Tackle It Tuesday: It's the Holiday Season!

I'm really sorry for those of you that don't care for the holidays. I realize they have swarmed in like a S.W.A.T. team and taken over this blog. Only a few more weeks until things are back to normal though, but for tonight, they are still here in full effect! On top of tackling my jungle of a room that was in desperate need of attention tonight, I also took on one of my favorite projects for the holidays! I wrapped Carl's presents. This has always been something I've looked forward to, because I just really enjoy putting time and care into wrapping each gift and making it look festive!




I might have more fun wrapping them than he has opening them! Are you the type of person that dreads wrapping? Or are you like me and look forward to it? I know some people think it's a waste of time since they just get ripped open, but for me, they really add to the decor for a couple weeks. Oh...you DID notice that I kept with my silver and red theme? Hmm. Well. I won't lie. It wasn't on accident :)

$5 Gift Baskets: The Final Chapter

Finally. I'm here to close out the $5 Gift Basket Series. The last step is packaging it all up, because, well presentation is key and just throwing 6 little cellophane baggies at your friends and family doesn't really evoke holiday spirit. But, this doesn't mean we have to break the bank to make it look good!

I found these hot little baskets in the Target Dollar Spot! How adorable are they? I've seen them recently, so I know they are still selling them. They are $1 a piece and are super sturdy, so your recipients could easily use them again!


They are the PERFECT size for this project! But if you want to save some money here, regular gift bags or even simple brown kraft gift bags would work just as well. Doll them up with a little ribbon and they would be good to go!

Since I spent a dollar a piece on those, I wanted to keep the filler simple- so I just used white tissue paper. I wrapped up all the bags in two sheets somewhat tightly and folded another sheet and molded that to the bottom and sides of the basket. Then, I just tucked the wrapped up part right in the middle.

Here are all the posts for reference:

Hot Chocolate Packets: $14.50
Chocolate Covered Oreos: $9.20
Cinnamon Sugar Roasted Almonds: $11
Mulling Spice Packets: $11

I can't wait to give these out!! I hope everyone loves them, and I hope you liked them too! If you are making your own, I'd love to see pictures of them. Email (myhappycasa@gmail.com) me the pics or link to your blog and I'll post them all!

$5 Gift Baskets: Part IIII

Ok, what you've all been waiting for ;) The last "project" that goes in the $5 Gift Baskets! After this, I just have to show you how to put them all together! We are awful close my dears. So...the last project. It will warm any soul. Well any soul that likes apple cider, red wine or practically any type of juice!

Mulling Spice Packets

If the smell of cider mulling doesn't get you in the holiday mood, I don't know what will! These, again, are really easy to put together, and it's VERY likely that you will have most of the necessary items in your house already. Let's see what you need though.

1-2 Oranges: $1
10 tsp Cinnamon
5 tsp Allspice
5 tsp Nutmeg
5 tsp Ground Cloves
(I accounted for $4 for the spices)
10 Spice Bags: $7
Clear Bags- you already have them!
Ribbon- you already have it!

Total Cost for Mulling Spice Bags: $12

These are the spice bags. You can get 4 for $3 at Bed Bath & Beyond- and again, to keep it cost conscious, use the 20% off coupons! You'll get 12 for about $7.


Directions:
1. Peel the oranges with a vegetable peeler- only peel the orange part, not the white part. Place it on a paper towel and allow it to dry for 3 days. (Yes, just fold over the paper towel to cover it and let it sit. I promise.)
2. Once the peel is dried, grind it in a coffee grinder, small food processor, etc. Whatever you happen to have!
3. Mix together all your spices and the ground orange peel.
4. Scoop approximately 3 tsp of the mixture into each spice bag. Pull the strings tight, and gently place it in a clear plastic bag. Twist the plastic bag and tie with a ribbon.

Just be a bit cautious as some of the spice may come out of the spice bag. It's ok if it does, but it can make a mess! You will then instruct your recipients to place the bag in a saucepan with 4 cups of cider (or wine or juice) and simmer for at least 15 minutes. You do not want to let it boil. Then, enjoy! If you've never had this before, definitely try it! If you have, then you already know how tasty it is!

Now, here comes my small piece of bad news. I failed. Just a little bit. My overall cost, per basket, was roughly $5.80. I went over. :( I hope you aren't too terribly disappointed in me. However, I did account for the extra supplies that came with certain packaging, so you could easily squeeze out a couple more baskets, and then I'd be right back on track! Can we still be friends? I hope you say yes :) If we are...then keep reading.

Let's Recap:

Hot Chocolate Packets: $14.50
Chocolate Covered Oreos: $9.20
Cinnamon Sugar Roasted Almonds: $11
Mulling Spice Packets: $11
Packaging Materials $12 (I'll show you these later, and you could definitely spend less here!!)

Total Cost $57.90, Divided by 10 Baskets: $5.79

Still not bad in my opinion! I hope they suit your needs and you enjoy making them and giving them as gifts. I know I'm looking forward to it! I'll be back to show you how I'm packaging mine up, but for now, I need to tackle my weekend to do list and make us a super lovely dinner!

$5 Gift Baskets Part III

I'm back with the third piece to the $5 baskets. I've been making these for awhile now, and they are ALWAYS a hit! I first made them for my father-in-law because they are one of his favorites! But the bag was quickly gone, and I had requests for more. So, in the holiday baskets they go.

