Foil Pans For Freezer Meals & Deliveries

I feel like a chump for ever buying foil pans at the grocery.

GFS Market, a restaurant-style supply store, stocks every size from mini loaves to giant steam pans.

Sold individually, prices range from 19-cents to $1.50.

Pictured above, a dinner delivery that's easy on the budget:

Mexican lasagna (similar to this, but meatless) and sliced canteloupe, packaged in my thrifty new finds.

How To Calm Down When Someone Paints On The Dining Room Table

Motherhood may be the most effective way to detach from material possessions...

...whether you want to or not!

Beauty isn't found only in the bargains. It's people who color our lives with their love.

A Woman Inspired Conference

Today, Sandy (The Reluctant Entertainer) and I are sharing our secrets for "Entertaining On A Budget." We'll be talking about making the most of resources like time, money, and family--all while focusing on others, not image.

If you're visiting here from A Woman Inspired, welcome!

Click on the hospitality category to scroll through pages and pages of ideas related to entertaining, or use the search box for specific topics.

above, kids learn to prepare hot breakfast cups for the homeless

The New Year, The First Snow

Even my jumbled pile of snow gear seems like a fresh challenge.

Since December, we have pinned together gloves, searched for the long lost boot, and grown out of snowsuits. I'm saving those, so little worn, to hand down year by year.

Just when the Lands End catalog starts tempting, a last-minute thrift stop turned up boots and snow bibs on clearance for $2.50.

Right on time for our half-inch blizzard!

(Above, pottery hen nests in a red berry wreath on the outdoor table.)

Shortbread Gifts

Current project: ginger shortbread using a yard sale Brown Bag mold.

Share your frugal baking tactics at Frugal Hacks today.

A Nutcracker Ballet Party

I blinked, and Elise became a young lady.

We've spent this fall collecting leaves, baking cakes, and oh yes, taking ballet lessons.

Here are some shots from her class' Nutcracker Week party.

I bought a roll of tulle, gumdrops, pink glitter and a thrift store nutcracker.

Everything else we borrowed from our 2 Christmas boxes.

Andrew built a Sugar Plum Tree by sticking gumdrops on branches.

It stretched across the whole table for only $1.

The nostalgic candy garland came from Dollar Tree years ago.

Our Land of Sweets:

Pink "tea," sugar plum cakes, chocolate mice and snowflake pizelle cookies.

Cheap, easy details:

Play the Nutcracker Suite for background music. Display ballet storybooks checked out from the library.

I traced ballet slippers from this free template. The girls glued, glittered, and took their ornaments home in paper sacks (10 for $1 at Hobby Lobby.)

For a more elaborate party, you could paint your own nutcrackers or make these no sew tutus to share.

Here's hoping that your December will be filled with equally sweet memories!