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Gift Ideas For 5-7 Year Old Girls Under $25

October 13, 2021 By: Sweet Frugal Lifecomment

Budget friendly gift ideas for young girls.

Looking for some gift ideas for 5-7 year old girls under $25? I’ve got you covered!

For some reason gift shopping can be so stressful! I always want to gift something that will be loved and enjoyed, but I also have a tight budget I need to stick to. So, I end up shopping for weeks and weeks trying to find that perfect gift that won’t put me over budget.

If you are anything like me, I decided to save you a lot of time and stress! I did the browsing for you! Below you will find 25 budget friendly gift ideas for young girls! I hope these gift ideas help you find exactly what you are looking for.

“We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”

Crafting Gift Ideas For 5-7 Year Old Girls

Crafting is so fun for 5-7 year old girls. They are starting to understand how to create with their own ideas and are so proud of the finished project. Here are a few budget friendly craft gift ideas!

Rainbow Scratch Paper Art Kit

Keep your young artist entertained for hours with this rainbow scratch paper art kit. It comes with over 100 pieces to use to help her create beautiful rainbow art pictures. My little ones always thought these kits were like magic! They are so fun and affordable!

Color Your Own Water Bottle

My girls both had these color your own water bottles when they were younger and loved them! It’s a fun gift idea to help girls show their creativity and then display it proudly!

Crayola Light Up Tracing Pad

I was so excited to find this Crayola Light Up Tracing Pad. It has tens of thousands positive reviews and looks so fun for kids! The tracing pad comes complete with colored pencils, tracing sheets, and more!

Crayola Coloring Kit

If you are shopping for a budding artist, you might want to buy her this Crayola coloring kit. It comes with 64 Crayons, 20 Short Colored Pencils, 40 Washable Markers, 15 Pieces of Paper and a carrying case. Basically everything she will need to color and draw!

Fun Game Gift Ideas For 5-7 Year Old Girls

I love gifting games to kids. They provide a lot of fun family togetherness time, memories and laughter. Plus, games are a great way to encourage learning and thinking skills.

Monopoly Junior Board Game

You can’t go wrong with a classic board game and one of my favorite classics is Monopoly! Try gifting the Monopoly Junior board game version, so that young kids can enjoy this fun game too!

Candyland Board Game

Candyland is another fun and classic board game for young kids! It never ever gets old! Kids (and adults) of all ages love playing this game (me included)!

Wooden Blocks Game

How adorable is this wooden blocks game?!?! I love it and our family loves playing this game! It always keeps us laughing! This version of the game is so colorful and unique, a perfect combination for kids!

Lawn Dart Yard Game

Encourage your little ones to play outside with this lawn dart yard game. It comes with 4 darts, 2 target rings, a carrying bag and instructions. This is that perfect gift that will be fun no matter what age your child is!

Related: Best Family Games Under $20

Fun Toy Gift Ideas For 5-7 Year Old Girls

Being a 5-7 year old girl means a lot of playing with toys, dressing up, and pretending. Here are a few ideas to keep your little one having fun and using her imagination!

Princess Castle Play Tent

Give your little princess her very own castle with this princess castle play tent! She will love having her own little hideout and will give her some fun opportunities for pretend play.

Toy Tea Set

Look at how adorable this toy tea set is?? It comes with everything a little girl would need to set up her own tea party, plus a carrying case to keep it all organized when not in use!

Magnetic Wooden Dress Up Dolls

My daughters had these magnetic wooden dress up dolls when they were 5 and 7 and loved them! It was so fun to mix and match the different outfits and the magnets make it so easy to put the clothes on and off. It makes for the perfect travel toy too!

Rocket Launcher

Help your kids get out their energy with the Stomp Rocket toy. It comes with 4 rockets that will launch 200 feet into the air. This is the perfect activity for outdoor or indoor play and something that will entertain the neighborhood!

Walkie Talkies

Walkie Talkies are just the most fun ever, seriously! My kids and their friends play with our walkie talkies for hours and hours. You can bring them camping, hiking, or use them for playing night games, so many possibilities! I found a great deal on kids walkie talkies and these would make the perfect gift!

LOL Surprise Dance Doll

LOL Surprise dolls were all the rage last year, so make sure to buy one before they are sold out! This LOL Surprise Dance Doll comes with 8 surprises and doll!

Polly Pocket

Polly pockets were some of my very favorite toys when I was a young girl, and I have loved seeing them make a comeback the last few years! I found the cutest polly pocket swimming set with great reviews! Check it out here!

Doctor Kit

My daughters and their friends spent hours and hours playing doctor with our toy doctor kit! I think it was the most used toy we ever owned! So, I always recommend it to parents! This is a great priced doctor kit similar to the one we owned and loved!

Gift Ideas For Her Room

I love decorating my kids rooms! It’s a great way to let their personality and interests shine! Below are some fun gift ideas perfect for a little girls room.

Star Projector Nightlight

How fun would it be to give your 5-7 year old girl the gift of falling asleep under the stars every night??? Well you can with this fun star projector nightlight! Right now it’s under $20 and has over 9,000 positive reviews! I almost want to buy it for me! 😉

Squishmallow Stuffed Animal

Squishmallows are all the rage right now for stuffed animal lovers. They are soft, and oh so squishy! This Unicorn Squishmallow is adorable and under $25!

