When I’m at home I spend most of my time in the kitchen, so it stands to reason that I like to make DIY gifts. There are plenty of great recipes that are inexpensive, long lasting, and have pretty results so they make perfect hostess gifts during a busy party season. Keep a few of these on hand for last minute invites!
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We’ve written a lot about frugal wedding planning here on the blog, but one thing we haven’t talked about is bridal party gifts. They’re not necessary, but it’s a nice way to thank your friends for helping you plan and participating in your special day.
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There are lots of possibilities when it comes to DIY Christmas ornaments, but a great place to start is with a package of inexpensive clear glass balls. A few embellishments can result in beautiful and unique decorations for your tree, or even personalized gifts for everyone on your list. Here’s a roundup of great ideas from around the web.
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Wondering how to shovel snow? As a child, I hated this task and was always trying to find new ways to get it over with faster. Then I got a mathematics degree and decided to take my nerdy skills to the task with me. This led me to some basic but otherwise interesting conclusions about how to shovel snow effectively. I though I’d share those ideas with you today, since Christmas is next week and I know we’re all hoping for a white one — all of us who don’t despise shoveling anyway.
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My grandparents, aged 83 and 93, recently moved into an assisted living development after 63 years of fully independent marriage. Needless to say, they weren’t happy about it, but what was our family to do? This is the best possible scenario we could come up with; both of them recently started falling frequently and it was scaring us all silly. None of us could properly house them ourselves, and they had money saved for this so in they went. The question of what to do will certainly become easier to answer over the next few generations, as vastly more aging...
If you know how much I love DIY, you can probably guess I love holiday crafts. I’d so much rather spend my weekends in December making crafts with my family, hot cider on the stove and Christmas carols playing on the radio than pushing my way through crowds to get things I can’t really afford for people who don’t really need more stuff. Here’s a roundup of the holiday crafts happening in our house this year:
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If you have an FSA, chances are you might still have some funds available. That doesn’t roll over on January 1 – if you haven’t spent it by then, you’ll lose it! Talk to the HR rep at your job to make sure you understand the full list of what’s covered an what’s not, and get out there and make the most of it before 2013.
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For decades, flying standby was an option for last-minute jet-setters willing to sacrifice a clear itinerary in favor of reduced prices. When you walked up to the counter, you could either buy a standard boarding pass for a specific flight or purchase a discounted standby ticket and try to get into an empty seat on a flight to your destination. This meant potentially hanging round te airport all day (sometimes longer), waiting for the first vacancy. Saving money on flights was as simple as being willing to sit around and wait. Not anymore, at least for most people.
How much would it cost to get your true love a partridge in a pear tree this year for Christmas? About $204. What about eleven pipers piping? Roughly $2,562. The 12 Days of Christmas is a song that has been beloved by children at the holidays for decades, and it’s no less popular this year. But it turns out, according to research by PNC Wealth Management, neither are any of the items your true love might give to you — prices are up on the total cost of the 12 Days of Christmas!
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Christmas in Chicago kicks off on the Saturday before Thanksgiving with the free Magnificent Mile Lights Festival. This is the cornerstone of Christmas in Chicago. The signature Mickey Mouse Parade with its one million lights is the highlight and the whole day wraps up with a magnificent fireworks display.
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