Tuesday, December 15, 2009

A Very Homemade Christmas Card

Sorry for being so late with posting today. Today has been a busy day for me, however my tree is not up but it might be later. Anyways for today I am going to post pictures of a card I made, its homemade. So I will write this sort of as a “How To” but I know most people will already know how to do this.

What You Need:

- Construction Paper
- Glue Stick
- Scissors
- Old Wrapping Paper
- Old Christmas Cards

Basically what I did was recycled some Christmas cards and old wrapping paper into a new card. Now I never actually used old cards, I prefer keeping mine, so I bought 2 boxes for a buck a piece... Anyways I am still using them to make cards.

To do its very simple. First take a peice of construction paper and fold it in half, this will be the card we are working with.

Next you want to look your cards over and decide what will be cut from cards or wrapping paper to be glued onto your homemade card.

All you really will be doing is using old cards to make a new one. You can decide what to write if anything...

Photobucket



This is a picture of the first card I made so far
Very simple and creative, both pictures are used from 2 different cards! This is a good craft to do with the kids or if you tight on money then why not!

Monday, December 14, 2009

Affordable Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas

One way to make gifts more budget friendly this year is to make stuff. There is nothing wrong with homemade gifts. Depending on what you make you could end up spending less! :)

I found this video on youtube, very nice nice and easy idea!

Christmas Gift Giving Ideas- Home Made Gifts--Cute Christmas Crafts



Click Here To Go To Video Page On Youtube

Channel Video Was On, You Can Go Here To See More Videos And Subscribe


If you like to bake you could also try this holiday treat:

Hershey Kisses & Hugs Christmas Holiday Treats



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Saturday, December 12, 2009

Great Christmas Decorationing Ideas

Christmas is so fun when it comes to decorating, one of my favorite parts is decorating the tree. I don't go crazy since I really don't have the money to and I live in an apartment. Every year I usually decorate the tree, put a few things underneath and put out my candle set on the table. Beyond that I don't add much touch. This year I would like to experiment and add a few more things though.

Once I actually finish getting this room cleaned up better the tree will go up!, until then though no tree. I will include pictures once its ready and up as well :)
I was searching youtube some more and found more cool videos that I am going to share.

I really liked this first video a lot, it seems like a very nice idea. Its pretty and very Christmas themed

Christmas Decorating tips



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Visit Website Here

Well this is something you seen in tons of stores but it might look ok around the home to :)

Cheap and Creative Xmas Deco / Christmas Decoration



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Friday, December 11, 2009

Online Shopping Deals At Sears

If your stuck on gifts a great place you can turn is the Sears Wish Book or better yet visit the website! Don't forget when browsing through their wishbook they have a "$10 - 20" gift section.

They currently have daily deals going on. Sears has some pretty good items though. The last 2 years I have bought some fleece blankets and pajamas for myself from sears. I really like some of ther brands as well. Their not a bad company to deal with.

Anyways it seems that looking for deals for the Friday part of the blog is sort of hard because for most people just keeping up with the flyers is enough. However if you want to try sears out click on the banner below


Daily Deals from Sears.ca

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Christmas Crafts You Can Make With The Kids!

Well if you would prefer not making crafts with your kids you could always watch them and help them when they need it. Lots of kids love making stuff so if your son or daughter is bored make a craft together for the Christmas tree.

Handprint Snowmen Ornaments with The Cheap Moms



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How to Make a Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Clothes Pin Ornament Craft



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Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Creative Christmas Gifts For Your Girlfriend :)

Christmas really is a special time of the year even for girlfriends and boyfriends. Christmas is one of the most stressful times of the year because of the gifts. It is one of the most popularized
traditions among family and friends. So you may be wondering what are the best gifts are for a girl. It really can be hard sometimes to decide, but homemade or even something that fits her
personality is a great way to go.

Think of stuff you know she likes, and if your not sure ask her, or to not be as obvious ask her mom or dad, sibling or even a friend. Below is a list of Christmas gift ideas for the ladies, you may

find one there you like!

Practical Gifts:

Scarf, Mittens - You don't have to buy both but if she does not have one of these it could be a good idea. Tons of girls like cute scars and mittens. You could shop around and probably find some really nice ones that even have a Christmas theme.

Chocolate: Nearly everyone I know gets a box of chocolate at Christmas time or something similar. To most people chocolate is not over used, the more the better. If you know your girls favorite chocolates you could buy her those and combine it into a basket of treats, we will talk more about baskets later.

Shampoo, lotion, body soap: Well tons and tons of stores sell gift bags that usually have all these included. This is a great gift for almost anyone really. You could also make your own for your girl, find out her favorite smells and shampoo and just make your own bag for her.

Books/Magazines: Does your girl love to read? Is there a book out there she doesn't own but wants? Look around and buy her a book. If she likes magazines, you could get her a subscription to her favorite magazine!

