Category: Birthdays

A Big Long List of Affordable Gift Ideas

This is a big long list of affordable gift ideas. That’s it–nothing fancy. Most of these gifts are under $10, and many are homemade. As more ideas pop into my busy brain, I’ll add them to the top of this list, so pin it or bookmark it and check back often. Please share your favorite ideas in the comments below, and I’ll add them to this list to keep it growing.

If I don’t tell you that some of these links are affiliate links, I could spend the next few Christmases in the big house. I don’t wanna go there, because of the food, so consider yourself alerted.

For more ideas, check out my Simple Gift Ideas board on Pinterest and my friend Stacy Makes Cents’ gift series on Facebook.

Enough chatter. Grab a cookie and let’s get this party started!

The Simple Homemaker's BIG looooong list of affordable gift ideas | Great ideas for everyone on your list, many homemade, and most under $10. The list keeps growing, so pin it and check back often!

  1. A “School in Progress – We can play later.” Sign to hang on a homeschooler’s front door.
  2. Picnic-of-the-month club–pick a day each month to picnic (indoors or out) with the recipient. Kids and (some) grandparents love this.
  3. Christmas ornaments–homemade or otherwise.
  4. Business cards–great for a budding entrepreneur and sometimes free for the cost of shipping.
  5. A cookbook from a favorite cooking show. My husband likes America’s Test Kitchen, and they have a Cooking School cookbook, which I’m sure he would love me to have.  To make it cheaper, watch for cooking magazine subscription sales instead.
  6. A “My husband rocks” T-shirt…or “My wife rocks” or “My dad rocks” or “My mom rocks” or a similar family boosting apparel item from Union 28…or make your own. Check the clearance section for cheaper options, or watch for sales.
  7. General household supplies gift basket, such as homemade cleaners and hand-knit washcloths. Store-bought is great, too. Include coupons for freebies.
  8. A supplies gift basket for a certain part of the house, such as the kitchen sink. Fill that one with dish soap, a hand-crocheted washcloth, a scrubby, dishwasher powder, a towel, and some homemade cleaner (as simple and affordable as diluted vinegar in a spray bottle).
  9. Laundry supplies, such as quarters for the laundromat, detergent, a stain bar, dryer balls, soap nuts, whatever fits that person’s laundry style.
  10. Homemade dog biscuits.
  11. Homemade citrus vinegar.
  12. A big ol’ basket of free samples, such as lotions, mini-coffees, teas, supplements…whatever the freebie sites offer.
  13. Free baby samples, including coupons. Sorry, you have to supply your own baby. 🙁
  14. A baby gift basket, containing diapers, homemade or store-bought washes, a picture of your family, and, again, no baby.
  15. A “free” nursing pillow, nursing cover-up, carseat cover, or baby-wearing sling. Use code SIMPLE2 for a savings of anywhere from $35 to $50. (You pay shipping.)
  16. 52 postcards addressed and stamped–you keep the postcards yourself and send one a week to the gift recipient.
  17. Cookies.
  18. Stationery, stamps, and a pen.
  19. Materials for a project to work on together, and then a schedules of dates when you will get together to work on it. This can be one project total or one project per month.
  20. Gift certificates for your time and help–put them in 12 separate envelopes to be opened one per month. This could include washing the car, spring cleaning, cooking a dinner, or lawn care, garden prep, winterizing the home, anything your recipient has trouble accomplishing.
  21. Coupon for cleaning house, either by you or by a professional.
  22. Car wash coupons.
  23. A food item you are known for, such as cookies, pie, or an ethnic food that represents your heritage.
  24. Gift certificates to help with the cost of living, such as hair cuts or groceries.
  25. Pay a bill that month, such as electric or trash pick-up.
  26. Take the recipients car in for an oil change and a wash, and fill it up with gas while you’re out.
  27. Gas card.
  28. Seeds or plant starts from your garden.
  29. Homemade pillow case.
  30. Herbal sleep pillow. There are simpler patterns–I know, because we made one–but I can’t find them.
  31. Coupon for shoveling their driveway all winter.
  32. Coupon for mowing their lawn once a week all summer.
  33. Mittens, hats, or scarves made out of wool sweaters.
  34. Hand-knit hats which can be made quickly and easily using a circular knitter.
  35. Fresh eggs if you have chickens.
  36. Fresh herbs or transplants if you have an herb garden.
  37. Homemade soap.
  38. Homemade candles.
  39. Homegrown honey if you have bees.
  40. Clove oranges.
  41. Homemade jelly, salsa, or pickles if you’re a canner.
  42. Gift certificate for a homemade dinner once a month or three times a year.
  43. Coffee mug with cocoa, coffee, or tea.
  44. Homemade sweetbread, like pumpkin or gingerbread.
  45. Care package of homemade cleaners.
  46. Homemade laundry soap.
  47. Soap nuts.
  48. Beef jerky–homemade or store-bought.
  49. Decorated glass bottles or jars.
  50. Homemade extracts, such as vanilla.
  51. Homemade seasonings, such as taco, Italian, pumpkin, all-purpose seasoning, and cajun spice mix.
