The Budget Diet

The holidays are over and there are still at least 7 days between holiday gift bliss and going back to school where you have to entertain your children! If you’re a recovering working mom like me who has no business entertaining your children because you have absolutely no idea what you’re doing, this can be the most frightening time all year. Or, maybe not.

As I’ve had to entertain my kids more and more over the last year, I’ve come to learn a few things that I think can apply to post-holiday entertainment and not send you running for the left over Egg Nog (not that I’m saying you shouldn’t also keep that handy – and make sure you’re drinking the good stuff, not the stuff that you brought out for the kiddos).

Here’s what I’ve learned about post holiday entertainment that can be fun and on a budget:

1) Have a dolly fashion show – Whether your child received a new doll, or has old ones, kids always love dressing up their dolls; this is just a way to take it up a notch and let them show it all off. You can have a child serve as narrator, one can walk the dolls down the aisle, and one can be the judge. Oh, and don’t forget the photographer. After a while you will lose your mind with all the dolly drama, but the kids will be entertained for a long time.

2) Have a tea party with shrunken food (or, if you don’t want to have real food, you can create some from craft items). This idea we got from an American Girl book. Here are a few of the items that we had fun with:
 

Craft foods:

• Chocolate Oreo Cookies – take black and white foam sheets – cut them into circles and glue them together. You can also make a chocolate chip version with brown foam sheets cut in larger circles and the chips out of the black foam (you can also use construction paper, it’s just not as thick).

 

• Milk – take a dixie cup and fill it with cotton balls. Perfect milk for dipping cookies.

 
Real foods:

• Petit Fours – stack two Oreo cookies together and frost them (put a layer of frosting in between); add some sprinkles and you’re ready for a fancy tea.

 

• Miniature Pizzas – cut the pre-made refrigerated French roll into small slices; add pizza sauce and cheese and cook for 5-10 minutes in a 350 oven.

 

• Miniature Watermelon Slices (this one is a bigger pain, so you may want to skip – I put it here because it did turn out cute) – cut limes in half,
  scoop out the inside, put red jello liquid into each half; refrigerate until firm, but not completely hard. When firm, add several miniature chocolate chips as
  the “seeds” (be sure to push them into the jello with a toothpick) then return to refrigerator until completely hardened. When hardened, cut the halfs in half
  and you’ll have watermelon wedges.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
3) If your kids build it, they will play in it . . . I’m not sure why I bother with toys anymore. No matter how many toys and presents kids get, they always entertain themselves for far more hours with household leftover items. Give your kids a large cardboard box – maybe one that gifts came in or that you have laying around and see what they come up with. My kids built a two story house and an outhouse. Just for fun we put my 6 month old niece in the outhouse and sent my sister a picture letting her know we had potty trained the baby!

Entertaining kids after the holiday madness doesn’t have to be maddening. Hopefully these ideas will help spark some new ideas for you too. If so, I’d love to hear them.

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written by: Heather Dugdale of http://www.recoveringworkingmom.com/

Heather Dugdale’s blog Recovering Working Mom shares her insights about learning how to be a mom and have family fun, while balancing work and life with kids.

Festive and Frugal Gift Ideas

Here’s a gift giving guide with unusual gifts that you won’t find in any ads, and these gifts are sure to please!

The Budget Diet girl’s gift guide includes: annual gifts, collections, semi-homemade gifts and fun things to do! Of course, all items are budget friendly!

Annual Gifts – gifts you can give year after year! Once you discover the perfect annual gift, gift giving is easy!

• Bed and Breakfast Gift Certificate – Our parents are in the downsizing stage of life, and they have made it clear that they don’t need any more stuff! Our answer has been to give them a mini-vacation at a Bed and Breakfast Inn. They know to expect the Bed and Breakfast gift certificate, but they are surprised each year by the destination. I call this an annual gift, and it’s one less gift idea we have to come up with each year! Good news, get a FREE $50 B&B Gift Card! with the purchase of a $250 gift certificate from BedandBreakfast.com – how’s that for stretching the gift giving dollar? Even better, have all your siblings split the cost! If your parents aren’t the bed and breakfast type, check out the Groupon Getaways on the right side of this page for some amazing travel deals!

Collections – start a collection for someone, and each year add to it! After the first year, it’s a no-brainer!

