If you are looking for an easy hostess gift or a cheap way to jazz up the house for Easter, I wanted to mention that World Market has these beautiful blue tinted Mason jars.

The large Mason jar is 7″ and is priced at just $2.49!

Some of you in the South might be sitting on a mountain of Mason jars and thinking- whooptie doo- but in California these aren’t nearly as popular so I hardly ever see them.

We also have beautiful daffodils priced at $1.66 for 10 stems right now in my area- so for $5.00 you can grab these jars and some flowers and put them all over the house!

I actually have (3) of these lining the dining room table right now and then I grabbed an extra to take to Easter Dinner as a little hostess gift.

Sadly these are not available online right now and my store has been selling out of them so you might call ahead and see if they have them in stock.

And if you haven’t been to World Market lately, they have all sorts of cute things.  If you want to take a look online here- they are offering 10% off sale items through Sunday.

And here is another cheap and cheerful idea for a little hostess gift.

Just a simple layered jar of M&Ms.  Get the directions and some other ideas here.

So the other night I was cooking a very late dinner of eggs and toast and I got distracted with the doorbell, the kids, the phone, the dog… really it was like a comedy sketch for about 20 minutes at Casa de My Frugal Adventures.

Needless to say the eggs paid the price for my distraction and I really did a number on my pan. Whenever I burn things or I have a super dirty situation to deal with, my solution is to dump baking soda on it.

So I did that and after much scrubbing it was clear I needed to step up my game if I wanted to save the pot.  So it dawned on me to add a little vinegar and see what happens.  After all that is basically how I clean the rest of the house- vinegar + baking soda is magic.

Did that and after a tiny bit of fizzing I started back with my scrubby sponge and I couldn’t believe how quickly and easily the pot cleaned up!!

Like magic.

So today just because I love you all so much, I decided to burn another egg to show you how awesome this is.

Now that you made a mess of that, just dump on some baking soda.  I don’t think exact measurements are needed- just coat the surface of the pot with your baking soda.

Next add your vinegar- just a bit maybe 3 tablespoons per cup of baking soda.  I drizzled it right from the container and note it will fizz up so be ready for that.

And then I took my Scotch Brite sponge and gave it a good scrub (you might let it sit a bit- I did not let it sit at all).  I didn’t need to put too much elbow grease in and you can see at the very top the immediate difference with just a few swipes.

And shut the front door!  Here it is after a tiny bit of scrubbing!  Almost perfect really.  There are a few tiny stubborn spots on the side but overall this looks about 100% better now.

Now- who wants an Omelette?

If you give this a shot let me know how it works for you!

And just to prove vinegar is magic, check out these other DIY recipes:

• Carpet spot cleaner (perfect for cars!)
• Keep your berries fresh and mold free for much longer- plus ready for snacking!
• Clean the bathroom top to bottom with 3 ingredients (vinegar, dish soap and baking soda)

I posted this about a year ago and wanted to mention it once again.  You can actually clean your bathroom from top to bottom with just 3 ingredients (you probably already have on hand).

These cleaners actually work better then the stuff I used to buy at the store and they are completely green and nontoxic so very safe for the entire family.

The best part (at least to me) is that you can take your cleaning product storage area from this:

To this:

To get the complete directions on Easy Homemade Bathroom Cleaners head over here.

I am sure many of you are aware of this little tip but if not there is a simple little trick to keeping berries fresh for days or maybe even a week longer.

I find myself making two trips to the store most weeks because my kiddos can literally eat pounds of fresh berries in just a day or two. This takes a few extra minutes when you get home but the bonus is you might get to buy more up front and skip an extra trip to the store.

Or if you have a hard time getting through the berries you buy, it gives you a little extra time to eat your fruit before the mold sets in.

I was always told not to wash berries until you are ready to eat but actually you can wash them in advance and then grab and go!

Once you get home just submerge your berries in a solution of 1 part vinegar to 10 parts water.  (So 1 cup vinegar for every 10 cups of water.)

I have actually used up to 1 cup vinegar for 3 cups water so you don’t need to be super careful with measurements.

Some people use the sink and just stopper it but I get squeamish about using the sink since sinks really are pretty germy.