Cosmetics: Before you venture into buying your girl makeup you should make sure its stuff she likes before buying. This still could turn into a great gift though if she is running low on supplies.

Slippers And Pajama Pants: Well you could also buy a whole pajama outfit with the shirt but tons of people are fine with just getting pajama pants. Who doesn't want to be comfy? Lots of people love being comfortable and where the cold months are coming slippers and pajama pants are a great way to go, especially on those cold mornings.

DVD/Movie/CD: I put these all together just because its common for many people to recive one of each around the holidays. If your not sure what she does and doesn't have just ask or again get in touch with one of her friends or a sibling.

Depending on how much you know your girl and if she is willing to throw hints at what she wants the process should become easier! :)
There are way more gift ideas then this quick list though. There always is the option of homemade gifts as well.

Homemade Gifts:

Home Cooked Meal: Well if you can cook or you could get someone else to cook make your girl a meal from the heart of her favorite food.

Coupon Book: Not for the store, for you and her, well mostly her. And yes this will take making by hand! Be creative put in coupons like "Good For 1 Free Hug", "Good For 1 Movie Of Your Choice", "Good For Dinner Of Your Choice" Now remember this coupon book is all about her but add it romantic stuff to that way you can spend time together :)

Write: By write I mean write her a letter, make her a card, write a poem or sing her a song. Write about your feelings and how much you love her, it is sure to be a hit.

Poster Of Love: If you have lots of pictures with your girl and can get 2nd copies, make a collage. You could even be creative and make a timeline and add pictures to go with the timeline. You could highlight special events and dates on it.

Memory Book: This is somewhat the same as the poster of love idea. Only here you would highlight memories are important to the both of you, you could add pictures or even have someone scrapbook it together for you.

Also please keep in mind that Christmas is not about the gifts but about the time you spend with family and friends, sure giving gifts is important but not the most important thing. Another good thing is make sure you know your girl and buy her something or make her something she will enjoy. There is nothing wrong with typical gifts but if you buy someone something they

actually will enjoy a lot it makes the moment that much better.

Stay tuned for next week when we talk about great gift ideas for your boyfriend :)

Monday, December 7, 2009

Affordable Christmas Gifts For Young Boys And Girls

Below is a quick list of gift ideas you can give to boys or girls :)

Gifts For Children:
- Coloring Book With Crayons Or Coloring Pencils
- Art Set
- Activity Book
- Small Box Of Chocolates
- Board Game
- Storybook
- Mug With Hot Chocolate
- Stuffed Animals
- Walkie Talkies
- Watch, Bracelet, Earing Or Necklace
- Sleeping Bag
- Craft Kits
- McDonalds Certificate
- Certificate For Wal Mart or Zellers

These gifts are cheap and easy to come by. And its something you can give to a boy or girl. Now to dig deep here you could take into consider the child’s hobbies as well. If you have a niece who loves to read find out through the parents some of their favorite books and by them. If a kid loves crafts get them a craft set. If someone likes to draw and stuff art supplies, paper and paint can go along way, don’t forget most kids also enjoy coloring books and crayons. And a great stocking stuffer is an activity book with coloring, connect the dots and counting, so the child can have fun and learn!

Kids can be really hard to shop for at times but if your on a tight budget get them something small or even a few small gifts to combine in a basket. Get creative and have fun.

Friday, December 4, 2009

Blog Ideas To Come

I wanted to do a quick post to let my readers know that I won’t be only posting youtube videos I find or anything like that... I do plan on recycling and making some of my own ornaments for my tree, when I do I will post the pictures are information here.

I do not have my tree up yet, but my theme this year will be recycling Christmas. Basically I am going to make most of the decorations by redecorating the old ones and of course I will make some of my own from items around the home.

Surely this should be a cost effective and creative way to decorate my tree this year.

I also am working on a schedule to follow for this blog, each day I will post something related to the schedule.

This is my schedule of posting at current:

1. Monday - Affordable Christmas Gift Ideas
2. Craft Tuesday - Card Series
3. Wednesday - Creative Gift Ideas
4. Craft Thursday - Christmas Tree Decoration’s Kids Can Make
5. Friday - Online Christmas Decoration/ Online Shopping Deals
6. Saturday - Creative Decorations For Around The Home
7. Sunday - No Special Post This Day


My plan will be to post 6 days a week on this blog except for Sunday, I will not be posting Sunday just because the day will be my day off and if I get bored I will just research. As you can probably see most of my content is videos I found on Youtube. I am sharing videos from Youtube because I like the ideas showed in them and I am learning new Christmas ideas this way too.

Anyhow each day I will try and post something new follow the schedule above, hope you enjoy!

Online Shopping Deals

Amazon is a great spot to look for deals, on popular items, I am going to add some banners that have changing deals which may be of interest to some.

