How To Organize a Toy Swap

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This is a great way to get new gifts for your kids- or help out your community!

Here’s how I would set it up!

To organize a toy swap, invite families with children in similar age groups and set clear guidelines for the number and condition of toys. On the day of the swap, set up an organized display area where participants can drop off toys, and then use a system like drawing numbers to ensure fair distribution.

  • Invite people with children in a similar age range to increase the chances of finding good swaps.

  • Decide on the number of toys each person should bring (e.g., 2–3) and set expectations for their condition. You can also decide on rules for leftover toys, such as donating them.

  • Send invitations with all the necessary guidelines, including the number of toys, quality, and how the swap will work. Punchbowl makes it easy!

Online Invitations - Punchbowl
Amazon.com Gift Cards ("GCs") sold by Sincere Corporation, an authorized and independent reseller of Amazon.com Gift…www.punchbowl.com

  • If your children are participating, talk to them about the swap and let them choose which toys to bring.

5+ Must Have Board Games + Amazon Sale

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Message in a Bottle DIY

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Directions

  1. Write or print the directions sign with similar verbiage: Message in a Bottle – please leave a note for the Mr. & Mrs. to read on their first anniversary. Place in picture frame.

2. Set up your table: arrange mini glass bottles, place pens in cups or jars

3. Cut as many thin strips of paper as needed for your guests and set them on the table.

4. Encourage guests to write a cute note to the couple, roll up the message, and slip into the bottle.

5. Stash the bottles in the sand in the planter or basket like a real ‘message in a bottle’!

10+ Clever Hacks to Save Money at Starbucks

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I am super addicted to Starbucks pumpkin bread and the Refresher cold drinks. But it can get really expensive, quick!

Here are some of my best tips for saving @ Starbucks!

  1. Sign up for a Starbucks card. Not only do you earn free drinks on your birthday, you’ll get two stars per dollar you spend, and when you reach certain thresholds, you’re eligible for freebies (one free coffee for every $25 spent, for example).

  2. Plus get free refills on hot or iced brew coffee and tea during the same store visit with a Starbucks reward card!

3. Be on the lookout for Starbucks instant win games. Here is one of the last games they offered. It’s a great way to earn points and free food.

4. Instead of pouring out coffee to make room for cream, order a small size but in a bigger cup.

5. Sign up for Starbucks Odyseey. If you are a Starbucks super fan, you will see the rewards pile up really fast:

Complete activities like games and challenges within each Journey to earn Points. We’ll add new Journeys throughout the year for more opportunities to earn Points. Once you complete a Journey, you’ll be awarded with a collectible Journey Stamp. and bonus Points towards your Point total. Watch for opportunities to purchase limited edition Stamps featuring unique, one-of-a-kind artwork, which will add even more bonus Points to your Point total — helping you to level up faster to unlock new Benefits.

6. Bring in a coffee sleeve to be reused and get a $0.10 discount. You also get a $0.10 discount for bringing in a mug.

7. Shop online. They regularly offer sales and deals.

8. Target stores that have Starbucks regularly clearance Starbucks mugs, coffee and more, especially after the holidays.

9. Don’t forget to get your puppy a puppachino! It’s a small cup of whip cream for a few dollars that your pup will love.

10. Check out the secret Starbucks menu.

11. Make your own Starbucks favorites @ home!

Starbucks Lemon Loaf

Starbucks Vanilla Scone

Starbucks Oat Fudge Bars

Starbucks Banana Bread

Starbucks Passion Tea Lemonade Copycat

Starbucks Copycat Caramel Frappuccino

Starbucks Iced Coffee

Starbucks Valentine Frappuccino

Starbucks Love Bean Frappuccino

Starbucks Pumpkin Pound Cake Recipe

Starbucks Washington Apple Pound Cake Recipe

10+ Clever Items To Rent Instead of Buy

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Sometimes it makes more sense to rent items than buy them.

For example, a few years ago, my husband was installing a fence on our property. We did not need to buy a posthole digger, which runs $219!

