Showing posts sorted by relevance for query thanksgiving. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query thanksgiving. Sort by date Show all posts

Easy Cornucopia Snack for Kids

Thanksgiving is near and there is no better way to build excitement for the kids than with a yummy and easy snack like this kid made Cornucopia snack!





This is such an easy snack to make with little kids. My preschooler and first grader had a ton of fun making, sharing and eating this!

It is as simple as dumping your ingredients in a large bowl and giving it a stir! You can completely customize the ingredients to match your preferences or what you have on hand!

Ingredients:
Unless otherwise specified, use one small box or package of each ingredient
Cheerios
Cheeze Its
Honey Nut Cheerios
Fruit Flavored Mini Marshmallows
Dry Roasted Peanuts
Peanut Butter M&Ms
Craisins
Milk Chocolate M&Ms
Peanut M&Ms
Chocolate Chips
Sugar Waffle Cones

After mixing well scoop the mix into sugar cones and serve!



This stores for 3-5 days in an airtight container or ziploc baggies. We like to substitute Rice or Corn Chex for Cheerios and Reeses Pieces for M&Ms sometimes. No matter what you mix into this Easy Cornucopia Snack, it will be a delicious hit with anyone you share it with!


11 Cheap and Effortless DIY Vase Filler Ideas



Whether you’re decorating for an event, a house gathering, or a reception, it can be a little intimidating what kind of ornaments to put up. On top of that, it can be pretty expensive too if you expect a lot of guests who have their own tables. That is why decorative table centerpieces always come in handy in situations like this.
If you ever find yourself scrambling to make last-minute additions to decorations or looking for cheaper alternatives, consider buying glass vases in bulk because they’re cheaper and there’s a lot you can do with them. You can easily customize glass vases to make centerpieces and have them fit into the theme of any party as you like.

Looking for ideas? Take a look at the list below.
Stones, Water, Candles


This sounds easy enough because you only need three things: stones, water, and a candle. You need to check the size of your glass vase if you want to achieve this because it can get crowded pretty easily. This is ideal for parties that are held outdoors and at night because, as a centerpiece, it can provide extra illumination once the candles are lit up.
Corn Kernels

This is a perfect DIY centerpiece for autumn because it fits in beside the general color theme of the season, which is reds and yellows. Corn kernels are one of the easiest and cheapest vase fillers to find because, if you love eating popcorn, you may already have some in your kitchen.

For this, you can display the kernels all on their own or add candles and maybe some ornamentation like dried maple leaves and some string. If you’re curious, here’s how the finished product should look like.

Coffee Beans

If you’re a coffee aficionado and have coffee beans lying around, consider getting a handful and turning them into vase fillers. It doesn’t matter what kind or grade you have. They’re perfect for any season, and you will be greeted by that wonderful coffee smell whenever you walk into the room.

Acorns

One of the best ways to save up on money when decorating is to use what nature has to offer. If you have a lot of acorn trees around your place, you can pick up some to use them for your own table centerpiece. This is perfect for autumn, and if you want the acorns to fit with the theme of your home or a party, you can paint them in any color you want.

Wine Corks

Show off your love for wine by using the corks as vase filler. Not only does it look like it was bought from a store, but you also recycle used items and help the environment. If you don’t have a lot of corks, you can buy a pack in bulk instead. Or you can simply fill out the vase slowly with each new wine bottle opened. You can find a simple tutorial online.

Snowflake Ornament

If you want seasonal centerpieces, snowflakes look great and would be perfect in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas. You can make use of snowflakes from your collection of Christmas-tree ornaments if you plan to get new ones for this year. Instead of throwing them out, give them a second life instead as a table centerpiece.

Fresh Citrus Fruits

For an eye-catching pop of color, you can actually use fresh citrus fruits as vase fillers. This is great for any outdoor party. All you need to do is slice up some lemons, for example, and put the slices in the vase, along with some water and some flowers. If you want to get a beautiful effect,  

make sure to use bigger glass vases.

Another popular citrus fruit choice is oranges. Take a look at this tutorial if you’re curious.

Colorful Cereals

Cereals are one of the things that you can always find in the kitchen, but not everyone realizes that they make good vase fillers as well. Colorful ones make a vase look good without you needing to spend anything. They’re great for birthday parties and other kid events.

If you want to use them for this kind of purpose, it is up to you whether you want the vases to remain as centerpieces or whether you want to use them to hold treats to give away other than the cereals.

Loose Toys

Suppose you want to tidy up your child’s room but it is hopelessly filled with a lot of random loose toys and small knickknacks that you can’t seem to place or put away. Instead of putting them in a box somewhere to be forgotten, why not display it as a centerpiece?

Put little plastic army men, bouncy balls, Lego blocks, and puzzle pieces in a vase to make it look stylish. You can add flowers, faux or real, to make it look deliberate.

