Unique and Affordable Gift Ideas for Every Occasion

I'm so excited that the Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle is back!  Hopefully those of you who missed out last time will be able to get in on it this time.

I have been reading through all of the books and have been enjoying them so much!  The book Pain Redeemed has especially been a blessing.

If you purchase the bundle, I promise you will be getting an amazing deal.  Many of the books are worth $15 – $20 each, and you'll be getting 86 of them for $29.97!

With that said, I saw a lot of potential for some really great unique and affordable gift ideas for birthdays, Christmas, wedding showers, and more!

First, check out how to give the ebook in an attractive way.  Then read on to see some ideas for making these into gift baskets for different occasions.

Selection of Real Food Cookbooks such as The Breakfast Revolution, Much Ado About Chicken, Wholesome Comfort, Better Than A Box ($150.58 value) (wedding shower, birthday, Christmas)

• Cooking utensils (You can often find nice brands for really cheap on Zulily.)
• Apron
• Hot pads

31 Days to Great Sex ($4.99 value)(anniversary or Christmas gift for husband)

• Stocking stuffer coupons

Collection of Allergy Friendly Cookbooks such as Baking with Quinoa, Family Friendly Allergen-Free, Affordable Gluten Free Dinners, Sweet Freedom: Desserts You’ll Love without Wheat, Eggs, Dairy or Refined Sugars, Weeding Out Wheat ($58.79 value) (any occasion)

• collection of gluten free flours (I usually find the best prices at Vitacost. Get a $10 off $30 coupon when you go through this link.)
• Natural sweeteners

Collection of Gardening books like The Gardening Notebook, From Garbage to Gourmet, Apartment Gardening, How to Grow and Use Culinary Herbs, Emergency Preparedness ($40.86 value) (birthday or Christmas)

• Gardening tools
• Gloves
• Heirloom seeds

15-Minute Freezer Recipes ($5.99 value) (wedding shower or baby shower)

• Freezer Bags
• Containers for freezing

• Oats
• Quinoa
• Nuts
• Honey
• Dried fruit

Healthy Ice Pops and Frozen Treats($4.99 value) (wedding shower, birthday, Christmas)

• Ice pop molds (I see these quite frequently on Zulily for cheap.)

Real Food on a Real Budget ($18.97 value) (Any occasion)

• CSA Membership
• Recipe Cards
• Warehouse membership or food co-op membership
• Heirloom seeds and gardening supplies
• Jars and canning supplies

Easy and Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes ($5.99 value) (wedding shower)

• crockpot

Adventures With Kids! In the Kitchen (14.95 value) (kids birthday or Christmas)

• Matching aprons
• Children's cooking supplies

The {essential} Oiler’s Handbook ($9.99 value) (birthday, Christmas)

• Collection of essential oils

Confessions of a Cloth Diaper Convert ($12.50 value) (baby shower)

• Cloth diapers
• Cloth wipes

• Baby food jars
• Baby spoons
• Bibs
• Sippy Cups
• Baby bowls

My Pregnancy Journey ($10.00 value) (pregnancy announcement)

• Gift card for maternity photo session

Collection of natural cleaning books like Clean, Naturally!,  Simple & Natural Green Cleaning Guide, DIY Natural Household Cleaners: How To Make Your Own Cleaners Naturally ($17.97 value)  (Wedding Shower)

• Baking Soda
• Washing Soda
• Borax
• White Vinegar
• Essential Oils
• Castile Soap
• Spray bottles
• Cleaning Cloths

Collection of herbal remedy books like A Beginner’s Guide to Assembling a Natural Medicine Cabinet, Herbal Adventures: A Pocket Guide of Seasonal Natural Remedies, Mother’s Little Herbal Helper and Home Remedie, Herbal Remedies for Children During the Cold and Flu Season ($41.98 value) (any occasion)

Natural Skincare books like Homemade Health & Beauty: 21 Simple Do-It-Yourself Recipes for Products You Use Everyday, My Buttered Life: Personal Care edition ($31.94 value) (birthdays and Christmas)

• Beeswax
• Essential Oils
• Coconut Oil
• Cocoa Butter
• Aloe Vera Gel

Nourishing Cookies for a Healthy Holiday ($4.99 value) (family Christmas gift)

• Pre-made cookies

I'm sure you can probably think of even more ideas, or if you're feeling really generous, you could just gift an entire bundle to someone!  (By the way, if you purchase 2 bundles, you get a 3rd free!)

What's your favorite gift basket idea?

25 DIY, Last-Minute Gifts

With Christmas less than a week away, I know some of you might still be scrambling for those last-minute gifts for neighbors, friends, teachers, grandparents, etc. I've rounded up some DIY ideas that you can make with minimal time. Most of these don't require very many materials, and depending on your current hobbies, you may already have all the supplies on hand. I've tried to include ideas for multiple ages and genders so you can hopefully find what you need.

I've collected all these ideas from Pinterest, so you can just click on the picture if you see something that interests you.

Source: designmom.com via MaryEllen on Pinterest

Source: thepeacefulhousewife.com via MaryEllen on Pinterest

Source: countryliving.com via MaryEllen on Pinterest

Source: craftinessisnotoptional.com via MaryEllen on Pinterest

Source: vanessachristenson.com via MaryEllen on Pinterest

Source: theribbonretreat.com via MaryEllen on Pinterest

Mother’s Day Gift Ideas Kids Can Make

If you are my mother, I'm sorry, but you have to stop reading now unless you're reading this after Mother's Day.

For the rest of you, scroll down to see what my kids made their Grandmothers for Mother's Day!

These are handprint flowers that were so easy to make, but the kids had a blast!  They got to use paint, markers, scissors, and glue!  It doesn't get much better than that for a kid!

First I had them paint a popsicle stick with green paint.  I love the little tongue sticking out!

He's really starting to get coordinated.

Then I traced their hands on construction paper, cut them out, and had them decorate them with markers.

I decided to lay down newspaper after the first couple minutes.  I thought these were washable markers, but apparently they weren't.  Thankfully a Magic Eraser took the stains off the table.  The kids' hands still don't look too pretty, though!

When they were finished, we glued the hands to the popsicle sticks, then cut out some leaves and glued those on too.  I hot glued magnets to the back and we were done.

I love the green lips!

We also printed off these questionnaires from The Crafting Chicks.  I asked the kids the questions and they told me their answers.  I had so much fun with this, and I know their grandmothers will love it.  The answers were hilarious! They will absolutely love their ages and weights!  Oh, and I found out that grandmothers secretly love to eat cupcakes!

Have you finished your Mother's Day projects yet?  Did you make anything fun or buy anything special?