  52. Homemade chocolate-covered almonds.
  53. The recipient’s favorite food or ingredient, such as a spice, kind of cheese, or container of honey.
  54. Picture frame with a family picture in it.
  55. Picture frame with a picture of you and the recipient together.
  56. Framed artwork from a member of the family.
  57. Dry erase boards made from picture frames with pretty paper behind the glass.
  58. Homemade lip balm.
  59. Homemade bath salts.
  60. Crocheted wash cloths or hot pads.
  61. Replacement towels and wash cloths.
  62. Restaurant.com gift certificate.
  63. Handmade ornaments.
  64. Hair doo-dads.
  65. Photo session gift certificate.
  66. Free babysitting gift certificate.
  67. Mixes in a jar.
  68. Homemade coffee creamer.
  69. Redbox gift cards.
  70. Flash drive filled with photos.
  71. Frozen homemade cookie dough.
  72. T-shirts with family pictures or children’s artwork ironed on.
  73. Homemade dog, horse, cat, or bird treats, depending on recipient’s pets.
  74. Homemade turtle chocolates.
  75. Homemade truffles.
  76. Gently used books.
  77. Lottery tickets.
  78. Date night basket–ingredients for a dinner, plus a movie on DVD or a Redbox giftcard.
  79. Movie tickets.
  80. Tickets to an event the recipient loves, such as the races or the theater.
  81. Reusable grocery bags full of goodies.
  82. Fresh bread.
  83. A can of nuts.
  84. Donation to a charity.
  85. Chocolate-covered pretzel sticks.
  86. Emergency crank flashlight.
  87. Emergency crank radio. (A little pricier, but a great gift!)
  88. Emergency car battery charger. (Also pricier, but a great idea for the drivers in your family.)
  89. First aid kit.
  90. Emergency seat belt cutter and window breaker.
  91. Homemade pancake mix in a jar with a bottle of maple syrup.
  92. Cookie mix with a cookie cutter.
  93. Homemade caramels.
  94. Homemade peanut brittle.
  95. Lip balm–homemade or store-bought.
  96. Pens, pencils, notepads, and a pencil sharpener.
  97. Lottery tickets.
  98. A CD of you reading a story.
  99. Homemade soup ingredients in a jar.
  100. Bowling coupon.
  101. Warm socks.
  102. Slippers.
  103. Can of Reddi-Whip. Oh yeah!
  104. Gift baskets from the store.
  105. Mug, loose tea, and a tea ball.
  106. Membership to your cookie-of-the-month club–deliver a different batch of cookies each month.
  107. Membership to your pie-of-the-month club…or cake, cupcakes, or dessert to cover everything.
  108. A favorite candy.
  109. Starbucks gift cards.
  110. Freezer meals.
  111. Gift certificate for a day of freezer cooking together.
  112.  Pjs.
  113. An evening of skits, readings, music, and sing-alongs, complete with handmade programs.
  114. Felted wool dryer balls.
  115. Handmade jewelry.
  116. A memory CD, where you share your favorite memories of the recipient.
  117. A family heritage CD, on which you share stories of Christmases long ago, particularly wonderful for the older generations to do for the younger.
  118. A recital on CD or DVD in which you record your children playing piano, reciting poetry, giving speeches, performing skits, or whatever else you can come up with. This is particularly wonderful for far-away relatives.
  119. Ingredients for a dessert or meal and a gift certificate to make it together.
  120. Supplies for a craft and a gift certificate to teach the craft.
  121. Yarn and patterns for a crocheter or knitter.
  122. Woodcarving book and tools to spark a new interest. Don’t forget a piece of wood.
  123. Homeschool books or supplies.
  124. Spa set, including a candle and either bubble bath, essential oil for the bath, or homemade bath salts.
  125. Your favorite recipes in a binder or a recipe box.
  126. Infinity scarf made from a T-shirt.
  127. Cloth napkins you can make from an old button-down shirt.
  128. Homemade sachets for undie drawers.
  129. Paint set to spark interest in painting.
  130. Eyeglasses repair kit.
  131. Lens cloth for glasses, cameras, and electronic screens.
  132. Small sewing kit for quick repairs. Make your own if you have most of the materials on hand. Otherwise, it’s cheaper to buy one.
  133. Hand warmers.
  134. Neck warmer.
  135. Car emblems or parts for an enthusiast.
  136. Ice scraper and a batch of homemade de-icer.
  137. An ebook. Learn how to give an ebook electronically or printed here.
  138. Homemade lip gloss–fruity or plain.
  139. Homemade dog treats or other-pet treats.
  140. First aid supplies or kit for dogs, cats, horses, chinchillas, iguanas, whatever!
  141. Herbal first aid kit.
  142. “Quiet please–Mama and baby are napping” to hang on the front door or bedroom door at naptime.
  143. Fire starter (flint), compass, and para cord bracelet for the adventurer in the family.
  144. Jack knife for a coming-of-age boy.
  145. Homemade sugar scrub. Or try this super simple peppermint sugar scrub.
  146. Retractable phone charger to keep pesky cords under control.
  147. Unique money, like two-dollar bills or silver dollars.
  148. Cord organizers to keep cords in place and accessible.
  149. An remote controlled light turner-offer-and-onner to control an outlet from afar.
  150. A kitten. My kids made me write that, but seriously, if you’re planning on a family pet, wouldn’t that make it the best Christmas EVER!