Dyed Rock Salt

Substitute fake gemstones with rock salt if you want to make a centerpiece with tea candles. Rock salt is cheap, and for just a few bucks, you can actually use dyes to paint the salt grains in different colors that you like.

What’s more is that they’re biodegradable, so if you feel like changing decors or using another batch of colored rock salt, then you don’t have to worry about polluting the environment. If you’re unsure how to dye rock salt, this little tutorial will help you out.

Beans

They’re the first beads of any kind, and that is why they make great vase fillers. Depending on the occasion and look you’re going for; you can easily find beans for the task. If not, you can always spray-paint them in batches and choose to put them in the vase by themselves or with other baubles.

Get Creative

There are a lot of cheap, easy, and free things you can use for vase fillers. You only need some  
imagination and maybe a little DIY here and there to make it happen. In terms of decorations, centerpiece vases are one of the easiest to do, and their beginner-friendliness makes them a top choice for those who want to try out small DIY projects for their home.
What do you think are other vase fillers that you can easily find and use? Share what you know in the comments section below.
     


Whether you’re decorating for an event, a house gathering, or a reception, it can be a little intimidating what kind of ornaments to put up. On top of that, it can be pretty expensive too if you expect a lot of guests who have their own tables. That is why decorative table centerpieces always come in handy in situations like this.
If you ever find yourself scrambling to make last-minute additions to decorations or looking for cheaper alternatives, consider buying glass vases in bulk because they’re cheaper and there’s a lot you can do with them. You can easily customize glass vases to make centerpieces and have them fit into the theme of any party as you like.

Looking for ideas? Take a look at the list below.
Stones, Water, Candles



This sounds easy enough because you only need three things: stones, water, and a candle. You need to check the size of your glass vase if you want to achieve this because it can get crowded pretty easily. This is ideal for parties that are held outdoors and at night because, as a centerpiece, it can provide extra illumination once the candles are lit up.

Handprint Crafts for Kids

Are you looking for some fun ways to keep the kids busy this winter? Well, why not look down, at your hands, to get a little inspo!

We love hand print art! When the kids were tiny, they liked nothing more than making some homemade monster puppets with their handprints!




Handprint art is so much fun for kids to make, but adults also love handprint art. It makes for the perfect reminder of when their hands were that small. Who doesn't love art that doubles as a keepsake? I gathered some of my favorite cutie pie ideas from some of my favorite bloggers to share with you. Please make sure you click through the links to check out the tutorials. Pin the ideas that appeal to you. You might just want to start a new board because all of these are adorable.



If you make any of these crafts with your kids make sure to hop over to facebook and share a photo with me!


You might also want to check out these cute hand print fish puppets.

14 Christmas Casseroles for Breakfast

Are you looking for a way to make Christmas breakfast amazing without spending much time in the kitchen? This list has 14+ breakfast casseroles that will make the holiday morning deliciously satisfying!




From casseroles loaded with sausage to hearty casseroles that are straight from the Amish country. This collection has some really decadent ideas for you!  I can't wait to hear which is your favorite!

As you might have figured out already, I am all about the Christmas holidays! I drive my family a little nutty with my enthusiasm for the holidays. I begin building steam in September and am elbows deep in crafting, cooking and wrapping by the weekend after Thanksgiving.

I guess you could consider this your one stop shop for crafty ideas, easy foods and great gifts. Well, enough about my holiday obsession and let's get on to these recipes! Be sure to click thru the link to visit the recipes.




Sausage Apricot Breakfast Casserole by Dukes and Duchesses

Breakfast Burrito Casserole by Homemade Interest

Easy Overnight Egg Bake by Foodal

Overnight Cinnamon Roll Casserole by The Kitchen is my Playground

Sausage Breakfast Casserole by Meaningful Mama

Farmers Market Breakfast Casserole by Two Healthy Kitchens

Cinnamon Roll Casserole by Cook Eat Go

Mediterranean Brunch Bake by Simply Stacie

Potato Breakfast Bake by That Guy Who Grills

Easy Egg Casserole by Mama Loves Food

Cowboy Christmas Casserole by Platter Talk

Eggs Benedict Casserole by Centsless Meals

Crockpot Breakfast Casserole by Spend with Pennies

Amish Breakfast Casserole by Ally's Sweet and Savory Eats

Find all of my holiday crafts here




How We Afford the Holidays Without Credit Card Debit

When I talk to my friends and family about the holidays, the subject of budgeting and credit card debit comes up. No one can ever believe me when I tell them we accumulate $0 credit card debit for holidays and I never spend more than $50 on gifts.

I have had people say things like "That is a flat out lie Sara. The gift you gave us last year cost at least $30!"
They always want to know how I can decorate, gift and give without spending more than $50 out of my own pocket. Today I am going to share the low down with you too.

