Christmas Gifts for The Homebody

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Hi y’all! It’s time for the second list in my “Christmas Gifts for…” series! I already covered some gift ideas for your Fashionista friends, so now let’s move on to the Homebody!

I’ve always been a bit of a homebody…especially around the holidays! I think it’s because our home growing up was always so welcoming and decorated so beautifully. I still love spending days at home curled up with a good book, and I think any of your friends who are homebodies would enjoy the items listed below! Happy gifting!

Cozy Blanket

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Whether it’s for a long winter’s nap or to enjoy their favorite Christmas movie, who can resist curling up with a soft blanket? This plaid one is adorable for the holidays, and it would go perfectly with any Christmas decorations! Plus, I sort of love that it looks like you could have swiped it from Ron Swanson’s cabin.

Cute Coffee Mug

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Any homebody would love a cute mug to sip hot chocolate from. I love the one above because each time they use it, it will remind them that “Life is Good!” And again…plaid…so great.

Unique Candle

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There’s nothing like having a delicious-smelling candle burning while you’re trimming the tree. And how cute is this candle in its precious little tin can?! Your friend can keep this as a Christmas decoration long after the candle stops burning, too.

Bluetooth Speaker

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We have this Bose Bluetooth Speaker, and I never realized how much I would love it until we got it! It’s small, portable, and puts out amazing sound. Whether your friend loves Disney tunes or hardcore rap, this little guy will fill their home with their favorite tunes.

Comfy Robe

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While your friend is curled up in her blanket, sipping hot chocolate out of her mug, watching her candle flicker, and enjoying some Christmas tunes, I’m sure she’d love to be in a comfy robe. As you can see, I love plaid for the holidays, and this short style will be warm enough to be cozy without leaving her dripping in sweat by the crackling fire.

Well, there you have it…a few gift ideas for your best homebody friends! Let me know if you have any other ideas!

DottedSiggy

*This post contains affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase using these links, I may receive a small percentage at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Hoots of a Night Al!

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3 Free Apps to Save You Money!

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I know there are a million money-saving blogs out there solely dedicated to “couponing,” tips, and tricks. However, a ton of those involve really complex methods, so I wanted to share a few EASY, FREE apps that have helped me save some money.

Cartwheel

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The Cartwheel app is for everyone’s favorite store: Target. It’s probably the most simple app to use, and it has savings for everything in the store from groceries to clothes to electronics. After creating an account, all you have to do is look through their offers to see if any apply to your purchases. If you don’t want to look through the offers, you can also scan the barcode of whatever item you are buying. If there is a coupon available, it will show up, and you can add it to your barcode. Once you have added all of the offers you want to use, simply open your barcode and the cashier will scan it before you pay. Some coupons are small, but I have seen some sizable discounts as well for clothes (basically what we all go to Target for…and home goods…and holiday decor…and…). I have already saved $27.02 with the app, so it is definitely worth checking out!

HEB

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If you don’t live in Texas, you don’t know the joy that is HEB. HEB is the best. If you don’t have an HEB to shop at, you won’t get it, and I’m sorry, but trust me. That said, HEB has released an app making it easier to find and use their coupons. You select which HEB location you are shopping at first. After that, all you do is search for your items in the coupons section, add any you want to use, and redeem them at checkout. To redeem them, you have to link your app to your mobile number, which some may be wary of. However, I did it, and I can assure you that I haven’t received any marketing or promotional text messages from HEB at this point.

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Aside from coupons, this app has some other great features. If you’re looking to maximize your savings, you can peruse the Featured Deals section to see what items are on sale for the week. This is a great section to use if you are meal planning for your week. Another feature I love is that when you search for an item, it will tell you which aisle it is on in the store. This may not sound that useful, but if you are at a location you are unfamiliar with or looking for something you have never purchased, it is quite helpful!

Walmart

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I typically try to avoid shopping at Walmart, but sometimes, it just has to be done. Lately when I have made trips there, I have been using their Savings Catcher to see if I can save any money. This app is different from the other apps because instead of spending less money upfront, you scan your receipt after your trip to see if you can earn any of it back. Once you complete your transaction, open your app, and select “Scan a Receipt.” After your receipt is scanned, the app will search stores in the surrounding area for prices on items you purchased. If it finds any prices lower than what you paid, it will add the amount difference to your Reward Dollars. At any point, you can redeem your Reward Dollars for a gift card to be used in a Walmart store or on Walmart’s website.

As I said, I know there are several more in-depth ways to save money. However, I think these free apps are a great starting point for anyone looking to save a little here and there. Every little bit counts! Let me know if you have any money saving tips! (Easy ones, please!;))

DottedSiggy

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Fall Themed Bridal Brunch

Fall Themed Bridal Brunch

It’s fall! The temperatures are getting cooler, the trees are changing color, and everyone is breaking out their boots and scarves! I mean…I live in Texas, so it’s still over 100 degrees, most of the plants are dead from the summer, and we’ll be wearing shorts for the next couple of months…but…you get the sentiment.

I figured the start of September would be the perfect time to share pictures from a Fall Themed Bridal Brunch my mom hosted a few years ago. I realize “wedding season” is drawing to a close, but there are still plenty of couples that plan weddings in the fall. Bridal showers don’t always have to be full of white tulle, chicken salad sandwiches, and all white flowers (though those are beautiful as well!). If you choose to host a shower that corresponds to the current season, you can not only easily find decor, but you can often use things your home is already decorated with!

Once the hostesses decided “fall” was their theme, colors and inspiration came easily. For a fun twist, they decided to have a brunch instead of a lunch, which allowed them to plan a delicious, simple menu. I’ve posted some pictures and information below to give you ideas if you have an upcoming shower to plan and want to take the same route!