Special thanks to my readers, family, and brain for these great ideas. Also, special thanks to the Homemade Living Frugally fans for sharing their ideas on Facebook.

43 Relatively Useless Facts About Me and How They Apply to You

43 facts

Today I turn 43. Because I’m not really a cake fan and can’t fit 43 candles on a slice of pie without seriously messing that baby up, I’ve come up with a birthday alternative.

Many people ask about the blogger behind the blog. While I don’t generally like to talk about myself too much (I mostly do it to fill air space), I thought today I would let you all get to know me and mine a little bit better.

Since reading 43 relatively useless facts about me could get rather boring around number 12, and because my 43 years of highs and lows could prove a learning experience to some of you younglings, I’m listing 43 things that you can apply to life in general. This could either be really fun, or really twisted and lame. Either way, let’s launch this bad boy.

43 Things About Me and 43 Life Applications for You

  1. I eat the crusts on my sandwich first, because I never liked the dry wheaty crusts as a kid. Life app: save the best for last…or follow Mark Twain’s advice and eat the “frog” first so everything else tastes good in comparison.
  2. I sometimes eat my favorite things first, because if I save the best for last, it will be cold and not as good, or I might not have room for it, or I might choke on the “frog” and die before I can get to my favorite thing. Life app: be flexible about your life apps.
  3. When I was younger, as in 40, I saw two sleds near some carpeted stairs which ended at a doorway, and I figured that one of my kids would think indoor sledding was a brilliant idea, so I tested the indoor stair sledding idea to see how brilliant it really was. Yee haa! Bad idea. Ironically, when my kids heard me scream and found me at the bottom of the stairs, they said, “Did you really think that was a good idea?” Life app: not everything that looks like a good idea really is, although…that idea could have been brilliant if I had opened the door. That one needs a do over!
  4. I am a recovering hypochondriac. Life app: don’t waste your life worrying about losing your life, because if that’s how you’re living, your life is already lost.
  5. I have bad gums. Life app: floss.
  6. I used to want to be one of 12 children. I even tried to get a group of kids at church to pretend we were the Gilbreth family from the book Cheaper by the Dozen, but they said, “That’s weird.” So I went out and made my own Cheaper by the…Eight. Life app: be who you want to be within God’s guidelines, even if it’s weird. Keep that life app within reason. For example, resist your kleptomaniac tendencies.
  7. I am painfully shy, but I have worked hard since around 16 to not act on it. It is still a daily challenge for me, but I conquer it by thinking of the other person instead of my own discomfort. Life app: shyness is one of the highest forms of selfishness, so stop looking inward and think of others’ needs instead of your own fears. (That life app was from my Grandma. Thanks, Grandma!)
  8. I am a lot like my grandma. Life app: look at the people who come before you and learn from their experiences. It’ll save you time. Also, don’t forget to thank them.
  9. I work hard at not being hurt by the absence of a father in my life, cuz even at 43, a girl needs a daddy. Life app: if you have a dad, however imperfect, appreciate him! If you are a dad, connect with your kids no matter how old they are. And if you don’t have a dad in your life, forgive.
  10. I am paralyzed by clutter and busyness. It affects my mood, my productivity, my very existence. If it is in my control to get rid of clutter and keep a simple schedule, I do it, as evidenced by the trail of donations we leave around the country. If it isn’t, I live in a state of perpetual frustration, inefficiency, and self-beratement. Life app: simplify and declutter!
  11. My non-grammar-related pet peeve is people who ignore other people and instead stare at their cell phones. Life app: make eye contact.
  12. I don’t think people who try to act cool are cool, and neither do my daughters. Life app: be yourself…especially if you’re trying to impress my girls.
  13. I love popcorn, and so do my kids. We didn’t eat it for two years, however, because our oldest daughter can’t have it. Life app: put people first…even ahead of food. I almost can’t believe I said that.
  14. I have low blood sugar and need to eat often or I get strangely sick and cranky…heavy on the cranky. Life app: know your body, manage your conditions so they don’t manage you, and don’t use them as an excuse to be rude to the people around you. Also, if you see me at a potluck, let me go first. Ha ha…except I’m not joking.
  15. I started being afraid of growing old at around age eight. Life app: embrace life every step of the way.
