5 Things You Should Do to Save Money on Home Decor Items for the Holidays
Are you ready to decorate for the holidays? I grew up very poor and was never surrounded by a well decorated home during the holidays. I always assumed that the fact that we didn’t have much money was the reason why our home wasn’t well decorated. As I became an adult, I started to realize that one truly didn’t have anything to do with the other.
I figured out that there were things that I could do to save money on home décor items for the holidays and it has served me well over the years!
5 Things You Should Do to Save Money on Home Décor Items for the Holidays
Reuse
First and foremost you need to reuse the décor you already have! Don’t get too excited about all of that holiday stuff you see in the store, you likely have perfectly good décor pieces stored at home already.
Repurpose
Oftentimes, décor pieces that you already have will work well as a holiday décor. For example, candles always make great Christmas décor, but maybe you just need to swap out the candle holder, etc.
Check out the Dollar Store
I’m pretty sure I just heard a collective eye roll, but it’s true! Sure, there is a lot of junk to buy at the dollar store, but there is quite a bit of great stuff too! Take a look at the photo above. I bought the cute (real wood) Let It Snow sign at the dollar store as well as the cute foil tree.
Both of these décor pieces are high quality and have held up to being stored with my Christmas stuff throughout the year!
Check out Thrift Shops
I love thrift shopping. I’ll admit it. They are hands-down my favorite place to shop because the deals are AMAZING! This is such a great way to save money on holiday décor pieces. The candle holders in the photo above were purchased at a thrift shop for $1.99 each.
DIY It
Yes, sometimes crafting can get expensive, but it doesn’t have to be! You can make some super cute DIY holiday décor for just a few dollars. The dollar store is a great spot to find supplies for this.
5 Things You Should Do to Save Money on Christmas Gifts This Year
It’s just about full-on Christmas shopping season, right? Have you started buying gifts yet? I always do Christmas gift shopping throughout the year when I stumble into clearance sales at my favorite stores. I’m not done yet though! We just drew names for our secret Santa exchange and I haven’t bought all of my kids’ gifts yet.
I’m determined not to spend a lot of money this year though, so I am preparing myself and starting out with the knowledge that I want to save money instead of spend too much of it this year.
5 Things You Should Do to Save Money on Christmas Gifts This Year
If you want to join in on my money saving ways, here are 5 things you should do to save money on Christmas gifts this year
Visit us often
Seriously, the more you visit this website, the more deals you will spot. Of course you aren’t going to save a bunch of money if you buy stuff “just because” it’s cheap, but we may post just the thing you are looking for this year, or you can get great, inexpensive ideas for those gifts that you haven’t figured out yet.
Check out Your Gift Closet
If you are like me and you shop throughout the year, make sure you do an inventory of your gift closet before you go out and shop for gifts this year. You may have stuff in there to give away already! I know I do.
Don’t use Credit Cards
Unless you are 100% sure you can pay them off right away, do not use credit cards to do your Christmas shopping. There is simply no reason to put yourself in debt for months/years to come just because you wanted to go big.
Have you started planning your savings plan for Christmas yet?
5 Fun DIY Halloween Desserts/Crafts to do with your Kids
This year since a pandemic is raging around our country, Halloween will be a little different. We might be staying indoors and surrounded by our own family members. I was trying to think of some fun things for the kids to do this Halloween and I think I found them! There are TONS of super cute dessert and craft ideas that you can make with the kids this year. I’ve narrowed it down to 5 that I love. Hopefully these will be a favorite for you too!
- Halloween Peanut Butter Spider Cookies. These look super easy to make and chances are, you’ll have these items in your home already to make! If you don’t have the candy eyes, you could totally use chocolate chips or sprinkles. You can check out the recipe here by Mommy Musings (photo above by Mommy Musings as well).
- Mummy Dogs. These are seriously the easiest and most kid-friendly meal ever. The kids can help make it and dinner is ready! You can check out the easy way to do it here by Home Made Interest.
- Spider Headband Craft. If you guys have not made this before, then you totally need to. It brings me back to my childhood when we made these in school. I have yet to see my kids make them! So grab your construction paper and make these fun headbands. My littler kids are going to love it! You can find the instructions here by Fantastic Fun and Learning.
- Monster Rocks. For the older kids, this would be a fun activity. My older boys love to create monsters and faces so this would be perfect. You could make a whole family of monsters! You can find the instructions here by Inspiration Edit.