Unicorn Musical Jewelry Box

Here’s another fun gift idea for a 5-7 year old girl, a new jewelry box! This darling unicorn music box is perfect for a little girls favorite rings, necklaces and favorite trinkets.

Mermaid Tail Blanket

What little girl doesn’t dream of being a mermaid?!?!? I think most do! Help them play mermaid for a few hours with this cozy mermaid tail blanket. It has great reviews, multiple colors to choose from and the price is right!

Learning Gifts For 5-7 Year Old Girl

Help the girl you are shopping for learn and develop with these fun and affordable learning toys!

Glow In The Dark Puzzle

The ages between 5-7 are perfect to start introducing puzzles to kids. This unicorn glow in the dark puzzle is so fun, but you can also choose from a few other puzzle themes, such as space, dinosaur and fairies. Just find the theme that suits your little girl best!

Butterfly Growing Kit

How fun is this butterfly growing kit??? The cutest! It comes with a mesh habitat, feeding dropper, instructions and a voucher for free baby caterpillars. This would be such a neat experience for any little girl to watch a caterpillar change into a butterfly.

Kids Baking Set

Introduce your sweet girl to baking with her very own Baking Set. This one comes with a chef hat, apron, rolling pin, and other fun baking gadgets!

Science Kit

Here is a fun beginner science kit! It comes with 11 hands on science activities to help young kids learn more about science and how things work.

Little Girl Gifts She Can Wear

I only have one item on this list, but it was worth keeping it because of how cute it is!

Knee High Animal Socks

Ok, how cute are these knee high animal socks?!?!?! They are adorable and I wish they came in my size! They would make the perfect gift for a little girl.

More Gift Guides

Have even more people on your list you are shopping for? Check out my other budget friendly gift guides below!

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I hope you find the perfect gift idea for your 5-7 year old girl!

Easy Toilet Paper Pumpkin Craft Tutorial

October 13, 2021 By: Sweet Frugal Life5 Comments

How to make toilet paper roll pumpkins!

Yesterday I pulled out all of our fall decorations and had fun getting the house looking a little more festive. After that I decided I wanted a few more small decorations, but didn’t want to spend very much money. So, I decided to make this easy toilet paper pumpkin craft!

My friend showed me how to make these toilet paper roll pumpkins a few years ago, and I knew they would be the perfect addition to my house this fall. The best part about these pumpkins is that they cost less than $1 to make! Yep, you read that right, $1!

The only item I bought for this easy fall craft was the fabric. I bought three fat fabric squares from Walmart for 97 cents each. If that’s not frugal, I don’t know what is! If you already have scrap fabric at home, these will be even cheaper to make!

Not only are these crazy cheap to make…..they are also one of the easiest crafts ever! Most importantly, I spent less than an hour making all three of these darling Halloween Pumpkins. If you aren’t a crafter, this is the craft for you!

Toilet Paper Pumpkin Craft Supplies

First, let’s gather the supplies. You only need three items to make these cute pumpkins, and you probably already have most of them at home.

Supplies Needed:

One roll of toilet paper
One fat fabric square of fabric (or fabric cut to 18″x22″)
Hot glue gun (optional)
A twig for the stem

Toilet Paper Roll Pumpkin Instructions

Now that you have all of your supplies, the fun part can begin! Let’s start crafting!

First, lay the square of fabric right side down on the table.

Next, place your toilet paper roll right in the middle of the fabric square.

Now, take the ends of the fabric and tuck them into the middle of the toilet paper roll. As you tuck the ends, make sure to pull the fabric tight, this helps make some cute textures and creases for the pumpkin. Sometimes it takes me a few tries before I get it looking just right.

Keep stuffing the ends of the fabric into the toilet paper roll until all the ends of the fabric are hidden and the toilet paper is completely covered with fabric.

You are almost done!

For the stem, just go into your backyard, or a local park and find a small twig. I had to break my stick to get the perfect twig size.

Next, just hot glue a small amount of glue into the middle of your pumpkin and then stick the twig into the hot glue, making sure it is sticking up correctly.

If you don’t have a hot glue gun, that’s OK! Just stick that stick inside the pumpkin and you are ready to go! The twig will usually stand up straight without the glue.

And that’s it! You are done! Just beware, these toilet paper pumpkins are so addicting! You might end up making thousands. They make great gifts for friends and neighbors.

A Few Tips

Try playing around with the toilet paper to make different shapes and sizes. You can change the pumpkin look just by taking off some toilet paper.

For the polka dot pumpkin, I took off about 1/4 of the toilet paper to make a smaller pumpkin. I also wrapped some toilet paper loosely around the entire roll. This gives it a slightly more rounded look. So cute, right???

I wanted my other black pumpkin to be a little bit larger so, I added extra toilet paper to the roll, and tried to give it a rounded loose look.

I loved the way this one turned out! There really are some many possibilities! And for a whopping 97 cents…..you can make a dozen of these without breaking the bank!

Have you ever made a toilet paper roll pumpkin before??? It truly is such a fun and easy pumpkin craft! Let me know if you try it out, I would love to hear how they turned out.