  16. I always wanted to live on a horse farm, but I left the family farm, went to college, joined the choir, met my husband, and now I’m the wife of a traveling musician. That’s totally awesome, even though it’s not what I thought I wanted. Life app: be open to new awesomenesses…like that word I just made up. Here’s another life app: if you have a dream, pursue it–don’t just wait for it.
  17. I’m totally a homebody, but we live on the road full-time. Life app: be adaptable.
  18. I used to have my whole family on a strict diet for intestinal health, since one of my daughters has Crohn’s Disease. My plan was to eat whatever I wanted when I hit 90. Then my grandmother said, “I love eating, which is such a blessing at 86. My mother lost interest in food, but I still enjoy it.” Life app: why wait? Be happy now. (Of course, we still have to manage the dietary issues, so don’t think “happy” means whatever we want it to mean.)
  19. I like cherry soup. People tell me I’m weird. Life app: if you make something that you love and that everyone else thinks is weird (like my famous fried peanut butter and jelly eggs), that only means there’s more for you, so embrace your weirdness.
  20. I don’t drink coffee, because caffeine makes me talk really, really fast and think even faster, but in an oddly unproductive manner. It’s scary. Life app: don’t caffeinate me.
  21. When I was a kid I totally wanted a Whatchamacallit candy bar. One day someone gave me one. I was so excited that I saved it for months waiting for just the right moment to eat it. My dog’s right moment occurred before mine, and he ate it. I’ve never tasted a Whatchamacallit. Life app: enjoy the Whatchamacallits of life today and stop saving them for just the right moment.
  22. I always wanted an electric racetrack like my brothers had. One Christmas my husband got me one, but I was so tired from staying up too late wrapping Christmas presents that I fell asleep on the couch after the gift opening. My husband set up the track, played with it, left it there, and someone stepped on it and broke it. I kept it for several years, thinking I would repair it (stop laughing, brothers and husband), until a wiser me tossed it. Two life apps here: read my book about not driving yourself into a sleep-deprived stupor at Christmas (or any time), and don’t hold onto grudges and broken race tracks. Also, don’t play with other people’s Christmas presents.
  23. I wake up in the middle of the night panicking about my parenting. That only serves to rob me of my sleep and make me a tired, panicked, less useful mother. Life app: do the best you can, turn it over to God, and get a good night’s sleep. Your children will someday be imperfect parents themselves, and either they will understand you better, or they will think they’re far superior to you as parents, in which case you can quietly laugh at them, knowing how little they really know.
  24. Someone in college made me very self-conscious about my crooked teeth, which made me stop smiling, which made me less attractive. Life app taken straight from the 1982 film Little Orphan Annie: “You’re never fully dressed without a smile.” Just smile. Who cares about the crooked teeth!
  25. My then six-year-old son sold his cowboy hat at a garage sale for $2 because “It doesn’t fit, Mama, so I don’t want it anymore. It’s just gonna sit around and take up space.” I used to waste time wishing I had his hat back and replaying the garage sale in my mind. Also, I’m a recovering pack rat. Life app: listen to the wise boy who is doing what you taught him to do–get rid of clutter. Also, get the boy a hat that fits for his birthday.
  26. I used to ride my horse standing up when nobody was looking. Life app: don’t be stupid when nobody’s looking. Always have someone around when you’re being stupid, so they can 1) run and get help when you fall off, 2) tell you how stupid you are…in case you didn’t already know, and 3) take pictures.
  27. When my seventh baby was colicky, I gave up milk, eggs, wheat, and a whole host of other foods. The pediatrician said I should just put her on formula, because nobody would stick to that diet. I stuck to it for almost two years, and I’m currently on a total elimination diet for my eighth child. I tried to do this for myself in the past, but I never could. Doing it for them, however, I am driven. Life app: Find your motivation; it helps if your motivation is cute and smells milky sweet.
  28. When I was in kindergarten, I stood up while the schoolbus was in motion, lost my balance, fell down the front stairs and hit the door. The driver said, “That wouldn’t have happened if you had stayed seated while the bus was moving,” and I said, “That wouldn’t have happened if you weren’t driving too fast.” Life apps–there are three of them: 1) be accountable for your own actions, 2) don’t stand up while the bus is moving, and 3) perhaps most importantly for the preservation of life, don’t be smarmy to a beefy man named Wild Bill who has to put up with 60 disrespectful kids every day–yeah, that’s a good one.
