DIY Holiday Budget Shopping Mini-Series (Part 1.)

The best and only way to shop with a budget is to plan plan plan and guess what. Then you need to plan again. As the years go on, my family seems to grow and grow. Everyone is either getting married or having babies or having more babies and to be honest, it is getting majorly expensive.

In order to be on top of this holiday season I have plans to provide you all with helpful holiday shopping tips, tricks, and plans every Saturday this month! That is November, 3d, 10th, 17th and 24th! I will address a few categories and hopefully we, together can dominate this holiday seasons shopping like the Pro's we know we can be! 

Each weekend I will provide detailed hints and tips to be the best Holiday Shopper! 

1. Making the list. This is always so hard for me, because I want to give everyone the perfect gift. I want their eyes to light up and feel their joy. I mean don't we all? Making a list is crucial in finding that perfect gift. When I am making a list I am extremely detailed. Not only to I jot down ideas for each person but I jot down personality types and what they do with their free time. For instance, my little sister I do not see often but I know that she likes clothes but doesn't get to go shopping a ton. I also know that she likes to go hiking on days she does not have her son, so I might start looking for clothing sales and or sales that involve outdoorsy things. Shopping for children is always so hard, so I will try to get into the moms head. For instance, my nephew is into cars, movies, and digging right now so I might want to buy a dump truck and a new movie for him. It is going to be way easier to shop for people you know really well, but don't be afraid to ask questions if you don't know them so much. Like my husbands boss. I may not know a thing about him, but asking my hubby the right questions will help my shopping search. 

2. Make a Budget. We all end up having a budget, whether it is one hundred dollars or a thousand. Knowing what you can afford is crucial  When I budget I divide the amount of people I am shopping for. I also budget for wrapping supplies and shipping costs for out of towners and for 2 white elephant gifts and for neighborhood baked good holiday treats and personal home decor. I know that once I have a budget set, I can allocate money to each category of shopping.

{Categories}
People to shop for 13 this year, 4 are children {example budget: $500}
White elephant gifts 2 {example budget: $40}
Homemade edible gifts for neighbors and co-workers 8 {example budget: $35}
Holiday Wrapping {example budget: $20}
Holiday Shipping {example budget: $15.00}


3. Know your Dates. Making a calendar of all the helpful dates and deadlines will keep you on top of sales. Knowing when to buy is crucial. It is amazing how people can predict and figure out the "Sales Trends" to be a budget friendly shopper.

Key Dates to Remember:
Cyber Monday is November 26th. Start your shopping at Midnight on the 25th and 6am for the best deals and choices (like colors etc.) 
Black Friday is November 23rd. Be sure you are ready! Are you working that day? Are you and a buddy going to team up? do you have a babysitter? Is this date set in your calendar? Are you wearing steal toe shoes, have a water and a snack ready? Have you amped yourself up to get in, get out and hit budget?

Here is a page with a list of shipping deadlines 


The Best Time to Buy:

Clothes: Thursday Evenings and 6-8 weeks after the items arrive in store. So, as soon as new product arrives, hit the stores to Pre-shop with out any credit cards, cash or debit cards so you are not tempted to buy right then. Leave the money at home and you will reap the rewards later. 

The Why: Retailors are motivated to sell all the clothes they have ordered and when it gets closer to the weekends getting new product in front of a larger crowd is an aim for managers. If they can get the sale stuff out, they know they have a greater chance at selling high priced items on weekends! 

Also if you are a brand lover and stick to specific brands, be sure that you are on their mailing list so you are on top of all of their sales. 

Also check out amazing online stores like gilt.com, Hautelook.com, zulily.com and beyondtherack.com for extreamly discounted prices on name brand clothes, home decor, for you the kids and the hubby! I have shopped with all of these websites almost religiously. To shop smart on these sites, you will need to know that the sales last anywhere from 3-7 days long and that once an item sells out it is gone. Gilt.com, does 3-5 day shipping, but zulily.com and hautelook.com and beyond the rack.com does take about 3 weeks to arrive at your home, so shopping ahead of time is crucial. The deals are too good to beat though and I am always shopping on these websites! 

Christmas Decor: The day after Christmas. I like to budget for decor and wrapping supplies starting the day after Christmas because everything is usually 60% off or more! Also be sure to check out pinterest for DIY Holiday decor which can usually cost a forth of the normal price you would find in stores. 

Toys: This is a bit more complex, but planning is best. I have begun by grabbing all the adds and letting my child flip through them and make notes on things she pointed at or said "wow" too. I also know that playing dress up is one of her favorites, so I am buying costumes at extreme discount this weekend (right after Halloween).The best best is to play the Pre-shop, Pre-shop, Pre-shop "card" to find the best deals on specific toys. Do not forget to check out etsy.com and amazon for stellar toys and deals. 

Gift Cards: I know a lot of people who love to give gift cards for every event, but I bet you didn't know that you can save money buying them! Ebay.com actually sells gift cards at discount rate because people need the money not the gift card. I would recommend buying only from people with 100% rates and have sold stuff before because you need to be careful on ebay like always. Another option is to check out craigslist.com and if you find one near by, meet that person at the mall or somewhere crowded so you are safe and call the gift card's customer service phone number to be sure there is the balance agreed upon.  

For an even bigger list of when the best time to buy is, click
Here. 


I hope to offer even more helpful tips and ticks and "know-hows" of holiday shopping you can be the smartest shopper out there this Holiday!

