DIY

Dec

2021

Christmas Gift Ideas for Less

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Need Christmas gift ideas for less? Just a short time before Christmas day is upon us. If you’re still not done with your gift list, you might be stressing out. But all is not lost yet. There are still some gifts that you can make for your loved ones and friends without having to splurge. Some of them you can make at home too.

Your gift doesn’t have to be expensive for it to be appreciated. Personalized gifts are always much appreciated. It gives the gift a sentimental value that commercial items cannot convey no matter how pricey. Here are some gift ideas for less that you can create at home for your loved ones.

Recipe Jars

This is a nice gift for friends and loved ones who love their pancake, waffle or brownies. Just pick a recipe, measure all the dry ingredients and place them in layers into the glass jar. Try to alternate the ingredients in such a way that the colors make an interesting pattern.

Print out the recipe on sticker paper and paste unto the side of the jar. Or print it on cardboard paper and tie to the neck of the jar as a gift tag. You can also use this for chocolate drink mixes or coffee blends.

DIY Kits

Got a family member who loves drawing and coloring? Gather different coloring and drawing materials; a sketchpad, pencils, erasers, a ruler and sharpener. Put everything in a handy file folder that they can conveniently carry with them.

For a friend who loves making her own jewelry, gift them with more beads and trinkets for their jewelry-making collection. You can get them the special beads, or a tool that they’ve been wanting to buy; but just can’t get their hands on. This is one of the Christmas gift ideas for less that’s always appreciated by young students. They are the ones who are passionate about their hobby but can’t afford all the materials.

You can also gift friends with a kit for getting rid of negative energy in their homes and work places. This gift does not only benefit them personally but the people in their space too.

Personal Coupons

If you’re broke but really want to make the effort; then gift your family members and friends with your time and energy instead. This is one of the Christmas gift ideas for less that doesn’t even cost you anything.

Design your own personal coupon stating a service that you will offer for a certain duration of time. For example, you can give your mom several coupons for a neck and shoulder massage for 20 minutes. You can give your dad coupons for washing the car and so on. Give the gift of a memorable experience that you will all recall with a smile later on.

For friends, you can give coupons for accompanying them to shopping errands. They can then claim these coupons any time of the year. Make sure that you state in the terms and conditions that they have to schedule these events with you first.

Use Your Talents

If you’re good at crocheting or knitting; make a scarf, or a beanie, or a pair of mittens, for a good friend or loved one. If you’re good at sketching, drawing or painting, then gift one of your creations to a valued friend.

Got a talent for writing poems? Create one for a special friend and print or write by hand on special paper. It would be great to present this gift by reading it to them aloud. Preparing this kind of gift is a fun process too. Plus, the result can be a very memorable experience.

Are you good with a camera? Take candid photos of your friend, select the best ones and display in a special picture frame. You can also put these in a scrapbook. Label each photo to tell a story about your friendship. Or just showcase your friend’s endearing character or unique personality. You get the idea, so go ahead and start planning for your next creative gift.

Use Available Resources

If you’re not too confident about your talents yet; then the next best thing that you can do is to use your resources to create a personalized gift. Get on your computer and go online.

For a friend who loves their tunes, download them a collection of their favorite songs. Transfer to a USB so they can load it on their laptops and mobile phones. Got a friend or relative who is too busy to take care of putting together a business card? Get your design skills to work and gift them with a simple calling card. Now, they don’t have to write their contact details on a piece of paper whenever they meet clients.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

You know the saying that one man’s trash can be another man’s treasure? If you’ve got stuff just lying around and gathering dust; think of who these might be of more use to and give that item to that person as a gift. Not only will you reduce your clutter, you get to reuse stuff and recycle them for a purpose.

You might have a friend who’s been pining to have a jacket or bag just like what you have. If you’re planning to buy a new one anyway, why not give your old jacket or bag to this friend? You might have a friend who loves your sense of style. If you’ve got a top that you already have several iterations of; why not give away the one you don’t use most often to your friend?

Got an old lamp that you’ve never even used? Check if the bulb still works and replace if necessary. Give to a friend who has just moved into a new house; or who has been wanting to make-over their bedroom. This is another one of the Christmas gift ideas for less that will definitely be appreciated by the receiver.

