Gifts

‘Tis The Seasoning: DIY Christmas Spice Gifts

December 11, 2019 by Katie Jones Leave a Comment

DIY Christmas spice gifts are some the best homemade Christmas gifts you can give to your friends and neighbors. When you make DIY spice blends for Christmas gifts, you’re giving the gift of deliciousness–and adding a little extra spice to the season! Here are some DIY spice gift ideas you’ll love to give.

‘Tis The Seasoning: DIY Christmas Spice Gifts

DIY spice blends are easy to make and easy to give, and you might find yourself the most popular neighbor on the block after you do this! They’re perfect for those who prefer not to hand out so many sweets, but still want to give the gift of good taste. To give DIY spice blends, you should have the following items:

Small jars to package your spices. This set of 30 3.5 ounce jars with hinged lids is only a dollar a jar {and free shipping!} at Amazon.
Ribbon or kitchen twine to decorate the spice jars.
Gift tags to label your spices and provide suggestions for using them.
All the spices you’ll need to make your desired blends.

DIY Spice Blends Recipe Ideas

If you have a mortar and pestle, it’s extra fun to take the time to grind your own spices. But if not, save time by blending spices that are already ground. For each recipe, increase amounts as needed for bulk gifting.

Garlic & Rosemary Rub

This is delicious on grilled meats! Combine all ingredients and pulse in a food processor.

4 tablespoons sea salt
2 tablespoons granulated garlic
2 tablespoons dried rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper

Homemade Southwest Seasoning

2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
3 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 teaspoons black pepper

Sweet Blend For Baking

4 tablespoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons powdered ginger
1 tablespoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cardamom or anise

Herb Blend

4 tablespoons ground thyme
4 tablespoons dried rosemary
1 tablespoon sage
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt {omit for a no-salt blend}

Any of these DIY Christmas spice blends are sure to be a hit with your friends and neighbors this holiday season! For non-edible gifts, check out these ideas.

Non-Edible Neighbor Christmas Gifts They’ll Love

November 13, 2019 by Katie Jones Leave a Comment

Today I’m helping you to solve the yearly problem of what to get the neighbors for Christmas. Every year it’s a struggle, and it’s a fact that not everyone wants food or treats that they don’t need. So let’s look at some non-edible neighbor Christmas gifts your neighbors will love. These ideas are unique and easy, so you can get them done and get on with all the other things you need to do before Christmas comes!

Non-Edible Neighbor Christmas Gifts

Host a Craft Night

One of the more unique non-edible neighbor Christmas gift ideas I’ve seen is to kill two birds with one stone and host a craft night for your neighbors. Everyone gets together, shares some delicious treats, and then you make a craft together that everyone gets to take home. Best idea ever, right? You can also try making your own snow globes.

I love these adorable Christmas trees made with felt, buttons, wood skewers and embroidery floss. A hot glue gun puts it all together quickly and easily!

Handmade Ornaments

There are tons of handmade ornament ideas out there that only look complicated. I know people who choose a theme every year, make some ornaments to fit, and deliver them to their neighbors. It’s a unique way of remembering your neighbors–and they’ll probably begin to anticipate next year’s ornament!

A Roll of Gift Wrap

One of my favorite non-edible neighbor Christmas gifts is the roll of gift wrap and bag of bows my neighbor drops off a few days before Christmas. I’ll admit to you that roll of gift wrap has saved me late on Christmas Eve more than once! This is a gift that might really be a lifesaver.

A Bag of Christmas Scents

Present your neighbors with another favorite non-edible Christmas gift–homemade potpourri! In a bag place an orange, a lemon, some whole cloves, cinnamon sticks and nutmeg or allspice. Include directions to slice the fruit, put everything in a saucepan and cover with water. All your neighbor needs to do is bring it to a simmer and enjoy hours of delicious scent as it permeates their home.

Trick Or Treat Tips: Be The Best House On The Street

September 17, 2019 by Katie Jones Leave a Comment

Today’s post is for the Halloween fans out there! There’s nothing like seeing all those cute little people parading down the street in their costumes. But it’s also disappointing if you buy a ton of candy, only to have just a handful of kids come to the door. If you want to be known as the “best house on the street” for trick or treaters, you need today’s trick or treat tips. Here’s how your house can become legend on Halloween.

Trick Or Treat Tips: Be The Best House On The Street!

The first step to be the best house on the street is to create as much Halloween ambience as you can. But be careful about how creepy you make it! Some kids, especially preschoolers, will refuse to trick or treat at your house if it’s too scary. Try to strike the right balance of good, scary fun and you’ll appeal to the biggest number of children.

The house on my street that is literal Halloween legend has tons of Halloween ambience. But that isn’t all! Parents and kids alike know to expect an extra treat and a good chat with neighbors. That’s because there is always a cold cup of freshly brewed homemade root beer on warm evenings. And if it’s cold, there’s hot chocolate! The homeowners dress up and serve everyone in costume. No one can resist this house, because it is the best house on the street.

Additional Trick Or Treat Tips

You’re always going to have the best house on the street if you give out stuff kids actually like. Houses that offer full size candy bars, donuts or candy apples are always popular. When it’s a cool evening, go the extra mile and set up a fire pit in your driveway where the kids and their parents can warm up before hitting the next house. No one can resist a warm fire on Halloween night. And you’ll get the chance to meet more of your neighbors. That’s a good thing! Happy trick or treating!

These are a Few of My Favorite Christmas Things

December 5, 2018 by Katie Jones Leave a Comment

These are a few of my favorite things

Merry Christmas! There is so much to love about the season. How do you decide what you love enough to include in your décor and celebrations? Today I’m going to show you a few of my favorite Christmas things. Maybe you’ll be inspired to make them your favorite, too!

