Homemade Vanilla Extract Gifts Make a Thoughtful and delicious DIY Christmas PRESENT
I’ve always wanted to make my own homemade vanilla extract. I finally made my first batch early this spring. My goal was to make a large batch to keep some for myself, and to share with others for gifts at Christmas.
Vanilla extract is a thoughtful, DIY gift for nearly any recipient: friends, family, neighbors, coworkers, teachers, or holiday hostesses. After all, nearly everyone keeps vanilla extract in their pantry, right?
Looking for thoughtful Christmas gifts that won’t break the bank, but will actually be appreciated and used? These homemade gifts are perfect for hostess gifts, neighbor gifts, teacher gifts, or coworker gifts. Just the right amount of personal and practical, these DIY Christmas gifts will actually get used.
Treasure ornaments are a one-of-a-kind tree decoration made by filling empty glass ornaments with bottle-brush trees, jingle bells, sprigs of pine branches, colorful feathers, or any other pretty fillers you have on hand,
These natural dyes are food safe and work great for other natural tie dye projects!
Thank you to Nellie’s Free Range for sponsoring this post. All opinions are mine alone.
I’ve always wanted to experiment with using natural dyes to dye our hard boiled Easter eggs, but I’ve also been a little intimidated by the idea.
Over the last few years we’ve made the switch to exclusively using Nellie’s Free Range Eggs. Since their eggs come only from Certified Humane Free Range hens that live healthy, happy lives, I feel better about serving them to my family. So, it only seemed fitting that we would go the more natural route for egg dye this year.
But the big question was…can you dye brown eggs? The answer is, yes! It creates even deeper natural tones, and I’m going to show you how! Continue reading →
This post, DIY Twisted Paper Ornament Craft for Kids, is sponsored by Babbleboxx on behalf of JoAnn.
Every single year since they were born, the kids and I have loved making holiday crafts together. When they were just little babies I’d make cute reindeer kitchen towels by dipping their tiny feet in brown paint and decorating with googly eyes and a red pom nose! Today, they take a more active role in our crafts, and I love displaying their creations every year!
This post, easy DIY teacher gifts, is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com on behalf of The Quaker Oats Company.
School is out and it’s officially time for the kids to take a break from e-learning and enjoy the summer. This spring, as we transitioned to e-learning, our school didn’t miss a beat.
Thoughtful, homemade Mother’s Day gifts on a budget
I know I can’t be the only one who wracks my brain for Mother’s Day gifts every. single. year. Not only do the moms in my life all live out of state from us, but we are on a super tight budget! Today, I’m sharing some of the best ideas I’ve found for the top 20 best DIY Mother’s Day gifts on a budget.
Homemade Watercolor Tea Towel – It doesn’t get any easier than this watercolor technique! Perfect for even the youngest kids to help out with. Even better, it makes such a pretty and practical gift!
Bathtub Tray – I love this idea for a super simple DIY lucite bathtub tray! Totally waterproof, and matches any bathroom decor!
Lavender Bath Soak – Take the Bathtub Tray idea up a notch by adding a relaxing Lavender Bath Soak and presenting it in a pretty jar. Get the recipe here.
Cement Succulent Flower Pots – I’m still obsessed with these cement flower pots, and they are super easy to make! Cement doesn’t have to intimidating at all – check out this easy tutorial for creating your own!
Garden Stone – We love to make handprint garden stones as precious markers of how the kids have grown over the years!
Give her a hand – Okay, I really hope allll the husbands and kids out there are giving Mom a hand on Mother’s Day, but if you can’t be there to help, I love this simple idea for making life a little easier on Mom.
Pamper Her with this DIY Leather Pouch – This no-sew leather pouch is easy to make and totally stylish and practical! Drop in a few of your favorite pampering gifts – like yummy hand lotion, or my favorite EVER lip balm for super dry lips (if you can get past the super crazy name!).
Handwritten Heirloom Recipe Tea Towel – I absolutely love the idea of taking a handwritten heirloom recipe and putting it on a tea towel. Totally sentimental and useful. Check out how to make one here.
Book Lover’s Gift Set – If she loves to read, give her a mini vacation basket, complete with a good book, chocolates, and a DIY leather bookmark. If you don’t sew – no worries! Just use a super strong, flexible all-purpose glue. Budget tip: upcycle an old purse from the thrift store to course your leather!