Happy frugal crafting!

YouTube Tutorial

Check out my YouTube toilet paper roll pumpkin tutorial for even more tips for making this easy fall craft!

You might also like:

–Rice Krispie Halloween Monsters Recipe

–No Sew Trick or Treat Bag Tutorial

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Enjoy your toilet paper pumpkin!

Easy Broccoli Grape Salad Recipe

September 23, 2021 By: Sweet Frugal Lifecomment

How to make a Broccoli and Grape Salad.

Have you ever eaten a broccoli and grape salad??? Because if you haven’t, you are for real missing out big time! It’s sweet, flavorful and delicious, basically all the best things! Every time I make this easy broccoli grape salad recipe I always get so many compliments and requests for the recipe. It’s a huge crowd hit!

Today I’m sharing this recipe with each of you! I know you are going to love this easy salad recipe and wow everyone you serve it to. I am so excited for you!

This recipe was passed down from my grandma, to my mom and to me. I love sharing it with others because I get to remember my dear mom and grandmother and the hands that have perfected the recipe. It’s been loved and shared by so many! Aren’t family recipes just the best kind of recipes??? I think so!

Broccoli Grape Salad Recipe

To make this salad you will need:

4 bunches of broccoli, florets cut
2 cups of grapes, sliced in half
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup honey roasted peanuts
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Putting It All Together

First, cut broccoli florets off of 4 bunches of broccoli and put them into a large bowl. Then slice 2 cups of grapes in half. Add them to the bowl.

Next, add the honey roasted peanuts and sunflower seeds. I love watching all of the colors come together in this salad!

In a separate bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, sugar and apple cider vinegar.

Once mixed, pour dressing over the salad and stir well.

All done! It’s ready to serve! This salad tastes even better after it sits in the fridge for 12-24 hours. So, don’t be afraid to make it in advance!

Broccoli Grape Salad

This easy salad recipe is a crowd favorite!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 mins

Course Salad

Ingredients

4 bunches broccoli cut
2 cups grapes sliced in half
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup honey roasted peanuts
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Instructions

Mix broccoli, grapes, sunflower seeds and honey roasted peanuts together in a large bowl.
In a small separate bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, sugar and apple cider vinegar to make the dressing.
Pour dressing over broccoli and grapes mixture.
Stir well until mixed throughout.

Keyword easy recipes, salad

Try it! You’ll like it!

Let me know if you try this broccoli and grape salad! I would love to know what you think of the recipe! Just last week I took it to a BBQ with friends and everyone was complimenting me and going back for seconds and thirds. I love surprising crowds with this salad!

Mel’s Home Cooking

Do you want even more easy recipes? Check out my cookbook, Mel’s Home Cooking, for more quick to fix recipes.

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Don’t Forget To Pin This Recipe To Make Later:

I can’t wait for you to try this easy broccoli grape salad recipe!

How To Host A Clothing Swap

September 16, 2021 By: Sweet Frugal Lifecomment

Everything you need to know about hosting a clothing swap.

Who doesn’t love free clothes??? I LOVE free clothes. But, do you want to know what is even better then free clothing??? Helping all of your friends score free clothes too. It makes for the perfect girls night! Time with friends plus free clothing equals everyone is happy! Want to know what the heck I am talking about??? I’m talking hosting a clothing swap!

What Is A Clothing Swap?

A clothing swap is a party where everyone can bring their gently used clothing/accessories to exchange for other gently used clothing/accessories. Each clothing swap will differ from each other in terms of rules and expectations, but the simple motive stays the same: to help others get rid of clothing no longer loved and find new clothing to love again….without having to spend any money!

Why Host A Clothing Swap?

There are many reasons to host a clothing swap! I’ve already mentioned the chance to get new to you clothing for free! But, here are a few other great reasons:

A clothing swap is an environmentally friendly to recycle clothes and reduce waste.
It’s a fun way to spend a night out with friends and make new friends!
Attending a clothing swap will motivate you to clean out your closet and get rid of items you rarely wear.
It encourages you to try new clothing that you normally wouldn’t wear.

How To Host A Clothing Swap?

A clothing swap is fairly simple to host, and the best part of hosting is that you get to make up the rules! Here are a few things to consider when planning your event:

1. Choose A Location

The first step to planning a clothing swap is to choose a location. The location will depend based on the number of people attending. Most of the clothing swaps I have attended have been small and held in a friends living room.

If you have a bigger crowd attending you might be able to find free rental space at a local library or church.

2. Set The Rules

You should spend some time deciding what the rules for your swap will be. This is an important step to ensure that everyone knows what to expect from the party and you can all be on the same page. A few rules I recommend are:

Clothes should be in good condition. No stains, holes, broken zippers, etc.
Clothing should be freshly washed.
Encourage guests to bring 10-15 high quality clothing items. Quality is more important than quantity when it comes to hosting a clothing swap. If to many clothing items are brought, the swap can become overwhelming to sort through.
Set a theme. Make sure to set a theme for the types of clothing to be swapped. Some swaps focus on trading children’s clothing, others might be just for women’s clothing. Decide what type of clothing you want at the swap and let your guests know ahead of time.

