Dollar Store Diva Archives - Page 14 of 16 - Cha-Ching on a Shoestring™

The Dollar Store Diva: Clever Wrapping

July 1st, 2011 By Kaley
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Here’s one more clever idea from The Dollar Store Diva (otherwise known as my Mom) on making a simple gift an adorable one!

Since I have such a large family to shop for, I usually give cash or gift cards.

Recently my granddaughter turned 15, and I wanted to do something “funner” than putting her money in a gift bag. I found a “skirt purse” in the Dollar Store, stuck a few small things inside–a funky pen, a little notepad, and a colorful pack of tissues. Girlie stuff like lip gloss, chap-stick, nail polish, etc. would also work. I folded the money gift and stuck it in the pocket of the “skirt.”

It looked adorable on the gift table and, best of all, it made my granddaughter smile!

Note from Kaley: How cute is that? Have you found any other clever ways to wrap gifts?

The Dollar Store Diva: Finding Words to Say Thank You

June 30th, 2011 By Kaley
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

The Dollar Store Diva (a.k.a. my Mom!) strikes again! This time she shares a clever way to find words to say “Thank You!”

A while back, our daughter Kaley (yes, that Kaley, of Cha-Ching on a Shoestring fame) packed up her two boys and headed to Newark Valley for the weekend. (Yes, we live in Newark Valley.)

It was such a wonderful weekend. As soon as Griffin and Lincoln walked in our front door, they ran through the house looking for their toys and searching out the nooks and crannies where they usually play when they are at Papa and Mama’s house. I almost couldn’t stand it.

It seemed so good to bake cookies and make coffee for Kaley again and to have her lounging in our recliner reading a magazine–just like the good-old days.

I wanted to express to Kaley how much it meant to her parents to have her home again, so I bought a Word Find book at–where else but– the Dollar Store. I decorated the back of it with pretty paper and printed this note on the computer:

We can’t find the words to thank you enough for coming with Griffin and Lincoln for the weekend. Every memory is a happy one.

On the front I put an address label with her address and our return address. I was careful not to cover up too much of the cover, especially the word Word-Finds. I could have used a small piece of tape and mailed it just like that, but I had a clear plastic envelope that fit the book perfectly, so I slipped it in that. Since it was clear plastic, Kaley could see right through the envelope to read the message her dad and I had sent her. It cost $1.39 first class to mail it.

The email Kaley sent in response read : I got a little surprise in the mail today. Thank you! It was a very fun find.

Is there someone you want to express a thank you to? This might spark just the right idea for you to express a big and warm thanks. Like Kaley, the receiver will be blessed to find a little surprise in the mail.

Note from Kaley: Who else but a MOM would send a thank you card for letting you come to HER house where she made you coffee while watching your children? Thanks, Mom!

The Dollar Store Diva: Easter Edition!

April 13th, 2011 By Kaley
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

The Dollar Store Diva has returned! This time with an Easter edition!

When my children were little, we actually had “Spring Baskets” instead of “Easter Baskets.” They didn’t get them on Easter morning, instead my children knew that some time during the following week their dad and I would make the happy announcement: “It’s time to hunt for Spring Baskets!” This time was totally random–it was basically whenever I found the energy to get the baskets ready 🙂

(A side benefit to this tradition was that the price of Easter candy was radically reduced after the holiday. Kaley, aren’t you proud of me?)

I have no little ones living in my home anymore, but our family does celebrate Easter together and we still enjoy hunting for baskets. This year I have been experimenting with a variety of ideas for baskets; perhaps some of these pictures will spark some ideas of your own. Spring and Easter–what glorious reasons to celebrate!

You can actually create delightful Easter baskets for pennies–honest! By using lunch bags, scraps of decorative paper and ribbon, and taking advantage of the Easter candy deals highlighted in Cha-ching on a Shoestring, you can bring a smile on the faces of the sweet little people–or not so little people–in your life.

For the pink “basket” I cut a couple of inches off the top of a white lunch bag, then glued pink cardstock to the front and the back. I used scraps of paper to decorate the front, then cut out a handy little handle. This can be used for a unique Easter basket, or as a gift bag for any occasion. In fact, I used mine to hold a hostess gift for a friend. Inside the bag, of course, were Dollar Store treasures. She was so pleased.

A brown lunch bag with decorative paper touches will hold Easter goodies for one of my granddaughters. Learn how to cut the bag here.

I found the $1.99 blue buckets at Michael’s for $.50, so guess who grabbed a bunch! Simply wrapping it with a ribbon and adding a colorful name tag makes a delightful container for Easter goodies that I got for almost nothing at CVS. For one I wrapped it in two layers of printed paper before I added the bow.