Guests were welcomed with pumpkins tied with raffia bows and a beautiful fall wreath.

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Once inside, they were led into the family room to drop off their presents for the bride-to-be. Her chair for opening gifts was marked with a simple bouquet of white balloons. As you can see, my mom’s fall decor on the mantle and around the house flow into the theme seamlessly.

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Another touch my mom added, was to create some custom pennant banners in corresponding colors. If you have access to a sewing machine (and someone who knows how to sew), these are a fun way to personalize your decor. Since this bride’s wedding was also in the fall, my mom gifted them to her to use as wedding decor as well!

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Also in the living room was a table with pictures of the engaged couple and a recipe box. Recipe cards were sent out with the invitations with a request for guests to provide their favorite recipe.
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I love a good poem, so most of the “signage” around the house rhymed. The sign for the recipe cards said, “The kitchen is where Kim loves to be. Please use this box for your recipe!”

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After dropping off their gift and recipes, guests moved into the kitchen where a juice and coffee bar was set up to go along with the brunch theme.

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Small chalkboard signs like the one below were placed around the drinks and food to guide guests as well as let them know what dishes were being served.

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In the dining room, the buffet had another pennant banner as well as plates, napkins, and forks for guests to load up on the delicious brunch!
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For flowers, the hostesses used natural fall blooms like mums, zinnias, and lantana. Many of them were clipped from their own yards fresh that morning. A good way to keep cost down is to use flowers you have available already or at least ones that are in season.

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The spread for brunch included several assorted muffins, coffee cake, and quiche among other items. It was the perfect spread that included something for everyone whether they wanted a filling meal or simply a light snack.

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Another fun touch was these decorative Bride and Groom food picks that were placed throughout the food.

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Who doesn’t love a good monogram? We enlisted my husband’s help to carve the bride and groom’s initials into this craft pumpkin. It was a great centerpiece for the table, and it was a keepsake the couple can use to decorate with for years to come!

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After enjoying brunch, opening gifts, and socializing, the shower came to an end. On the way out, guests were gifted a small box of Hershey’s Hugs & Kisses. The accompanying poem read, “Love is sweet, like hugs and kisses. Thanks for celebrating the soon-to-be Mrs.!”

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I hope you agree that this is proof that you can throw a bridal shower that is unique, and it will still be successful. The most important thing is that the bride loves it, and in this case, she definitely did!

DottedSiggy

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Last Minute Halloween Treat!

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Did any of you have your boss come up to you today and say, “Don’t forget, you’re in charge of Halloween treats for the team Friday?” Or perhaps you got that email at the end of the day from the classroom parent reminding you that there are 26 kids in little Susie’s class, and her party is on Halloween at 2:30? Maybe you just decided you want to whip up something fun for a friend, but you’re short on time.

Regardless of your situation, I think this little Halloween treat is fun and super simple! Louis’s birthday was a couple of weeks ago, and he swore up and down that he didn’t want a gift. I couldn’t let his day go by without giving him a little something though, so I capitalized on his love of candy corn and made this little gift.

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I went to Target and picked up this over-sized mason jar and some black and orange baker’s twine (it was only $1!). Then, I hand wrote and decorated a little tag that said, “I hope you don’t think this gift is corny, but Happy 26th!!!” The message could be easily changed to “Happy Halloween!” or anything else, but I think it’s fun to work the “corny” joke in there somehow! “Don’t think I’m corny for saying you’re my favorite coworker/teacher/friend/etc.! Happy Halloween!” could be the perfect replacement.

2All this to say, if you need a simple, last minute, Halloween treat, here’s a solution! Both Target and Walmart have mason jars, gift baggies, and fun containers of every shape and price. This treat can be easily customized to fit whatever your Halloween needs are! Hopefully, this helps take a little load off of your shoulders, if you’re stressing about Halloween at all!

DottedSiggy

 

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DIY Crayon Sign

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With the holidays quickly approaching, I figured it may be time to share a fun, little project I did awhile ago for one of my dearest teacher friends.

When Anne (aforementioned teacher friend) received her position as a kindergarten teacher, I knew I wanted to get her something for her classroom. I decided to personalize a sign for her using crayons (a major staple in the elementary world), and I wanted to share what I created!

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There aren’t many supplies required for this project. All you need is a cork board (I selected one similar to this), a pack of crayons (never Rose Art unless you’re a horrible friend), a hot glue gun, a silver sharpie, and an X-Acto knife. I also printed out a large version of the letter I was creating to serve as a guide. I chose a simple serif font.

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Once you have selected your shape, begin cutting your crayons to fit your guide.

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Align your cut crayons to create your letter. Make sure everything looks straight and arranged correctly before using a glue gun to affix your crayons to the cork. As you can easily see, my crayons aren’t perfect, but curves are hard! (Why couldn’t your last name be Irwin or Irving, Anne?! Just kidding. 😉 )

You could be finished after this step. However, I decided to use a silver sharpie to write the rest of my friend’s name. I think it gives the project a more finished look.

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And just like that, you’re done! I think this is a great, personalized and relatively simple gift you could create for any teachers in your life. For that matter it could be cute in a playroom or kid’s room, too!

I’m sure the teachers reading this are inwardly cringing and thinking, “Great, more homemade crap! Just what I wanted!” So…sorry about that, y’all. 🙂 Maybe if you’re gifting this to a teacher, pin a Starbucks giftcard on the cork board too, for good measure. 😉

Hope y’all like this DIY crayon sign as much as I do! Happy crafting!

DottedSiggy

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