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| Don’t Crack Your Nest Egg! |
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by Jill Cooper www.notjustbeans.com Ideas For After Easter Sales Baskets and Buckets- They come in different colors and sizes and are perfect for storage. Because of the handles you or the kids can carry them from one place to other. ~ Use to store little toys like hot wheels, crayons, markers, dish sets, etc. ~ Use for sand box buckets. ~ Use in baby’s room (especially if it is done in pastels) to store socks, shoes, bath things and diaper changing items. Remember it has the handle and can be carried from room to room! ~ Fill with baby items and give as a gift at a baby shower. ~ Fill with kitchen items to give as a bridal gift. ~ Use as a pretty container to store garden tools or bath supplies. The shredded colored Easter grass (which I got for $.25) is also useful. ~ Use in place of tissue paper to stuff in the top of gift bags ~ Use inside small packages or gifts for cushioning. Buy egg dyes to use at different times of the year for festive hard cooked eggs. ~ Use red and blue dyes on your hard boiled eggs for your 4th of July picnics and birthday parties. ~ Note: Adding dyes to the bath water the Saturday night before Easter Sunday is not a good idea. I tried it once and accidentally dyed my children purple for Easter service! Here are some great "Easter leftover" gifts for baby, birthday, Christmas, or anytime: ~ Dog, rabbit and duck washrag puppets ~ Resin knick-knacks of different animals, like rabbits and ducks, are cute in a babies’ and toddlers’ rooms or for young girls who have animal collections. ~ Stuffed animals are great for kids, teenagers, kids in the hospital, cancer patients and elders in nursing homes. My children even buy me a stuffed something once in awhile--no I'm not in a nursing home, although they think I’m old enough to be. ~ It is also great is to buy a huge bunch of stuffed animals and take them to your local women's crisis shelter. So many times the women and children there have to leave their homes quickly, leaving everything behind including family pets, favorite toys and stuffed animals. Sometimes we get so busy taking care of their physical needs we forget that their hearts need to be comforted too. When trying to save money, always think outside the box and be creative when you find good sales ---- and don’t forget to buy items to use at Easter next year! |
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About the Author: Jill Cooper raised two teenagers alone on $500 a month income after becoming disabled with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. She is the inspiration behind her daughter Tawra's frugal cookbook Not Just Beans: 50 Years of Frugal Family Favorites. To read more of Jill's articles and for free tips and recipes visit www.notjustbeans.com. To order Not Just Beans: Send $17.95 to Not Just Beans, P.O. Box 4252, Wichita, KS 67204 |
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Let's Get Cooking!