Because of the shape of the bucket, I couldn’t get the paper to wrap properly. Guess how I solved the problem? I laid flat the cardboard wrapper for hot Dunkin Donuts (also Starbucks) coffee and used that for a pattern! I just had to extend it a little bit.

I had a large clothespin from the Dollar Store that I covered with a scrap of whimsical polka dotted paper and used it to announce: He is Risen Indeed! (Or you could use it as a way to present a gift card.) I then had fun decorating regular clothespins and used them to adhere name cards and DD gift cards to bags and buckets.

So little time and so many ways to craft Easter baskets for pennies!

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Check out more from the Dollar Store Diva.

For those of you who haven’t met her, the Dollar Store Diva happens to be my Mom who has a special power. She can transform Dollar Store and other inexpensive finds into treasures that make super fun gifts and more!

The Dollar Store Diva: A Valentine’s Gift Just for Fun!

February 13th, 2011 By Kaley
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

Here is the final edition in the Dollar Store Diva’s Valentine’s series. I hope you all have enjoyed this series as much as I have! (If so, feel free to click on ‘like’ at the bottom of this post as a simple token of our Cha-Ching on a Shoestring love for my Mom!!)

Be sure to check out the rest of her creative and inexpensive Valentine’s gift ideas. There’s still time to make a trip to the Dollar Store before V-Day!

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For a card for another sister, I used a red Betty Crocker “Dough Scraper” I found at the Dollar Store. On pink paper I printed on the computer,

I couldn’t scrape up enough dough

to get you a Valentine’s gift,

but here’s wishing you a very happy day!

Love you, Sis!

I used a clear plastic envelope that stickers had come in so that the text and the Dough Scraper label could be seen through the envelope. I feel quite certain that this is going to brighten Lois’ day!

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The Dollar Store Diva: A Little Box of Yumminess!

February 12th, 2011 By Kaley
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

Sometimes it’s the simple things that count. I love this next idea from the Dollar Store Diva using ‘items’ you may already have right in your kitchen (with a creative flair, of course)!

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I wrapped these pretty little boxes (2/$1 at the Dollar Store) for my two teen-aged granddaughters. Bet you can’t guess what’s inside them!

Ok…want a peek?!

If you guessed an apple and a peach, you were right!

I made a little card to rest in the box on top of the apple that read: “You’re the apple of our eye, Natalie! Happy Valentine’s Day!” For the peach, the card read: “You’re a peach of a granddaughter, Kendra! Happy Valentine’s Day!”

Or how about using a pear and saying, “We make a great “pear”!

OR something like this: “It’s ap”pear”ent that you’re an amazing grandson, Andrew.”

The creative list is endless. So many ideas, so little time before Valentine’s Day!

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Stay tuned for one more installment from the Dollar Store Diva! Click here to check out the rest of her creative and inexpensive Valentine’s gift ideas.

The Dollar Store Diva: More Valentine’s Fun!

February 11th, 2011 By Kaley
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

Here’s another edition in the Dollar Store Diva’s Valentine’s gift ideas. I love how she incorporated the free Staples post-it notes that were available last week!

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A Cereal-ously Cute Idea:

My sister and I have been chuckling because, for some inexplicable reason, I have started calling her “Honey.”

“Honey?” Where did that come from? (She is my “baby” sister, but a “baby sister” who is eligible for senior coffee.)

As I was looking through this week’s CVS flyer, I noticed that there was a special on Honey Nut Cheerios. I knew immediately that I had the perfect Valentine for Sharon.

On a sheet of colored paper I printed “Honey, I’m nuts about you,” then added, “Happy Valentine’s Day, Sis.” and printed her address and my return address.

I glued the paper to the back of the box (leaving the front exposed), headed to the post office, and it will soon be arriving at her door. (The cost to mail this was $5.10 because of its size and weight, but it’s still not a bad deal because between sale price, a coupon and ECBs, I paid $0 out of pocket for the cereal.)

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Let’s Stick Together:

If you have decorative paper, these little gifts can be made in minutes.

I used FREE sticky note pads from Staples (Can’t argue with FREE. Thanks, Kaley, for posting this offer!) and an assortment of pretty Creative Memories paper I had on hand.

After I made a few, I decided to split the pads in half, and I actually thought they made a prettier gift. With 3×3 note pads, I measured and cut each paper to just about 3 1/8 X 6 9/16 for the full pad, a bit shorter if you split the pad in half. You want the paper to hang over the edges only the tiniest bit.