3. Invite Guests

Now that you have your rules set, you can start inviting the guests. If you are wanting a small clothing swap, limit your guest list to your closest friends and family. If you want a bigger swap, try branching out and inviting acquaintances along with your friends.

4. Set Up

It’s important for the clothing to be dropped off before the actual event is set to begin. You might want to ask for clothing to be dropped off the night before the official swap, to give you plenty of time to set up. But, asking for donations 1 hour before the swap can also work! It will depend on how many people and items you are expecting.

When setting up the swap, make sure to organize clothing items by size and category to make it easier for your guests to sort through.

It’s also a good idea to have a place for guests to try on items during the swap. If you are hosting at your home, a guest bathroom works great.

5. Swap Time

When it’s time to swap you can organize it a few different ways:

Free for all: Let everyone shop and grab items to their delight. This works best for small groups or close friends. If the group is to big it could cause problems with some people grabbing the “favorite” items first and others leaving without anything. The goal is for all attendees to leave happy!
Lottery: Another way to arrange the swap is to use a lottery. Write all guests names down on separate pieces of paper and put them into a bowl. Draw names out one at a time and assign each name a number in the order they were drawn. Next, let the first 1-5 names drawn shop for the first 15-20 minutes. Then the next 5 names can shop for the next 15-20 minutes, and so on. This gives all guests a fair chance at the clothing.
Swap For Swap: Another way to ensure fair swapping is to give each guest a ticket for every item of clothing they bring. If one person brings 7 clothing items, they will receive 7 tickets. For each ticket they are given they will be able receive that many items of clothing to bring home.

Now, all that’s left to do is enjoy the clothing swap and watch everyone leave with a pile of new to them clothing!

6. Donate Unwanted

After the party is over, make sure to donate whatever clothing items are leftover. Choose a charity, such as Goodwill or Salvation Army to donate the leftover items to.

In Conclusion

A clothing swap is such a fun way to hang out with friends and get some new articles of clothing. They are totally addicting though! Once you start going to these activities, it’s hard to stop!

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I hope this helped you learn how to host a clothing swap.

Tips For Budgeting As A Couple

September 11, 2021 By: Sweet Frugal Life2 Comments

How to get your spouse to budget when they don’t want to.

Do you struggle budgeting as a couple? I can so relate! I have been there!

My husband and I are constantly working on getting on the same page with a budget.

It all started about 10 years ago when I read a book that changed my life, Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover book and I knew it was time to start looking at our finances differently. I decided right then and there that my husband and I would make a budget, and stick to it faithfully.

Later that night I happily told my husband the good news, “We are going to start budgeting and will be able to save so much money!” I announced.

I looked at his face, fully expecting to see the same enthusiasm that I felt……but instead of joy, I saw annoyance.

“Why do we need to budget? We spend less than I make every month” he asked me.

I spent a few minutes explaining to him that a budget could help us save for our future, eliminate some unnecessary spending, and set us up for financial success, fully expecting him to be just as excited about it as I was.

But, he just didn’t have the same vision as I had. Which, in hindsight is understandable. I had accepted him to jump on board with my new found financial knowledge, simply because I was telling him that it was a good idea. I wanted him to feel like I felt, without ever giving him the opportunity to form his own views.

Here’s the thing about relationships: you can not force your spouse to have your same views. That’s not how a marriage works. A marriage is a partnership between two separate people. Each of the partners will, should, and have their own opinions, thoughts, goals, and ideas. I’m going to say it again, you can not force your spouse to be something they aren’t.

It took me a few months of talking (and disagreeing) to my husband about budgeting before I finally asked, “Can we just try it? Let’s just try it for one month and see how it goes. I think it could really help us!”

Fortunately, he agreed. We sat together one evening and set up a budget. There were frustrations, we have had plenty of mishaps, and we have had to start and restart time and time again. But. A decade later and we still budget. In fact, my husband is the one that 99% of the time reminds me it’s time to discuss the budget.

So what changed? I believe there were two main points that changed my husbands mind about the whole budget thing.

He saw that a budget did in fact make a difference. My husband needed to decide for himself if he felt that a budget was worthwhile. Once he saw how much more money we did actually save on a budget, he embraced the vision.
It became a habit. He really didn’t like the idea of having “one more thing” on his to do list. But, after a few months it has become a habit and doesn’t feel like an extra chore, it’s just what we do.

Now, I understand that not all situations go like mine. Some spouses are more willing and others are much less willing to budget together. Here are a few tips to help you when your spouse just doesn’t want to budget.

Tips For Budgeting As A Couple

1. Communicate

Communication is so important in a marriage, and finances is no different. Communicate with your spouse why you want to budget and your goals and concerns for your future. Explain to him why this is important to you, and why it is important to you to do together.

In return, listen. Listen to your spouses concerns. Ask him why he doesn’t want to budget, ask him how you can help make it easier for them, and genuinely listen and care about his responses.

2. Make it Fun

Try to make budgeting fun (yes! budgeting can be fun…..ish!). Instead of saying something like, “Let’s have a budget meeting.” (I mean, that prob sounds fairly boring to anyone, right!?), invite your spouse to something fun, plus a budget meeting!