Garden Gift Basket – This is attractive all on it’s own for a flower container, but I love this gift basket idea including custom garden markers and garden tools.
Potted Picking Garden Flowers – I’ve been trying to grow my own flower picking garden, so lately I’ve been loving receiving peonies, hydrangeas, lilacs and more for Mother’s Day! Truly the gift that keeps on giving.
Brunch – If you’re lucky enough to be with your mom for Mother’s Day, make her a special brunch (disclaimer: if you’re a mom yourself…schedule this for a day other than Mother’s Day so you can sleep in and get pampered by your kids!). I’m a huge fan of these Ham and Cheese brunch squares. Or, for something extra simple and a lot lighter, try these overnight Peaches ‘N Cream oats.
Sunshine in a Basket – Okay, there just might be a floral theme on this list, but I’m obsessed with this cheerful gift basket idea. This collection of candles, chamomile, citrus, herbs, and a charming potted cactus would brighten anyone’s day.
Framed photo or Photo Book – I mean, what mom wouldn’t love a photo of her kids or grandkids?
Leaf Print Fabric – Am I overdoing it on the tea towel love in this list? Didn’t think so! ???? They are such a great idea because they are inexpensive, thoughtful, and practical! I love this idea for leaf printing on fabric for more charming tea towels.
Send Flowers – I’ve often sent flowers, simply because it can be hard to give a special Mother’s Day gift from out of state. It’s not always frugal, but flowers are always a good idea! Click here to get 20% off from FTD.
Something Sweet – My mom and I both have a serious sweet tooth, so I love this cool idea for saying it with ice cream! Whip up a batch of your favorite homemade ice cream (like creamy lemon vanilla or cookie dough frozen yogurt), add a few toppings, and top it with this cool gift tag.
Handwritten Card – Trust me – you can’t go wrong with a caring, handwritten card. Let Mom and Grandma know just how much you love her, and list every. single. reason. why.
Digital Frame – Okay, so this one isn’t truly DIY…or frugal, but I’m obsessed with this digital frame because multiple family members can update it in real time, right from their phones! And, it’s so stylish and sleek compared to the digital frames of yesterday.
Last Minute Gift – If all else fails and you’ve totally blown it this Mother’s Day…well, Mom doesn’t have to know. Give her a call (or even better, show up in person), tell her how much you love her and bring a card with a gift card to buy whatever she wants. Amazon gift cards are always a good idea! Buy and print (or e-mail) one in minutes.
Are you a lover of vintage books? Or, do you simply own old literature that you hate to store, but don’t want to toss?
Me, too.
I often find myself perusing the bookshelves at vintage shops and thrift stores, searching for treasures. I’ve used them to decorate my son’s big kid room…
50 Frugal (mostly indoor) activities to do with your kids
Looking for ways to spend more quality time with your kids, one-on-one? I’ve pulled together 50 totally unique and creative ideas for building memories and bonding with your kids.
Of course, you don’t need to have an expensive outing to get a little quality time in. That’s why these ideas are all frugal or free.
I have a confession. I’m not a fun mom. I love to peruse Pinterest and find activities that my kids will enjoy, but when it comes to the actual DOING of the activities, I have a tendency to squash fun with my “clean as you go” mentality.
My oldest daughter is a creator. An artist. An, “I’ll just throw this over there in the corner” sort of gal.
The mom struggle is REAL.
However, there is real joy in seeing our kids develop and grow into individuals with unique abilities, talents and interests. I want to be the kind of mom who fosters those things, instead of stifling those things byf fostering my own unique interest in, well, cleanliness.
So, I took a leap at Christmas when I got my daughter a face painting kit. Just a basic kit with a few colors and instructions. You would have thought we’d given her the moon. She could NOT believe we would allow – even encourage – this activity.
Friendly Cat Printables for Party Favors and Boo Bags
This shop, Black Cat Halloween Bags, has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser, MARS Incorporated. All opinions are mine alone. #BOOItForward #CollectiveBias
Trick Or Treating where I grew up was a ritual like no other I’ve found. When *I* was a kid (said in my best, wise old lady voice), we had to WORK for OUR treats.
When I graduated college and moved to Chicagoland, I remember being a bit appalled at how the kids acted on beggar’s night. They walked up to the door, held their bags open and looked at me expectantly.
