special occasions Archives

it’s a wrap–christmas gift wrap on a budget

I’m in two minds about gift wrap. On one hand, the anticipation that builds as you unwrap a gift is an important part of gift giving. It’s the surprise when you tear away the paper that’s part of the fun. On the other hand, Christmas wrap can put an unnecessary strain on the budget and [...]

christmas food traditions

When I was growing up, much of our Christmas traditions involved food. In fact, Christmas day was a big gastronomic event the likes of which we never saw for the rest of the year. When it comes to the pleasures of the table, the day stands out in our family calendar. It started early in [...]

planning a christmas budget

Take the pain out of the post-Christmas period by creating (and sticking to) a Christmas budget.

tip tuesday–taking a plate

This idea doubles as a personalised yet inexpensive gift and a way of taking a plate to a function without worrying about bringing the plate home.

help a reader: love, marriage and money

Can you help this reader? What are your tips for saving money on a wedding? What about dealing with money matters in a marriage?

tip tuesday–family gift wrap

It was DH’s birthday the other day. My intention was to make some personalised gift wrap with the little fella’s doodles or hand prints or something like that, but time slipped away and other jobs took priority. So instead, I wrapped the gift in a spare fat quarter of fabric and tied it up with [...]

18 frugal mother’s day gift ideas

It’s Mother’s Day on Sunday. Just sayin’ (ahem, dear). This is my second Mother’s Day. Last year I got a clothes airer. Terribly un-fun, but I actually asked for a clothes airer (and it’s had a lot of use over the last twelve months), so it’s all good. What’s your idea of the perfect Mother’s [...]

easter 2011 craft roundup

It surprised me that there are a LOT of Easter craft tutorials on the web. Here is a small selection of ideas that would make nice gifts (and one or two quirky ideas that just appealed to me). The focus on gift ideas means that I haven’t included Easter garlands, wreaths, bunnies, chickens, eggs and [...]

choosing (or making) the perfect gift

It’s that season again. Time to run round frantically trying to find something, anything to give to that special someone. There’s nothing worse than opening a gift and realising it is one of those last minute, un-thought-out ‘what the hell am I going to do with this? / I’m allergic to nuts’ type gifts, especially [...]

frugal valentine gift ideas

Valentine’s gift don’t have to cost the earth. On this day, more than ever, it’s the thought that counts. Here are 10 Frugal Valentine’s Day gift ideas that show your Valentine you care.