I have a little tub that works great from the Dollar Tree. Just add your water and vinegar solution and dump them in.  Let them soak for just a few minutes and then the key is to let them dry completely.

You can either spread them on a dish towel to dry or set them in a colander.  Once they are dry place a paper towel on the bottom of your container, add the fruit and voila!  You are done.

Pop them in the fridge like normal. What I actually like to do is cut the tops off as they are laid out to dry and slice them and then put them in a Tupperware.  It makes the fruit easy to grab and go (and I am more likely to actually grab it and not a handful of chips!)

This process should be fine for raspberries, blackberries, strawberries and blueberries.  And you will not taste any vinegar flavor on your berries. If you prefer to make a spray, you can get the directions on how to make an easy produce spray here.

And if you want to make some yummy whipped cream to top your berries, get a simple whipped cream recipe here.  (It is so easy and so delicious).

You know those nifty little Cascade Dish Soap containers?  Well I love these things. They are so handy and easy to reuse for many other things.  I have used them to hold art supplies, chalk for outside, headbands for my girls… the list goes on.

You can get great deals on these at Costco or on Amazon here or I got a great deal recently at Grocery Outlet.

Most recently I used an empty container as a little trash can for my car.  It has really come in handy and normally these car trash cans can be kind of expensive.   I was actually thinking about getting one and couldn’t find one reasonably priced or that closed completely or that didn’t look too tall and thin (I think those will flop everywhere.)

I have kids so we always seem to have wipes, snack wrappers, straws… who knows what all over the car.  These containers work well because they have a lid and they are fairly short and stout so they don’t fly all over the place.  I can put them in the back for the girls or in the front for me.

So you don’t have to do anything with it except rinse it out really.  I took the Cascade labels off the sides (ok that is nearly impossible so finally I just put white labels on top of the residue from the original labels.)

I also added a little label- my big girl is studying Spanish so we are labeling things in Spanish here and there these days. Besides Basura is such a nice word. Isn’t that fun to say? Basura…

And there you have it.  Easy peasy.

If you are planning any road trips this summer you might consider making your own little trash.  I can just empty this fella when I hit the gas stations.

Does anyone else recycle these containers for other things around the house?  It is a shame to toss them because they are pretty handy little things.

And I also wanted to remind you of this nifty little recipe for a DIY Carpet Cleaner.  It works really well for the car!

Do you ever give out gift cards for gifts?  I do it all the time and I am always trying to think of a creative way to present the gift card- not just in a greeting card or a little plain box.

I was putting together a gift basket the other day and had to figure out a way to present movie tickets.  I wanted something fun and interesting and most importantly- cheap!  (This was for a charity auction so my budget was super tight.)

So I spotted these little popcorn cups at Target in the Dollar Spot and at the Dollar Store in different sizes for just $1.00!

Perfect!

I stuffed the popcorn box with the little gift basket shred that you can get for $1.00 at the Dollar Store and viola! (Crumble up tissue paper at the bottom of the container and you can use less shred to fill it.)

A really cute way to present your movie tickets!  I also used a cellophane bag I had on hand (these are the large size treat bags) and tied with a ribbon.

The movie tickets I bought on sale at Costco so the total cost of this gift was $15.99 (2 adult tickets) +$1.00 for the popcorn bucket + $1.00 for the shred.

The baggie and ribbon I already had on hand.

And the little gift above might be enough but if you want to do a gift basket, here is how my final product looked.

I did a Family Night themed basket with a movie, board game, puzzle, cookie cutters, science experiments for kids, popcorn, and a gift card for a local gourmet candy store.

So this might be a fun gift for someone- I like baskets like this for new parents that might already have children instead of a traditional baby gift.

I also like just the movie tickets as an idea for a teacher gift or for Coaches or just surprise your spouse with an impromptu Date Night.

This might be a cute thank you gift for someone as well- if they have little ones you might consider tying a note to the container and offering a night of baby sitting services. (I know I would love that myself!)

I was putting together a little package for a friend and thought I would post it for those of you that might be looking for ideas for new moms or friends that need cheering up.