You could go on a walk, have a picnic, or bring their favorite foods to enjoy while discussing the budget. Make the budget meetings a little less boring and try to make it a fun experience for everyone involved.

2. No blaming

When it comes to the budget you need to work as a team. Avoid putting blame on your spouse. Instead of, “You spent way to much this month!” say phrases like, “We spent to much this month.” Yes! Even if it truly might be your spouse overspending, work as a team and never ever blame. The only thing blaming will bring is contention, and contention won’t make a budget.

3. Be Willing to Compromise

Compromise is a must when budgeting as a couple. Maybe you are super frugal and your spouse isn’t, this is totally normal!

Find a way to meet in the middle. Perhaps your spouse wants to get a hair cut and color every month, but you feel that makes the budget to tight. Ask if they would be willing to get a cut and color every 6-8 weeks instead. Give your spouse freedom in their budget, while also making sure the budget is kept.

4. Personal Spending Money

Include personal spending money for both you and your spouse. This spending money gives both of you the freedom to spend how you want, when you want, with completely no guilt or judgement attached to it.

The amount received for personal spending will vary based on your income and expenses. However, you and your spouse should both receive the exact same amount.

I love having this guilt free spending money!

Related: Budget for Beginners: FAQ

5. Be the Example

Maybe your spouse just doesn’t get it, and that’s OK! The whole idea of budgeting might be a little daunting or strange to them, which is exactly how my husband was. Be an example of living by a successful budget so they can learn from you.

Excitedly show your partner how much money you saved by doing “xyz” that month. Your positive attitude just might rub off and they will want to join in on your success.

6. Celebrate the Wins

Positive reinforcement goes a long ways in marriage, and life in general. When your spouse sticks to the budget, celebrate. Buy them their favorite treat, genuinely praise them, and let them know how proud you are of them.

Everyone likes to feel appreciated and having mini celebrations can help budgeting feel much more bearable.

7. Make a Plan Together

Together is the key word in this. Sit down and discuss your goals for the future and present. Plan how you can reach these goals and make a plan going forward. Allow your spouse to give their opinions about the way the plan and budget will look. It might not be exactly how you think it should be, but remember compromise matters.

When Nothing Works

If you have tried everything you can to get your spouse to budget and it’s just not working, you are not alone. Financial disagreements are common among all couples.

Focus on the things that you can control within your budget. Spend wisely. Budget as best as you can by yourself and do what you can to keep the finances in order. Alone is never fun, but it can be done. Lean on support groups through facebook or family and friends to help give you the support you need.

How to Start Budgeting for Beginners

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The Best Frugal Living Tips You Need to Know

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I hope this gave you some good tips about budgeting as a couple.

Rice Krispie Monsters

September 10, 2021 By: Sweet Frugal Life3 Comments

Check out these easy spooky rice krispie treats!

My kids school has a fun Halloween carnival each year. It’s a great fundraiser and always a lot of fun for the kids to participate in. As part of the carnival they have a Bake Sale. All of the baked goods are donated and sold off as a way to earn money for the school. I’ve started making these easy Rice Krispie Monsters every year for the bake sale and they are always one of the first items sold! These spooky rice krispie treats are truly so fun for everyone!

Disclosure: “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”

Rice Krispie Monsters Directions

One of my favorite parts of this easy Halloween treat is that it is so easy to make, but makes such a cute and fun statement.

1. Make Rice Krispies

The first step is to make rice krispie treats according to the package directions. If you have never made rice krispie treats before, don’t worry, they are a so so easy and only take a few minutes to whip up.

Pour your finished rice krispie treats into a 9×13 pan and let them cool and harden.

Once your spooky rice krispies are cool, cut them into rectangles. The size and dimension really doesn’t matter. It actually would be cute to have a few different sizes and maybe a little un-uniformed! They are rice krispie monsters after all!

2. Prepare Chocolate

Next, you will want to prepare your chocolate for dipping.

I bought these candy melts from Walmart. You can order them off of Amazon, but they were cheaper at Walmart. It’s fun to experiment with different colors. I have found turquoise, purple, and orange to be our favorite monster colors.

To melt your chocolate, pour the candy melts into a glass bowl and place in microwave. Heat on 50% heat for 1 minute. Stir well and then return to microwave for another 15 seconds. Keep stirring and heating in 15 second intervals until chocolate is smooth and melted.

Related: The Ultimate Fall Frugal Bucket List for Families

3. Dip Rice Krispies in Chocolate

Now it’s time to make your monsters! My kids love helping with this part!

Dip each rice krispie rectangle half way into the melted chocolate. Be quick with this step. As the chocolate cools it is harder to dip and use.

Lay each dipped rice krispie treat on a parchment paper and add eyes before chocolate hardens.

4. Add Candy Eyes

All that’s left is to add on the candy eyes. I also bought these at Walmart, but they are available on Amazon.

This part is so easy and fun! Use your creativity to make silly faces on each monster! My kids had some fun ideas for making the eyes unique.

Let your cute rice krispie monsters cool, and the chocolate harden.

And that is it! You are done! Now, feed your monster treats to your little monster darlings. 😉

Easy Pumpkin Craft Tutorial For a Fun Fall Decoration

DIY Trick or Treat Bag Tutorial

Pin for future reference:

Enjoy these yummy Rice Krispie Monsters!

