands when scooping ice cream. It also helps when having a party to have the scoops ready. Simply thaw out the ice cream then easily scoop ice cream balls. Store in freezer until ready.
Serving Dish as Part of the GiftIt's bridal shower, graduation party, barbecue, and the season for many other celebrations. If you are asked to bring a dish, include the dish the food was made/served in as part of the gift. This need not be expensive. You can get great deals on new items, and thrift stores have plenty of choices.
Sprite to Preserve Mother's Day FlowersThree days before Mother's Day, my two little angels gave me flowers. Because I wanted them to last longer, I added Sprite. They will last for 10 days, and those petals will not pull off easily.
Mother's Day Flowers That Will Never FadeA gift is always appreciated more when thought goes into it. I found these beautiful flowers in front of the medical center where I go to pick up medicine for the family. I took a couple of pictures of the flowers. I am going to send my elderly mother an email with this flower in it, as a card.
DIY Photo Booth for PartiesPhoto booths are very popular at parties especially birthdays, engagement parties, weddings, baby showers, get-togethers, holidays and so forth. If you're on a budget - you could have a make shift do it yourself photo booth with simple items you may already have around your home!
Roses to Honor Your Mother on Mother's DayAs a child on Mother's Day morning, my mother would pick red roses from her rose bush, tie a pretty ribbon on it and pin one on my dress and the dress of my sister as a corsage. She told us that wearing a red rose signified that your Mother was living and it is an honor to wear it.
Felt Carrot Pencil Gift PocketHere is another fun use for the felt carrot pocket that I recently made. A felt carrot pocket full of green pencils is a great, non-sugary gift to give this Easter.
Baby Shower Gift in Reusable PailI have a baby shower to attend soon for a boy baby. So I themed everything 'Not Pink'. I wanted the gift to be cute, and the package to be re-usable and fun. This cute pail holds a couple of hooded towels, and a huge bank/bottle which is full of baby goodies.
Hanging Party Decorations at Dollar TreeIf you need affordable party hanging decorations, I would highly recommend Dollar Tree. especially if you're looking for the trendy tissue pom poms. You get 2 count and a generous size, 12" for only $1, that is just 50 cents each. There's a good amount of colors to choose from: magenta, blue, yellow, red, black and white. These decorations would be perfect for bridal parties, bachelorette parties, weddings, engagement parties, birthday, Valentine's Day, Christmas, essentially any party!
Goldfish Themed Party SnacksOur son had a 'Sharky' Goldfish themed 3rd birthday party. Here are some of the snacks that we had for it.
Mylar Balloons at Dollar TreeDon't spend your money on overpriced balloons when you can get the same quality at Dollar Tree for a buck each!
You Light Up My Heart Solar Valentine GiftA solar stake is at the center of this Valentine's gift, surrounded by a seasonally decorated towel, pot holder, and a pretty ribbon. A small box of chocolates accompanies this gift. Holding this Valentine's gift is reminiscent of receiving flowers and candy, but it is much more ;)
Sweet Garden Decor Valentine's GiftThe weather has been so delightful lately. I decided to pair a traditional Valentine's treat with a pretty spring souvenir, and I came up with this. The rock with the heart on it is one I made. The other is a decoration I purchased for a dollar at the Dollar General store.
Yarn Wrapped Valentine's Plant HolderI save plastic soda bottles. They are useful to me. I also save fast food plastic cups, and cut the tops off of them. These make tiny plant pots. These are what I put in the bottom of the pretty plant holders I make out of soda bottles.
Candle SafetyFlickering candles and fragrant candles are a delightful experience at any event. To insure that all candles are lit and extinguished, as each candle is lit, begin to count the number of candles that are lit, write the number of lit candles on a sticky note and post that note in a prominent place.
Country Plaid Heart DecorationI go through magazines, websites, stores, and shops to find cute ideas to decorate our home in a country theme. I saw several fabric stuffed shapes that were on a string. I thought I would make one. Here it is, stuffed with paper and fabric scraps. It is so adorable and I really like plaid.
Heart Doily Valentine DecorationThread some yarn through small paper heart shaped doilies and tie to your chandeliers or light for a pretty accent for Valentine's Day!
Valentine's Day on a Shoestring BudgetDue to unforeseen circumstances, my budget for this year's Valentine's Day will be very small. I will not be able to afford expensive food or a lavish dessert, but that does not mean that I want to skimp on the celebrations.
Balloon Bubbles as Party DecorationsMy son recently had a 'shark' goldfish themed third birthday party. One of the decorations we did was balloon bubbles. We used clear balloons in numerous sizes, blew them up, and scattered them all over the room. Not only were they great decorations, they were also a lot of fun to kick and throw around for the kids.
Pottery Party for Tween BirthdayMy grand daughter turned 11 this past year and she wanted to have her party at a pottery studio. Each child choose a piece of pottery to paint, the studio completes the process of firing and glazing each piece. It is a creative, memorable celebration.
Christmas Gift Wrapping TipsI read so often about wrapping gifts in comics from the Sunday paper, so I wrapped my grandson's gift in comics. It is really cute!
