Crabby Housewife

Keepsake Tablecloth for Holidays

December 23, 2016 December 23, 2016 By Crabby Housewife Leave a Comment

Have you ever thought about starting a keepsake tablecloth for holidays? I just finished reading an article on ABC News about a family who started a tradition of having family members sign a tablecloth each year. What a beautiful idea. I am going to borrow from this idea and start a tradition of my own.

I noticed theirs was embroidered and knowing myself I will never, ever, ever, ever, ever (times a million) go back and embroider those signatures. I just won’t. So, I’m going to adapt the idea and have everyone use sharpies instead of trying to embroider, because what would happen is that I would SAY I was going to embroider and it would never get done.

After much reading and research, I’ve come to the conclusion that I have two options.

I can buy an all-cotton tablecloth, have them use permanent marker, wash in cold water, and set with an iron.
I can use a vinyl tablecloth with permanent markers.

What a fun way to start a new tradition.

How to Make Your House Smell Like Christmas

December 23, 2016 December 23, 2016 By Crabby Housewife Leave a Comment

I love the smells and tastes of Christmas, don’t you? There is nothing quite like the smell of homemade cookies baking in the oven, a real Christmas tree, or cinnamon. It brings back so many happy memories. Who wouldn’t want their house to smell like Christmas?

Fortunately, there are some simple ways you can achieve this smell in your home for pennies.

Christmas Scent Ideas

Here are a few ideas to make your house smell like Christmas.

Slice an orange in half and place it, some cinnamon sticks and a teaspoon of nutmug in a pot of water. Simmer on the stove on low all day (don’t leave the house and forget it, though!).
Diffuse an essential oil, such as Young Living’s Christmas Spirit essential oil. This oil has an amazing smell of oranges, cinnmon and spruce. Disclaimer: I also sell Young Living, should you be interested in more info on the many benefits of this product. You can sign up for your own account here or simply place an order as a customer.
Put essential oils on reeds or cotton balls and tuck into hidden places for bursts of scent. There are so many you can use, from citrus scents, to Black Spruce, to the Biblical Gold (orange), Frankinsence and Mhyrr. I also got a flyer in the mail from my upline this week that suggested peppermint and spearmint oils for a candy cane smell. Yum!
Bake cookies in the oven. You can even throw them out if you don’t want to eat them, but the smell will linger in your home for hours. This is an old realtor trick used to sell houses by making them feel homey.

These are just a few ideas to bring the smell of Christmas into your home. With just a little effort, the scents of Christmas will help your own children and those who visit your home build happy memories that will come back each time they smell that scent.

Saving Big Money on Christmas Gifts

November 17, 2016 November 16, 2016 By Crabby Housewife Leave a Comment

There’s no need to go into debt at Christmas with this handy guide to saving money on gifts. Dozens of ideas.

Christmas is fast approaching. Do you have more people on your gift giving list than you have money to buy presents? There are some tips you can try that might help you get through this season without racking up credit card debt or disappointing those you love. With a little creativity, a dash of luck, and some footwork, you’ll be able to check off every name on your list.

Money Saving-Gift Giving Tips

Don’t be afraid to get creative. Just because you wish you could give every person on your list a $25 Starbucks gift card, doesn’t mean that type of expense is feasible, especially in a down economy. The important thing is to find a gift the person will love. Although just about anyone would love that gift card, that doesn’t mean you can’t find something less expensive that they’ll love just as much. Well, almost as much, anyway.
Sign up for coupons from JC Penney and Kohl’s. both of these stores often send out coupons for decent savings. JC Penney recently sent me a $10 off $10 coupon. In addition, they sent it to a couple of friends who said they weren’t going to use it and handed the coupon over to me because they know I love coupons. I kind of felt like they handed me a $10 bill, because, well, they did.

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Shop clearance items. Clearance items are often pushed to the back of the store or on end caps on the back side of aisles. For example, this week, I found discounted cat toys for $1.26 each. I bought two to put in with my cats’ Christmas packages. What? Cats need gifts, too.
Chris Telden, a sociology major, suggests in her article Good Cheap Christmas Gifts that you “buy in bulk and divvy up.” Her idea is to get a big discount at wholesale club stores and then make up your own gift baskets. You can find cheap baskets at the thrift store or at stores like Old Time Pottery, Big Lots and Tuesday Morning.
Did you receive an item you don’t really like? Give it to someone else. Laura Brown, a Canadian blogger, explains how to regift with style. “The item must be kept in brand new condition,” she explains. It is probably a good idea to keep a list of who gave you what, so you don’t accidentally regift to the person who gave it to you. This method can really cut down on unwanted clutter, too.

Make It!

If all else fails, make gifts. If you start ahead of time, you can crochet, sew or bake items. If you are making something last minute, you might want to consider a do-it-yourself (DIY) photo project.

Mother’s Day Quotes

May 4, 2016 May 5, 2016 By Crabby Housewife Leave a Comment

What Are You Doing for Mother’s Day? Mother’s day comes early this year, so you may be a bit panicked to get something for mom before the big day. Fortunately, most moms are happy to be remembered and something simple

Mother’s Day Traditions

April 20, 2016 By Crabby Housewife Leave a Comment

A special thank you to ProFlowers for providing the following information on Mother’s Day traditions. Crabby Housewife was not paid monetarily or with product for this post. We simply thought it contained some fabulous information that our readers would truly enjoy reading.

Are you trying to think of creative ways to celebrate Mother’s Day? Why not celebrate like the Norwegians with breakfast in bed or the Brits with simnel cake. In Ethiopia, the moms have to do all of the work by preparing a feast for the whole community (and you thought your Mother’s Day was hard). Learn about more international Mother’s Day traditions with the visual created by ProFlowers.

Frugal Recipes & Tips

Category: Holidays