First, being a family that lives on a budget, events such as back to school, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and birthdays are always on my mind! Creative ways to accumulate funds or gifts is a year round project.

I do a variety of things online to add to my kitty.

If I see a great item on clearance I will buy it, but only if I have the extra cash on hand. I don't buy on my debit card or credit card.

At the end of each season I buy the goods I need next year on clearance. I use my stash of gift cards to do this. I buy wrapping paper when it is down to 50 cents a roll or less. Instead of going out and buying decorations, I usually make my own using items that I already have at home. For example, I use Christmas ribbon to decorate not only the tree, but to also add finishing touches to garlands, wreaths, and wrapped gifts. Same with bows, gift tags, bags  etc. Seasonal trinkets are also great to get when they get marked down to 80-90% off. I get stocking stuffers for 20 cents and stash them for the next year. Or I might buy Easter coloring books for 10 cents and stash them too.

Inbox Dollars I spend about 25 minutes a week reading emails, playing games, watching videos and more. I have cashed out several times. It is pretty easy money and you get a $5 sign up just for joining!

I shop Zuilly. I shop here because it is easy to earn credits and they have such super deals. I get really low priced deals here through out the year and add to my "Gift Box".

I use the WalMart Savings Catcher App. I scan each receipt I get from WalMart and accumulate savings on products. I wait to 'cash out' until there is something I need to buy for a holiday.

I have the Shutterfly app, so I watch out for special offers, free prints and more. Photo gifts are always a hit. If you are not using Shutterfly sign up here for FREE Prints!!

I of course watch amazon for deals. I save money on everything! I do tasks on m turk to earn money too. I don't have much time for this, but I would estimate I spend about 30 minutes a week turking and making some spare change on easy tasks.

As a blogger, if I participate in a campaign that pays via a gift card, I save it.

That is how I can afford to celebrate all of the major holidays without dipping into our budget for any extra expenses. I limit us to about $50 for last minute things like batteries.

 How does your family afford the holidays?


Gifts for Men

Guys need great gifts, but finding a gift he will love and not toss in a closet and forget about is a challenge. Lucky for you, I did the shopping to simplify the holiday season for you. Check out some of my favorite gift ideas for the men in your life. Be sure to check back over the next few weeks as I will update this list daily with new finds.

Samples were provided for photography. Affiliate links may be used.



If you need the ultimate gift for an angler on your shopping list, Get him the Go Fish cam. This is awesome because it gives him a glimpse of what is below the surface without interfering with his casting off. He can also live stream his fishing trips for new found stardom in the fishing world. Get it online for  $240.



Coffee is life, but it is not always convenient to brew a pot. Give him the gift of a great cup of coffee, anytime with Waka Decaf Instant Coffee. This is a really good cup of instant coffee. Get it online for about $12 for 8 cups.



Save a special guys back this winter from all of the shoveling he is bound to do this winter with the Back EZ tool. This takes the strain off of the back during shoveling and can be added to most shovels, rakes and more. Get it online for about $10.

                                                    Picture from client website


If you’re looking for a meaningful gift for that special husband or father in your life, consider something that has personal significance like a family crest. It speaks volumes to be proud of your heritage and where you come from, and he’s sure to love it. Check out a selection of beautiful family crest gifts at Crests and Arms to find the perfect one that will resonate with him. It's a gift that speaks to pride and tradition.



If your special guy has a fondness for luxury watchers, he needs a really great watch winder. Check out this single winder from Barrington. The motor is super quiet and this is a great gift for the guy who has everything. Get it online for about $180.





Give a guy that you wouldn't mind gazing upon poolside some awesome swimwear that leaves little too the imagination with Hunk2 underwear and swimwear. They have some great styles available starting at about $60. Order online.



Give the gift of confidence and odor free feet with deodorizer spray from Solemates. I love that you can also use this in gym bags.  For $20, you can keep his shoes funk free with ease. Order online.



We expect so much from the guys in our lives. Why not give them a chance to show their extra side with Extra Extra Socks. These are sized for bigger feet and bring a lot of personality to any outfit. Grab a few pairs to keep his feet cozy this holiday season. Find them online.


The Exact Golf Tool is the gotta get gift for any golfer in your life. It functions as a ball marker, divot repairer, cigar holder, groove cleaner and club grip holder. This little package packs quite a punch and is a must have for his golf bag. By it online for a golfer on your shopping list.



Give the gift of more storage with the Seagate One Touch SSD. This portable storage option fits in his wallet or backpack to allow him access to his photos, media and more with one touch. I like the fabric feel of this external storage option making transfers less mundane. Find it online at retailers like Amazon for about $85.



