| Gift-giving occasions occur with almost mind-boggling | | | | It's a good idea to keep a list of the Christmas and |
| frequency-- especially when you have children at | | | | birthday gifts you will need for your immediate family. |
| home. Friends' birthday parties, parents' birthdays, | | | | I keep a list in my purse and it is always with me. |
| bby and wedding showers, Mother's Day, Father's | | | | That way when I buy a gift I can add it immediately. |
| Day--the costs can become quite a burden. However, | | | | It's also good for reminding me of what I already |
| a bit of organization and creativity can make these | | | | have on hand. |
| times a bit less painful financially. | | | | Last, here's a gift idea sent by a newsletter |
| Some people find it very helpful to keep a calendar | | | | subscriber, Gina. It's a great craft project...make |
| located in a convenient place and mark all the year's | | | | several and keep them in your gift box ready for |
| special days on it. Then at the beginning of any given | | | | mom's or sister's birthday! |
| month, you can see at a glance the gifts you are | | | | HERBAL COZY |
| going to require. | | | | Basically this is an pillow filled with rice and herbs, you |
| The key is to be aware of what gifts you'll be | | | | put it in the microwave for 2 minutes or less for |
| needing and to get prepared, instead of waiting till | | | | warmth and heat, or throw it in the freezer to ease |
| the last minute and running out and buying whatever | | | | injuries, or for headaches. |
| you can find regardless of price. | | | | You can use scrap fabric... use large scraps for larger |
| Once you can remember "when" to give gifts, the | | | | herbal cozies (for the back, legs, etc.) and smaller |
| next problem that comes up is "what" to give. That's | | | | scrap pieces for a small one that you can use on the |
| where the Frugal Gift Box can help. Designate a spot, | | | | forehead or on the eyes, to sooth eyestrain and |
| whether it's a shelf in the closet, a box, or storage | | | | headache. |
| bin in the garage, to keep all your gifts together. | | | | I sew 'channels' in mine, by sewing a line every two |
| Throughout the year, watch the clearance sales, | | | | inches, and feeling each pocket - so everything stays |
| garage and yard sales, thrift stores, etc. for items | | | | in the right place, but that's optional. They can be as |
| suitable for gift-giving. One of my best buys in the | | | | simple as a 'pillow' type. |
| past was a brand-new, still in the package, set of | | | | Fill them with rice and herbs. You only need 1 part |
| American Girl books bought at a garage sale for | | | | herb to 5-10 part rice, depending on how strong you |
| pennies. I saved it till our granddaughter got old | | | | want them. |
| enough and now she's about to get it for her 8th | | | | Herbs you can fill them with:mint - clears sinuses, |
| birthday next month. | | | | good for headachechamomile - eases tension, |
| When my children were young and going to birthday | | | | relaxescloves - muscle painrosemary - relaxes, muscle |
| parties every week, it seemed, I kept a watch on | | | | painlavender - ease tension, relaxes, soothes, good |
| clearance sales and when I saw something that was | | | | for headacheginger - soothing, good for muscle |
| age and gender appropriate for one of mine, I | | | | paincedar shavings - eases aching muscles |
| figured their friends would like it, too, so into the Gift | | | | Herbs are VERY cheap bought in bulk, or you can |
| Box it would go. I tried to keep at least one gift for | | | | use your dried, homegrown, or even cut open |
| each child on hand at all times. | | | | teabags. |