Skip to My Lou always has such cute crafting ideas.  They now have super easy printable bookplates for teachers.  These would make a great Christmas gift or teacher appreciation gift.  Simply edit the name and print!  Skip to My Lou also has other teacher gift ideas such as fabric notebook covers, fabric luggage tags, bookmarks, and more.

Amy at MomAdvice has some budget friendly gift ideas for guys. 

Cindy at My Recycled Bags likes to crochet useful things out of recycled grocery bags.  This time she has created a pattern for a Christmas plarn stocking.

She Knows Parties is giving away a set of Paula Deen bakeware.  This would make a nice set for yourself or a gift for someone else.

Make your homemade edible gifts look a little better by putting them on a ribbon wreath plate.

Cyndi at Jewelry and Beading has searched through the archives for gift ideas.

Which links were your favorite?

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Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Lou Manfredini here, Ace’s “Helpful Hardware Man.” My family and I recently spent a weekend putting away all of the summer items around our home, such as outdoor patio furniture and decorative hanging plants. Once again we discovered that we just don’t have enough space.

Our goal this winter is to actually park two cars in the garage. Living in Chicago, this makes for a cleaner get-away when the cold hits and the snow falls. To help us with this daunting task, we made a few key purchases to help get organized. These items can be helpful for anyone looking to find a little more space this holiday season.

First, we purchased some large hooks to hang all the kids’ bikes from the ceiling of the garage, freeing up valuable floor space. Our garage is tall enough so that the front of the car fits right under the hanging bikes. These hooks cost a couple of bucks for a pair and just screw into the wood framing.  The size of the hook you need is dependent on the weight of the bike, so make sure you weigh the bike first before making any purchases. Also, make sure the hook is wide enough to fit around the tire or whatever part of the bike you plan on using to hang it. If your garage has a drywall ceiling make sure you find the framing with a stud sensor so you can get a strong hold.

Another use for inexpensive hooks is to organize tools, rakes and shovels on the walls of your garage instead of piled up in a corner, which will help to prolong the life of your tools while also freeing up space. You can purchase a contraption specifically designed for this job or you can create your own custom version to suit your needs. Simply nail a 2×4 to the wall and attach hooks of various sizes to hang tools.

We also invested in some outdoor storage boxes to free up additional space in our garage. The boxes are perfect for storing bulky items, such as chair pads and pillows from our outdoor furniture. Rubbermaid and Suncast make durable, waterproof versions that can even double as tables and seating areas next spring. For storage needs inside your garage, inexpensive, 20-gallon plastic storage totes with snap lids are a great solution and are much more durable than cardboard boxes. You can find these and other storage containers at AceHardware.com.  Choosing containers in a uniform size will make it easier for everything to fit nicely on a shelving unit or stacked against a wall. Another bonus? The snap lids stay in place, offering protection from damp conditions and bugs. Place a few of those little silica gel packs that come with your kids’ shoes (and almost everything else you buy these days) inside to help prevent humidity damage and slap a label on the front so you’ll know exactly where to find all those gardening tools that seem to go missing every year.

If you have storage cabinets or drawers already installed in your garage (lucky you!), try painting the doors with chalkboard paint so you can label each space according to what is inside and update it as you move items around or add something new to the space. You’ll need about 3-4 coats of chalkboard paint in order to get your cabinets looking great and be sure to sand in-between coats to make for a smooth finish. Once the final coat is completely dry, “season” it (just like you would season a cast iron skillet) by rubbing chalk dust all over the surface and then wiping clean with a damp cloth. Every thing has its place, and now a quick look at the cabinet door will tell you where that is.

With a little time and effort you can get your garage organized this winter as well!

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Christmas will be here before we know it.  Rather than buying bows for packages, try this idea for making bows from magazine pages.  These bows save money, repurpose your magazines, and avoid more products being throw away.  I think I will have to try these this year.

Times are tough and many of us have had to tighten our budgets.  We all have a service to offer.   This information on how to barter online is helpful. 

Custom made aprons seem to be the new rave.  Rather than paying $45-75 for a handmade apron, consider making one yourself.  Here are 52 free apron patterns to get you on your way.  These would make great Christmas gifts too!

My favorite coffee beverage is a caramel macchiato.  I’ve been wondering how many calories are in the macchiato and I found this coffee calorie guide today.  These calorie amounts are enough to keep you away from your coffee fix.  Thankfully, I’ve learned how to make my own caramel macchiatos at home.  I’ve been using skim milk and Smuckers sugar free caramel syrup.  I’m hoping the next time I make my own vanilla syrup that I can use less sugar and a little Splenda.

In our house, we prefer homemade playdough.  The texture is better, is lasts longer, and it’s really inexpensive to make.  Children sometimes learn easier when several of their senses are stimulated so I was pleased to see a recipe for pumpkin pie scented playdough. 

What interesting articles have you found this week?

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Post from: Thrifty Mommy

The Consumerist warns us about the risk we take when we sign up for coffee subscriptions.  There is no possible way I could drink that much coffee.

I have used plastic on my windows before to help keep my heating costs down.  I never thought of using bubble wrap.  This is a pretty neat idea as it is easier to install and uses something that you probably have at home.

My husband makes great eggrolls, but I am thinking about trying this recipe which claims to be the world’s best egg roll recipe.  Since this recipe makes so many eggrolls, you could easily make these and freeze them for future meals.  This would definitely be a time and money saver.

