| At one time, I would have never wanted to share | | | | couple.RUN THROUGH A MAZE: If you have a gift |
| my frugal ideas for showing love to those around | | | | for someone in your home, make them go through a |
| you. My reason for keeping it to myself? At one time | | | | maze of clues to get to their surprise. At the first |
| I thought that no one would be interested. After all, | | | | "stop" (which should be a place in your home that |
| we were the only couple not buying each other | | | | this person is likely to go to), you should have a little |
| expensive gifts, jewelry, roses, and more, right? | | | | poem of sorts which will tell them to go to the next |
| Reality check! I have grown up a lot over these last | | | | spot in your home, and so on. At each point in your |
| 10 years and I have learned that I am not the only | | | | home have something telling your loved one where |
| one clipping coupons and cutting my children's hair | | | | to go next until the end which of course will end up |
| myself. There are lots of other families out there just | | | | being their gift. I had a friend who did this for her |
| like my husband and I, who have to watch our | | | | husbands birthday. She placed his first note on the |
| spending.Without the necessary money to buy costly | | | | toilet since that was the first place he went to when |
| gifts for anniversaries, birthdays, holidays, or other | | | | he got home from work, and each note she cleverly |
| special occasions, we have been very committed to | | | | told him where to go next in his home. After going |
| doing things that were wonderful, yet inexpensive. | | | | from room to room, he came to the end which was |
| Over the years, I have learned that these creative | | | | a CD that he had wanted.HEART SHAPED CAKE: If |
| ideas are what truly matters and they have made | | | | you don't have a heart shaped cake pans, don't |
| our years together, lots of fun.Here I have compiled | | | | despair. Create your own heart-shaped cake by |
| my ideas here to share them with you:PILL BOTTLE: | | | | baking one layer in an 8-in round pan, and one layer in |
| This is a cute idea for your spouse or other adult. | | | | an 8-in square pan. Cut the circle in half and place the |
| Take an empty pain reliever or prescription bottle | | | | cut side of the halves against two adjoining side of |
| and soak it in hot water to remove the label. After | | | | the square to form a heart. Frost and decorate at |
| you remove the label, design your own label on | | | | desired.HEART SHAPED COOKIE POPS: Bake up |
| paper, with something like the following: "Love Pills" - | | | | some heart shaped sugar cookies, but insert a |
| take one as needed. Then take strips of paper and | | | | popsicle stick near the point of the stick and bake as |
| write down the things you are willing to do for your | | | | usual. Decorate.FLOWERPOTS: Take flat bottomed |
| loved one. Some ideas are: foot massage, back | | | | ice cream cups and place them on a cookie sheet or |
| massage, your favorite pie, your favorite cookies, | | | | in a muffin tin (you can wrap bottoms of cones with |
| you choose the movie we see, etc... Take each strip | | | | crumbled up foil to make them more sturdy). Fill |
| and wad it into a little ball and place them in the | | | | cones with 1/3 cup brownie batter and bake 35-40 |
| bottle.Copyright Brandie ValenzuelaLOVE SONGS: This | | | | minutes or until tops are puffed up and cracked. |
| next idea I did before we had internet access, so | | | | After brownie cones are cooled insert a fake rose in |
| today it would be even easier to do this. Frame the | | | | the center. You can also create a flower out of |
| lyrics to your wedding song or other love song. The | | | | construction paper and secured it on a popsicle stick, |
| internet has several sites that list song lyrics, so just | | | | and then insert this into the center of the puffed up |
| type "song lyrics" into a search engine. Print up the | | | | brownie.HEART SHAPED CUPCAKES: Prepare you |
| lyrics in a nice font, and frame.CANDLELIGHT | | | | favorite cake mix according to the directions on the |
| DINNER: When you are not able to go out to an | | | | box. Line your muffin pans with paper baking cups |
| expensive restaurant for dinner, have it at home. | | | | and fill each cup 1/2 full of batter. Place a marble in |
| Wait to eat until after the children are in bed, set | | | | each muffin cup....between the paper liner and the |
| your dining room table nicely with a tablecloth, | | | | pan, which will create the heart shape. Add additional |
| candles and play soft music. Enjoy a nice | | | | batter as needed so that cups are about 2/3 full. |
| dinner...preferably one that you don't usually have, | | | | Bake as directed.GIFT COUPONS: We have all heard |
| and one that you and your spouse consider to be | | | | of the idea of creating coupons which give of |
| special.SWAP CHILD CARE: If you do want prefer to | | | | ourselves, but have you ever given your kids some? |
| go out for your special day, but find yourself having | | | | Why not create a coupon book for your child that |
| a hard time paying for dinner *and* childcare, ask a | | | | has coupons such as: your choice of dessert, kids |
| friend to swap child care with you.CREATE A LOVE | | | | video rental, lunch out with mom (or dad), etc.PLANT |
| TREE: Find a branch outside that has several smaller | | | | A TREE: Give a gift that will grow! Without your |
| branches coming off of it and place the branch | | | | loved one knowing, plant a tree in your yard. You |
| standing up in a pot of soil, or even a coffee can | | | | may also want to make a small yard sign that will sit |
| filled with dirt would work. Cut out an assortment of | | | | near the tree and that says who the tree was |
| hearts from different colored cardstock or | | | | planted for, and the date.PROGRESSIVE DINNER: Call |
| construction paper and string each one with ribbon. | | | | up two other couples and arrange a progressive |
| Then have each member of your family write the | | | | dinner. Everyone will go to the first couple's home |
| things that they love on the hearts (one "love" per | | | | and enjoy some appetizers, at the next home you |
| heart) and hang them on the tree. You can name | | | | will go for the dinner, and at the last home, you will |
| just about anything you love: a beloved pet, | | | | enjoy dessert. After your progressive dinner, you |
| grandma, sunsets, or even ice cream! If you want to | | | | may want to go out together to a movie or some |
| create this tree as a gift for someone, write things | | | | dancing. |
| on the hearts that you love about that person or | | | | |