Hamburger Party CupcakesIf you are serving up hamburgers at your get together or celebration, here's a fun idea for dessert. Make cupcakes with a sprinkling of sesame seeds. You can then make them up to look like burgers in a bun.
Preparing for a CelebrationEvery celebration needs preparation. If you are celebrating an event, your attention needs to be focused on the things that need to be done for such an event.
Reuse Special Christmas BowsReuse special Christmas bows for years to come, as you can see in the photos. After the present is open, you can easily remove the bow and use again.
Children's Cupcake PartyA great idea for a childrens' party is to make a pile of mini cakes and supply tubes of icing and little decorations. They'll have lots of creative fun designing their own cupcakes
Five Minute Emergency Gift WrapMy mom got a last minute invite to an event and she needed to take a gift along. As a crafter, I always have gifts that could be given, but what to do to wrap the gift? There was no time for water colors or food colors, as I needed to make gift wrap that would dry almost instantly and would still look presentable.
Fill Plastic Gift Bags for Christmas GiftsThese plastic gift bags are so nice! I bought this one because it was so colorful. I plan on buying a matching blue fleece throw and adding a little stuffed Olaf character.
Hen Party BuntingHaving a hen/bachelorette party? Here's a fun idea to decorate your venue. Try stringing up pretty colourful underwear around the walls instead of bunting.
Double Sided Holiday TablerunnerA few years back I purchased this table runner for .50 at a thrift store. It has Thanksgiving fabric on one side and Christmas on the other. While I lived in Salem, OR, I had it magnetized to the front of my door for the months of November and December.
Gift Wrap from Book CoverI wanted to use a reusable wrapping for this small gift. The wrapping is made out of the silky fabric of a book cover. I can think of a few other uses for these book covers as well, for after the recipient receives the gift.
Setting my Thanksgiving TableI use all white dinnerware and all white accessories and serving pieces, much more than is pictured. The idea I came up with this year was the napkin decorations. I used the matching linen napkins to the tablecloth, and folded them with the flatware and fall leaves inside. I thought it looked so festive.
Christmas Gifts for TeachersAs a retired teacher, I want to offer a bit of advice on holiday gifts for teachers. Gifts are never required, of course, but what no teacher needs are things with apples printed on them, or things that state "teachers are....".
Celebrating a Milestone BirthdayTo celebrate my daughter's milestone 30th birthday, I pulled out some of my favorite photos of her and the family and spread them on the table, then laid a clear plastic tablecloth over it all.
Spa Day PartyMy friend made a party at home for her daughter that the guests are still talking about. You will need a couple of friends to help. The girls had their hair styled and got manicures and pedicures.
The Perfect Gift Evokes Warm MemoriesSo many times we are trying to find the perfect gift for someone, and mistakenly think that an expensive gift will let the person know how much s/he means to us. I have found that the best gifts are the gifts that jog our memories and give us the same warm feelings we have when we were around that person.
4th of July Fruit TrayWe have a large star shaped plate that I wanted to use for fruit at our party. I asked my son to put the fruit on the plate and was pleasantly surprised at how it turned out. I thought I would share it to inspire someone else. :)
13th Birthday Scavenger HuntInstead of a scavenger hunt at the mall, my party was a scavenger hunt around the city! Everyone met at my house. My aunt bought four different colors of bandanas. Outside were 4-5 different cars waiting for all the teams We did stuff at gas stations, fire departments, KFC, we even had to stand on a 10 foot billboard and jump down!
Cut Birthday Candles in HalfMy sons are teenagers now and that makes scrounging up enough birthday candles a little more challenging. For this last birthday, I found these long candles from a past celebration. I just cut them in half and cleaned up a bit of the wax from the wick. The candles are only lit for a minute so the shortness didn't matter at all.
Easter Chocolate Dipped PeepsI took Marshmallow Peeps, melted a bag of chocolate chip in a double boiler then dipped the lower half of each Peep in the chocolate and arranged them on a tray! My grandchildren will love them. Now this was easy and fun.
Inexpensive Cupcake PartyMy daughter planned this inexpensive party and has invited 6 girls. When I asked what she wanted to do at her party, she said just get 12 cupcakes. That's all. When she made out the invitations, she wrote that the activities would be, girl talk, listening to music, dancing, singing, playing pool, and Wii.
Tween Girl Birthday Party IdeasHere are some themes/ideas for a tween girl's birthday party. Most of these could get pretty expensive.
Save Cellophane for Gift WrappingIf you are lucky enough to receive flowers, save the outer cellophane wrapping and use it to wrap gifts. You will be recycling and saving money as well.
Alternative to New Year's ResolutionsJust read an interesting thought on New Year's resolutions. Instead of choosing one challenge that you may not be able to actually do for the year, why not choose a theme that you try to live by in your everyday challenges in the year instead?
New Year's or Party CenterpieceI pull out all the rarely used fancy glassware I have to fill with yummy snacks and chips for my holiday parties. I think it adds a festive look to the table and is an inexpensive centerpiece. Don't you think so?
