Frugal Gift # 10 ~ CDs

This picture doesn't look like much but this has been a treasured gift that my kids received. Ken's parents put together a CD full of stories that they sent to our kids. Ken's dad told bible stories on it (He added extra kid character's to the old testament stories and amplified them). Ken's mom told a story of her own creation. The kids love them.
You could also read stories and then give them the books to go along with it. Or kid's could make a music CD for grandparents. I am hoping that we can put one together for my Grandma who we don't get to see real often. This is a fun way to make long distance relationships closer.

Frugal Gift # 9 ~ homemade candy

Something we have enjoyed giving for gifts is homemade candy. I have always been what my mom calls a "messer" ( someone who likes to experiment in the kitchen and just mess around with little bits of this and that.) and candy is a perfect thing for messing. The other reason I like to give candy is because people seem to like it. Other benefits are that it is pretty frugal and it doesn't crowd up someones house with an little needed gift, they eat it and it is gone! The only disadvantage to this gift is that it usually isn't all that good for you. So you don't want to make to much OR you can try to make it healthy! :-)

We enjoy giving candy to my parents for special events. They are not the type of people to buy candy (or to really make it) so they enjoy what they receive as gifts. They put it away and just take it out at special times and have just one piece. They can make a box of candy last a very long time! This candy that I have pictured we made as part of their anniversary gift in November.

This candy was one of the ones that I had fun inventing as I was making it. I took some coconut and added just enough corn syrup to make it sticky. Then I took a little bit of the sticky coconut and made a ball of it around a pecan. Then I melted some chocolate almond bark and poured some on one side and then after the candy had hardened I turned it over and poured some on the other side. That was all ~ very simple. I turned out pretty yummy though, if I must say so myself.

We packaged it up in a clear plastic box that we recycled. I put tissue paper in and then tied it with a pretty pink bow. How fun!

Here is another of our favorite candy recipes. This one is actually healthy and I didn't make it up. I just revise it however I want at the time. Anyway here is the recipe:

Peanut Butter Kisses:

• 1/2 cup honey (or a little less)
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 3/4 to 1 1/2 cup dry milk

Mix the honey and peanut butter and then add as much of the dry milk as you can. Roll into small balls. You can roll the balls in coconut, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, chopped nuts or coat in chocolate almond bark. That is it ~ All done ! Our whole family likes these. They make a nice snack for kids.

Have fun with your candy making!

My god daughter's Pink Camo Ponchos

Here are the two ponchos I've been working on. The top one is for Sierra my 6 yr old god daughter and the bottom one is for Lucy my 4 yr old godaughter.
There is Lucy being a ham in her poncho.
Here is Sierra being a trooper in hers despite having pink eye in her left eye.
As you can see Lucys' poncho is made with Bernat Pink Camo yarn.
Sierra's is made with Red Heart Pink Camo yarn. They are both made with four big granny squares sl st'd together and a shell edging around the bottom and two rows od sc's for the neck edging.

Frugal Gift # 8 ~ Cloth bags

I love bags. I love to go to the library, I love taking projects with me places ~ cloth bags are wonderful for both things. I also like bags for hauling kids things around to church, traveling or other places. I am also trying to use cloth bags for shopping.

My mom made me this bag for my birthday. I love it! Bags are not terribly hard to make nor do they take a lot of fabric. Look through what you have on hand and be creative!

Here are instructions for a basic tote bag.
Go here to learn to make a simple diaper bag.

Don't you love little kids prayers?

Don't you love listening to little kids pray? I do!
Tonight when Aaron was praying before bed he included in his prayer a thanks to God that there were no snakes crawling up our house. I have no idea what prompted that as there are very few snakes up here anyway and as it is 25 below right now there are none out crawling around. However I am incredibly thankful that we don't have any snakes crawling up our house too! I just didn't think to thank God for that, but now I do.