Sure, they were dressed up in their adorable little costumes, but make no mistake: these kids were slackers.
I’d ask them, “What’s your trick?” And they and their parents would look at me quizzically, like I was the crazy lady on the block.
See, back when I was a kid in central Iowa, we kids would spend the week before Halloween searching for the BEST joke so we could be prepared for Beggar’s Night. If you had no joke and no costume, you would be DENIED, or at the very least, tsked for not doing your job right.
AKA: Trick FOR treat. Quid pro quo.
I tried to get my kids to single-handedly carry out the tradition out here, but it was a no-go. My neighbors were confused at why they were being told jokes. They didn’t quite appreciate the tradition. I get it.
So, this year we’re trying a new angle: we’re Boo’ing it forward. Surprising neighbors and friends with little treats and goodies on their doorstep.
Forget the traditional and tired oranges, browns and greens of Halloween, and the spooky ghosts and goblins that just aren’t for everyone. We decided to stand out by creating classy and chic Black Cat Halloween Bags.
To make them, start with some simple, inexpensive craft essentials: pink and black paper favor bags, glitter paper, and self stick letters. Oh, and a feather boa.
I really don’t care to admit to myself that summer vacation is nearly over. However, in just a few weeks the kids are going back to school, and they are not very excited about it.
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #RevUpF8 #CollectiveBias
Today’s DIY is all about finding stylish ways to display and contain toy cars. My son’s love of cars was revived last month when we introduced him to the latest Fast & Furious™ movie. So, of course, he was thrilled when he discovered toy replicas of Dom Toretto’s car and the climax scene of the movie. However, we had reached capacity on car storage in casa de Mangold. Maxed. Out.
Stored here: Fast & Furious™ 5 Pack Vehicle Assorted
This shop, Chillin’ and Grillin’ Backyard Barbecue, has been compensated by Collective Bias, INC. and The Coca-Cola Company; all opinions are mine alone. #IceColdSummerMoments #CollectiveBias
It may still be spring, but yesterday we turned up the heat with a summer themed party with our neighbors.Continue reading →
May is the month we celebrate moms. If you’re one of the many people who haven’t landed the perfect gift for the women in your life this Mother’s Day – don’t panic! I’ve pulled together three thoughtful and inexpensive homemade mother’s day gift ideas for moms and grandmas that even the biggest procrastinator can pull off at the last minute!
Mother’s Day Gift Ideas for Grandma & Mom
Moms can attest: there’s nothing better than receiving a truly thoughtful gift that can be sentimental, pretty, AND useful.
We wives and moms usually handle gift coordination for the family birthdays and holidays, so it’s nice to be on the receiving end for a change!
These ideas are simple enough that kids of all ages can make them 100% on their own. Armed with just a few inexpensive supplies, we put our ideas to the test.
The kids went to work creating their masterpieces using just crayons and paper…
This shop, No Sew Emergency Kit, has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MoreMomentsWithExcedrin #CollectiveBias
Today I’m going to show you how to make a beautiful no sew emergency kit in just 15 minutes.Continue reading →
Lately I’ve been a bit obsessed with all things vintage. If you follow me on Instagram, you may have noticed me sharing lots of my favorite finds. My love of vintage bed sheets may or may not have become intervention-worthy, but I can’t wait to share these 15 genius ideas for repurposing vintage sheets!
Why I Love Vintage Linens
My mother is a quilter and because of that, I’ve developed an appreciation for vintage quilts, afghans, fabrics and linens.
The deliciously soft texture of the worn fabric, the delightful colors and patterns just make me smile.
Since I’ve become somewhat of a minor hoarder, I’ve been doing a lot of research on how to upcycle these lovely finds.
Over the next few weeks I’ll be sharing simple ideas for upcycling items that have a lot of life left in them with you here. You’re not going to want to miss a single thing, I promise!
It all started when my son – my oldest and least crafty of the crew – announced he wanted to DIY his valentines this year. This boy not only NEVER requests to craft, but he also wanted to re-use the Minecraft valentines I’d created for him last year. This, even after I offered to buy the store bought kind. Be still my crafty heart! This called for a celebration!
I decided that over the weekend I’d surprise all the kiddos with a sweet valentine breakfast and then have a crafting workshop. Okay, I have a way of getting a little carried away…but food is my son’s love language and I wanted to have a little fun with this rare opportunity.