If you are shopping for a youtuber, the Nextbase Dash Cam is a must get gift for the holidays. The 522GW is an impressive dash cam option. It has Alexa built in, can easily sync videos and even has cool safety features. If someone bumps your car, it will be activated and will also alert emergency personnel if there is an accident. Retailing at under $260, this is the perfect gift for a techie or a youtuber. Buy online at the NextBase site. 


Axe is always a safe bet for the holiday season. Guys from 12 to 102 can appreciate the range of manly fragrances Axe brings to personal care. Grab a gift set this year, or just head to the drug store and buy a range of Axe body wash, hair products and antiperspirant/ deodorants and make a gift basket of your own for a really great smelling guy this Christmas.



Add the ultimate pint glass to his home bar with these really stunning muffin top pint glasses from Brewing America. These are visually appealing ways to serve a cold brew while the design insures a proper head in every glass. Order these online at Brewing America. Add a farewell message to boss and make it even more special for him.








Guys like to snack, so adding beef jerky to his gift is brilliant. But, any old jerky will not do. Get the Old Trapper Brand. There are several delectable flavors available and this stuff is so tender it is unreal. Big bags are about $14, but you can save on recurring subscriptions. Order online from Old Trapper.



If you are married to a really active guy, you can give him a safe ring that he never needs to take off. Groove rings are made of silicone and are perfect for the guy who likes action. These rings are comfortable, fit well, and look great. Order online from Groove Life. Rings start around $30 and can be customized with your own message.



Winter days were made for binge watching favorite shows. If you gift a guy on your shopping list the complete series of Gotham on BluRay, he will have weeks worth of entertainment at his fingertips. This the perfect time to grab this series and celebrate 80 years of Batman.  Find this set at Walmart, Best Buy or from Amazon for under $80.



Shaving is a regular part of life for guys, but that doesn't mean it has to be a boring part of life. Super fans are going to love bringing their favorite team into the mix with some awesome shaving power. Gilette is making these funtastic NFL handles just in time for Christmas. For $25 you can get his favorite team on a razor and  4 5-bladed ProShield cartridge refills. Gilette is also offering the same deal with Nascar if racing is more his thing. Order from Gilette.com.



If you need a useful gift for a frequent traveler, the Airhook is the ultimate. This gadget holds your drink and your device over the head rest for easy entertainment and increased comfort on a plane ride. I love that it gives users a hands free experience for under $30. Order online from the Airhook website or Amazon.



Shopping for the guy who has everything? A space pen makes for a gift that is useful and timeless. These pens can write in any circumstances. Greasy receipt from a burger bag all you have handy? No sweat, you can take the note and keep the pen. These pens write at any angle, under water and even in zero gravity. Buy one online for about $30 from the Fischer Space Pen company.



Add a handsome waiters corkscrew to his home bar. The next time he is ready to open a bottle of wine, he can rely on this premium waiters corkscrew to get the cork out with ease. This is an affordable gift option for a sophisticated man. Get it from Hicoup on Amazon for about $10.



When the weekend rolls around your favorite guy wants to ditch the work wear and chill. This Brooklyn street sign shirt will help him do just that. Check out the selection of thought provoking tees that are perfect for weekend wear for your favorite guy from the Sticks and Stones website. Prices start around $25 for shirts.



Got a guy with a great beard on your to buy for list? Then you need to get him some goodies for his gorgeous beard. My husband loves the Mountaineer Brand of beard care products. They have some really great kits available for under $50 that have everything a guy needs for a well groomed beard. Mountaineer products are all natural and smell really nice. Buy online and get free shipping on orders over $35.



Why not give a gift that is practical and is super kind to the earth? Epic Water has bottles and pitchers that are perfect for gifting. A pitcher will filter the equivalent of 1000 plastic bottles worth of water on one nano filter. Get one for about $55, or get a bottle which can handle about 4 months of filtering for $35. Stop back after Thanksgiving for your chance to win a prize pack of Epic Water Filter products.
Order these earth friendly epic filters online.


Gifting a guy who loves to grill? This BBQ apron puts the recipes and a lot of info on an apron to keep dirty hands off of cook books. Get the full length version for $25, or a half waist apron from Suck Uk.


If you want a gift that will be useful but is budget friendly, the G Clamp Bottle Opener adds a cool feature to his work bench; a place to pop off a top when he is ready to unwind a little. Get this online from Suck UK for $12.



Headphones make a great gift for anyone, of any age or gender. But, this pair is perfect for men because it is durable and can handle their workouts, adventures and down time too. This neckband wireless headset by iJazz is available on amazon for about $35. It is bluetooth compatible and produces a good quality of sound for an affordable price.



Make a Big Bang this holiday season with the complete season of The Big Bang Theory on Bluray. This special limited edition set has 279 episodes with so much binus content that fans might be binging for weeks to see all these discs have to offer. Find it at Walmart, Best Buy or on Amazon for about $180.


You can find all of my gift guides here.