If you’re looking to give the gift of time this Christmas, you might consider making a personalized coupon.  These work well for services such as babysitting, foot massages, or coffee together and also for future plans for a concert or event.

Have you found any interesting links lately?

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Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Directions:

• Unwrap your peppermint lifesavers and set aside.
• Precut your ribbon and set aside. (You can use your craft store coupons to save money on ribbon.)  The ribbon should be about four inches long. 
• Melt the chocolate.  Put a little dab of melted chocolate in the center of some of the peppermints.  You should do this on the back side of the peppermint so that the words Life Savers does not show up on top of the pacifier. 
• Place a mini jelly bean on top of melted chocolate in center.  Set down on flat service to dry and harden. 
• While the pacifier tops are drying, attach the ribbon to the other peppermints (pacifier handles).
• Using melted chocolate, attach pacifier bottoms to pacifier tops.  Let them dry/harden.

These can be arranged on a table as a decoration, set out as refreshments, or placed into favor boxes for your guests.

image (c) Karen Weideman

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Last night we went to the community fall festival.  There were games, vendors, inflatables, candy, horse rides, face painting, and all kinds of fun stuff.  It was all free! 

Last night Alligator Girl wanted to be a ballerina.  She already had the outfit.  Her cousin had recently outgrown it and passed it down.  Alligator Girl was excited to wear it out in public.

Cuddlebug was a baseball player.  We had the hat and shirt and he got the baseball bat last year for Christmas.

Tonight, Alligator Girl was a chef and Cuddlebug was a knight.  I had bought the chef outfit earlier this year from a clearance sale for only $4.  I was going to save it for her for Christmas, but she wanted to be something unique for Halloween, so I went ahead and gave it to her.  She definitely was the only chef around.  I got Cuddlebug’s knight parts at Dollar Tree for $1 each.  I wasn’t sure if he was going to use them for Halloween, but at $3, I couldn’t pass it up.  I knew they’d make cool dress-up clothes.

J’s not legally adopted yet, so I can’t show you pics of him.  The first night he wanted to be a ninja.  I was so thankful that Linette posted these homemade costume ideas because one of them was for a ninja.  Tonight J was a baseball player.

The kids (and adults) had a great time and very little money was spent.  I hope this encourages you know that you don’t have to spend a lot of money to have fun.

Was your Halloween thrifty?

images (c) Karen Weideman

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

According to a new study, savers are attracted to spenders.  How can this be?  With all of the fussing, arguing, and disagreeing over money, why would spenders and savers be attracted to one another?  Most people say that they would rather marry someone with similar views on money management.  Who wouldn’t? Despite this logical reasoning, people seem to marry their financial opposite.

Could it be that deep down we are longing for someone to bring out a balance in us?  Without realizing it, could I be glad that someone encourages me to buy things and have a free attitude?  Or did all of this just happen by coincidence? 

What are your thoughts on this?  Did you marry your financial opposite?

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Post from: Thrifty Mommy

7)  Grow your own.  It’s a little late in the year for this option, but next year you might want to consider planting some things that you could use for decorating.  Perhaps you could have a garden with pumpkins and gourds.

8)  Take something you have and give it a new purpose.  That plain glass bowl you have would look great if it were filled with water and had autumn colored floating candles inside.  Or fill it will bright red cranberries, water, and floating candles.  Think outside the box and use what you have.

9)  Shop thrift stores, antique malls, consignment stores, and flea markets.  Someone else’s junk is always someone else’s treasure . . . and it’s cheaper too!

10)  Keep it simple.  Rather than decorating the whole room for fall, try a few simple things.  A table centerpiece, wreath, or colored napkins can really liven up a room.  Also, when purchasing items try to buy things that you can use during the whole season.  For instance, it would be better to buy decorations with pumpkins rather than some with jack-o-lanterns and ghosts.  Try accenting with fall colors and other items that can be used throughout the entire season.

What tips do you have for saving money on fall decorating?

You might also want to read Decorating on the Cheap, Part 1 and Part 2.

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Post from: Thrifty Mommy

4)  Look for sales.  A few years ago, I needed to plan an inexpensive fall craft for our women’s church group.  I found that some craft stores have their fall flowers and accessories 50% off at the start of the season.  I bought bunches of fall flowers and we made fall wreaths.

5)  Check Craigslist or Freecycle. People are constantly getting rid of things and you never know what kind of good deals or free stuff you can find.

6)  Look to nature.  Look around for twigs and beautiful leaves. Purchase some apples.  Check with a local farmer and see if you can cut down some of their corn stalks. 

What ways do you save money on your fall decorating?

You might also want to check out Fall Decorating on the Cheap, Part 1.  Stay tuned this week for part 3 of this series.

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Post from: Thrifty Mommy

1)  Do it yourself. I’m certainly not the most crafty or creative person, but many times if I can see an idea I can copy it or make it my own.  There’s no need in paying $50-60 for a fall wreath when you can make your own for $15.  Look online for do-it-yourself fall decorating ideas.

2)  Check your closets.  Perhaps those bright yellow sheets or tablecloth can be used for something.  You could make pillows or a tablerunner with your old sheets.

3)  Use the weekly craft store coupon.  Check your local newspaper for craft store coupons. These are usually in the Sunday paper.  You can also sign up online for their newsletter.  Most craft stores will send coupons and sale information via email.

Stay tuned for more inexpensive fall decorating tips.  What ways do you save money on your fall decorating?

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Post from: Thrifty Mommy