- Carving Pumpkins. This is definitely a tradition in the family. Did you know there are FREE stencils that you can use? Check out these 35 different pumpkin stencils that you can print out for free and use this Halloween. This is my kind of carving!
Simple and Easy Halloween Dinner Ideas!
Halloween is SATURDAY! Halloween doesn’t have to be all about the candy and what happens after dinner. Create fun Halloween memories at the dinner table too! These are some simple but cute ideas of ways you can bring the Halloween spirit to the dinner table. I tried to keep most of them simple since we’ll all be trying to get out the door to go trick or treating but you could go all out if that’s more your style!
These Jack-O-Lantern Quesadillas are cute and simple! And great if you have a picky eater!
Create some meatball mummies for dinner on Monday!
Or have a spooky Spaghetti night and turn your pasta black!
I think this is what we’re going to be making Halloween night! Some Jack O Lantern Grilled Cheese Sandwiches!
Use your favorite bread stick recipe and turns them into bones!
I love the idea of turning this soup into something spooky! Especially if it’s a cold night, chicken noodle soup would be perfect!
Or everyone can make their own mini pizzas into something spooky!
This is such a simple yet cute idea! Spider PB&J’s would be great to have Halloween night!
I think I might add this tomato soup to go along with our grilled cheese! It’s so easy, you just put some sour cream in a bag with a little milk to thin it up a bit. Then draw circles in your soup. After words you just take a toothpick and run it out to create the lines!
�Hopefully this gives you some fun ideas for Halloween dinner! Don’t forget you can always pick up a pumpkin pizza from Papa John’s make a really simple dinner! Do you have a family favorite or tradition for Halloween night?
DIY Beauty Products You Can Make Yourself
Are you a DIY enthusiast? If you prefer to spend your time and your money making handmade, high quality stuff then buying it in a big box store, you are not alone! Over the last several years, I have really been into making handmade products and I am discovering just how much I prefer them over the mass produced products that you can buy in stores.
One thing I discovered that I really love to DIY is beauty products! I especially love knowing the ingredients that are going on to my skin though and the fact that I can pronounce all of the ingredients? Even better!
DIY Beauty Products You Can Make Yourself
I just know that you are going to love these DIY beauty products you can make yourself.
I have made these several times and have given them as gifts to women and teens and it is always a hit as a gift! I love how pretty they are! I like to keep them in a little decorative glass jar (thank you dollar store) on my bathroom counter. It’s easy to grab them and toss them in the bath, but they also work as decor.
Brown sugar is just about one of my favorite scents, which explains why I make this sugar scrub so much. This one is another awesome one.
Alright y’all, I’m not going to hide it, but I AM STRESSED. Like seriously stressed and I need me some DIY Stress Relief Bath Bombs. If you feel stressed like I do, you should try them.
As a coffee lover, I really, really love coffee scrub. I can literally say that my favorite way to wake up in the morning is a refreshing show and coffee scrub! If you love the smell of coffee, imagine that amazing smell being on your skin all day long. Yes, please!
Maybe I should have just named this a DIY Coffee Beauty Product list. Here’s another coffee based product that is just awesome.
5 Instant Delivery Gift Ideas for Any Time of Year
Are you trying your best to find some great instant delivery gift ideas for Christmas, birthdays, weddings, and any other gift giving reason? ME TOO!!!!
That’s why I put together this list of 5 Instant Delivery Gift Ideas for Any Time of Year to help you out!
5 Instant Delivery Gift Ideas for Any Time of Year
Amazon Gift Card
Okay, you knew this was going to be top of the list, right? Seriously, how could you go wrong with this instant gift delivery idea! I don’t know anyone who couldn’t’ find something great to buy for themselves with this gift card.
Amazon Prime Membership
Most people can benefit from an Amazon Prime membership. Prime offers its members free 2 day shipping, instant streaming of movies and TV shows (thousands of options), lower price for Prime members, ad free music and more!
Marvel Vault Delivery
If you are shopping for someone who happens to love Marvel characters, look no further than the Marvel Vault Delivery! It’s a subscription box for T-Shirts! This gift can be presented with an email or printed confirmation and you will be giving the gift of a new Marvel Tee-Shirt every single month. Now that is awesome!