How to Make Tissue Paper Pom Poms

September 9, 2021 By: Sweet Frugal Life4 Comments

Easy Tissue Paper Pom Pom Tutorial.

Have you ever wondered how to make tissue paper pom poms? I LOVE to make them! They are one of the easiest, cheapest DIY decoration around. I have made some for my daughters rooms, and they are always a staple at all my kids birthday parties.

A lot of stores sell pre-made pom poms, that just need to be fluffed up, but I’m telling you…..those are not worth the money. You can easily make them yourself for a much cheaper price! I promise you can even do it if you are NOT a crafter, these are that easy!

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Supplies for Tissue Paper Pom Poms

You only need a few supplies to start making tissue paper pom poms.

6 sheets of tissue paper. You can use more tissue paper if you want to, the more sheets you use the fluffier your pom-pom will be.
String
Scissors

And that’s it!! Make sure to check your local Dollar Tree for great prices on tissue paper.

How to Make Tissue Paper Pom Poms

First, unfold your tissue paper and layer each of the sheets on top of each other. Smooth it out and make sure all of the sides are even with each other. This doesn’t need to be perfect, just do the best you can!

Starting at the shorter end fold the tissue paper (all sheets together) accordion style. Your finished product should look similar to the pictures below.

Related: How to Make Your Very Own Pom-Pom Garland

Take some string, (I just used thread because it’s what I had) and tie a knot in the middle of the folded tissue paper. Leave a long piece of string, this is what you will use to hang your pom-pom with.

Now, snip two small cuts on both ends of the tissue paper. This is what gives the flowery shape to the pom-pom. This is not a necessary step! There have been plenty of times I’ve forgotten to do it, and they still turned out super cute!

You are almost finished!

Now, gently separate each sheet of tissue paper from each other. This will fluff out the pom-pom. Fluff one side of the pom-pom and then the other side.

The tissue paper might begin to tear during this step. Try to go slowly, so if you do notice a tear you can stop it before it gets bigger. The rips usually blend into the pom-pom, but they still aren’t fun to get.

Adjust the fluffs until you get it just right, and you are done! It only takes about 10 minutes to make your own tissue paper pom-pom! Quick and easy at it’s best!

I used these pom-poms for my daughters Pancake and Pajamas birthday party. It’s such a fun, cheap decoration. My favorite part of making these pom-poms are that their are so many fun and beautiful colors to choose from. The look can be very different depending on the colors that you choose.

Make sure to check out my video below for another tissue paper pom-pom tutorial!

How to Make a Rice Bag Heating Pad

DIY Trick or Treat Bag Tutorial

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I hope you love these DIY tissue paper pom-poms!

My Honest GetUpside App Review

September 8, 2021 By: Sweet Frugal Lifecomment

Here’s what I really think about the GetUpside App!

A few months ago, one of the members of my Facebook Frugal Community Group told me about an easy way to earn cashback on gasoline purchases called GetUpside. I immediately loved the idea of getting cashback on gas, because gasoline prices have gotten so expensive the past few months! After hearing about the app it only took me a few seconds to download it and start searching for offers near me. And so far, I have LOVED using this app! I wish would have started using it sooner! Here is my honest GetUpside App review! Let me know if you have any questions!

What Is The GetUpside App?

The GetUpside App is an app that rewards you with cashback when you shop at gas stations, grocery stores, and restaurants. (Disclaimer: I have only used it at gas stations and that is what my GetUpside app review will be focused on.)

How Does It Work?

One of my favorite things about GetUpside is that it is so so easy to use! Here’s how it works:

1. Download The App

The first thing you will need to do is download the GetUpside app to your phone. The app is completely free to use and download! Once you sign in, make sure to enter code AFF20 to get a BONUS 20 cents cashback/gallon at the gas station. The best part of this bonus is you can stack it with the OTHER offers in the app for bigger cashback! Yay!

2. Find Offers

Next, you will need to search for offers in your area. This is easily done using location services and the in app map.

The map will show you each of the offers near you and how much cashback you are eligible for.

3. Claim Offer

When you find the offer you want, click the “Claim” button. You will be given 4 hours to redeem the offer you selected, so make sure to use it within that time frame.

I have found it works best to claim the offer when you are sitting at the gas station about to fill up. This way you won’t forget about it!

4. Scan Receipt

Before scanning your receipt you will need to enter your credit card info into the app. This info is only used to verify purchases, it will not be used to charge you for anything.

After filling your car with gas, print the receipt and scan it into the GetUpside app. Your cashback will be added to your GetUpside account within 24-48 hours.

**There is also an option to add your credit card info for quicker receipt submission, but I have never tried this option.

5. Cash Out

Now for the fun part! You get to redeem your earnings! Yay! When you are ready to get your earnings, just click on the “Cash Out” option. You have a few different ways to redeem.

Cash Out: GetUpside lets you cash out via paypal or direct deposit to your bank account. You can choose this option whenever you want, no minimum amount required! However they will charge a $1 processing fee when requesting cashback under $15, so I recommend waiting until you have $15 or more to redeem using this method. Which honestly, it didn’t take very long for me to get to $15 earnings.
Digital Gift Card: The next option is to redeem your earnings for a digital gift card. GetUpside offers a big selection of gift cards. You will find a selection of gift cards to retail shopping, restaurants, Walmart, and even Amazon! Here are a few of the options available currently:

6. Bonus Cashback

If you like using GetUpside make sure to share your referral code with your friends and family. This will benefit both of you!