  29. Some people start off really cute, then hit a geeky phase, and finally emerge from it graceful and well-composed. I seem to be stuck in the geeky time warp. Life app: embrace your inner geek…and your glasses and your frizzy hair and your high waters…or get contacts and hair cream and longer pants, but that’s kinda boring and expensive.
  30. I have a severe doctor/dentist phobia. Life app: if you know somebody with a doctor/dentist phobia, go with them. If it’s a spouse, schedule the appointments for them.
  31. I pick my battles. For example, sometimes during my my husband’s concerts, our daughter sings in bare feet and a tiara, because it makes her happy and that’s not the hill I want to die on. Life apps: pick your battles and swap the shoes for a tiara if it makes you smile.
  32. I battle negativity. I have several people in my life who also tend toward the negative, while I have found others who are positive, loving, and encouraging. The difference in how my family feels when we spend time with the negative, critical people versus the loving, encouraging people is unfathomable! Life app: be encouraging…but not an empty flatterer. 
  33. When we go someplace where there are huge crowds, we all wear matching hats so we can easily keep track of each other. Life app: if you go someplace where there are huge crowds, wear matching hats so you can easily keep track of each other.
  34. I don’t like labels. Even though I would technically be considered a baby-wearing, eclectic homeschooling, attachment parenting, extended nursing, semi-real foodie, full-time RVing conservative evangelical Christian missionary blogger and freelance writer, if I saw that label on someone, I would freak out and run away. Freak out! I’m just a person who does that stuff to a manageable degree because it works for my life. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t love to eat a hot dog with you or that I wouldn’t hang out with you because you use a stroller and I have children hanging off all my limbs. Life app: don’t label people or yourself. It’s scary.
  35. I don’t use God-speak. I’m a Christian through-and-through, but when I hear God-speak, it scares me away. I can’t imagine what a non-Christian would feel like if I God-speaked ’em. Life app: be yourself. You’re far more likely to win people for Christ if they can see that we Christians are real people, too…and that we speak English.
  36. Sometimes I say lame or embarrassing things, and then I lie awake at night replaying the whole affair in my mind. Life app: don’t say lame or embarrassing things. Realistic life app: don’t sweat it. Everyone is lame and embarrassing sometimes. That’s merely a symptom of the incurable condition called “life,” and when you consider the alternative, which is not-life, life’s not all that bad.
  37. I have trouble following through on projects. For example, right about now I’m considering pretending I’m only 37, just so I don’t have to think of six more things to say about myself. Life app: don’t bite off more than you can chew. Learn your limitations and heed them.
  38. When I was a teen, it was like social death for your underwear band or your bra strap to show. Sometimes I start to approach young ladies to let them know that they forgot their shirt, just in case they didn’t know, or to offer to buy young men a belt to avoid that embarrassing pants-below-the-butt look in the future, but my children tell me I will be shot. Life app: sometimes our children know more than we do, so don’t be too proud to learn from them.
  39. Almost every time I pre-judge people, I eat crow. Life app: don’t pre-judge people…or else develop a liking for crow.
  40. I sometimes think my husband should have married someone who could sing better than I can, so he’d have a built-in background vocalist and duetist…rather than someone who makes up words like duetist, but get this–he’s happy with me despite my vocal nuances. Life app: don’t stress over what you’re not. Be what you are and be the best word-maker-upper you that you can be…unless you’re an idiot, in which case, you should read Proverbs.
  41. People at our concerts call me amazing because of our lifestyle. I’m not amazing. I’m an ordinary person serving an extraordinary God in out-of-the-ordinary ways, but that is all. Without Him, I’m nothing. Life app: be something–serve God.
  42. I’ve lost friends for sticking up for unborn children. Life app: do the right thing no matter what.
  43. I like chocolate, but it gives me…ahem…gas. So…sniff sniff…I don’t eat it. Life app: make sacrifices for the comfort of your family…but keep a chocolate stash in your undie drawer for when you’re home alone. (Those were tear sniffs, not whiff sniffs.)