Cinnamon Sugar Roasted Almonds

Now, the cost of these could vary a little from area to area, but your only real cost is the almonds. The rest are very normal things you should have around the house. Here is what you need:

Bags: Already have them! $0
Ribbon: Already have it! $0
Almonds: 8 Cups (I get mine at Sam's and I get 9 Cups for $10) $10
Cinnamon: 1 tsp
Sugar: 1 cup
Salt: 1/2 tsp
Water: 2 tsp
2 Egg Whites
(I'll account for $1 for those few little ingredients) $1

Total cost: $11

So what do you do? It's easy! And you'll never pay $8 for the almonds at the mall again, promise!

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees and lightly coat a large jelly roll pan with nonstick spray. Whisk the egg white and water just until frothy. Dump in the almonds and coat them in the egg. Mix together the sugar, cinnamon and salt. Sprinkle the mixture over the almonds and toss to coat. Place them in the oven for an hour, flipping the almonds every 15 minutes. Allow them to cool and store them in an airtight container. (I like to use our vacuum saver for this!)

So that's it! Fill 2 bags per basket, and fill each bag with just a about 1/3 cup of almonds. Tie em up with a bow, and off they go! Part III done. :)

Think you can handle that one? Still joining me? Can't wait for the next little piece? There's only one more "project" and then the rest is just packing it all up! You can make it through 2 more installments, right? Yeah, you can!

$5 Gift Baskets Part II

I'm so happy to hear so many of you are intrigued by my little project, and as promised, I'm back to give you another step to making my super Savvy (but thoughtful) Gift Baskets....and I'm still keeping them at $5! What's up next?

Chocolate Covered Oreos

Step up the game just a little bit from the standard chocolates. Wilton makes chocolate molds specifically so you can insert a sandwich cookie in them. I use the oh-so-popular Oreo, because who doesn't love Oreos???!? Here is what you need:

• Bags: $0 (You already have them from the hot cocoa!)
• Ribbon: $0 (Again...the hot cocoa supply list)
• Melting Chocolate: $5 (This allows you to get at least 2 colors. I bought 3- white white chocolate, green white chocolate, and brown mint chocolate)
• Candy Mold: $1.20 (I bought mine at Michaels and used a 40% off coupon)
• Bag of Cookies: $3 (Max, you should be able to find them cheaper though)

That's it! The rest you should have around the house- such as glass containers to melt the chocolate in the microwave. I've found that is the easiest way.

Just a few tips- if you are using more than one color in the mold, be sure to let the first color dry before pouring the second one over it. Only put in a little bit of chocolate in before putting in the cookie- just enough to coat the bottom. Lastly, once it is hardened, place the tray in the freezer for about a minute. It helps pop out the candies.

You get a little over 40 cookies in a package, and with 2 bags of chocolate, you should be able to cover all of them. So, from what I've accounted for, you can do between 2-4 cookies per basket. That's up to you! Perhaps you'd rather put two cookies in each basket and eat the rest yourself :) I won't judge.

Ok, so that's step 2! Seem simple enough? Yeah, it is. I'll be back soon with step 3- keep an eye out! Are you still with me? Let me know!

Part 1 of My Christmas Gift Baskets

Keeping with the shopping and budget week, I'm going to give you the first peek at my Cheap Frugal Savvy Gift Baskets. Now, while I'm trying my hardest to keep these under $5 a piece for you, we have to set some ground rules.

1. You will have to make at least 10 baskets (by my calculations that is...if you can do it making less, more power to you, but the bulk concept helps tremendously). However, for roughly $5 a piece, why wouldn't you? They make great gifts for coworkers, relatives, friends, the list goes on and on!

2. I use coupons to purchase some of the items. And trust me, this does not mean you need to clip coupons until your fingers bleed. Just some normal coupon using is all that's required.

3. You have to put in some time. What? Did you think you were just going to whip these up in a few minutes? I mean, I'm ok at this, but I'm not Supergirl! They can be done in steps though, as that's how I'm doing it. You are seeing my process through the posts. Just stick with me, k kid?

Ok, ground rules are set. (Disclaimer: I reserve the right to add further rules at any time while going through this process) Let's move on to the first project.

Hot Chocolate Packets

This ain't no Swiss Miss! (I have nothing against Swiss Miss, this just simply is not Swiss Miss) This is homemade, yummy in your tummy, sittin by the fire with your honey kind of hot chocolate.

Here is what you need to buy:
*Pack of 100 Clear Bags- 3inx4in (I got mine at Michaels, use a 40% off coupon by clicking here, so it goes from $5 to $3)

*Spool of thin satin ribbon- you choose the color (I made some up for Thankgsiving, so I have tan and red ribbon to work with, $.50)

*The ingredients for Hot Chocolate
11 Cups Dry Non-fat Milk
1 Cup Dry Creamer
3 Cups Powdered Sugar
2 Cups Chocolate Drink Mix (Like Nesquik)
1/4 Cup of Cocoa
1 Bag Mini Marshmallows

(You will most likely have a few of these items on hand, but from what I figured out- portion wise, this costs roughly $11)

Mix all the dry ingredients together. Scoop 1/2 Cup into 20 treat bags. Put a handful of marshmallows on the top, twist and tie a cut piece of ribbon around the bag.

You'll have two packs of hot chocolate for each basket, and each packet makes a 2 cup size mug of hot chocolate. Instruct your recipients to mix the packet with 2 cups of very hot or boiling water. Hmm...you might want to make 21, you'll want one for yourself. Now, you'll have PLENTY of hot chocolate mix leftover, so feel free to make up more. However, I have not accounted for that with the bags as you'll need those throughout the rest of the process.

So that's step 1. Are you in? Are you intrigued? Let me know! Like I said, I'm doing my best to keep these cost effective, so we'll see if I succeed together! I'll be really anxious to see what you come up with too.