Audible Membership
If you are shopping for a reader, an Audible membership is an awesome gift idea! With access to thousands of books, podcasts and more, the reading enthusiast in your life will be thrilled with this gift.
Netflix Gift Card
Do you want to give your friends and loved ones the gift of entertainment and the gift of less stress?! Give them the gift of a Netflix gift card and easy their monthly bills for a little while!
What is the greatest instant delivery gift you have ever received?
More Last Minute Cheap or Free DIY Costume
1 week left! What are you doing for Halloween?
I’m not sure yet if we will be trick or treating or not, but I do know that we will be dressing up to some degree. The kiddos have to go see their grandparents if nothing else and hey…it’s Halloween! Even if we sit at home and watch some scary Hallloween movies, we have to be dressed up for it! (Okay, maybe “have to” is a bit strong, but i refuse to not celebrate this year, so we will be at least doing some minimal dressing up this year.
Last Minute Cheap or Free DIY Costumes
Even if you aren’t going all out. Even if you are on a budget, even if you wait until the absolute last minute, there are costumes you can put together to help make this a fun, even if quiet, Halloween!
- 80s. Blue eyeliner, sideways ponytail, leggings and leg warmers and throw in some neon colors and you are back in the 80s, my friends!
- Witch. One year I took a can of dry shampoo and used it to color my daughter’s hair a little grey and then we dressed her in a black dress with some dark eyeliner. We got countless compliments on her witch costume!
- Ghost. Break out those white sheets, because yes, the classic easy costume is back! That’s right, let’s be ghosts! Even teens are into this awesomely easy costume this year.
There are just too many ideas out there for you! Even if you are on a budget, there is no reason not to dress up in one of these super simple costumes. Do you have any other great last minute, budget friendly Halloween
7 Low-Risk Activities to do this Halloween
This year will be a little different than past years for Halloween. Getting together in big groups and having large parties is high risk and one to be avoided this year. The CDC has come out with lists of low, medium and high risk activities for 2020. If you want to stay safe, here are 7 Low-Risk activities that you can do this Halloween, they are fun too!
- Carving or decorating pumpkins with members of your household and displaying them
- Carving or decorating pumpkins outside, at a safe distance, with neighbors or friends
- Decorating your house, apartment, or living space
- Doing a Halloween scavenger hunt where children are given lists of Halloween-themed things to look for while they walk outdoors from house to house admiring Halloween decorations at a distance
- Having a virtual Halloween costume contest
- Having a Halloween movie night with people you live with
- Having a scavenger hunt-style trick-or-treat search with your household members in or around your home rather than going house to house
You can read all about the level of risks here at CDC.gov.
Our Go To Cold Weather Soup – Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup!
The weather took a drastic drop here in Utah which means its soup weather! This is my favorite time of the year, I love the cooler weather and especially soups. My family might not agree completely with me but I’ve won them over with our Go To Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup! The best part about this soup is it made up of things I usually have on hand and in my pantry and it’s a simple, easy dump soup that doesn’t take much effort or prep at all! I know you’re going to love it just as much as we do.
Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup
1 8oz package of cream cheese
1 small can chicken broth (I end up adding more)
Chicken (I love using a rotisserie chicken)
1 can of corn
1 cup instant white rice
1 large can of green enchilada sauce
First you’ll add the cream cheese and chicken broth to your pot and stir until the cream cheese has melted. Then add in your remaining ingredients. (Add the rice in uncooked) Stir and let simmer for about 10 minutes until the rice has become softened. Serve with tortilla chips and cheese.
Gift Ideas for Wine Lovers
Gift Ideas for Wine Lovers
Is some one on your list a wine lover? Are you wanting to surprise them with the perfect wine related gift? As a wine lover myself, I decided to put together a list of stuff that I have thought about buying myself, knowing that many others would probably like it too! This list I have posted below is full of wine gifts that I would love to receive! Do you love wine?
KATE SPADE Decanter
If you are looking for gifts for couples, I love this idea! This Kate Spade Decanter is perfect for a sweet, wine loving couple!
Electric Wine Chiller
This is an awesome wine chiller because it offers very precise pre-programs for the different temperatures needed for multiple varieties of wine.
Wine Opener Set
This set comes with all kinds of wine opening tools! Giving this as a gift is going to make you a gift giving winner!