There you go–43 useless facts about me, and 43 potentially useless life apps for you. It’s not as good as pie, but it’ll do.

 

How to Give Ebooks as Gifts (Even to People Who Don’t Use Computers)

Giving electronic gifts used to mean giving electronics. Now it means sending a file through cyber space to someone else’s stocking electronic device. I can’t entirely wrap my mind around this, but two things about it I really love:

  1. No wrapping paper mess.
  2. Books…lots and lots and lots of books requiring very little money or shelf space.

So how does one give ebooks as gifts, especially with Christmas around the corner?

How to Give Ebooks as Christmas Gifts (Even to Someone Who Never Reads Ebooks)

Allow me to offer you my simple ideas. (If you’re looking for something complicated, Non-Techie Mama is burying her head in the sand.)

How to Give Ebooks as Gifts

Sending a PDF from your computer:

  1. Write an email to the recipient.
  2. Click “attach file” or whatever your email provider uses, such as a paperclip icon.
  3. Locate and select the ebook you want, which should be easy since you just organized your entire ebook library!
  4. Send the email.
  5. Delete the ebook from your own files. Why? Because you purchased one license to that book, and by having two copies, you would be breaking copyright law and could go to jail forever. Okay, that last part’s a lie, but the authors did work very hard to write that book, and you’re robbing them by duplicating it.