When you share your referral code your friend will get an extra 15 cents/gallon cash back the first time they use an app and YOU will get a bonus 15 cents/gallon cashback. Win-win!

Does GetUpside Really Save Money?

I get asked a lot if GetUpside is actually a good way to save money. The truth is, it depends.

Yes, GetUpside can be a great way to earn cashback when filling up your car. This is free money and a great way to offset the rising fuel costs.

But! There have been times when the cashback offerw on GetUpside were actually more expensive than other gas stations (yes, even after the cashback!). These type of offers are not worth it!

I recommend you always check the GasBuddy app to find gas prices in your area and compare those prices with the cashback offers on the GetUpside app. Choose whichever one is cheaper. Sometimes it might be cheaper to use GetUpside and other times it won’t be.

GetUpside Pros

I loved so many things about using GetUpside. Here are a few of my very very favorite!

The app is very user friendly and easy to navigate.
I love the map that shows the offers nearest me, it’s so helpful for finding gas stations.
Free money! I love earning cashback on items I would be buying anyways! Gas for my car is necessary, so I might as well get a kick back at the same time!
The referral program is amazing. When you refer GetUpside to a friend you will get a bonus 15 cents/gallon cashback to use within the app. PLUS! You will get 1 cent/gallon cashback on every gallon of gas your friend buys using the app….forever! It’s the referral program that just keeps on giving!

GetUpside Cons

I love this easy to use cashback app, but their are some cons! Below are some of my biggest cons with using GetUpside.

It does not work with cash. You can only redeem a receipt if you pay with a credit or debit card.
The app is not available everywhere. There are some location where GetUpside does not offer cashback options. I wish it was more global friendly.
GetUpside can be more expensive. Occasionally the cashback received from GetUpside is still more expensive than competitor gas stations.
Prices aren’t always accurate. I love that GetUpside tells you the price of gasoline, along with the cashback offer available. However, there have been a couple of times when the prices GetUpside quoted me was not the actual price at the gas station. This has been rare, but it has happened.

Is GetUpside For You?

Still wondering if GetUpside is for you or not? I recommend you download the app and look to see the offers in your area, if you find some good offers, try it out! You have nothing to lose!

How To Save Money On Gas

The Best Cash Back Apps

10 Ways To Save Money On Electricity This Summer

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I hope you enjoyed this honest GetUpside App review!

Easy After School Snack Ideas

September 5, 2021 By: Sweet Frugal Life4 Comments

Quick after school snacks for kids!

I am always looking for easy after school snack ideas. After school snack time is one of my favorite parts of the day because it is a time for my kids to sit down, refill their bellies, and talk to ME (if I’m lucky tbh)! 😉

I will admit, a big reason I make the after school snack a priority is for selfish reasons. My goal is that as they eat their snack they will tell me all the highs and lows of their day. It doesn’t always happen this way, but sometimes I see success. There have been amazing days when they have sat down and poured their hearts out to me over the snack. And those days make it all worthwhile!

I spent the past month taking a daily picture of our after school snacks. A “pinterest mom” I am not; my parenting thrives on simple and cheap. If you are looking for the healthiest, fanciest snacks…..this is NOT that type of blog.

However, if you are looking for a few easy snack ideas then keep reading, you just might find one here!

Easy After School Snack Ideas Week 1

Day 1: Peanut butter cookie, raisins

Day 2: Cinnamon sugar tortilla, grapes

Day 3: Whole wheat banana chocolate chip muffin, strawberries

Day 4: Bagel with cream cheese, strawberries

Day 5: Applesauce

Week 2

Day 1: Peanut butter cookie, dried apples

Day 2: Peanut butter crackers for running errands

Day 3: String cheese, orange

Day 4: Animal crackers, celery with peanut butter

Day 5: Fruit leather and dried apples

Week 3

Day 1: Animal crackers, grapes for running errands

Day 2: Homemade Graham Crackers, grapes

Day 3: Apple slices with peanut butter and chocolate chips (I use this mandoline slicer for the apples)

Day 4: Monster Rice Krispie Treats

Day 5: Frozen Blueberries

Week 4

Day 1: Oil popped popcorn

Day 2: Muffin Tin Snack of carrots, animal crackers, cheerios, raisins and string cheese

Day 3: Pumpkin muffin and raisins

Day 4: String cheese and carrots

Day 5: Cheerios and raisins

In Conclusion

It was actually so fun to look back and see all of the different snacks we had over the past month! I hope that you found them helpful! Feeding kids doesn’t need to take a lot of work or cost a lot of money!

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What are some of your favorite easy after school snacks ideas?

DIY Trick or Treat Bag Tutorial

September 2, 2021 By: Sweet Frugal Life3 Comments

Check out this No Sew Trick or Treat Bag Tutorial!