• Charm Bracelet – Start a charm bracelet for a pre-teen, and you’ll know exactly what to give her for years to come! Sterling silver charms can be purchased for as little as $5 from CharmFactory.com.
• Junior League Cookbooks – Ideal for a newlywed that enjoys cooking! Start her collection of Junior League cookbooks, and you can add to it each Christmas!
• Christmas Ornaments – Who doesn’t love a beautiful ornament? Start a collection of ornaments for a loved one, and add to it each Christmas. My sister-in-law started my daughter on the Reed & Barton crosses the year she was born! She now has 12 beautiful ornaments, and our tree will miss those ornaments when she is grown! Of course, the Budget Diet girl doesn’t recommend starting an expensive Reed & Barton collection, but how about a beautiful Waterford Heirloom ornament for less than $10 at Homegoods, T.J. Maxx or Marshalls or starting a collection of Angel ornaments? Christmas Ornaments are great for young girls and even better for newlyweds!

Semi-Homemade Gifts – it’s more than just the thought! These gifts will provide memories for years to come!

• Create A Cookbook – It’s an ambitious project, but once you’ve typed all the recipes in your computer…you’ll be able to print a copy for any occasion! You might start this project in the New Year, and you’ll be ready for bridal showers, graduations and next Christmas! Learn how to write your own cookbook for as little as $5!
• Photo Book – Did you have a big family reunion this summer or did you go on a family vacation with the whole gang? Put together a photo book, it’s a gift that will be treasured for years to come! Photo Books can be made for less than $10! Try Snapfish for photobooks.

 
Fun Things to Do – think outside the gift box! Some of my favorite gifts over the years have been gift certificates for fun things to do like a pedicure or a day at the zoo!

• Family Gift – Think about giving a family gift instead of individual gifts…who wouldn’t love a family trip to the zoo? To save on this gift, make sure to check Groupon since they specialize in discounts on fun things to do! I’ve seen golf outings, tickets to sporting events, day spa gift certificates and more on Groupon.
• Gifts with Activity – How about a children’s cookbook with a note for them to choose a recipe and come over to make it? Children’s cookbooks are available at Half Price Books for as little as $4! Do you enjoy scrapbooking or knitting? I’m sure there’s a little girl in your life that would love for you to take the time to teach them how to scrapbook or knit!

I hope this gift guide has helped you check some folks off your list!

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Image courtesy of: Master isolated images / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

It’s day 9 of The Budget Diet’s Festive and Frugal Christmas Ideas, and today’s gift ideas are perfect for hostess gifts, teacher gifts or neighbor gifts.

Don’t get me wrong, a bottle of wine is a great hostess gift, but sometimes we want to give something more unique. The Budget Diet girl has come up with some unique and budget friendly hostess gifts for every type of party. Why don’t you give one a try this holiday season!

Hostess Gifts – Think breakfast!

The party was wonderful, your hosts had a blast, but a late night of cleaning made the morning come way too fast! Wouldn’t it be nice to leave them a breakfast hostess gift!

• Muffins or Homemade Pumpkin Bread

  try my recipe for Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Filling

• Fresh Bagels and Gourmet Coffee

• French Bread with Homemade Strawberry Jam

• Homemade Granola

• Ingredients
• 2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped (optional)
• 1/2 cup dried fruit – craisins and golden raisins are yummy!
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
• 1/2 cup coconut (optional)
• Homemade Granola Directions:
• Preheat oven to 325.
• Mix together all ingredients except coconut.
• Spread on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
• Bake 20 minutes, stirring once.
• Add coconut and dried fruit, bake 5 more minutes.
• Remove from oven and cool completely.
• Give in an airtight container.

Hostess Gifts – No Cooking Required!

Look no further than your local T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, Ross or Homegoods for inexpensive hostess gift ideas! The rosemary plant will have to be purchased from a garden center.

• Rosemary Plant

  smell great, looks great & it’s useful!

• Cocktail Napkins

  seasonal or silly!

• Candles

• Christmas Ornament

• Gourmet Foods

  Pasta with sauce or soup mixes will make dinner the next day nice and easy!

Hostess Gifts Ideal for a Family Party

• Peppermint Hot Chocolate Mix

• Peppermint Hot Chocolate Mix Recipe:
• Ingredients:
• 1 cup non-fat powdered milk
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies or candy canes
• 1/2 cup miniature marshmallows
• Peppermint Hot Chocolate Mix Directions:
• Mix together all ingredients, put in a cellophane bag or glass jar and tie with a festive ribbon.
• Add a gift tag that says: To make 1 cup of peppermint hot chocolate – add 1 cup boiling water to 1/3 cup of peppermint hot chocolate mix.