Gifting E-reader Books

  • If you are sending a Kindle book as a gift, check out Amazon’s thorough and simple gifting guide. Remember, recipients do not need a Kindle to be able to read a Kindle book on other electronic devices, such as a PC or smartphone. They can download the free Kindle reading app.
  • If your recipient prefers Nook books (that’s so Seussian), check out Barnes and Noble’s gifting page…although I personally don’t find B&N’s Nook options as user-friendly as Amazon’s Kindle world.

How To Give Ebooks to Non-Techies

Face it, not everyone is totally in love with the technological age. That doesn’t mean you can’t take advantage of the affordable gift-giving potential of ebooks. Simply print the bundles front and back and package them in an attractive and useful manner. Some ebook authors post the pictures at the end of their books instead of interspersed throughout, in case you want to save ink and skip the pictures. Savvy.

Copyright alert: If you print the entire book to give away, you must still delete it from your files. Otherwise it’s like photocopying an entire book for someone else. Not legal! If you only print a recipe or a poem or a bit of encouragement here and there from different books, that’s no different than copying over a recipe from a hardcopy book. Just make sure you give credit to the author always! At least, that’s how I understand it. If my next post comes to you from the penitentiary, don’t take my advice.

Here are some printed ebook gifting options. Any appropriate ebooks would do. This is just a sampling of my ideas to trigger your creative side:

You get the picture. Print them attractively or practically, and make it the entire gift, add a few supplies or related items, or add it to a bigger gift as the icing on the Christmas cake. You are limited only by your creativity…or by my creativity if you’re not thinking at all.

I’d love to hear your best e-book gifting ideas.

Simple Birthday Party Ideas

It’s birthday season at The Simple Home.  We have three birthdays lumped together at the beginning of autumn, another in November, and two more closing out the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons, one of those landing on New Year’s Day.

Simple Birthday Party Ideas

It is possible to go absolutely nuts during birthday season.  I have seen what some non-celebrity parents do for their children’s birthdays.  I won’t give you my personal opinion, but my children think those families are nuts.

Every birthday we have is simple, affordable, and stress-free.

Here are some simple birthday party ideas to keep the festivities down to a dull roar while still making the birthday girl or birthday boy (or birthday mom!) feel special.

Simple Birthday Party Ideas

Size of the Guest List

Keep it small!  If you have an overly stimulated two-year-old surrounded by 25 other overly stimulated two-year-olds, you’re asking for it…and chances are you’re gonna get it.  You’ve been warned.

There is nothing wrong with a party for the immediate family only.  If you want to include Grandma and Grandpa and a few cousins, that’s great, but remember that with each person you include, you are adding stress and cost, plus obligating that person to spend money on a gift.

If you have a lot of children, consider throwing one annual birthday bash to which you invite the entire extended family and some friends.  When the real birthdays roll around, stick to just the household and maybe grandparents.

As your guest list grows, so do the number of presents your child will be tossing carelessly on the floor for you to trip over…I mean, the more gifts your child will be receiving. To avoid adding more clutter to your life and obligatory expense to the guests’ lives, include a note in the invitation that says “Your presence is our present; there is no need to bring gifts.” This also helps to not spoil your child, while still making him feel special.

Fun and Affordable Birthday Decorations

Simple Birthday Party Ideas - Decorating with BalloonsBalloons are cheap.  I’m not talking the fancy inflatable shiny character balloons; I mean a bag or two of balloons from a discount store (like Wal-Mart).  Personally, I don’t like balloons, probably because I almost always have someone at the “if there is a way to fit this in my mouth, I will find it” stage.  Therefore, we keep the balloons off the floor by tying them to a string and running the string of balloons across the ceiling a couple times.  It’s even more fun when the children decorate the balloons first to fit their themes.