Poinsettia

One of my favorite Christmas things is the poinsettia plant. There’s just nothing else like those fabulous red leaves. Poinsettia has a long and interesting history. Did you know that it is native to South America? The color was extracted from the leaves to make beautiful textiles. The white sap of the plant is known as laytex. Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, fell in love with the plant. It’s from him the plant got its name, and he’s the reason we enjoy it all over today!

Going UP

Another of my favorite Christmas things is a banister decked out in garland. It’s just so pretty and festive! While we’re enjoying a little history lesson, I’ll tell you that Christmas garland originated in Europe, where they were first used to decorate Christmas trees.

Nutcracker

My very favorite Christmas thing is the nutcracker! I collect them, and every year it is so fun to try to find a new and original one. They were first produced and given in Germany. German folklore states they are given to bring good luck to a family and protect the home.

Hygge

Ever heard the word hyyge? It is a Danish and Norwegian word, pronounced “hue-guh.” It is used to denote that feeling of warmth and coziness that we want in our homes during the Christmas season. There’s no better way to bring hyyge into your surroundings than to light a bunch of candles, turn the lights down low, and heat some hot cocoa. Thus candles are one of my favorite Christmas things!

Christmas Books

It wouldn’t be Christmas without reading some classic Christmas stories with the children or grandchildren. Cuddling up with a copy of ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas on Christmas Eve is another favorite of mine.

Brown Paper Packages

“Brown paper packages tied up with string,” isn’t just a song lyric. It’s a charming and favorite way to wrap up those Christmas gifts you’ll be giving away. And I love a cute handmade tag!

That’s just a few of my favorite Christmas things. What are yours?

Here is another article about one of my favorite things https://fauxsho.org/10-dramatic-poinsettia-crafts/. Hard to go wrong with poinsettias.

Burlap Sack Christmas Gift Ideas

October 3, 2018 by Katie Jones Leave a Comment

Now that we’ve gotten plaid instead of sad for Christmas, let’s add a little more rustic charm to your holiday season. The perfect way to add more rustic charm to your Christmas is with burlap sack Christmas gift ideas! Burlap adds its own rustic charm to anything. Take a look at these ways in which you can use burlap sack Christmas gift ideas this year.

Make your cash gifts infinitely more appealing by “wrapping” the money inside burlap sacks. Add a drawstring closure if you like, or dress it up just like the picture. It reminds me of Santa’s sack!

Use large burlap sacks {such as potato sacks} to present large gifts. This is especially helpful for gifts that are oddly shaped, too big for a traditional gift bag, or difficult to wrap. Burlap is forgiving and will take any embellishment you choose to add to it. Tags, ribbons, pinecones, and stencils are all fabulous ideas! For the kids, tie on some red, green and silver jingle bells to adorn the burlap gift wrap.

Make your burlap gift sacks look even more rustic by adding cute little patches like these. Another idea is to embroider or cross stitch right on your sacks. This can be done with the gift recipient’s name, or any other design you can come up with. The options for embellishing burlap sacks are only limited to your imagination.

Burlap sack Christmas gift ideas make great gifts for the neighbors. A burlap sack is a charming way to package treats for the neighbors! Fill your sacks with freshly baked cookies, caramel corn, or even red and green Hershey’s kisses. Tie with a festive Buffalo plaid ribbon and you’re done. Add a small twig of pine for that extra touch.

Sew up some burlap sacks that are tall enough to hold a bottle of sparkling cider. This is a burlap sack Christmas gift idea you can give to the hostesses of all the holiday parties you attend.

Have fun with these burlap sack Christmas gift ideas!

Listen Up With Outdoor Bluetooth Speakers {For Any Budget!}

June 28, 2018 by Katie Jones Leave a Comment

Summertime is the best time to make sure you’re able to listen up to your favorite music while you enjoy all that outdoor living, whether you’re at home or on-the-go. If you haven’t invested in an outdoor Bluetooth speaker yet, now is the time. I know it can be overwhelming to choose one, so today’s post will help you make sense of some of the options available at Amazon. And don’t worry–I’m going to highlight some of the best for any budget!

This first outdoor Bluetooth speaker is an Amazon’s Choice selection because the price is great and the reviews are even greater. It is weatherproof and has an amazing 30 hours of playtime on one charge. I used it during an outdoor wedding and can attest to its ability to sound amazing, outdoors or in. If you want a budget-friendly little speaker that sounds like you spent a lot more, then the OontZ Angle 3 Plus should be a serious contender.

The Anker Soundcore speaker gets 24 hour playtime and boasts a 66-foot Bluetooth range! It will also perform as a speaker for your Samsung or iPhone smartphone. It is designed to be drop-proof and comes in three different colors.

For the real outdoor enthusiast, the Bohm XTRA IMPACT water-resistant outdoor Bluetooth speaker comes in Realtree camo. It has indoor and outdoor modes so that no matter where you are, you can get the most out of the sound.

There are those who swear by Bose because they definitely make a great product. If you’re not afraid of the Bose price tag you’ll be happy to know that Bose makes an outdoor speaker, the Soundlink, with 360-degree sound coverage. You’ll get 16 hours of playtime, and can pair two speakers together for even more outdoor sound. Be party-ready with Bose!

If you’d like an outdoor Bluetooth speaker that has serious style, take a look at the Bongo wood portable Bluetooth speaker. It’s crafted from natural bamboo! This speaker gives you enhanced bass sound with dual subwoofers. The price is under $50!