Industrial Style Wine Rack
I love this Industrial Style Wine Rack. This is a great gift idea for wine lovers, specifically ones who don’t have much cabinet space, as well as those who love to display their wine bottle and glass collection.
Natural Wood Countertop Wine Rack
My in laws own a log cabin style vacation home and I am 100% going to buy this for them for the holidays. It is going to look perfect in their home! If the wine lover in your life also has a natural, log cabin style home, this makes a great gift idea for them!
Wine Encyclopedia
Help the wine lover in your life learn even more about wine with this amazing wine encylopedia! I have a feeling that many people would love to display this book on their shelves (or industrial wine rack like the one I posted above)
Leather Wine Carrier Bag
This wine carrier bag looks great, is comfortable to carry and it’s insulated! This is a great way to keep your bottles at an appropriate temperature. Are you a wine lover? What types of gifts would you love to receive?Last Minute Cheap or Free DIY Costume
Halloween is just a few weeks away, my friends! Are you ready? Are you planning on dressing up this year?
This is a weird year, and frankly, I’m not even sure we are going to leave the house. I do have a 4 year old though and I fully plan to make Halloween fun for him. So even if Halloween ends up being just a family affair this year, I fully plan to dress up and have fun! I have no idea though, what I plan to be, so I’m trying to decide between this list of last minute cheap or free DIY costumes.
Last Minute Cheap or Free DIY Costumes
Did you know that in a typical year the average American spends close to $100 on Halloween? This Halloween isn’t going to be like all the others for various reasons, so I’m certainly not going to let it cost as much money as it usually does.
- Scary Face Costume. Head to Walmart or other similar store and purchase an inexpensive face paint kit to create your own scary face costume. Look up easy face painting ideas on YouTube and get some tips on easy makeup application.
- A bunch of grapes. At Walmart or the dollar store, you can buy bags of balloons in a solid color. Buy a bag of purple balloons. Inflate the balloons and then tape them to your shirt. Voila! You are now a bunch of grapes.
- 50 Shades of Grey. Okay, book fans, here is a unique and totally free costume for you! Head on in to Home Depot, Walmart, etc and grab a good amount (at least 50 shades) of grey paint color swatches. Make sure they are all different shades. Tape them to your shirt and you are now 50 shades of grey.
- Facebook. Grab a stick of eyeline (you can buy the cheap stuff at Walmart for a dollar or two) and write the word BOOK on your face. Voila! You are now FACEBOOK.
There are so many ideas out there for you! Just put a little bit of imagination in it.
Super Easy & Yummy Pumpkin Sheet Cake Recipe
I absolutely LOVE the Fall season. Pumpkins, pumpkin spice, pumpkin cake, what’s not to love? One of our favorite recipes for the Fall is pumpkin sheet cake. It’s super easy to make and it feeds a lot of people. My kids even request this over and over again. It’s definitely a crowd pleaser. YUM!
Pumpkin Sheet Cake Recipe (Picture & Recipe by Six Sisters Stuff)
Pumpkin Cake:
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
- 2 cups flour
- 3 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 8 ounce package cream cheese
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
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Spray a half baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
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In a mixing bowl, combine eggs, sugar, vegetable oil, and pumpkin puree until fully incorporated.
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Slowly add the flour but continue stirring to avoid lumps. Mix until well combined.
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Add the cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix until well combined.
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Pour the batter into prepared baking sheet and spread in an even layer.
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Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until set and let cool completely.
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For the frosting, cream together butter and cream cheese in a mixing bowl until fluffy.
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Add vanilla and powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
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Spread frosting over the cake and sprinkle cinnamon on top, if desired.
Everything You Need To Know While Shopping This Holiday Season!
Shopping this year can be confusing! Retailers are changing the norm and starting early, ending late and extending sales! Even we can have a hard time keeping up! But we promise if you stick with us, we’ll show you were you can find the hot deals, when retailers start their sales and how to get the most bang for your buck! Here’s a few things you’re going to want to note as we get into the holiday season!
- Make your Christmas list NOW! Guys this is big. We’re going to see some great deals this year and most of them are going to be offered online if not ALL OF THEM! So make sure you have your game plan. Know what’s on your kids list, what you want for Christmas and plan ahead on who you’re buying for and what you think they might like. Then when a deal pops up on a specific item, you have already figured out that’s what you’re buying. Because lets be honest, if you hesitate in buying, it might just be gone. Things are going to be flying off the shelves this year and there are tighter limits on popular items unlike in years past. So be prepared!
