Cheap & Cheerful is the term I use for great gifts that will put a smile on someone’s face without costing you a fortune. The end of the school year is certainly a time when we could all use Cheap & Cheerful gift ideas for teachers!

My new favorite? A vase made with pencils! Try colored pencils or even crayons for a fun twist!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
If you need more Cheap & Cheerful Gift Ideas, check out my 20 Great Ways of Saying Thank You!

If you’re a regular reader of The Budget Diet, you know that free printables are one of my favorite gifts…after all, they are FREE!

A free printable can be printed (for free!) from your home computer, and then framed to give as a gift. The frame may not be free, but you can pick up great frames for a couple dollars at garage sales or thrift stores. If you must buy a new frame, try T.J. Maxx, Marshall’s or Homegoods, and you’ll be able to get a frame for less than $10.

We all have our systems for organizing and saving recipes, and I’ve always been an index card in the recipe box kind of girl until the internet became my primary source of new recipes. Over the past year, I’ve amassed quite a collection of recipes that were printed on full sheets of paper. For a while, I kept them in a folder, but when my collection surpassed 100 it was time to restore order in my kitchen!

The solution? I created a cookbook which was simply a 3-ring recipe binder with dividers for each category and clear page protectors. Here’s how to create your own recipe binder, and I’m giving you 2 options. The first option is for the scrapbook queen, and the second option is for those who are not so creative or simply pressed for time.

Option #1 – get scrap happy!

Supplies: (the notebook, dividers and page protectors can be found in an office supply store)

• 3-ring binder with a clear cover and spine
• Dividers with tabs
• Clear page protectors
• Scrapbooking supplies

 
Directions:

• Design a scrapbook page for both the cover & spine and insert.
• Decide on your recipe categories and make your dividers. You may want to get scrap happy and decorate each divider page. Suggested categories: Appetizers, Beverages, Soups, Salads, Sandwiches, Breakfast, Meats, Poultry, Seafood, Side Dishes, Cakes, Pies, Cookies, Misc.
• Insert your recipes in the page protectors and put them in your book.
• That’s it, your done, and you’ve created a cookbook that can be added to over the years!

Option #2 – The Easy Way!

Supplies:

• Purchase a Recipe Binder like the one below or choose from all sorts of options on Amazon including customized covers. In most cases, you will still need to buy the clear page protectors separately. This was the option that I went with, and the finished product is very professional looking.

 
Directions:

• When you go with this option, the work is really done for you! All you need to do is insert your recipes into the page protectors.

 
When my cookbook was complete, I thought…WOW this would make a great gift for Mother’s Day, a bridal shower or even for a college graduate embarking on the real world. If you’re giving the Recipe Binder as a gift, you could just print out a few of your favorite recipes to include and leave room for them to add their favorites.

Now, go unleash your inner Rachael Ray and create a cookbook today!

Groupon is the budget friendly way to do Mother’s Day!

 
 

$19 for Swarovski Crystal Earrings or $30 for Swarovski Crystal Necklace

This offer valid through 12:59am on Tuesday May 8th, 2012

There’s not much time left to secure the perfect mother’s day gift. And although most moms will appreciate anything that shows you care, I think it’s very important to go a little above and beyond for this holiday. Treat your mom, wife, sister, daughter, or friend to a special gift, a little pampering, and a day dedicated to showering her with appreciation. Here are six Mother’s Day gift ideas that any special lady in your life will love!

1. Unless you’re pretty positive you know her clothing sizes, I recommend sticking with one-size-fits-all accessories — like this cute floppy sun hat. As we head into May, this is the perfect time of year to treat your mom to a cute hat that she can wear to the pool, beach, or even the backyard. This hat is great for a sunny vacation and she can wear it with anything from a sundress to shorts and a top.
2. Scarves tend to be my go-to gift. With so many prints, colors, and styles available, there’s a scarf for everyone. For Mother’s Day, get your mom a lightweight scarf that she can wear throughout summer. Look at ones in her favorite color or print. Popular prints for this spring include polka dots, stripes, floral, animal print, and tribal.
3. I think candles are really nice gifts, as long as you get a pretty candle that complements your mom’s taste and style. I just purchased the candle above from Anthropologie, and I can’t get enough of it. The scent is lovely, it comes in several different containers to match your style and price point, and it’s a soy blend that burns slowly.
4. Many get their moms flowers for Mother’s Day, whether it’s a bouquet of roses or a flat of flowers for the garden. This year, why not treat your mom to a succulent terrarium? Succulent terrariums are the trend in houseplants right now because they look great and they’re so easy to care for. You could order one, make it yourself, or you could even take your mom to a terrarium bar to make one together! Call around to local garden stores to see which ones sell terrarium supplies. This doesn’t have to be an expensive gift — even the cheapest glass jar can be made into a beautiful terrarium.
5. Jewelry is a classic Mother’s Day gift. Popular choices are birthstone jewelry with a stone for each child, as well as any heart pendants. I think the Kate Spade “Mom always said bangle” above is so cute! It’s a simple gold (also comes in silver) bangle that says, “have courage, don’t forget to floss, wear sunscreen, eat your vegetables.” All words of wisdom every mother tries to impart on her children!
6. Is your mom hard working and self sacrificing? Then give her the ultimate relaxation — a spa treatment! You could get her a gift certificate to a local spa for a pedicure or a massage. Or, you can get her an at-home treatment, like the hot salt scrub above. This scrub will exfoliate skin, leaving it baby soft. Plus, it smells amazing!

Do you have any Mother’s Day gift ideas to share?

~~~~~~~

written by: Sarah Heckle

Author bio: Sarah Heckle is a writer who loves fashion. She loves to shop, blog, and hang out with her husband and friends!

This offer valid through 7:06pm on Saturday May 12th, 2012

This offer valid through 12:59am on Tuesday May 1st, 2012

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 – try my frugalicious and fast Granola Recipe!

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 – smells great, looks great and it’s useful!
• Cocktail Napkins – seasonal or silly!
• Candles – choose a seasonal fragrance like cinnamon, sugar cookie or pine!
• Christmas Ornaments
• Gourmet Foods – pasta with sauce or soup mixes will make dinner the next day nice and easy!

Hostess Gifts Ideal for a Family Party

A tasty gift is sure to please the entire family or have fun putting together a CD of your family’s favorite Christmas songs!

• Peppermint Hot Chocolate Mix
• 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
• 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 family’s favorite Christmas music!

Hostess Gifts for an Girly Gathering

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

• Homemade Sugar Scrub or Bath Salts – Make your own for a fraction of the cost! Try these simple diy spa recipes.

 
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!

~~~~~~~

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net