Here Are Some Deals For Kid Stuff:


Thursday, December 3, 2009

Christmas Tree Decoration - Christmas Crafts for Kids

Christmas Tree Decoration - Christmas Crafts for Kids



This is a fun easy craft you can make with your kids or they could even make alone. You can use it for an Christmas card or for a Christmas tree decoration.

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Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Christmas TV Shows And Movies, Everyone Can Enjoy!

One of my traditions every Christmas is watching the cartoons and movies that come on. Although a lot of the shows that come on are repeats from the year before, I don’t mind. I love Christmas so much that it simply is just an important tradition for me :)

I want to plan ahead a bit to see what nights I will watch TV and what nights I won’t. Now I don’t get cable, I just get a couple channels, I get CBC which is a Canadian Network but around Christmas they usually have some good programming.

I also am very happy to share this with everyone


Just click on the day and another window shows up showing the Christmas show and the time it starts. Last year I remember I had to download a PDF off the website which was ok but this is a lot easier for me, and if I wanted to plan something with my boyfriend I could plan ahead by seeing what is on each day and the time and such.

Depending on where you live you can check the TV channels websites or go to your local cable provider’s website and search each channel and day that way.

I wanted to share this mainly because of the fact that I really do love Christmas and this calendar idea CBC is doing is awesome, and for anyone that may not know or seen it, I got it here with a link back to it :)

Monday, November 30, 2009

Decorate Your Christmas Tree For Less

One of my favorite traditions over the holidays is decorating the Christmas tree. It is fun and a great thing to do with your family. The good thing about decorating your tree is that you can use some of the same ornaments over and over again. Growing up my family used the same decorations for years, then a couple years ago my parents bought some new balls for the tree and some icecicle decorations, other than that though they still used some of the old ones.

Decorating your tree does not have to be expensive in any way there are ways to get around spending lots of money on decorations and lights. Below I will list some tips that I plan on using this year :)

1) Recycle Old Decorations - if you want a fun activity to do with the kids or if your just very crafty this could be a lot of fun! I have never really recycled ornaments before, but I hope to this year! You can search google, ehow, and youtube for ideas and tutorials on recycling Christmas Decorations.

2) Using The Kids Decorations From School - When I was in elementary school every year around December each classroom would get a Christmas tree. It was up to the teacher and students to decorate the tree only with handmade decorations. After Christmas was over we would all get back the decoration we made to take home. I’m sure most kids would be happy to see their craft from school on the family tree!

3) Shop Around - If you do plan on spending money on decorations be sure to check out thrift shops and garage sales, you never know what you may find. Keep a look at flyers as well to keep up with any sales that may be happening. After Christmas some stores leave decorations on sale for a while, usually marked down, if you can find a store doing that it could be another great way to save money.

4) Research - Be sure to go to your local library, or look online at sites like, google and youtube for more great tips.

Check Out The Videos Below For Some Nice Ornament Ideas:

Christmas Ornaments From Light Bulbs



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Upcycling



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How to Make Christmas Ornaments : How to Recycle Old Christmas Ornaments



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Channel Video Was On, You Can Go Here To See More Videos And Subscribe

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Saturday, November 28, 2009

Check Out This Wonderful Christmas Card Series :)

I spoke with Kristina to make sure I could post a couple of her videos on my blog, graciously she is ok with it. Now I know my blog is suppose to be affordable gift ideas but I wanted to share a few things that Kristina has made for Christmas. She currently has a series going for holiday cards, these cards are quite wonderful, and though it may not be in your own budget to design cards like this I wanted to share the video anyways.

Day 1 - Holiday Card Series - Happy 25 Days of Christmas



Click Here To Go To Video Page On Youtube

Day 2 - Holiday Card Series - Tis the Season, Noel



As you can see those are some really nice cards! Kristina has her card series still going so be sure to check out her other card videos at her channel.

Click Here To Go To Video Page On Youtube

Channel Video Was On, You Can Go Here To See More Videos And Subscribe

Kristina's Website

Friday, November 27, 2009

Homemade Christmas Gift Baskets

It can be hard sometimes trying to decide what to get certain people on your Christmas shopping list. I know I have people who say “I don’t want anything” or just “I don’t know” with answers like this it can be hard to decide what will be the best thing to do!

I have never done Christmas Gift Baskets before, but I think it will be a good way to mix and match gifts. I have yet to actually start buying the baskets or the gifts, however in the mean time I have found some cool youtube videos with basket gift ideas!

Check Out The Videos Below:

Rachael Ray Show - Making Gift Baskets



Click Here To Go To Video Page On Youtube

Channel Video Was On, You Can Go Here To See More Videos And Subscribe

Website For Cathie And Steve


Holidays Made Easy - Gift Baskets



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Channel Video Was On, You Can Go Here To See More Videos And Subscribe

Website For Jo