• Orange Spice Tea Mix

• Orange Spice Tea Mix Recipe:
• Ingredients:
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened instant iced tea powder
• 2 cups Tang
• 3/4 cup of sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• Orange Spice Tea Mix Directions:
• Mix together all ingredients, put in a cellophane bag or glass jar and tie with a festive ribbon.
• Add a gift tag that says: To make 1 cup of orange spice tea – add 1 cup of boiling water to 2 teaspoons of orange spice tea mix.

• Make a CD of your favorite Christmas music!

Hostess Gifts for an Girly Gathering

Your homemade hostess gift will help your girlfriend relax after the party!

• Homemade Sugar Scrub

  At a fraction of the cost! Did you know that sugar scrubs at Target are $10 – $15?

• Homemade Sugar Scrub recipe:
• Equal parts sugar and oil (olive oil, almond oil or coconut oil)
• Optional: Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil (like lavender) for fragrance. Essential oils are available at most natural food stores.
• Mix together and put in a glass jar. Use a ribbon to attach a Homemade Lavender Sugar Scrub tag with instructions.
• Instructions: rub on in the tub or shower to moisturize, exfoliate and smooth your skin! Your feet will love it!

This holiday season, think outside the wine bottle! Please leave a comment to share your favorite festive and frugal hostess gifts!

Remember…

Be festive, be frugal!

As a newlywed on a budget, I’m pinching pennies this Christmas. I’d love to buy my loved ones the very best, but we’re just getting started as a married couple and thrifty spending is definitely a priority.

This year, I’m relying heavily on DIY gifts — namely DIY scarves! Now, I’m no seamstress, so sewing isn’t really an option. Luckily, there are several DIY scarves that require no sewing! I’m going to share a few of my favorites:

1. This first DIY is featured on Savvy Scarves and comes from PS – I made this. It’s seriously the easiest scarf DIY out there — and any fashionable gal on your list would love to receive this DIY circle scarf. For this one, all you need is scissors and a t-shirt.

2. Ponchos are a big fashion trend this winter, and it’s so easy to make your own! Affordable Scarves made a DIY poncho, inspired by A Reason to be Fabulous. A large square scarf and some scissors are all you need for this project. Ponchos look great belted around the waist, so you could throw a belt into the gift for a very wearable and thoughtful surprise!

3. I seriously can’t believe this next one is a no-sew scarf. All you need is an XL t-shirt, a paper plate, and scissors — the result is a chic ruffled scarf. You can add a cute brooch to the gift so the lucky recipient can style it like Tidy Mom.

4. Even the guy on your list will appreciate a manly no sew fleece scarf. Choose fabric that shows off his favorite sports team, his favorite color, or even a print like camo.This idea comes from Crafts for All Seasons.

5. Affordable Scarves also crated a DIY Scarf Headband that would make a perfect stocking stuffer. A basic headband, a scarf, scissors, and a glue gun are all the supplies needed for this sweet DIY.

Do you ever give DIY gifts as Christmas presents?

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written by: Sarah Heckle

Author bio: Sarah Heckle is a writer from Indianapolis. She loves crafting, hanging out with her husband, playing with her kittens, and blogging at Tulle and Trinkets.

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Need more festive and frugal Christmas ideas?

Free Printables

Affordable Homemade Gift Baskets

Gift Wrap a Pillow

Decoupage Ornaments

How to Make a Vinyl Record Bowl

How to Make Sequin Hair Accessories

Hello Budget Diet readers! This is Elisha from My Black Tongue. I am a teacher, a crafter and a self taught cook. I have an Etsy shop called Three Ponds Vintage & Design and in my spare time I am an independent consultant for Tastefully Simple! I am so happy to be a guest author here on Budget Diet. I am always looking for tips and tricks to stay on budget! To go along with the holiday spirit I have a tutorial on how to make inexpensive sequin hair clips that would be a perfect handmade gift this holiday season!

Supplies Needed:
- Sequin Appliques
- Alligator Clips
- Felt
- Hot Glue Gun & Sticks
- Scissors

Purchase or gather supplies needed for this project.

I found these sequin appliques at Michael’s for $4 each. I really like sequin accessories to at a bit of sparkle to my outfits for the holidays.

Since the bow has a band around the middle and an open space between the band and the front bow pieces, I simply slipped the clip through and secured it with a dot of hot glue. Let cool.

The back of the leaf applique is flat. Draw out a line of hot glue along the center of the leaf and press the top of the alligator clip into the glue. Cut a small square of felt and glue it to the underside of the clip to secure the felt, clip and applique together. Let cool.

