It’s not too early to start planning for Christmas is it? 
Less than 100 days!
Download the free Christmas Planning Ideas ebook by Life As Mom to help you get started!
Free Christmas Planning Ideas eBook
September 17, 2011 By Leave a Comment
DIY Project – 5 Minute Tinsel Garland Wreath
December 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Looking for a quick holiday decoration to dress up a bland area of your home? Creature Comforts shows us how to make a 5 minute tinsel garland wreath!
DIY Project – Christmas Holiday Advent Calendar
December 15, 2010 By 1 Comment
Melissa sent along her sister’s idea for a Christmas Holiday Advent Calendar! It’s a grea idea to help occupy children that are on Christmas holidays and create a memorable time!
Image source here
A Fond, Frugal Christmas Memory
December 7, 2010 By 2 Comments
*Originally posted December 2009*
I am a firm believer that Christmas does not have to break the bank and that it’s the little things that make it memorable!
I thought I would post a favourite Christmas tradition that I used to do with my family when I was young.
Every year in December my parents would orchestrate our annual Christmas Tree Hunt. They would invite many other families to join in on the fun. In our area, it’s possible to obtain a free permit to legally cut down a tree along the power lines in the woods. Nothing beats having a real, free Christmas tree! Mind you, these trees were not your typical picture perfect tree. They definitely had character! That was the beauty of it!
Our ‘hunt’ would begin in the late morning of a chosen Saturday in December. We loaded up the vehicles with rope, saws, children bundled up, and last but not least, the toboggans! Once we were all ready, we started the drive to our location. Up the windy, dirt road covered in snow. My Dad would make my brother and I laugh when he would purposely slide around each corner in our little truck. After all, he was an ex-race car driver and knew how to master those turns!
We would finally arrive just when we thought we would melt from the heat of too many layers. All the children would fall from the vehicles and immediately set to work. Our job was to find the biggest, best tobogganing hill while the adults would search for the perfect tree. I still smile thinking about all the fun we had!
After the hunt was over for each family, everyone was welcomed back to our home for some homemade chili, hot apple cider and mulled wine for the adults. The fun would continue on late into the evening.
Now that we’re all much older the many families dropped down to one family. Us. We would still go out as a single family to find the perfect tree. This time though we would all trudge through the deep snow to find it. Occasionally, we would do a few runs on the toboggan for old times sake.
In the last year or so, my Mom and Dad have purchased an artificial tree. At first, I was quite disappointed with the turn of events. But I have come to realize that now I will have the opportunity to rekindle this tradition when my husband and I have a family of our own! So here’s to those fond memories of fun Christmas traditions!
What are your favorite frugal and fun Christmas traditions or memories?
Frugal Stocking Stuffer Ideas
December 6, 2010 By 3 Comments
Looking for some cheap stocking stuffer ideas? Below I’ve compiled a list of some items that might strike your fancy!
- Avon.ca has a big selection of $0.99 stocking stuffers.
- Christmas is the only time of the year when I have fun with a Scratch Ticket or two!
- Toothpaste. I recently bought some from Walmart for only $0.50
- Toothbrush
- Candy/Chocolate. Shoppers Drug Mart and London Drugs currently have 3-pack Ferrero Rochers on for $0.99
- Homemade CD
- Homemade cookies
- Travel sized toiletries
- Gift cards (give a $10 Starbucks card you’ve earned free with Swagbucks!)
- Flash drive
- Mandarin oranges
- Hot Wheels
- Gum
- Crayons, Pencils, Felt pens
- Notebooks
- Nail polish
- Socks
- Hair accessories
- Tea or coffee (those Starbucks VIA or Nescafe individual packages might be great!)
- Maybe some of the freebies you’ve found on Simply Frugal?
Have you got any other ideas? What do you normally add to stockings?