So he went to Home Depot and rented one for $50/day. And saved over $150.

So Why Is It Good to Rent?

There are times when it makes a lot more sense to rent!

  • If you only need an item once, like equipment from Home Depot

  • Need an item for a limited time

  • Need an item for a special occasion like a wedding, like a fake cake.

  • You just want to try out an item before buying. For example, this could include musical instruments, sporting equipment or photography equipment.

  • You also want to encourage a more sustainable environment and cut down on waste.

  • Your home has a lack of storage space.

  • You don’t want extra tools, etc. cluttering up your home.

What items qualify to be rented instead of bought? Here are some good ones.

And did you know you can rent someone else’s property, pool, garage, etc? Here are some websites to check out:

  • Camping: Hipcamp

  • Space for gardening: YardYum

  • Garage storage: Neighbor

  • Private swimming pool: Swimply

  • Parking spaces, which can be hard to find in crowded cities or popular tourist destinations: SpotHero

  • Ceremonial caskets with removable interiors: Many funeral homes offer this option

Getting Married? Snag $700+ In Wedding Freebies!

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Getting married? Be sure to register at these 10+ stores for freebies, coupons and more!

MORE WEB SITES

According to People magazine, here are the best wedding web sites:

Best Wedding Websites

How to Create a Clever, Money-Saving Gift Pantry

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Have you ever had to come up with a last-minute gift for a birthday party or another event? I’ve found that having a gift closet is a great way to avoid last-minute trips to the store.

Storage

I keep all the gifts in my basement, in a section only for gifts. This way I am able to remember what I bought. I also add sticky notes, noting who this would be a good gift for. And when it comes to regifting, be sure to add notes, saying who gave you the gift, so you don’t regift back to them!

Events

Here are some occasions to keep in mind when you are stocking your gift closest:

  • birthday parties

  • Christmas

  • graduations

  • anniversaries

  • weddings

  • baby showers

  • Easter

  • Mother’s Day

  • Father’s Day

What Kind of Gifts?

Here are some ideas of what I have stockpiled over the years.

Anniversaries- Depending on the year, the 25th, which is silver, and 50th is gold, you can create a collage in Shutterfly (I did this for my in-law’s 35th anniversary), framed photos of the couple on their wedding day, or convert some old video tapes of them to computer-ready format, so they can be shared on Facebook and emailed to family and friends.

Baby showers — Diapers, wipes, and a favorite board book, all are good ideas. Think practical! I also like diaper cake ideas, you can find instructions on Pinterest.

Birthday parties — Board games, dolls, gift cards, books. For older kids, you can’t go wrong with gift cards. A good time to stock up is when Target has its clearance sale in January and July.

Weddings — This is harder to stock up on, because I normally go off the person’s registry list. But if you want to have basic gifts on hand, you can’t go wrong with gift baskets, photo frames from Pottery Barn, a memory box. My go-to sources for wedding gifts are Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel and Williams Sonoma. They regularly have sales online and in-store.

Graduations — Prepackaged treats, a gift box of cleaning supplies, movie tickets, restaurant gift cards, and of course, cash!

More Items to Stash:

  • DIY food gifts

  • fun coffee mugs

  • gift cards

  • pretty bowls

  • cute kitchen gadgets

  • baskets

  • lotions, hand creams

  • coloring books and crayons

  • cute journals

  • giftable clearance purchases

  • pretty blankets

  • candles

  • stationary

  • craft supplies

  • puzzles

  • board games

  • Legos

  • Hot Wheels

  • earbuds

  • lantern

  • Kindle

  • tools

  • anything sporty

  • regifts- be sure to remove an personal wrapping paper or labels before gifting

And don’t forget…

Keep on hand the following supplies to make your gift-giving easier!

  • wrapping paper, in holiday prints and solids

  • gift bags

  • tissue paper

  • ribbon

  • tags

  • tape

  • scissors

Do you have a go-to gift that you keep on hand in your gift closet?