Super Simple Gift Idea

With all the back to school and gift giving talk this week, I wanted to share this quick and easy idea with you. It cost me a penny. It would have been .02 if I used the red folder to make the tag. The marker, index card and ribbon I already had. At Christmas time, I'll actually take a few extra moments and fancy up the tag a bit, but for a trial run in August, I think it's pretty cute! Until next time, rock on my friends!

Back To School=Gifts!

If you did it right, summer went by way too fast this year. I know it did around here! We've been back to school for a couple weeks, but we're still ironing out all the kinks. Back to school also means it's time for me to dust off my Christmas binder and start planning. Yeah, I know, it sounds crazy, but with 124 days left, and an extremely tight budget this year, I don't have any time (or money) to waste! Here's a list of back to school items that I try to stock up on now, so I don't have to pay full price later. Keep in mind, over the next couple/few weeks, the stores will also be putting alot of these on clearance. Backpacks. Why? It never hurts to keep a spare in the closet so mid-year, when someone has a blowout, I don't have to rush out and pay full price. They also come in handy for overnight trips and 72 hour kits. The character themed backpacks also make a cute gift for little ones. Lunch boxes, water bottles and Thermos's. Why? Keeping a spare or three in the house keeps my sanity in check when my son forgets his at school on Friday, or my daughter leaves a banana in her lunchbox over the entire winter vacation and it dies a slow and stinky death. Yeah, spares are good. I also keep one for shopping days and yard sales. Pack a lunch and save yourself a trip through the drive thru! These also make cute little birthday and holiday gifts. Binders. Why? I personally have a binder addiction, in case you couldn't tell here or here. They are awesome for organizing coupons, concert venues and ticket stubs, holidays and household papers. You can organize your recipes or print off your favorites and make a "cookbook" for gifts. Add printer paper to list as well. It's super cheap this time of year. Why on earth would you want to pay double later? Composition books. Why? These are no more than .50 now. If you decorate the front with some cute scrapbook paper, you'll have made a journal gift for someone on your list. Pencil pouches. Why? Last year, I made a few survival kits at Christmas and used the pouches instead of jars. I loved the way they turned out, so I'll be picking up plenty of extras. They are great for storing puzzles and board game pieces long after the kids tear up the boxes. Sharpies. Why? Most schools don't allow these anymore, but they write well on homemade CD's and DVD's. I also won't go to any concert without a sharpie in my pocket. In case you missed that story check it out here. Pens, pencils, crayons, markers, erasers, sharpeners, glue, etc. Why? Oh, where to begin? These items are all on sale now for a penny to a quarter. Think stocking stuffers, gift baskets, Easter baskets, goody bags, rainy day or heat day kits. If you participate in any of the shoebox donation drives during the holidays, or want to donate to a shelter or school, a very little bit of money can go so far this time of year. To be continued... Until next time, rock on my friends!

Deals of the Day!

We now interrupt our regularly scheduled baking day for some crazy cool Halloween deals!

For starters, our local Salvation Army is having a Dollar Day today. All clothes for a buck!? Yeah, I'm so there! Usually we get a dollar day on one Friday per month, but they were nice enough to give us a second one this month. I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to finish up the kids' Halloween costumes. The possibilities were endless!

Giant green shirts= Christmas tree costume

Crazy blue dresses with a ton of sequins= mermaid or princess

Big blanket sleepers or robes=baby

Camouflage anything= soldier

Giant orange shirts=pumpkin

Anyhoo, the boys are going for the soldier and psycho look so we only needed a crappy flannel to shred and a camo shirt to finish up for them. The girl didn't find much but says she's all set. We ended up finding a few extra treasures like a new Tony Hawk shirt for the boy and a new Harley shirt from Hawaii for Hubby.

When we finished up at the thrift store, we headed over to Raley's because their large pumpkins are a dollar with printable coupon today and tomorrow. That's the best deal I've seen so far for pumpkins so we were all over it. We had to do three transactions since we needed so many, but our Raley's is really coupon friendly so we didn't have any problems. I'm tempted to go get a couple more for baking. I'll let you know how that goes.

So rockers, if you need to get your Halloween pumpkins, or need a few to fill the freezer, I'd head over here to get your coupon this weekend and get while the gettin's good!

Now I'll get back to our regularly scheduled baking because late is better than never.

Until next time, rock on my friends!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all the rockin' moms out there! I hope you all have the chance to relax and enjoy the day.

Until next time, rock on my friends!

Thinking About Christmas!

I know it's only mid April, but I can't help thinking about Christmas. Even though I'm up to my rear end these days in our garden and planning end of the school year events, our annual camping trip and who knows how many concerts and road trips, Christmas is always in the back of my mind. It'll be here before you know it...happens every year.

Spring time is the perfect time to try any of those new Christmas cookie and candy recipes you came across last December. You know, all the ones you clipped and put in the "I'm so going to try that next year" pile. Why on earth would make these now? Well, because it's better to find out in April that a recipe is a total flop, than during your last minute baking (you know we all do it!) throughout Christmas week. I usually try at least one new holiday recipe on my baking days, during spring...before it's 110 degrees outside and I don't want to bake at all in the summer. This saves so much time, money, energy and stress during the already hectic holiday season.

I also plan for any homemade gifts that I'll want to give. I already know that I'll need jars for gift mixes. I'll be looking for these over the next several months at the thrift shop and yard sales. Plus, they are on sale during the summer months, so I'll be stocking up as I find the deals. I definitely want to try making this salt scrub and this sugar scrub in the near future. If they are keepers, I'll be set for the girls this Christmas. I think the guys will be getting this drink and these goodies. I'm still on the look out for simple additions to these gifts, but at least I have a head start.

Getting a head start on Christmas during the spring Works For Me! For tons more rockin' tips and tricks check out Works For Me Wednesday!

Until next time, rock on my friends!

Easter Clearance

With Easter coming up tomorrow, I wanted to remind everyone to be on the look out for Easter Clearance over the next week or so. The longer you wait, the deeper the discount so get while the gettin's good. Here's a little list of things I look for every year: Candy, candy, candy! Pastel M&M's are a great substitute for chocolate chips in cookies, and look really cute on top of brownies and layered in jar mixes for Mother's Day or birthday gifts over the next couple of months. Hershey kisses are also handy for baking Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies and can be melted down for dipping. All other individually wrapped candy will come in handy as pinata fillers, or for goody bags at birthday parties. The kids don't care what color the wrapper is, seriously. Paper goods. I don't know about you, but I can't stand spending money on things that wind up in the trash anyway, so clearance is the only way I roll. I always look for paper cups, napkins, table cloths and plastic silverware. Again, for birthday parties, baby showers or Mother's Day, the pastels are perfect. Also, we don't care what color we use while camping or when we are on a road trip. Pre filled baskets. I usually wait for these until they are close to free. Then, I break them down and use the contents for birthday gifts and fillers for goody bags. I also like to stash a few things, like sidewalk chalk and jump ropes, for when the kids have cabin fever during the summer. Plastic eggs. Why spend full price next year when you can get them for a few cents now? Just stash them until next year. The glow in the dark plastic eggs are a favorite around here. They make a great night time "treasure hunt" during sleepovers and camp outs. Stationary. Things like pencils, erasers, stickers and little notepads come in handy all year. The school is always in need of supplies and again, these are handy little items for birthday parties. The object of the game is to get as many things you need (or will need in the coming months) for as little as possible. You don't have to go overboard, but if you happen upon a bin of goodness for .25, make sure you look twice for useful items that you would otherwise pay much more for later. Happy shopping! What things do you purposely look for on clearance after the holidays? Until next time, rock on my friends!