Check out the Holiday Gift buying guide for A-list Etsy sellers!

First Day's

My baby is in school. I can not believe this day is finally here.
These are the days of waking early, and prepping lunches.
Laying out little clothes the night before.
I planned everything out.
I made a chalkboard sign with little words like "1st day of Pre-School"
I had the cutest little red plaid dress and matching coat and shoes.
I had a smile, and some nerves and headed out the door with the whole clan.
I even had plans on being stoked and relieved, to basically have a babysitter everyday with a PHD in behavioral studies, though I missed her the whole time.
It was so heartbreaking leaving her the first day, as a parent.
I actually didn't expect to feel such emotion when I left.

When I finally got to pick her up, she was a beam of sunshine.
Saying "Goodbye" to all of her new friends and teachers.

What a joy it is, to have children and watch them embark on each stage in life.
Oh, what will the future years bring?
Many, many more of these moments
Big leaps, and small steps to become
their own person.
To one day wake up and realize
"Oh snap, I am a momma myself!"

I use to wonder as a child what kind of person I would grow up to be and now all I wonder is how will my children remember me?

What a Happy Halloween Weekend!

This year I am extra excited about all of the Holiday events and traditions, now that these little ones (you know the ones whom have been attached to my hip as of late) are old enough to enjoy and kinda understand that some days are more special than other.

When I remember this time of year I remember it feeling magical.
I remember the apple cider, and pies and scent of apples and cinnamon which seemed to be stuck to the air
I remember the hot coco and little Marshmello's
I remember getting sick and getting the good juice mix (7-up and OJ) and chicken noodle soup, the cheap kind made by cambells
I remember reading the Christmas Story from the Bible every day, chapter by chapter starting December 1st
I remember every fall I got to go on a huge winter shopping spree
and I remember snuggles and thick blankets
and long family drive to see every cool completely decorated Christmas decorated house
then laughing at how long it must have taken them to do it

And I want...
I want my kids to feel that special magic I felt myself
I want joy on their faces and I want them to feel the excitement of knowing that this feeling gets to come back,
every year
This feeling gets to light up in their hearts

This is why I spent so much time putting together the girls halloween costume. I had plans to make Carli's by hand but last minute my hubby and I bought her dress. 
Which BTW, Chloe refused to put on the Merida costume I made to match the Brave movie and opted for her sisters costume we bought. Haha. Plans-out-window

Can you just see how happy they look?

Multi-generation shot (from left: Chloes cousin, My Grandmother, Chloe, and me)

Waiting for Choo-Choo train tickets

little fam (hubby, me and lil' Carli)

From left: my mother-in-law, my grandma, me, carli, my father-in-law, chloe, and chloe's cousin

Me and lil' Carli 

Bishops Pumpkin farm is Awesome!!!!

Wee lil' Cousins 

lil' Sauce 

play is in the works 

What a lil' fairy 

"Come on Grandpa!"

The End. 

DIY Hair Mask Recipe

I have been growing out my hair for a few years.

I don't get a lot of hair cuts and I cut my own bangs.

I don't use high end shampoos and conditioners,

I dye it every 6-8 weeks from a box

and I either blow dry or straighten my hair on a daily basis.
These are the truths of how I do not care for my hair. 

Sometimes my hair feels less than bountiful. It feels old and rigid and dry, so every once in a
while I like to throw in a hair mask to my weekly beauty rituals. I usually plan for it because
I usually have to wash my hair twice to get it out of a non-oil state, but I love it. 

"It's like magic" I told my 2 year old when I blended and applied it to my hair. 

And the next day I let her brush my now super soft hair.

I love my new soft hair so much I would almost compare it to silk 

though it's not quite that.. Fantastic

It's really does work though and most of you probably have the ingredients in your own home. 

3/4 cup of mayo (I know gross)

2 tbsp of Honey (locally grown honey is always best)

1 tsp of milk

1 tsp of baking soda

Optional 

1 tsp of apricot oil

a few drops of essential oils (I used lavender to calm down the mayo smell)

Steps

1. blend 

2. apply to chucks of hair like you would when dying hair at a salon

3. Pin up hair and let the paste soak into your hair and scalp for 2-4 hours

4. Wash out of hair. Repeat (most likely. I always have to rinse a second time so my hair isn't super oily)

So, what kind of special beauty treats do you make for yourself? Do you have any weird ones? Like I wash my face with baking soda 3 times a week.... Kinda weird but its a old trick for an at home micro-nonabrasive scrub. 

The Best Strawberry Oatmeal Cookies Ever Recipe

So these delicious looking cookies are even so much better in person. My hubby and kids couldn't keep their paws off. After a few requests I decided to post the recipe. 


3 eggs, beaten
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1 cup of butter, or margarine softened
1 cup of brown sugar
1 cup of white sugar
2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of ground cinnamon
2 tsp of baking soda
2 cups of rolled oats
2 tbsp of apple sauce
1 cup of diced frozen strawberries

{Optional}
Any kind of nutt
raisins

1. In a small bowl, combine the eggs, raisins, and vanilla. Cover and chill for 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, cinnamon and baking soda; add to the creamed mixture and stir until all of the dry ingredients are absorbed. Next, stir in the egg and raisin mixture, then stir in the rolled oats and pecans. Dough will be stiff. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto an unprepared cookie sheet. Then place a frozen strawberry right on top of the cookie. 
4. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges are golden. Allow cookies to cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet before removing to a wire rack to cool completely OR they will crumble.