- Shipping time frames are going to be longer than normal which means you need to be getting your shopping done sooner. I highly recommend giving shipping companies extra time, even if they say you can expect it next week, give them longer. We’re seeing this even now with some of the deals we snagged over the last couple days. Our tv was supposed to be here today and guess what, they’ve postponed it and we won’t be getting our tv until next week.
- If it’s on your list and discounted, grab it! You can always return it if you see it go cheaper later on before Christmas. Make sure you’re keeping track of return policy but for the most part retailers are realizing the times we’re in and making adjustments. I’ve seen most offering free returns through January of next year. So don’t be afraid to grab it now and then if it drops in price you can return the one you got or even ask for a refund (Amazon can sometime we good about this) when the price has at the same retailer.
- Make sure you’re signed up to follow us on Instagram as well as Telegram. You’ll be able to keep up with all the top deals that we’re going to see pop up from now until Christmas and you can turn on your notifications so you’ll be the first to grab that hot ticket item before it sells out.
Easy and Delicious Dessert Recipes
Okay, I don’t know what it is, but there is just something about fall that makes me want all of the desserts. With my work schedule and the kids doing school at home though, I don’t exactly have an open schedule these days. That’s why I am all about desserts that are easy to make!
I do enjoy baking, but sometimes I just want to whip up a yummy dessert and enjoy it! Each of these recipes on this list are easy make and can be enjoyed without heavy work or a long wait. Hungry yet?
Easy and Delicious Dessert Recipes
Swiss Roll Pudding Cake
This is hands down the easiest dessert recipe I have ever made and let me tell you, it is a hit every single time. If you like chocolate, don’t miss this one!
You can leave this cake as is, or add toppings. It’s delicious either way! In the past we have used syrup, crushed Oreos, chocolate chips, sprinkles and I even added strawberries once. All of these toppings have been delicious.
Although it whips together very quickly, I like to make it in advance and chill it for a couple of hours.
Delicious Chocolate Mousse
I love a good chocolate mousse and this one is super easy, taking just 15 minutes. Add some graham cracker crumbles, some whipped cream, or even some strawberries and you have yourself a delicious dessert for any occasion.
Mint Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Dip
Oh man, do I love a good dip! I mean, I love dips for all meals and snacks, but dip for dessert?! YES, please! If you are a mint chocolate chip fan, you are not going to want to miss out on this delightful mint chocolate chip cheesecake dip. We like to enjoy this with chocolate graham crackers, but I have seen others enjoy it with cookies, regular graham crackers and well, just a spoon!
What is your favorite-ever easy to make dessert? I need more ideas!
5 Easy Ways to Show Appreciation to Your School Teachers
I’ve talked to many teachers this year and they are having a hard time being both an in-class as well as an online teacher. It’s hard. It takes more time away from their families. It’s emotionally and physically exhausting. If we could help just a little bit to take away some heartache, then they would be a better teachers for our kids.
- Write notes to them. Words of affirmation mean more than anything. This could be an email, a hand written note by both you as the parent AND your student. You can get a group of parents and write notes. We did this for our school and put up the notes in the teachers break room. Words are powerful, and the teachers need these positive words daily.
- Don’t email or call unnecessarily. Can you imagine having 180 students like most Junior High school teachers have? Teachers are so busy as it is. If you could answer your own questions that will save them time and energy. Ask friends who are in the same class first before you email your teachers. See if you can figure it out first before asking questions.
- Gift Cards. If you know your teacher’s favorite place to eat, then why not get them a small gift card and tell them dinner is on you? I’ve noticed so many teachers at school WAY past dinner time trying to catch up on work. This would mean so much.
- Positive attitude. When circumstances change, which they will, then try and have a positive attitude. Chances are, the changes are not coming from the teachers, but from the district. So be understanding to your teacher and be positive when change happens.
- Teach your kids how to be respectful and helpful in the classroom. You may think, “well my kid IS respectful!” That’s great. But we can teach them to be even MORE respectful and helpful in the classroom. As a former teacher I know that students can be hard. If we teach our kids to really try and listen because the teachers are having a hard time this year, they might be a little more calm, a little more polite and a leader for others. Just by talking to them about being respectful and helpful in the classroom is huge. Every teacher would SO appreciate you talking to kids about this.