The Frugal Family

Top deals on household items, clothing and groceries this week.

This site is definately worth checking out for weekly deals if you live in the U.S.
It shares some great deals and bargains weekly for you and names where and when.

http://trumbull.patch.com/articles/the-frugal-family-9

Clutter free gift ideas

Last year i enjoyed creating baskets and home made things as gifts for the family which went down a treat, only i found it hard to budget them as i wasnt used to being on such a tight budget and if it didnt look much, i just kept adding things.
Dont get me wrong, it wasnt a fortune, but it wasnt quite on budget either so this yr i really need to set a budget amount for each person and stick to it.

I know it may seem crazy talking about gift ideas now but because i amaon a tight budget i can only afford to get or make one gift at a time (weekly ) so i really needed to be thinking of ideas now and get a start on it, especially with all the birthdays weve had lately too.

So i did a search for gift ideas and here is some suggestions that i came across....

CONSUMABLE GIFTS
Homemade cookies/brownies
Homemade frozen dinners (for new moms especially)
Gift basket of gourmet coffees and teas that you've assembled yourself

GIFTS OF SERVICE
Homemade coupon book of coupons good for things such as…

• · Breakfast in bed
• · Night of babysitting services
• · Home cooked favorite meal and a movie
• · Lawn cutting
• · Garage / basement clean up assistance
• · Shovel the driveway and sidewalk

A book of car wash coupons from a local auto salon
Assemble a person’s photo album for them

GIFTS OF EXPERIENCE / QUALITY TIME
Movie theatre coupons
Tickets to a play
Tickets to an art exhibition
Tickets to a concert
Tickets to the symphony
An evening with a personal chef or chef service for a year
A weekend at a bed and breakfast
A night at a nice local hotel
Season tickets (or a partial season package) to a local sports team
Airline tickets to come and visit you!
Hot air balloon ride
Gift certificate for a spa day OR just a single massage (Check out Spa Finders!)
Gift certificate for dinner out

For those with a bigger budget, i might suggest ...

CLASSES / LESSONS
Dance lessons/classes
Music lessons
Magic lessons
Session(s) with a personal trainer
Yoga classes
A self-defense class
Cooking classes
Foreign language class
Computer classes
Certificate for continuing education

Pre-pay for the person’s next hair or nail salon visit at their regular salon
Gift certificate for a family portrait
A car detailing package
Housekeeping services one time or monthly for a whole year (I'd love this one!)
Consultation with a professional organizer (only if the person has asked for or it, says they’d love it!)

MEMBERSHIPS
A museum membership
Membership to a gym (maybe split one with them)
Tickets to or a membership to an aquarium
A membership to a shooting range
Season pass to an amusement park OR single tickets

TECHNOLOGY
Gift card for iTunes music downloads
Pre-paid phone calling card
Computer software that the person’s been talking about buying
Netflix and Blockbuster certificates ( www.netflix.com )

I hope that you can find something in this list to help you out next time your stuck for gift ideas :) x

Accessory Dots from Hollywood Fashion Secrets

I was checking through some makeup and beauty blogs today and i discoverd a fantastic accessory item both for beauty and fashion plus home use too.

This post was written by karen over on the makeup and beauty blog.

They’re super sticky little double-stick tape dots that adhere to bare skin and clothing to hold fabric in place. Mostly, I use ‘em to keep the ends of my belts from hanging down, but they’re also great for closing gaps in shirts, and for securing scarves, jewelry, shoe straps and falling hems.

They’re pretty easy to remove when you’re finished with them and don’t leave behind a residue on skin or clothes. Just peel and throw away.

I keep at least a couple of them in my purse for wardrobe malfunctions and quick adjustments. Sometimes they come in really handy!

i really need to invest in some of these little beauties, just goes to show i dont get out and about enough to have missed out on them , i only hope they do these or something similar over here in the uk.

How to get your kids to eat healthy

A dear friend of mine shared a post on my new website about a book she was given as a gift after she showed concern over getting children to eat the right types of foods that were good to them.
you can see the book and a link to where it can be purchased by hitting the title link of this post.
I hope you enjoy it, its a great lil weapon for us concerned parents.