DIY Project – Cute Felt Giftcard Holder
December 2, 2010 By 2 Comments
Here’s one of my easy gifts I’ve been working on! I wanted something cute to put gift cards in since I’ll be giving quite a few gift cards this year. I came up with the felt mitten idea which can be hung on the Christmas tree as well! I had most of the supplies on hand already. Here’s how I did it:
Supplies:
- Felt piece (dollar store)
- Fabric snowflake (dollar store)
- Ric rac
- Christmas tree cut from a piece of fabric I had
- Sparkly button (from an old hair elastic)
- Needle & thread
- Ribbon (for the mitten to hang on the tree)
Basically, I just drew a mitten shape on a scrap piece of paper that was big enough to fit a gift card, then traced it onto the felt. Cut it out, then decorated the one side with whatever I could find around the house with fabric glue and thread! After the one side was decorated, I put the two mitten pieces together by hand stitching them together. You could use a sewing machine, but I liked the handmade look of the uneven stitches. That’s pretty much it! A gift card holder and an ornament in one!
Free Christmas Album Download – XO For the Holidays
November 23, 2010 By 1 Comment
XO Publicity is offering a free Christmas music album for you to download! Artists include Campfire OK, Paper Tongues, and Piney Gir. The music style is not your traditional sounding Christmas music, but is kind of fun if you want a change of pace!
Click here to download your Christmas music!
The Simply Frugal Holiday Guide for the Eco-Conscious
November 19, 2010 By 3 Comments
It’s time for the final edition of the Simply Frugal gift guide! Today is all about those who want to take steps in caring for our planet, or, are already taking steps!
Otterbottle - Officially the most fun selection of water bottles I’ve ever seen! They also offer containers, thermoses and insulated tote bags. Shannon, the owner of Otterbottle, is a health enthusiast and environmentalist keen on preserving the planet for her family and future generations. Advocating the importance of small steps to saving the environment to friends and family. Because of this, part of every purchase is donated to the David Suzuki Foundation! Otterbottle would also love to give one reader one of their 750ml water bottles!
Lavish & Lime - If you’re looking for contemporary eco-friendly products to help you live life a little greener, Lavish & Lime is a great place to start. The husband and wife team found there were lots of eco-friendly products out there, just not readily available – in Canada. Their business was born! To them, Eco didsn’t have to be boring and beige anymore. Shop from their On The Go, Body, Living, Eco Kids, Jewelry or Sale sections. Use coupon code SWEETSPOT to save 15% on all scarves until November 23, 2010.
HotSACKS - Looking for some fun, fashionable and funky reusable shopping bags or produce bags? The bags were created for those of you who want to do your part for the environment, but don’t want to be a walking billboard for your local grocery store. You also may care about the environment, but don’t feel like advertising it to the world. HotSACKS would love to give two readers a set of their meshy produce bags!
Playpants - Now maybe this one belongs in the children’s gift guide but I thought I would feature them here! Playpants are the original modern bloomers for the little bums of your little ones. Our bloomers cover disposable, cloth and hybrid diapers in machine washable 100% cotton prints and certified organic styles to fit girls (and boys!) from birth to three years They’ve got many styles in organic material for your to check out!
Planet Forward - Was started because they wanted to ignite positive change and make a legitimate difference. They want to reinvent the environmentalist image to include the average city dweller, outdoor enthusiast and ideally incorporate all walks of life. We all have a part to play in helping move the planet toward sustainable solutions. Find products such as water bottles, travel mugs, cleaning kits, clothing and accessories. Use coupon code BGSG40 for 40% off your order!
Envirosax - A beloved company that I’ve enjoyed working with in the past! Home of the designer reusable shopping bag! ” The philosophy of Envirosax is to help create a better future for our planet by spreading the environmental message through colour and script using the Envirosax eco-friendly reusable bag as the vehicle.” Choose from the huge selection of beautiful and fun reusable shopping bags they have available. You might be interested to know that the Envirosax bags make a great and creative way to wrap gifts!
