The birthday celebrations continue...and a few affordable gift-y ideas.

Today we celebrated my first born daughter's birthday...with coconut cream cake.

Yup. Coconut cake with coconut cream filling and coconut frosting, then topped with toasted coconut. Too scrumptious for words, if I do say so myself. I know I shared in my last post that my budget is tight these days, and I share this because I don't think budget has anything to do with making things special. For example, we can make someones day by baking them a homemade cake (or pie, cookies, cupcake, rice crispy treat, whatever...you fill in the blank with what you know your special someone likes..)and decorate it with a home made banner or flag. As for big-impact-for-little-cash gift ideas...well, again, all it takes is a little thought. I took photos of my Rock n' Roll Buddy's grown kids and framed them in old frames I had stashed in my workroom for a present...it was virtually a free gift, as all it took was some time. My pal that was up visiting from the Biggest Little City when her birthday arrived..well, I designed a lil' free blog for her (she is a teacher and runs her own Day Camp on some of her weeks off from year round teaching) along with a homemade gift certificate for blogging support-help from me....the ideas are endless. Things like babysitting for a friend to have a date night with her hubbs, a delivered homemade dinner, pet sitting, errand running, or even a a pedicure given by you. (I was a licenced cosmetologist way back about, oh... a million years ago...it still comes in handy at times.)

I'd LOVE to hear your ideas for thoughtful-yet-oh-so-cheap gifting ideas...please, do share!!!

Comments

[Tracey Williamson]

What a dreamy cake !!! Great gift ideas... I am tight budget girl too....you are so right that making something "special" has nothing to do with money. I think living well is the same... curling up with a good book or movie on the love seat with something chocolate, when the chores are done is living well for me !

[Mary]

Oh my that cake looks amazing!!

I root cuttings from my many plants and find inexpensive adorable containers to plant them in for friends birthdays. I also make my own lip balm which everyone loves and it is easy to make.

I love to can and this is also a well loved gift as many don't have time to do their own. Lemon Curd is a favorite!

bee blessed
mary

[Christa from Chloe Rose]

That cake looks delish....I LOVE coconut....always have. I agree that inexpensive thoughtful gifts are some of the most rewarding to give and receive.

Christa

[Vicki]

Home Baked goods always a hit! I have a baileys cake that people beg for!!!!

[Teresa]

Beautiful cake, and as always...wonderful ideas for living the good life creatively. One of my favorite gifts last year was a collection of dried herbs from a friend's garden. She packaged them in cute little glass containers. Creative and so useful!

[Dinahsoar]

I like to make home made granola and gift it in a saved jar or container, with a home made tag/card.

Chocolate cobbler is nice too--package the dry ingreds (step 1, step 2) then place in a brown paper sack you've embellished, add the directions on your tag.

Both of these are inexpensive--you probably have the ingreds in your pantry. And they don't take much time to put tog.

For an easy kid gift--go to the dollar store and buy an age appropriate toy for a dollar, then tape a $10 or $20-- depending on the age--onto the toy. What 12 year old wouldn't love a whoopie cushion to play pranks with? And a bit of cash to buy what they want?

For husbands birthday our daughter gives him coupons--one for a spaghetti dinner, one for a dessert of his choice, a movie, a game of golf, etc, depending on her budget...and she includes a time frame...and an expiration...the spaghetti dinner for example might be good for the months of Jan.-March and expire once those months are passed..that way she isn't overwhelmed either since she has a busy schedule..

[Isabella]

This isn't anything new, but I like to find like-new books at garage sales for my three very young grandaughters (including board books). I love to give them books for birthdays and Christmas, and store bought books are so expensive. I am amazed at the brand new condition in which I find "used" books for pennies on the dollar. I don't think some have even been opened! It's a wonderful way to build a little library for them and teach them the joy of reading.

[Isabella]

Spelling typo--make that "granddaughters"

[Paula]

You know we want your coconut cake recipe : )

[jmac]

please may we have the recipe for the cream in your cake??? Looks so good. would love to make it for Easter!

[Marsha]

Ditto, would loooooove the cake recipe!!!

[Farmgirl Susan]

Your cake looks so good - and the fun little banner is just perfect. Happy, happy! :)

[Jeni]

One of my favorite homemade gifts was a scrapbook a friend made for me from pictures she took at my daughters wedding. I have made nice pillows as gifts using a picture of the recipients home and iron on transfer paper on the front of the pillow and beautiful fabric (cut from clothes from GW or Thrift) on the back with accenting trim or piping. I have framed black and white pictures of the recipients last names (matted with wallpaper or gift wrap) with each individual letter being from pictures I took to represent that letter from items found around town or my home. This is tricky at first to find items for the needed letters but once you do you always have them on hand to make a variety of gifts from last names to words like peace, love, believe, etc. Hand rails are great for the letter S or R, I found a round glass window on a store for an O, an outdoor lamp post for an I, a W painted on a train. My husband and I have fun visiting a little town on a saturday just looking on buildings, street lights and parks for ideas for letters.

Thanks for sharing your gift wrapping ideas...I will be using those! I always enjoy your blog for the attention to detail you provide for things like that. Now I'm off to search for a post you did about a little breakfast type box you made for the ladies of the bridal party at your daughter's wedding. I need something like that for my son's summer wedding.