Crepe paper is also cheap at discount stores.  Decorate the birthday girl’s chair before she wakes up, or write her name on the wall in crepe paper. Simple Birthday Party Decorating Ideas

A white plastic tablecloth sells for a buck or two in the party supply section of—you guessed it—discount stores.  Children can decorate it using permanent markers—for creative children, this is often more fun than the gift opening.

Plain white paper for wrapping gifts can also be decorated. Other great sources of wrapping paper are Sunday funnies, brown paper bags, or rolls of newsprint paper or butcher paper.  All can be decorated, although the funnies are fun as-is. Bows can be tied with yarn, or you can stock up on wrapping ribbon around December 26.  Sewing departments usually sell thin ribbon very cheaply, and it doubles beautifully as hair ribbons for little girls.

Make a birthday banner consisting of all the letters in the child’s name, the letters in “Happy Birthday”,” or pictures from birthdays past.  You could also have siblings or the birthday girl herself make signs to decorate the house.  It will not look like Hallmark, but it will be charming and very, very special.Simple Birthday Party Hats

Decorate a birthday tree.  Laminate pictures from birthdays past and hang them on a small tree or houseplant.  Presents for the special someone can be placed under the tree.

Have all guests decorate their own birthday hats.  Optionally, you could have your own children decorate hats and party favor bags in advance of party day.

Easy Party Games

The decorating is often so much fun that the children do not need any other games.  If they do, however, remember that sometimes the simple, classic games are the best.

For the little ones, duck, duck, goose, bean bag toss, ping pong ball bounce, follow that leader, and other simple games fit the bill.  So does bringing out a bucket of Lincoln logs.  Whatever you do, don’t stress a roomful of 20 toddlers!

Older children might enjoy a scavenger hunt, treasure hunt, or charades.  Pinatas are also fun, but most sold in the store today are the (booooring, totally low-action, why-not-just-hand-out-a-bunch-of-candy) pull-string type.  Those are fine for the littles, but the older children, especially boys, really want to hit something.  So…make your own!

Have your birthday child decorate some poster board for a “pin the tail on the donkey” type of game, but change it up for the theme or your child’s interests.  Pin the petal on the flower, pin the light saber on Luke Skywalker, pin the facial features on the birthday boy (a drawing of the birthday boy, that is)—you get the idea. I know it’s very last decade in most parents’ minds, but it’s simple, affordable, and fun for the children.

Put an address label on each person’s head.  Each label has the name of a kind of animal.  By asking questions of others, each person has to guess what he is throughout the party.  Once you know what you are, remove the sticker. This is also a great mingling activity if your party gets a little large.

Birthday Party Food

Make the birthday boy his favorite meals.  If he requests steak and lobster, you may need to lower his expectations a bit and give him hamburgers and shrimp.  Otherwise, fill the day with his favorite foods.  Do as much as possible ahead of time.

If you have invited a crowd, think of foods that really stretch.  Hamburgers and hotdogs are low-key and go well with a big, inexpensive batch of filling baked beans.  Grill the meats up ahead of time and put them in roaster pans that can easily be reheated in the oven.  The beans can go in the crockpot.

Pizza is obviously the simplest choice for a large group, and a general crowd pleaser.  Supplement with a large lettuce salad and a fruit salad, or anything else that guests on restricted diets may require.Simple Birthday Party Ideas - Ice Cream Ball

Cake and ice cream are always a hit.  Save a lot of money by making your own cake.  You can really stretch out the cake experience by having guests decorate their own cupcakes.

Consider a popcorn bar instead of sweets to keep costs and sugar down.

For a small group, have the ice cream be part of the action by making it right there, either in plastic bags inside other plastic bags filled with salt and ice, in an ice cream maker, or—the ultimate—in an ice cream ball.

If you are making it a “friends” party and want to keep the cost down, hold the festivities from around 2 to 4 p.m. and serve only cake and ice cream.

Please remember that a birthday party does not have to be stressful; nor does it have to be perfect.

If a child wants to help (or independently) decorate the cake or the house, let him!  The smile on his face is far more important than the impression your neighbors or relatives would formulate from seeing the near-perfect cake and home décor you would otherwise have put out.

It is not about perfection—it is about the special person you are celebrating.