ECOcentricBags – ECOcentricBags.com is based in Calgary, Alberta and offers Eco-friendly handbags, backpacks, shopping bags, messenger bags, everyday bags, produce bags and more. Their motto is to provide their customers with the highest quality eco-friendly bags at the best possible prices and to educate their customers about “green living” and its importance for our global society. Use coupon code ECOCENTRIC20 for 20% off your purchase until December 31, 2010. (make sure you type the code in manually, not copy & paste it.)
Bare Organics - Bare Organics emerged to fill a need for high quality, truly safe and organic skin care and baby care products in the market. Shop from their skin care, baby care, accessories (home, spa and clothing), and gift sections!
Now, I’d love to know, what did you think of the gift guides and the giveaways?
The Simply Frugal Holiday Gift Guide for Men
November 18, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Who else finds men hard to shop for? Between my husband who never wants anything, to other family members who have everything, it’s nearly impossible for me! But I’ve managed to come up with a list of stores that are guaranteed to impress! (I think?)
The Source - I think it’s fairly safe to say men love electronics, right? Shopping online at The Source is unique because they feature a deal of the day, have a clearance outlet, and special online sale prices. You’ll find everything from computers, to GPS units, to TV’s at the Source. The best part about shopping online is that you can have free shipping if you ship your order to your local store!
The Home Depot - Tools. Enough said. Well, I guess I could elaborate! Home Depot is known as the home improvement destination. Find all you could possibly want to build or renovate the home of your dreams! Tools, flooring, drapery, paint, garden supplies, wood, lighting, bathroom fixtures, and appliances! The Home Depot online also offers a daily Hammer Drop deal; one product that has been drastically reduced for one day only.
Reunion Island Coffee - Priding themselves on high quality coffee harvested from sustainable farms, Reunion Island just might be the place to get your coffee from now on! Founder Peter Pesce’s,reputation is the result of over three decades of experience in sourcing, blending and roasting coffee for the high-end foodservice market. Reunion Island is giving away three coffee gift packs to three lucky readers! Use coupon code simplyfrugal to receive free shipping on your $19 or more order until November 30, 2010! (regularly $59)
Princess Auto - Home of the neat gadgets! “In 1942 a young Winnipeg truck driver named Mr. Harvey Tallman sold his truck and with the proceeds was able to purchase Princess Auto Wrecking on Princess Street in Winnipeg, Manitoba. In time he expanded the wrecking business to include a mail order catalogue, sending machinery and tools across the nation. The Princess Auto catalogue became a Canadian tradition and the foundation was set for Princess Auto Ltd.” Find tools, small engines, engine parts and seasonal goods online at Princess Auto!
Bread & Butter - specializing in creating custom skincare kits for men with natural ingredients and no fragrance. Choose from a basic line of products to customize your kit. Face cleanser, shave gel, face moisturizer, body moisturizer, lip balm and SPF 15 face moisturizer for the summer are the products to choose from. Perfect for men, easy to decide! Bread & Butter is giving one lucky reader a $50 custom skincare kit!
Mark’s - A great source for work wear and for everyday wear for men! Mark’s has engineered 61 innovations that make their clothes work better than any other clothing or footwear on the planet. Each innovation is a subtle improvement resulting in dramatic results that reinforce their mantra of making clothes that work. One of my favourite innovations of theirs is the Perfectly Pressed line. No more ironing!
Amazon.ca – I love Amazon and so does my husband. We’ve found some neat stuff on there at some amazing prices! Shopping online at Amazon pretty much guarantees that they’re going to have what you want. (Like an entire series of books that my husband can’t seem to find anywhere else!) They don’t just have books though. Find everything from music, to movies, to video games, to electronics. Amazon has just recently introduced their new sports and outdoor section that might satisfy the man on your list!
Have you got any other unique and manly stores to add to the list?
Freebie – Martha Stewart’s Thanksgiving Cookbook Download
November 18, 2010 By Leave a Comment
I realize that Canadian Thanksgiving has come and gone, but thanks to Sirius Radio, you can download a copy of Martha Stewart’s Thanksgiving cookbook for free!
