Search Results for: blog frugal gift basket romance at home

Inexpensive Homemade Candy

If you need a last minute gift that will be well received, think about making some inexpensive homemade candies. Homemade candy can be a bit more festive than the usual Christmas cookies but just as inexpensive. Stick with recipes that are simple but delicious in order to spend the least amount of time and money to create your gifts. Plus, since candy can be very rich, you don’t have to make too much of it to still have a significant gift. You will need something to use to hold and present your homemade candy gifts, so start there. Many pretty … Continue reading →

Frugal Fire Starters

During the week, I try to pick up lots of twigs around the yard to use as kindling for our fireplace. While we mostly use the fireplace as amusement, some day, we may want to fit it to be used as an alternative source of heat for our home. That said, starting the fire in the fireplace can sometimes be a daunting task. it helps to have a good stack of fire starters ready to go. You can buy fire starters of course, those little things that light fast and burn slowly enough to help your logs catch on fire. … Continue reading →

Gifts in a Can

You have all heard of gifts in a jar, right? Well, what about gifts in a can? Take your gift giving one step further with this easy and very frugal gift giving idea! Gifts in a jar are a nice way to show someone you care this holiday season. You basically create a food gift mix and place it in a large glass jar, which you’ve decorated with ribbon, raffia or fabric. A tag attached, tells your gift recipient how to prepare the mix. Here is a much more modern take on this idea that suits todays busy families who … Continue reading →

Creative Gift Wrap Ideas

Why spend a fortune on gift wrap when you can create beautiful and inspired packages at home? Birthdays, anniversaries and of course Valentines Day..it seems as if there is always a present to wrap. While you can shop the after holiday sales for gift wrap and keep it in your gift closet, there are plenty alternatives right now in your home. Why not try some of these ideas or let them inspire your own? Comics for kids: As I mentioned in an earlier blog, Squeezing Money from The Newspaper, the comic strip (or funnies, as my parents always called it) … Continue reading →

What Is A Gift Closet?

A few weeks before the holidays, my five-year-old was invited to a birthday party by one of his friends from Sunday school. The week had been really hectic, and there was no way we would have found the time to go out shopping for a nice birthday present that didn’t cost an arm and a leg. Fortunately, I had the perfect solution. I just reached into my gift closet and pulled out a great gift. A gift closet is a great concept in frugality. It allows you to pre-purchase gifts throughout the year, whenever there is a great sale, deal … Continue reading →

Frugal Books: Find Your Used Book Sales Today!

There is nothing like visiting a used book sale. I live the thrill of walking through rooms and rooms of books. Whether the books are carefully organized by subject or jumbled this way and that, each visit to a used book sale is a great adventure. One of my favorite book sales is held in the Radnor Library, here in Pennsylvania. This sale boasts thousands of well-cared-for books that occupy an entire basement. The sale is held twice a year and people come from other states just to experience it. It was at this sale last year that we hit … Continue reading →

Frugal Beauty Soak and Scrub

In an earlier blog, Witch Hazel Makes a Great Toner, I shared one of my mother’s favorite frugal secrets. She always had such glorious skin and a youthful appearance. Here is another one of her favorite staples for beauty, a soak that replenishes lost magnesium and soothes the skin. it can also be used as a gentle scrub to slough away dead skin cells and give you a healthy glow. What is this miracle product? It is a lovely little soak and scrub imported from Paris, France worth every penny of the $45 an ounce you pay for it. Okay, … Continue reading →

Frugal Gift Basket: Romance for The Single Woman

Do you have a friend who loves romance? Whether she likes a genteel historical novel or a real bodice ripper, this gift idea is a great one to try. It is an easy and last minute gift that is sure to make her smile. As I mentioned in previous blogs, gift baskets can be oh so frugal, especially when you take advantage of unexpected sources, sales and stockpiles. I would love to take credit for this inspired gift basket, but the idea actually comes from Lisa P. Thanks Lisa! Into this basket, Lisa suggests we put: Several romance novels (These … Continue reading →

Frugal Gift Basket: Mystery in the Evening

I can’t say enough about homemade gift baskets. They are a frugal way to give something really special. In an earlier blog, Frugal Gift Basket: Romance at Home, I mentioned a great pricing deal I got on wooden woven baskets. Finding the really nice baskets for such a low price has inspired me to put together a few different gift baskets for some very special people this holiday. As you can tell, I like naming my gift baskets by theme. I call this latest one: Mystery in The Evening. A friend of mine (I won’t say who she is because … Continue reading →

Frugal Gift Basket: Romance at Home

I love making and giving (and receiving) homemade gift baskets. They are fun and frugal. Gift baskets can be individually customized to the recipient, which makes for a very thoughtful gift. Alternatively, gift baskets can be created to make money. I know at least three moms who have turned making gift baskets into a work-at-home business. Right now, since it is so close to Christmas, one of our local craft stores is doing a special on baskets. They are priced at two baskets for $7 and come in all shapes and sizes. That is a great deal, considering that a … Continue reading →