Halloween is just around the corner! I love this time of year; I love the pumpkins, the crisp cool air, the changing leaves, and the excitement in my children. My kids love to dress up and run around the neighborhood trick or treating. The urge to craft came on strong the other day and I decided it would be so fun to make my kids new bags for trick or treating. I wanted to create something cute, but also simple and frugal (because that’s how I roll!). I came up with the idea of this DIY trick or treat bag. I’ll be honest with you….it was even EASIER than I originally had planned! (win!)

DIY Trick or Treat Bag Tutorial

My favorite thing about this tutorial is that it is an easy craft projects for non sewers, but comes out looking professional!

The first thing you will need to do to make this no sew Trick or Treat bag is to gather all of your supplies.

Supplies Needed:

–Canvas Craft Tote
Scrap fabric (I chose Halloween colors)
Wonder Under
Iron/ironing board
Pattern for tracing

Find Your Pattern

Now that you have gathered your supplies it’s time to find your pattern. You can choose any design, picture or pattern. It doesn’t even need to be Halloween related!

When we were choosing patterns I asked my kids what picture they wanted on each of their bags. My daughter requested a cat and my son asked for a spider, so those are the patterns I searched for.

You can easily find patterns by searching on google, they are fairly easy to find. Just type in the pattern that you want. For example, if you want to use a spider just type in, “spider tracing pattern.” You will find many different patterns to choose from!

Another great option for patterns is to look at clip art in Microsoft Word.

Once you have found the pattern you want to use, print it and cut it out.

Prepare Your Design

Next you will need to transfer the pattern onto your chosen fabric. I recommend following the directions on your wonder under fusing, they are all a little different.

When I transferred my pattern I cut out a large square of wonder under (large enough to cover the entire shape), and ironed the rough side onto the wrong side of the fabric.

Then I used my tracing pattern to trace the shape onto the paper side of the wonder under.

Once the pattern is traced, cut the picture out (fabric and all), fabric scissors are really helpful to cut out the fabric.

Lastly, gently pull off the paper backing of the wonder under.

Iron On The Picture

Now, center your cut out fabric picture on the bag where you want it. Use a warm iron to iron the picture to the bag. The wonder under fusing will fuse the fabric to the bag, making it stick.

I have found that holding the iron steady for 5-10 seconds over each section of the picture helps give the applique a nice firm hold.

That’s it! You’re done! See, I told you it would be easy!! It probably took me a total of one hour to finish both bags! Quick crafting, is my type of crafting! Imagine all the fun designs and fabric you could iron onto a bag! So many fun ideas!

In Conclusion

Use your imagination when making this DIY Trick or Treat Bag. There are so many fun possibilities. You could iron on a pumpkin, ghost, witch hat, bat, skeleton, or fun lettering.

I can’t wait to watch my kids go trick or treating with their new bags!

Easy Pumpkin Craft Tutorial For a Fun Fall Decoration

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Monster Rice Krispie Treats

Budget friendly gift ideas for young girls.

Crafting Gift Ideas For 5-7 Year Old Girls

Rainbow Scratch Paper Art Kit

Color Your Own Water Bottle

Crayola Light Up Tracing Pad

Crayola Coloring Kit

Fun Game Gift Ideas For 5-7 Year Old Girls

Monopoly Junior Board Game

Candyland Board Game

Wooden Blocks Game

Lawn Dart Yard Game

Fun Toy Gift Ideas For 5-7 Year Old Girls

Princess Castle Play Tent

Toy Tea Set

Magnetic Wooden Dress Up Dolls

Rocket Launcher

Walkie Talkies

LOL Surprise Dance Doll

Polly Pocket

Doctor Kit

Gift Ideas For Her Room

Star Projector Nightlight

Squishmallow Stuffed Animal

Unicorn Musical Jewelry Box

Mermaid Tail Blanket

Learning Gifts For 5-7 Year Old Girl

Glow In The Dark Puzzle

Butterfly Growing Kit

Kids Baking Set

Science Kit

Little Girl Gifts She Can Wear

Knee High Animal Socks

More Gift Guides

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I hope you find the perfect gift idea for your 5-7 year old girl!

How to make toilet paper roll pumpkins!

Toilet Paper Pumpkin Craft Supplies

Toilet Paper Roll Pumpkin Instructions

A Few Tips

YouTube Tutorial

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Enjoy your toilet paper pumpkin!

How to make a Broccoli and Grape Salad.

Broccoli Grape Salad Recipe

Putting It All Together

Broccoli Grape Salad

Ingredients

Instructions

Try it! You’ll like it!

Mel’s Home Cooking

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I can’t wait for you to try this easy broccoli grape salad recipe!

Everything you need to know about hosting a clothing swap.

What Is A Clothing Swap?

Why Host A Clothing Swap?

How To Host A Clothing Swap?

1. Choose A Location

2. Set The Rules

3. Invite Guests

4. Set Up

5. Swap Time

6. Donate Unwanted

In Conclusion

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I hope this helped you learn how to host a clothing swap.

How to get your spouse to budget when they don’t want to.

Tips For Budgeting As A Couple

1. Communicate

2. Make it Fun

2. No blaming

3. Be Willing to Compromise

4. Personal Spending Money

5. Be the Example

6. Celebrate the Wins

7. Make a Plan Together

When Nothing Works

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