I have a good friend that just had surgery and I wanted to drop some things off to her.

I wasn’t sure how many people would be dropping things off (and how quickly she would get to my basket) so I put together a really easy Italian Night basket that would last a few days.

My basket was just a metal basket from Michael’s, I included a placemat in a fun pattern (this was like $3 or something from Williams Sonoma or maybe Crate n Barrel.)

I also included a large jar of homemade spaghetti sauce (this is so delicious and just cook it right in your Crock pot- recipe here). 

I picked up some Rosemary French Bread from Trader Joe’s and pasta and then put a simple green salad in a Ziploc.  I included a homemade ranch dressing plus I took fresh Parmesan cheese and grated it up and put that in a little jar.

So simple and everyone likes spaghetti so they just need to cook the pasta and dinner is ready!

Another idea would be nice coffee for a new Mom, gourmet hot chocolate, tea (I love Good Earth tea), or homemade lemonade in the summer. (Here is a recipe for Awesome Lemonade here or a recipe for Starbucks Passion Fruit Iced Tea here.)

If you are delivering something to a new mom, you might consider a little gift for her and a little something for the baby.

If the Mom has other children, I also like to include a little something for them so they don’t feel forgotten about. A coloring book and new Crayons, a small toy, bubbles, Hot Wheels, books, a movie… I try to think of things that might occupy a child for a few minutes so Mom can shower or do what she needs to do.

Most people will bring a casserole or chili or soups- things that will freeze and reheat easily.  I don’t like to take heavier dishes unless it is the middle of winter.

Here are a few other ideas:

• A bagged salad with a roasted chicken dish and fresh bread or fingerling potatoes sliced with olive oil and herbs (ready to roast in the oven)
• Crock Pot BBQ Chicken Sandwiches- get the recipe here– just put the chicken in a Tupperware, add delicious buns, a side salad or fruit salad or cole slaw.
• Fresh pizza dough balls, marinara sauce/white sauce or pesto, shredded cheese and whatever other toppings you think they might like.  (This is so easy to put together and can be a fun idea for parents that have small children underfoot).
• Short on time or not much of a cook?  How about a rotisserie chicken, a great deli salad and a wonderful baked something from the deli.  You certainly don’t have to cook or bake-really it is the thought that counts.
• Most people focus on bringing dinner.  New parents also need to worry about everything else in between and remember the schedule is often a bit of a mess those first few weeks after a new baby comes home.  You might also consider putting a care package of breakfast items (after all who wants to fuss around the kitchen when you have been up all night with a baby)- a delicious gourmet jam, fresh fruit, muffins, scones or french bread would be fantastic.  There is a fast and easy fruit dip recipe here that will give Mom tons of protein.  You might even boil some eggs and include those for a savory option or this mushroom frittata is delicious!
• You could do a bag of delicious snacks with fresh veggies all washed and put in containers with hummus or salad dressing.  Sliced tomatoes and mozzarella cheese, a great crusty bread, olives etc… would be delicious.  That is a great option for someone that isn’t eating as much or might want a healthier meal.
• Another idea if you are short on time is a gift card to a pizza place that you place inside a clean pizza box.  Fun and they can order anytime they like.  Add some gourmet sodas or beers and maybe a salad in a zipoc bag or dessert.

You might check with the person and see if they have any dietary restrictions or in my case I just checked my friend’s pinterest boards to see the kind of foods she had been pinning.

You can pick up super cheap disposable containers at the Dollar Store or I like mason jars as well.

Here is another meal I made for a friend recently.  Super simple taco basket– after all who doesn’t like tacos?  I made the Creamy Chicken Crock Pot taco meat – recipe here- and popped that in a Ziploc.  I added a bag of tortillas (those are under the food in the tray above), some chopped lettuce, olives, limes, cheese, avocado,  and I made fresh salsa (so easy and so delicious- see recipe here) just popped into a mason jar.

I also wanted to do a dessert and this Homemade Chocolate Magic Shell takes seconds to make.  I popped it into a mason jar and brought a pint of vanilla ice cream. Another delicious option would be Crock Pot Caramel Sauce with apples in fall or ice cream in summer.