Balloon Snowball FightEnjoy the fun of a snowball fight in the warmth of your home by using balloons. Simply blow up a bunch of white balloons and let the fun begin. The balloons will keep the destruction of your valuables to a minimum and no one will get hurt either. We recently did this at our son's 2nd birthday party and he loved it!
Gifts For Crafty FriendsMy best friend and I set up at craft shows, so always at gift giving time, we buy each other items that we can use to make crafts for our shows.
Cardboard Tube for Storing Gift Wrap RollsStoring partly used rolls of gift wrap can be a bit of a nuisance. The paper unravels and becomes crumpled. You can end up wasting a lot, or sometimes all, of the remaining paper.
Wrapping a Gift That Hasn't ArrivedI ordered my son a pair of shoes that didn't make it in time for his birthday. I wanted to still give them to him, so that he would know they were on the way. I took a shoe box that I had around the house, filled it with tissue paper, and put a printed photo of the shoes inside the box.
Decorate Clear Pens As Guest GiftsIf you have a large group to give to, I suggest the capped ink pens with the clear barrels. What you do is find a pretty and very busy picture in a magazine. Cut the picture out, open the pen by pulling the ink out, roll the picture around the ink container and reinsert to pen. Put the cap back on and voila! You have a gift that costs less than 10 cents each!
Celebrate Milestone Birthdays with CardsIf you know someone you would like to honor for any decade birthday (30th, 40th, 80th, etc.), contact friends and family by email or Facebook. Have them send cards so that by your friend's birthday, they will have received that number of cards. I always suggest to send a card from each family member, including pets, so that your goal will be reached.
Simple 4th of July DessertWe are invited to lots of July 4th picnics and want to bring along something with that theme. I just grab a pack of dessert cakes, cut up some strawberries, add whipped cream, and top with a blueberry, as shown.
Fruit as Party CenterpiecesUse cored fruit to make beautiful centerpieces for your next birthday, July 4th party or even a nice green wedding!
Spa Themed Birthday Party for TweensI have an idea! you should make like a spa themed party. you could make facials, have mani/pedis, possible a small candy bar, and maybe a sleepover with your child's friend's parent approval. They will have a great time and you could but some paper bags as party favors and put things in them.
Birthday Party IdeasIf you are having a birthday party and you don't know what you want to do, then my suggestion is to go to an amusement park. Let's say there is NOT a park near your home, then go to a community pool. If you invite only a few friends, it's still fun.
Harry Potter Birthday PartyOrganize a Harry Potter-styled birthday party. Mail yourself a "Hogwarts Welcome Letter," and get your child to collect the mail. Also, instead of birthday invitations, send your child's friends "Hogwarts Welcome Letter" as well, and instead of giving the location of Hogwarts, give your home address to the children.
Old Encyclopedias for Gag Gift CardsSince old encyclopedia sets are hard to sell and no one has the space for them anymore, individual volumes make great "birthday" or event cards. Give the volume that is the initial of the person ...
Glow-in-the-Dark Birthday PartyAdd a twist to the classic birthday party! Instead of streamers, link together glow stick bracelets. Tell people to wear neon, florescent or white clothes, and throw in a couple of black lights on the walls or the ceiling.
Seahawks Super Bowl TreatsOur son had a lot of fun making a treat table for the Super Bowl this year. We are Seahawks fans so he used Skittles and Costco cupcakes that were decorated in our team colors. He also had chips and slider burgers for people to enjoy. I just thought his set up was fun and wanted to share it. :)
Mall Birthday PartyI live in Texas. For my best friend's 13th birthday, we went to the Woodlands Mall and shopped there and just looked around. We didn't spend a lot of money, but we went to Build a Bear Workshop and acted like little kids and it was really fun.
Nerf Gun PartyI know that all boys like to ruff and tumble, so how about a Nerf gun party. You could set up some targets at your home or a local park, or just shoot each other.
Carrot Bouquet CenterpieceThis fun and inexpensive centerpiece is perfect for Easter or a spring time party. Simply purchase a few bundles of carrots for stems, place them in a vase full of water, and enjoy. They make a surprisingly neat decoration and when you are done you can use the carrots for cooking. :)
Use Luggage for Gift Wrap StorageAfter years of juggling with my many wrapping and tissue papers, gift bags, and ribbons I designated one of my rarely used pieces of luggage to hold these items. It is easy to take out into a room to wrap gifts too! Everything in one place.
Mall Madness Birthday Party for PreteensA great birthday party idea for preteen girls is a Mall Madness birthday party. A Mall Madness birthday party is basically a scavenger hunt in the mall. For example, you could all meet at your house. Once everyone arrives, you could head to the mall.
Winter Party Chili BarSetting up a chili bar for our son's birthday was a great way to warm up our guests. We offered a number of different kinds with various toppings.
Use Napkins as PlacematsSave money by overlapping two square napkins to form a rectangular placemat. Napkins were 25 cents a pack.
Making a 1/2 Pie for a Half BirthdayIn our family, we usually celebrate our kids' half birthday by purchasing them a 1/2 pie from the store. However this year, I decided to try searching the internet for a 1/2 pie pan, in the off chance that I could actually find one. What do you know; Amazon sells one!
