Holiday help #2

So, I got this great find for my sister and I wanted to share it with my frugal readers.

My sister always has cold feet in the winter. We are country living folk up here in Wisconsin and my sister lives in a 100-year-old-house with a wood stove in the living room for heat. Needless to say her house is really charming, really rustic and really, really cold. Wool socks are a staple for her but so are good movies on the couch. That being said, when I was walking through the local thrift store the other day, I spied this foot warmer/massager thing. It was not in the package, but it looks brand new and it was only $2.00, so I grabbed it up and started brainstorming as to how I could make this little thing special for Christmas. As you can see, it's just a super soft plush pad with pockets for your feet. It plugs in and there is heat and massage settings on the side.

It's a shame that isn't a pair of slippers right? Man...

Anyway. My sister has a TON of trouble with her feet in general. When she was little she had to wear special shoes because she was pigeon toed, but nothing else was done for her other than shoes, so at the end of the day, her feet hurt. I was thinking of packing the "foot pockets" of this little find with foot soothing stuff. I live for the dollar store and while I'm not the craziest about the actual bath and body lotions, soaps, etc. I do see microfiber towels, bath pillows, and roller massagers on occasion which can be nice for little things like this. I chose a roller foot massager and a pair of cotton hydration socks (you put them over your feet after lotion to keep them soft), a callus remover and some pedicure supplies. I then made her some peppermint foot oil which is sweet almond oil and 10 drops of peppermint essential oil. If you do not have the supplies for this, it's okay. This is just a little something I have on hand so it really costs me nothing extra. You can also pick up a small jar of unfragranced Eucerine cream (or any vanishing cream-no fragrance) and add a few drops of peppermint essential oil for a creamier foot lotion without the expense of making your own base.

You can also add a few chocolates, or, since my sister is a movie buff and would be using this for movie nights, I added a DVD and a cute jar with popcorn kernels to pop up.

The whole gift cost me $15.00, but that is because I already had the stuff to make the foot oil and creams (the DVD was $10.00). You can buy some nice foot creams from the store for $2-$5.00 a tube, or you can buy the vanishing cream for $4.00 and the peppermint essential oil for $10.00 (not scented oil-but essential oils that can be used on skin is very expensive). PLEASE do not use scented oils for anything topical. Those are for home fragrance purposes only and are not made for skin. They are much cheaper though, and can be used for an entirely different gift at another time.

Do not be afraid to look outside of the retail circuit for your Christmas giving. There are some beautiful gifts to be found that can be given in little gift baskets with other things, or, with a little refurbishing, can be made into useful new objects. Being a recycle artist, I make things out of found objects all the time. You can check out my website to see what I mean: http://uniqueeuphoria.etsy.com. When I have an unexpected guest drop by during the holidays with a treat for me, I have a few of my wine bottle serving trays made up with cookies or chocolates, cocoa, biscotti or teas (depending on what I know about the guest's tastes) to send with them. It is a nice inexpensive thing to have around, and your guest will be pleasantly surprised that you thought of them too.

Also, know the person you are giving the gift to. All too often I see articles on what to buy the boss, the family doctor, that person in the next cubicle. Seriously? Keep it simple. If you think you HAVE to give the boss something, a nice heartfelt or handmade card is perfectly fine. Your family doctor can get the same with maybe pictures of the kids tucked inside. Otherwise, Christmas is for family and most importantly, the babies. Take the stress out of it and get to know the people your giving to. I guarantee you will be a success, no one will stop talking to you because they aren't happy with the gift, because they love you and they know you put an effort. Remember what Christmas is about. It is most definitely NOT about breaking the bank.

Enjoy!

A little holiday help

I thought as a little addition to my blog, a few helpful gift tips might help get you in the spirit this holiday season. If anyone knows how to get through this happiest, but stressful of seasons without spending too much, it would be me. I am a maker and a lot of the time the gifts that I give are made by myself, but that should not stop you from cutting costs without cutting the snaz this season. Here is a good example of a really easy and lovingly made gift:

Home made bread in a bag:

It sounds silly right? but coupled with a bottle of wine or maybe some home made dipping sauce, you have yourself a great gift here. If you can sew, all the better because then you can make the bread bag yourself. I go to the local Wal Mart and buy the fat quarters for $1.00 a piece. I choose 2 contrasting squares and whip up a simple bag. I use the scraps for sewing a simple draw string and voilà! You have a bread bag your friend can reuse over and over again. You can also cut up that blouse that hasn't fit you in years, but has such pretty fabric-oh yes you can! In the age of new, new, new I am a HUGE advocate for a good recycle. It does not make the gift any less special, if anything it's even more.

Now, if you can't sew, do not despair. The local dollar stores have very pretty wine bags that work just as well. During the Christmas seasons they are very festive, though the choice in fabric are not my favorites (velvet and satin) so when you place your bread inside these bags, I would put your bread in a plastic bag first. I only suggest this because velvet and satin are not as easy to clean as cotton.

If your not too keen on that idea, I have another suggestion: Buy a nice big cotton dish towel from the dollar store. and wrap your bread gift on the diagonal. You can even decorate your plain white towel with fabric paint. Use your imagination! You only have 1$ invested so far!

As for the bread, there are a ton of wonderful bread recipes on line that are very doable. Pick something out of the norm and braid it into a pretty log before baking, shape it into a long baguette or keep it a round loaf. Whatever you do keep it out of a bread pan and keep it rustic and hand made. It will add to the charm of your gift.

So, you have your bread, wrapped in your tea towel or tucked into your bread bag. With a cute tag, that could be enough. Like I said though, I'm a maker and I would probably add some dipping sauce, either home made (again, the Google gods know all about home made) or you can buy some for only a couple of dollars from the store. Try to buy some in a glass bottle and if your not in love with the label, with some warm water, a razor blade and some Goo Gone, you can take it right off. Tie a bit of raffia around the top of your bottle with a pretty tag stating what it is and your gift is still sweet as pie. If you have a basket laying around, put everything in there on top of an extra tea towel or 2 and add a couple of tiny glass dipping bowels (again 4 for a $1.00 at the dollar sore) and the most you have just spent for this sweet gift is 5-$6.00. The recipient will LOVE it. She can reuse the towels, basket and bread bag so it will be the gift that keeps on giving.

And you thought you weren't crafty!!! Happy holidays!