I thought I'd share a link to a blog I found while looking for Christmas Gift ideas for kids.

Great posts, and they have regular competitions too. Infact, I won a DVD!!

Just Us Kids Online’s Blog » Blog Archive » Handy Manny: A Very Handy Holiday

Over-the-top spending is becoming less in-vogue, and being frugal is becoming even more common and acceptable than it was when our parents and grandparends were young.  But it's not about wearing worn hand-me-downs or using your the same tea bag all day anymore.

Now, being thrifty is as much about being smart with your purchases and use of products as it is about cutting back on extravagances like dining out or buying the latest fashions.  But I'm not here to give you a lesson in frugality, there are plenty of other websites and blogs out there to do that.  I'm writing to share my suggestions on frugal Christmas gifting!

Start Early
I know you say it every year - "I'll start buying my gifts early this year, in the sales!" - but how often do you actually do it?!  Stores run sales all year round, and the best bargains aren't always found in the post-Christmas rush.  Watch for clearance tags at your local Kmart, Target or other favorite department store.

Think Carefully
Your husband complains every time he looks for a tool that he can't find something, but he never does anything about it.  Perfect!  You can buy him a tool-box or trolley for Christmas.  It's all about paying attention to what your friends and family really want, and buying accordingly.  That way you don't rush out three days before Christmas and buy the most expensive thing in the store just because it will impress them.

Know Your Pricing
Just because one store has something 'On Sale' or a 'Huge Discount' doesn't mean you can't get it cheaper elsewhere.  If you have a specific item in mind, shop around for the best price.  If you're buying a big ticket item, plan to pay in cash and haggle for the best deal.

Shop Online
Online clearance warehouses and department stores like DealsDirect, TopBuy, Catch of the Day and a horde of others have great daily deals, often with extra discounts off their already low prices, and with other perks like free shipping thrown in on top.  Check for offers through online payment sites like Paypal.  Shop smart on auction sites like eBay - take note of the rule above, and don't get caught out by shipping costs either!  Make sure you buy with plenty of time to spare - a gift arriving a week after Christmas won't be much good!

Re-gifting
It's not an evil word!  Sometimes you end up with fantastic gifts that you're just never going to use. Or maybe you win some random competition, and wonder hell are you going to do with a second cordless drill?!  Just because you don't need or can't use an item, doesn't mean you didn't appreciate it in the first place - so why let a perfectly good gift go unused?!  Needless to say, don't gift back to the person who gave it to you in the first place!!

Don't Over-spend
This one is pretty simple.  Set your budget for Christmas spending, and aim to come out on top.  Narrow down that gift list if you have to - and don't be afraid to let people know you can't or won't be buying for them this year.

Make It Up
Close friends and family enjoy gifts made with thought and care.  Gift packs with a mix of smaller items are great fun for kids - and adults too.

Let Other People Know What YOU Want!
Others can be frugal too!!  Make an online Wishlist and let all your potential gift-buyers know about it.  That way you end up with exactly what you want, and people don't over-spend trying to buy you the 'perfect' gift.

I hope you enjoy these tips!!   I'll post again soon with more Christmas tips, to help get in the spirit!

Scrambled Eggs on Toast is one of my fave breakfasts. Here's my all-time favorite way to make them!

Ingredients

• 2 Large Free-Range Eggs
• 3 Sprigs Fresh Parsley
• 4 Stems Fresh Chives
• 2 Tablespoons Milk (this is a guesstimate)
• 1 Teaspoon Butter (I use Flora Buttery Taste Spread, VERY yummy)
• 2 Slices Bread, to toast
• More butter to spread on toast
• A little salt to serve

Method:

1. Start by putting a small non-stick pan on the stove, on a medium-low heat, then pop your bread in the toaster.
2. Finely chop the herbs, and scramble into the eggs with the milk and butter.
3. Pour into your heated non-stick pan
4. Wait until the eggs are just clinging to the bottom before scraping away carefully into soft folds.
5. Repeat until the eggs are still a bit wibbly, but cooked through.
6. Butter your hot toast, and serve with a quick grind of salt, and a side of sliced Avocado!

I wanted to introduce my readers to some friends of mine. A mum and her two sons who are involved in home schooling, and who learn through a process known as natural learning/unschooling.

From what I can gather, the concept is that children - like adults - learn more effectively through experiences than they do in a classroom. That is, that instead of sitting in a formal classroom situation and having things hammered into their brains, they learn through doing and seeing!!

To anyone who has a knowledge of the different 'Learning Styles' - Visual, Auditory and Tactile - I would think that this approach would make a lot of sense!!

Anyway, their blog isn't a look at how the learn, it's more a showcase of what they do! I hope you enjoy it, as I am certainly enjoying it so far.

Since my regular theme is a bit broken at the moment, and I haven't found a new one I like yet, I've decided to whack on a Christmas-themed blog template.

Hope it helps everyone get into the spirit of the season :D

What do you love about Christmas? What do you hate?

No, I didn't get mugged, but it was bloody humid and warm today!!

Warmest day of Spring so far (I think?), getting to a top of 26°C and 50% - 60% Humidity!!

Unbelievably, it's still hovering at 19°C as I write this at nearly 9PM. Ahh roll on Summer!

I got most of my chores done early, followed by errands, and then drove out to Longford to see some friends. I took a pack of boisterous dogs for a walk/swim at the river, and spent the rest of the afternoon lazing away and chatting.

As you can see, Harry really enjoyed lazing with his friends Alexander and Nicholas on the loveseat:
I'm doing well so far with my goals, and I've exercised 4 out of 5 days since writing that post. I'm not doing so well with the pampering myself, but I'm going to make up for that next week when I go and have a Manicure, Pedicure and Lash Tint - Bec made me do it!!!

Well, apparently I'm really hard to buy for, so I've created an online wishlist!
Will update it regularly with stuff I want :P

Cool website too, let you make multiple lists per account, and you can customise each with a template. Would be good for baby showers, birthdays, weddings etc!

Scrap that one, I made a new one!! You can see it Here

Been feeling pretty lost lately, and I've decided I'm going to take a page from somebody else's book and set out my goals on the blog. Nothing better than the huddled masses on the web to keep you in check!

As some of you know, housework and other tasks really tend to get on top of me. If I'm unwell for a day or more, general daily chores get missed, and it snowballs from there. Depression ensues, and it turns into a vicious cycle!

They'll get more ambitious as I get into it, but here they are for a start.

• Blog at least once a week
• Spend some time at least 5 days a week one-on-one training with the dogs
• Exercise at least 5 days a week - minimum 10 minutes
• Keep up the good work listing my mounds of stuff on eBay
• Set 3 simple housework goals each day, and achieve them!
• Take a few minutes out each day to spend time pampering myself
• Don't let things get me down!

Okay! Let's see how I go with those for starters.