I adhered the pad to the bottom half of the paper strip (it already has an adhesive on the back–hence the name “sticky” notes) and simply used my fingers to firmly fold the paper up and over. Again I used my fingers to make the two creases tight and neat. If the paper is decorative enough, your job is done. If you have used plain paper, now you can have fun adding pretty touches.

I made some tags with the phrase “Let’s stick together, Valentine” on them, or you can simply write this on the top sheet of the pad so it’s the first thing they see when they open the cover. You can slip one in an envelope and send as a card, or you can stack them, tie with ribbon and a bow and you have a beautiful Valentine’s gift. How fun is that?!

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Don’t worry. The Dollar Store Diva fun isn’t over yet! Stay tuned for even more creative ideas later today!

The Dollar Store Diva: A Heart Healthy Valentine’s Gift Basket!

February 8th, 2011 By Kaley
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

Here’s another edition in the Dollar Store Diva’s Valentine’s gift ideas. Pretty sure this one is my favorite so far!

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One morning I tried McDonald’s Fruit and Maple Oatmeal, and after the first spoonful I was a woman in love. I took note of the ingredients and decided that it would be easy to make this morning treat from my own kitchen. I gathered my supplies– oatmeal, brown sugar, craisins and apples–and I was good to go. In addition, I had just read an article in Real Simple magazine listing the top 30 healthiest foods. Old fashioned oatmeal was on the list, along with skim milk and walnuts, so I added walnuts to my bowl, and cooked the oatmeal with skim milk. Now, healthy and delicious.

So, how about giving the gift of a hot comfort food for a cold February morning? I bought an air-tight jar at the Dollar Store, along with two sets of salt and pepper shakers. In the jar I measured two+ cups of old-fashioned oatmeal, and filled the salt and pepper shakers with brown sugar, craisins, walnuts, and—optional– raisins. Two fat, red apples, a printed copy of the recipe, and a DS basket completed the kit. [Thanks go to The Best of Paper Crafts Magazine for sparking the decorating idea.]

Note: To save time but still offer a fun Valentine’s gift, just tie a ribbon around the neck of each of the jars instead of all the decorative touches.

I suggest that you find out if the recipient likes oatmeal before you surprise him or her with this gift!

The Recipe:

Winter Sunshine Oatmeal:

For one serving:

Bring to a boil one cup skim milk and a dash of salt

Stir in ½ cup oats

Cook about 5 minutes over medium heat; stirring occasionally.

Spoon the oatmeal into a cereal bowl, add a sprinkling of brown sugar and top with desired amounts of diced apples, Craisins and/or raisins, and broken walnut bits.

Savor a taste of sunshine on a cold winter morning!

The Dollar Store Diva Returns: More Valentine’s Mailing Ideas!

February 4th, 2011 By Kaley
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

The Dollar Store Diva is back with more super creative ways to spend less but give more this Valentine’s Day!

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I’m giving my grandsons a Valentine’s paddle. (In case you misread that, I’m giving them each a paddle, not a paddling!)

I bought a Toy Story 3 and a Cars paddle ball set at the Dollar Store [Hence, DS.]. I covered the back of each with blue paper, but kept the front untouched. Then I used DS primary color 3x 5″cards and printed out appropriate sayings.

On the Toy Story one, I printed on a yellow card: ” Griffin, we’d go to infinity and beyond to ask you to be our Valentine!” (Credit goes to my husband for that one.) On the back of the Cars, I printed: “Lincoln, our hearts are racing to ask you to be our Valentine!” Then on green 3×5″ cards, I printed the addresses.

For their address, I first printed in red ” To Our Valentine”: then below wrote the name and address in black ink. For the return address (in the upper left-hand corner of the same card), I wrote in red “Love from:” and wrote our address in black ink. For a final touch, I used some colored bold-tip pens to highlight around the cards.

I decided to go to a different post office today to see if another one would be as accepting of my novelty packages as my local post office is. As soon as the woman behind the counter saw what I was mailing, she gave a big smile and thoroughly enjoyed helping me mail the paddles to my sweet little Valentines. They cost $1.56 each to mail.

Note from Kaley: My boys received these in the mailbox today. I wish my Mom could have heard their squeals of delight!

I got a good deal on Planter’s Peanuts at CVS, so I knew I had just the right gift for my 17-year-old grandson. I wrapped the can in more “masculine” colors, added a bow, then attached a tag stating: “We’re nuts about you, Alex! Happy Valentine’s Day!”

Note from Kaley: Maybe we should start calling my Mom The Drugstore Diva instead?!

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Stay tuned for even more fantastic ideas to help you brighten someone’s Valentine’s Day!