Skip to main content

Have lots of time & don't want to spend tons of money?

Have you been wracking your brain on what to give the neighbors this holiday season? Have lots of time but not lots of money? Fancy store-bought presents are great but if you want to make people feel really cared-for, nothing's better than a tasty homemade treat - carefully prepared and packaged in pretty wrapping.

Some of my favorite edible holiday gifts are:

Cookies in a jar are simply the best unexpected spin on gifting cookies without baking!! Layer a resealable jar with the pre-measured dry ingredients for sugar or chocolate chip cookies. You can find the jars at containerstore.com or you can usually find a set of mason jars at your local grocery store or Target. Trim it with the handwritten recipe, a bright ribbon and a fun cookie cutter or measuring spoon.

If you don't have a favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, Neiman Marcus' Chocolate Chip Cookies are to die for!

Cupcakes in a jar are another fun spin on edible holiday gifts. You will have people drooling over these delicious treats and their adorable presentation! Bake the cupcakes (boxed mix is completley acceptable!) as usual then let cool. Depending on what size mason jar you are using, you can include one or two cupcakes per jar. Place frosting in between each cupcake and on the top to make a nice contrast of color. For Thanksgiving, a Pumpkin Spice Cupcake with Cream Cheese frosting would be delicious and for Christmas, red velvet with buttercream frosting would be decedent. Again trim with a holiday ribbon and a spoon for digging in!


Quick Breads don't have to be handmade from scratch to be delicious. There are a million pre-made boxed mixes that are just as mouth watering. Pumpkin or Zucchini breads will be a smashing hit during the holidays. Bake them in mini paper loaf pans, and wrap up with parchment paper or clear cellophane paper with festive holiday ribbon. If you want to splurge a little, wrap in a holiday kitchen hand towel and tie with ribbon.
Peppermint Bark is a mouth watering delicacy perfect for the holidays! If you don't have time to bake, head over to Costco and pick up their mammoth tub of Peppermint goodness. You'll be able to get a few gifts out of the one tub. Package in a striking candy-striped gift box with coordinating ribbon. I saw boxes like this in the Christmas section at Target just yesterday.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Tame the Tum: Spare tire or stress bulge?

For many women, getting bikini ready means tackling one dreaded area in particular — our tummies. Most of us still think the best way to achieve a washboard stomach is by doing hundreds of sit-ups. Not so, says A-list trainer and body guru James Duigan. James, who sculpts supermodels Elle Macpherson and Rosie Huntingdon-Whiteley among others, insists there is no ‘one size fits all’ method for getting a flat belly. Instead, he’s identified five key ‘tummy types,’ all of which require a different approach to achieve successful toning. Once you figure out your tummy type (mine is the STRESS BELLY) thanks to the UK Daily Mail , you'll be on your way to getting the perfect midriff... THE SPARE TIRE TUMMY The spare tire: This is one of the easiest tummy troubles to eliminate because it's caused by eating the wrong foods and not exercising enough. HOW TO IDENTIFY THIS TYPE These people are likely to lead sedentary lives, perhaps with jobs that k

Martin Luther King GIVEAWAY!!

Happy MLK Jr. Day!! It's GIVEAWAY time! For all your readers that have been with me since the beginning of time (three whole months now), you'll remember my "What's one item of make-up I could not live without?" post. To refresh your memory - MASCARA. For today's giveaway, one lucky reader will receive my secret to voluptuous, clump-free eyelashes; the combination of Jane's MaxLash Primer & Maybelline's Great Lash Mascara. With an added bonus - Sonia Kashuk's Full Glam Eyelashes for a night where you want your eyes to really pop! If you missed my Splurge vs. Steal post on Fake Eyelashes , this is a must-read. To be eligible to win: 1) You must be a Friend/Fan on my Facebook page. If you aren't already, just click on the Facebook icon on the left toolbar and it will re-direct you to Hailey's Helpful Hints page. 2) You must answer the question in the comment section below: WHAT IS ONE ITEM OF MAKE-UP YOU COULD NOT LIVE WITHOUT? Rules: 1)

Digital Savings 101

  Did you know that 96.8 million adults will use digital coupons this year? Are you one of them? Normally I am not but my mom recently turned me on to RetailMeNot.com. If I'm not shopping on Amazon, I'll always search the store on Retail Me Not prior to purchasing to see if they have a valid promo code to save a little extra. Wondering where to look? The Internet can be a treasure trove when it comes to getting the most for your money. Thanks to Family Circle magazine, Denise Winston, author of Money Starts Here! Your Practical Guide to Survive and Thrive in Any Economy , and money-saving expert Andrea Woroch, these recommended sites are the best to bookmark for bargains on food, fun and more. CouponBlender.com At this gateway to savings, you'll see dozens of deals at a glance from the top couponing destinations (the homepage is constantly updated with a slew of news feeds). Each of the featured sites includes a range of shopping categories, so you can snag coupons for gro