Getting Ready for Easter

In light of the beautiful weather I have been spending most of my days outside with the kids. We have been planting, pruning, trimming and digging.

It has been so fun to be out in the sunshine and blue skies. Today was a bit cloudy, it has been threatening rain all week, nothing yet.

I thought since Easter was just a few days away I would share some gift ideas and pictures of pretty flowers and blooms from around the yard to celebrate Spring and rebirth.

For gifts this year I am doing the traditional egg hunt but with almost no candy. I bought some really cute egg stuffers at the Dollar Tree and I think I have some dollar bills or quarters laying around somewhere (money really could just be pennies, neither kid really gets the value of money anyway hahaha!).
Here is a list of the things I purchased:

• grow capsules - stick them in water, watch them grow
• Easter erasers
• Easter themed stickers
• peanut M&M's - I just couldn't resist
• dollar bills

I have to keep it gender neutral since I have a boy & girl.  Shopping for their baskets was a little tougher this year since I hate all that junky stuff. I decided to get them a few things they really enjoy; puzzles, books and crafts stuff. I also got some crazy straws because they love them with smoothies in the morning.

For the grandparent baskets I am giving I have included homemade laundry soap, snacks and artwork from the kids. Basic and useful. Package them beautifully and they will be well received.

Now for the flowers. I am not sure of all the types but I will try to identify what I can.

 A beautiful daffodil. The yard is filled with them just before spring.

 Pretty pink flower cluster (actual scientific name). The green foliage grows year round but in early spring it produces the pretty flowers.

 The blueberry busy growing buds, only three this year, better then last.

 Strawberries. I have three plants that I finally moved into the sun. Hope to get a berry or two.

 Vinca minor. Flowers are really simple and pretty. We use it as a ground cover and it grows everywhere.

 Our lovely fig tree. This year I might make jam.

 A climbing rose that grows around our bedroom window. Gives it a cottage feel.

Gift Baskets

UPDATE: Since Hubs thought I sounded bitter and hating the world when I wrote the post I decided to get rid of the negative stuff 

I really love making gifts baskets.

I love giving gifts to friends and family. The look on there face when they receive a gift is priceless to me and makes my heart happy.

Does anyone out there like gift baskets? What is your favorite, making them or receiving them?

I like receiving them just as much. A basket full of little bits and bobbles...what fun!

this one is filled with soap, scrub, bath soak, and body spray that I made. 

I made these for our neighbors at Christmas time. A tray with hot chocolate and cookies. Perfect for a cold winter night.

Have a wonderful evening,

Heather

Handmade Christmas Gifts 2012

In the spirit of Christmas and St. Nicholas I decided to get started on my favorite thing. Making Presents!!! I love making gifts and giving them away.

These gift baskets are stuffed with my home made bath soak, body spray, salt scrub and soap. My deluxe basket! I finished it off with a basket and filler from the Dollar Tree and wrapped in in a clear basket bag and tied it up with simple blue ribbon.

This is another basket I filled with some home made bath soak and salt scrub. I finished it off the same way as the deluxe basket. I also do the little baskets with a scrub/body spray combo and a large scrub/small scrub combo. These are always well received around the holidays. After all the holiday shopping and traveling who isn't in the mood for some relaxing down time? These baskets provide just that!

These cute snowmen are chocolate candy bars we hand out to the kids in the neighborhood, the mail carrier or a delivery person dropping off Christmas packages. They are easy to make and affordable. Just take an 8 1/2x11 sheet of white paper and cut in half. Take a half of the paper and wrap it around the chocolate bar. Tape the back, add a cute little face to the front, tie on some ribbon and you have snowman candy bars! 

This I haven't started yet, but can you guess what I am going to make? You guessed it! Chocolate bars and truffles. These are for a cookie exchange party we are going to in mid December. Can't wait to taste test!

 Here are the soaps that I made this year. Rose scented for the ladies and Drakkar cologne for the men. They turned out quite fragrant. All I have to do is wrap them up and stuff them in a basket with other goodies.

These are the cards and matching box I made for my Mom's birthday. I chose a snowflake theme since she will most likely use them all before Winter ends and by Spring I will have a new boxed set for her!

Last I have these great gift bags for our neighbors. I bought a charger from the Dollar Tree and added a box of cookies and some hot chocolate. I finished it with a basket bag and festive bow. I think project cost me around $6. It's cute, festive and you really can't go wrong with cookies and hot chocolate on a cold winter night.

Do you make gifts for the holidays? What are they? Leave me a link to your blog in the comments and I will add you in an up coming blog post about more homemade gifts!