The completed piece.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and are now inspired to create your own sequin hair accessories! I would love to see photos of your pieces if you make some. Visit my blog to read more about my DIY projects, movie reviews, step-by-step recipes, and more! Thank you, Budget Diet, so much for having me!

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Be festive and be frugal with all these great Christmas ideas!

Free Printables

Affordable Homemade Gift Baskets

Gift Wrap a Pillow

Decoupage Ornaments

How to Make a Vinyl Record Bowl

If you’re looking for some really fun Christmas gifts that will put smiles on the faces of all your friends and family but won’t break the bank then you’ve definitely come to the right place!

There are so many great gifts that you can buy for under $10 that will mean a lot to those you buy them for, if you put a little thought into it. One idea that’s a little sneaky but really cost effective is to recycle your gifts. Everyone gets gifts each festive season that they don’t really want but they hang onto anyway. Although it may seem a little cheap you can always dress the gift you choose to give away up a little to make it extra special. For example if you have an unwanted piece of jewelry or picture frame you can send it away for engraving. For under $10 you can make the gift you choose far more personal for the person you give it to and you won’t need to feel guilty about giving away the gift you didn’t want. Try engravedgiftideas.com for a great engraving service.

For more unusual gifts which are great for those quirky and hard to satisfy teens try sites like thinkgeek.com where you can purchase all sorts of odd items such as astronaut ice cream, origami post it notes, Pi symbol ice cube trays and even bacon gumballs, all for under $10. Sites like thinkgeek.com are great for stocking stuffers or finding those fun gifts that will make everyone laugh.

When someone has a hobby it can often make it easier to buy for them because you can buy things that will help them with their hobby. For the avid gardener it’s always a great idea to choose gardening based gifts. However, there’s really no point in choosing items such as forks or gardening gloves as these are the type of thing they will already have. It can be much better to go for something which they use but which gets used up quickly, such as bags of compost or lawn feed. It may sound a little dull to you but would be greatly appreciated by a gardening enthusiast. Or you could buy some unusual seeds that they may not choose themselves. Try gardenhealth.com for a great selection of gardening goods and unusual seeds.

For beer drinkers there are tons of reasonably priced beer related products available such as the beer belt, beer helmet or handlebar moustache shaped corkscrew and bottle opener, all available for under $10 at drinkstuff.com.

For something a little more girly go to princesslovespink.com where you’ll find a great selection of princess presents that are perfect for girls. Choose from a selection including princess cookie cutters, dream catchers, decorated plates and baby pink seashell soaps. Any little girl would be delighted with a gift from this delightful store.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
Today is Day 4 of The Budget Diet’s 12 Days of Festive and Frugal Christmas Ideas, and today is craft day!

Each year, I host a Mother-Daughter cookie exchange, and I plan a simple craft for the girls to make. When we started this tradition 10 years ago, the girls were only 4 years old, and they made peanut butter pine cone bird feeders! Now they’re teenagers, and they love to socialize, so I needed a simple craft that allows them to create and chat!

This year’s super simple craft?

Decoupage Ornaments!

If you’ve never attempted decoupage, it’s my favorite craft because no Martha Stewart skills are involved!

How to Make Decoupage Ornaments

Supplies:

• Paper Mache Ball Ornaments
• Mod Podge Matte Finish – available at craft stores
• 1″ wide sponge brushes – available at craft stores
• Iridescent or Silver Superfine Glitter – available at craft stores
• Old Books or sheet music with thin pages – if you don’t have any around the house, there always available at garage sales and thrift stores.
• Cardstock to make tags
• Markers or Rubber Stamps for tags
• Ribbon to tie tags onto the ornament

 
Directions:

• Pour Mod Podge into a bowl.
• Tear book pages into small 1/2″ to 3/4″ pieces.
• Using Mod Podge, spread a thin layer onto the ornament and top with a piece of the book page.
• Continue this process, working in small areas and overlapping the book pages until the ornament is covered.
• Apply 3 – 4 more coats of Mod Podge to the book pages, letting it dry briefly in between each coat.
• After applying the final coat of Mod Podge, sprinkle with glitter.
• Let dry.
• Use rubber stamps or markers to make the tag.
• Attach the tag with a piece of ribbon.

 
There you have it, a festive and frugal Christmas ornament that’s fun and easy to make! Consider decoupage ornaments if you’re looking for a craft for a group or if you’re looking for something simple to make for neighbor gifts or hostess gifts.

Don’t miss any of The Budget Diet’s 12 Days of Festive and Frugal Christmas ideas!

Free Printables
Affordable Homemade Gift Baskets
Gift Wrap a Pillow