Give with Love, Receive with Gratitude

These are just examples of what you can do with your skills and talents. Some creative thinking is needed to make a personalized gift that your loved ones and close friends can appreciate. But before rushing for supplies; set aside some time to do some writing. Make a list of what gifts you can create or find in your own home. Think of what gift would suit the tastes and personalities of certain friends and loved ones.

As a last note, some of your friends and relatives might be giving you these kinds of gifts too. Remember to be grateful and appreciative of all their efforts. After all, it’s the thought that counts. Bonus! You can add gift-planning to the list of things you can do for fun.

DIY gifts take time and effort. Because of this, they truly communicate your appreciation for the person you are giving them to. So go ahead and give these DIY gift ideas a try.

Updated. Republished 2020.12.03. First published on Pinoy Smart Living on 2018.12.17.
Featured Image: Original Photo by Kira auf der Heide on Unsplash.

Nov

2020

5 More All Natural Beauty Tips for Your Beauty Routine

Reading Time: 3 minutes

If you’ve tried some of our all natural beauty alternatives, here are 5 more all natural beauty tips for your beauty routine. All natural ingredients have many benefits for our skin and overall health.

One major benefit of substituting commercial beauty products with natural ingredients is that you can save a lot of money. Most of these natural ingredients are in your kitchen. In fact, you can DIY and even customize them to your liking to boost your beauty regimen.

1. Baking Soda to Exfoliate Skin and Whiten Teeth

Get rid of stubborn black heads with baking soda. Wet your face with warm water. Pour some baking soda into your hands and massage unto your face for at least 3 minutes. It might sting a little so be sure to do this gently.

Don’t do this if you have a huge pimple or a painful acne breakout or a wound as it may aggravate your skin’s condition. After 3 minutes, rinse your face with water and pat dry. Your face might be a bit red after this but it will definitely be brighter. Follow with a moisturizer.

This is one of the natural beauty tips that can also be used as alternative to your commercial toothpaste to whiten teeth. Be gentle when brushing so you don’t irritate your gums. Instead, brush your teeth for a longer duration to get rid of stains. You won’t get the bubbly texture of toothpaste and you might not like the taste but doing this will help whiten your teeth.

2. Cocoa and Cinnamon as Natural Bronzer

If you can never get the shade you want from commercial bronzers, then this recipe is a good opportunity to create your own.

Mix cocoa powder and cinnamon powder until you get the shade that you want. Store in a jar or container and brush on your skin for that bronze look. Get a liquid version by mixing into your moisturizing cream or your lotion. This is one of the all natural beauty tips that is cheap and smells good too! Integrate into your daily beauty routine for healthier skin.

3. Sugar and Oil to Exfoliate and Moisturize

Say goodbye to dry skin with this easy recipe that you can enjoy in the shower.

Blend together a cup of sugar (any kind will do), half a cup of oil (olive or coconut oil) and store in a wide mouth jar. Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil for fragrance. Gently massage unto skin and rinse well. Enjoy silky, soft skin after!

You can use this all natural beauty tip to focus on dry spots too, such as your elbows and knees.

4. Coconut Oil and Baking Soda as Deodorant

Prevent body odor while taking care of your under arm skin with this recipe.

In a bowl, mix 4 tablespoons baking soda and 4 tablespoons cornstarch. Add in 6 tablespoons coconut oil and blend well. You can add a few drops of essential oil for fragrance. Store in a glass jar or old deodorant container for easy use.

It may take several hours for the mixture to cool and harden completely. You can pop it into the fridge for a few hours to harden faster. Store in a cool dry place as it may melt in direct sunlight, which means it might also melt during summer months.

5. Orange, Lemon or Calamansi to Brighten Skin

Brighten elbows and knees by cutting an orange, lemon or calamansi in half and rubbing the halves into these areas. It will exfoliate and soften the skin in these rough patches and it will smell good too. Remember to be gentle with this process and rinse well when you’re done.

Show your skin some love with these natural beauty substitutes to your beauty products. Try out these DIY beauty tips and tell us your results.

Updated. First published on Pinoy Smart Living on 2019.09.13.
Featured Image: Original Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash.

May

2020

Easy Home Remedies for Cough and Cold

Reading Time: 4 minutes

When somebody in the family is sick, this is an unplanned expense that eats away at your monthly budget. A simple cough or cold, when not treated immediately, can cause bigger problems later on. Fortunately, there are easy home remedies for cough and cold that you can try.

