Individual Guest Bath Towels and Wash Clothes

                Christmas is less than a month away, are you ready for guests? How many of you are having guests stay overnight for Christmas? Having family and friends staying for the holidays can get very hectic. Christmas is busy enough, and deciding on where to put everybody can be stressful. You want everything to be perfect and inviting. Now, do you have to have enough bath towels and wash clothes for every person who is staying at your house over night. If you are like me, you probably have only a few different colored bath towels and wash clothes. This can become a problem when you want your guests to be able to have their own bath towels and wash clothes. Keeping track of whose bath towels and wash clothes are whose can be difficult. I have a cheap and easy way to help keep everybody happy and able to find their own bath towels and wash clothes. Don’t go out and buy special bath towels and wash clothes just for your guests, wait till they are on sale when buying them. I watch for the sales and buy whatever colors they have on sale at the time. So I tend to have a lot of the same color bath towels and wash clothes that they have on sale.

What You Need

Scissors

Scrap material in different colors

Ribbon in different colors

Heavy cord of string in different colors

Bath towels and Wash clothes

1.       Pick any of the four choices or a combination of all four.

2.       If you like the material scraps just fold them in half and sew up the side.

3.       If you chose ribbon just cut the size you need.

4.       If you chose heavy cord or string I recommend braiding them. Then just cut to size.

5.       After you decide which you want to use, cut to size and sew them into the corners of your Bath towels and Wash clothes.

This is an easy way to keep your guests happy, and for them to have their own bath towels and wash clothes to find. Each guest picks their own color, now you have no more mix up in the bathroom. This whole project took less than 15 minutes to do and it did not cost me anything. Having all these scraps of material, yarn, and cord already at home helped make this project free. I hope this helps make your holiday season easier and happier for your guests, from Suzie Homemaker.

Homemade Christmas gifts- Cheap

                It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is already done.  It’s time to start thinking about Christmas and presents. Christmas can get very expensive, so before the Christmas holiday, I will show a few things my 21-year-oldear old daughter makes for gifts. She doesn’t have a lot of money, so she likes to make all her gifts for her friends and family. I went shopping with her on Black Friday to help her find the good deals. She has 13 people to make Christmas gifts for this year. So I decided I would show you a few things she made for under $6.00.  The one I will show you today would be a great project for a girl or boy to make as a gift for a friend, grandparent or parents.

Items Needed

1 small pot coaster                                               1 small Deco Art Paint (White)

1 small Deco Art Paint (Gold or Silver)              1 Bottle glitter glue (Gold or Silver)

1 Can Acrylic High Gloss Spray                          Fake Snow

1 Flameless LED Tea light                                   Hot Glue Gun

Paintbrush (small)                                                Pick any small decorations you like

1.       Take your pot coaster and paint it all white. Let it dry.

2.       Paint your top ring of your coaster with your silver or gold paint. Let dry.

3.       Take your glitter glue and make dots around the top ring. This makes it look like little beads are 

around the top.

4.       Take the can of Acrylic High Gloss spray and spray the whole coaster to seal the paint. Let dry.

5.       Hot glue your ornaments to the bottom of your coaster. Let dry.

6.       Hot glue your fake snow around your decorations. Let dry.

7.       Add a small LED Tea Light to light up your decoration. (Remember not to glue this down so you can turn it on and off as you like).

When money is tight, like it is for my daughter, this is a great way to give a nice gift without breaking the bank. My daughter comes up with the neatest ideas sometimes, and this is just one of them I wanted to share with you today. This project took a little over 2 hours to make. The paint dries very fast. As she makes some more Christmas gifts I will share some of them with you. Have fun making this Christmas gift from Suzie Homemaker.

  

How to Buy a Thanksgiving Turkey Cheap

                It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is here already! Now is the time to stock up on turkeys while they are on sale. This is the time of year, when having a store card comes in handy. Today I went Thanksgiving shopping and bought 3 turkeys to put in the freezer to save for a later date and time. I bought these turkeys for 89 cents a pound. This is how I bought these turkeys for this price.

                The first thing you need to do is get yourself a store discount card. Both my husband and I each got a card so we can get double the deals. If you are not married ask a friend to get a card and have her come with you when you shop so you can use her card also. My oldest daughter also got herself a card so when I want triple the deals she comes along too. Having a store discount card can save you a lot, plus with coupons you can save even more. Store cards are free and easy to get, just sign up at the service desk and they will send you your card or give you one right away.

                Second,check your store's circular for any items that will be on sale. This is where we are getting our turkey deals this week. We will have my daughter go in too so we can get three turkeys for 89 cents a pound.  The store we will be going to is Piggly Wiggly. To get our turkeys at 89 cents a pound we will have to spend $25.00 dollars first. Most people can spend $25.00 dollars pretty easily for groceries they need each week. I will just stock up on some items I normally buy at this time of year and use the sales and coupons to save big time. Now I have 3 turkeys in my freezer.

                My children love turkey, so now I will have 3 turkeys to have any time of the year. Sometimes I will even go back into the store at a later time or date while the sale is on and buy another couple of turkeys. This is how you can save a lot and stock the freezer.  Anytime time I can save on meat, this is a great way to do it. Meat is the most expensive item on everybody’s grocery list. Thanksgiving can get very expensive, why not stock up on these items while they are on sale and possibly have some coupons for to cut the costs even more. This is my Thanksgiving tips. Have a Happy Thanksgiving, from Suzie Homemaker.