1. Drink Up!

The advise to drink 6-8 glasses of water daily is even more important when you have a cough or cold. Keeping yourself hydrated helps to keep your throat moist and prevent you suffering from a dry coughing fit.

A good tip to keep in mind is to drink warm water. Not only will it soothe your throat; it will also help reduce bacteria or virus in your throat that may be causing the infection.

You can drink other liquids aside from just plain water. Herbal teas and warm, clear soup are great alternatives for soothing cough and cold.

For example, you can start your morning by blending a cup of warm water with the juice of half a lemon and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Stir and sip before your breakfast to help soothe your throat, loosen up your clogged nose and lessen inflammation.

2. Go Steamy

Go steamy when you have a cough or cold. Slowly breath in the steam from your hot drink to decongest your nose. This helps you ease your stuffy nose and even clear up a headache. You can easily do this with a cup of plain, hot water.

You can destress as you inhale some steam by mixing some of your favorite aromatherapy oils into a cup of hot water. Try putting in a few drops of lavender for a calming effect. Use peppermint or eucalyptus oil for a cooling effect that can also decongest your clogged nose.

3. Spice Up Your Food

Spices have many benefits when used individually and in combination. Aside from adding them to food, you can add spices to your drinks to enjoy their benefits.

For example, if you are a fan of hot coffee or hot chocolate in the morning, try adding in some cinnamon powder, turmeric powder and cayenne pepper powder to your brew. Add coconut sugar, muscovado sugar or honey to balance the taste. All these spices help to warm your body, prevent inflammation and help you detoxify.

You can also add these spices to your soups along with other beneficial spices such as garlic, oregano, thyme, rosemary and ginger.

4. Make Your Own Cough Syrup

Hate the taste of cough syrup? Cough syrups are quite expensive, and as most kids will tell you, they taste awful. Save some cash and create your own cough syrup at home.

With natural sweeteners like honey, coconut sugar or muscovado sugar, it will taste better, will be as effective, if not, more effective and costs a lot cheaper than the one that comes in a bottle.

DIY Cough Syrup | Photo by Dominik Martin on Unsplash

Try out a combination of honey or sugar alternative and lemon with coconut oil or blend together crushed oregano leaves, lemon juice and honey or sugar alternative in warm water to get relief from your cough and cold. You can also add sliced ginger for more benefits.

Most of these ingredients are already available in your own kitchen or readily available in your local market or grocery stores. If you find that lemons are hard to find or a bit on the expensive side, you can always use calamansi instead.

5. Use a Neti Pot

Nasal decongestants are quite expensive. Try using a neti pot. If you haven’t heard of this before, it is highly recommended for decongesting your nasal passages and alleviating the effects of seasonal allergens such as pollens, which causes rhinitis.

The neti pot is a pot, plastic or ceramic, shaped like Aladdin’s lamp or rounder. There are many options available, including some that look like an elephant’s trunk. The best one must have a snout that’s small enough to comfortably fit inside your nostril.

To use a neti pot, pour in lukewarm water into the pot, add in a pinch of salt and stir to mix. Make sure the salt crystals are completely dissolved. You are basically making saline water.

Next, position yourself over the sink. Put your face forward and tilt your head to the side. Place the spout of the neti pot on your upturned nostril and slowly pour in the water which will pour out from your other nostril.

The first time you do this, you might feel like you’re drowning. Don’t panic. Just pour the water slowly until the pot is empty and repeat the same procedure on your other nostril.

The saline water mixture and the pouring action is what is called nasal irrigation. This helps to clean your nasal passages of allergens that may be stuck on your nasal walls and won’t be easy to clean out with tissue or cotton buds.

Be sure to use lukewarm water because cold water might give you a headache instead of relief from your nasal congestion.

Stay Cough and Cold-Free

Hopefully, these easy home remedies for cough and cold can help you get back on your feet as soon as possible. Remember that prevention is still better than cure. So be sure to get enough sleep, put in some exercise, have time to bask in the sunshine every morning and maintain healthy, eating habits to ensure that you do not get sick.

Observe wellness habits regularly so if you do get sick, you will be able to heal yourself much faster which also means less expenses for medicine and less sick days from work.

Updated. First published in Pinoy Smart Living 11.19.2018
Feature Image: Original Image by falconp4 from Pixabay