Holiday Place Settings

                China vs. Paper plates or Plastic Ware! The holidays are coming up faster than I like, what to do about dinner ware? When the holidays come and it is my turn to serve a meal, what should I use paper plates or china ware? Having a set of China ware can get very expensive. Depending on how many people you are serving this can get expensive fast. Most of the time I use my good China ware only because it was passed down to me by my mother. Some of my China and glass ware I received as gifts throughout the years. Buying paper plates and cups is another option and long as you do it the right way. Here are some helpful tips on buying paper plates and cups

.

                Some of the paper plates and cups come in many different colors and shapes. Most stores sell seasonal paper plates and cups. Here’s the trick to saving big on these. If you know which holiday you will be serving each year buy these paper plates, cups and napkins after the holiday and save them for the next year. This is where I save anywhere from 50 to 75% off on my paper plates, cups, and napkins. Do not buy this right before the holiday you are serving. This is when everything is marked up to get you to buy at the last minute. Some of the designs that the stores have now look just like real China ware.

                Another option is buying colored plastic paper plates and cups. Most of these plastic plates and cups come in many different colors, shapes, and sizes. The nice thing about these plastic plates and cups are, you can wash them and reuse them again for another holiday or special occasion. Again, buy these after the holidays for 50 to 75% off. Never buy these before, because you will be over paying for your plastic plates and cups. Just store them in a zip- lock bag for next time.

                This goes for paper table clothes or real table clothes also. Never buy these items before the holidays, always buy them after to save 50 to 75% off.  My table cloth was bought after Thanksgiving. I saved over $20 dollars buying it after the Thanksgiving Holiday. This goes for any holiday, I always wait for the deals that come after.

                The Holidays can get very expensive if you buy right before. By planning ahead you can cut you costs up to 75% or more if you watch for the deals. Thanksgiving is my holiday, so these are just a few ways to save a little money on the dinner ware and table clothes you will need. Making your table look nice doesn’t have to break the bank, from Suzie Homemaker.

Easy Energy Saving Tips

                This is the time of the year when the electric and heat bills start coming in. Every year these bills tend to go up more and more.  Now is the time to think of new ways to save money on these bills.  We live on a farm with a 3000 thousand square foot house. The heat bill alone can really add up. Next in line is the electric bill. Since we have a well we do not have a water bill. We have found several different ways to save some money on both of these bills.

1.       The easiest one is just open your curtains on sunny days and let the sun heat your house. Just seeing the sun makes you feel all warm inside. The sunlight can add anywhere from 1 to 4 degree to your house depending on how warm it gets during the day. Why heat your house with the furnace when the sun can do some of it for you.

2.       Turn down or off your thermostat when you are not home. This will save you a lot of money. All you have to do when you get home is turn it on again or up to heat the house back up. During the day while we are gone we tend to leave the house at 62 degrees.

3.       Add more clothing, like sweaters or long sleeve shirts to yourself to keep warm. Layering is a great way to keep warmer. Have a few more blankets or quilts handy.

4.       Having your furnace running all day adds up fast. When the days are not so cold turn off your furnace while you are gone. Go to your breaker box and just flip the switch off and then back on when you get home.

5.       Buy yourself a power strip. These are very inexpensive and save you a lot on your electric bills. Plug in your appliances, and flip the switch to off when you are not using them. Flip the switch back on when you need your appliances. Over- night, we unplug all TV’s, computers, and lights. Using power strips on your appliances will eliminate “phantom loads” from your appliance that continue to use power even if they are not being used.

6.       Adding a blanket around your hot water heater will help keep it warmer longer. During this time of year, we heat our water once a day and we have enough for dishes and showers.

7.       Whenever you make anything in the oven, don’t waste that heat. Open your stove and let the heat out to add extra heat to your house. Baking a lot during this time of the year is a great way to add extra warmth to your kitchen.

These are just a few things that we as a family do to costs on our electric and heating bills. Every little bit counts and adds up to extra savings. If you are like most people you want to save on these bills as much as possible. I like to save my money not spend it. I hope some of these ideas work for you as well as they have worked for our family.  Stay warm and save a little money in the process from Suzie Homemaker.

Personal Brownie in a Mug

Everybody has a sweet tooth, but sometimes you don’t want a big batch of sweets on the table.  Today I will give you a quick and easy recipe you can make at home in less than 5 minutes, and all for yourself. Everybody loves Brownies, but sometimes a whole box is just too much. My friend gave me this recipe to try and I loved it. My own personal Brownie in a mug, you can indulge anytime. Now my children and even my husband can make their own personal Brownie whenever they want to. This recipe has an extra bonus, it’s just not chocolate it also has peppermint in it to give it an extra zing. This would be a cooking idea for the kids and grandkids to do.

Personal Peppermint Brownie in a Mug

3 Tablespoons chocolate chips                                                 1 Tablespoon butter

2 Tablespoons brown sugar                                                      2 Tablespoons flour

1 egg yolk                                                                                     1 teaspoon milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract                                                          ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract

1.       Take your coffee mug and melt your chocolate chips and butter in the microwave for 30 to 45 seconds.

Stir until melted.

Add the remaining ingredients and mix well in your mug.

2.       Microwave on high for 1 minute.

Let stand for 5 minutes to cool down and until it sets well. (Every microwave is different so check and see that the brownie is setting)

3.       Enjoy your single brownie in a mug.

Why buy brownies in the store when you can have your own personal one in less than 5 minutes any time you like. I love sharing my recipes with you. I hope you enjoy this recipe. Nothing like a quick chocolate snack with a peppermint twist to boot. Enjoy a quick sweet treat anytime  from Suzie Homemaker.