Mandii's Muse

I wanted to share with you a look back into a previous post about gift giving. We all have those people who you should get them something, but don't want to break the bank while doing so. This post was published on December 3, 2013 but I think the ideas are just as cute today! They are simple, inexpensive, and too cute! Enjoy!

 Have you ever gone down the Amazon rabbit hole? You know, the one where it shows you things that you didn't know existed, but now that you've seen it, you NEED it?! Yeah, me too. With back to school approaching (Ugh, I KNOW!), I wanted to get this review out there in case this is just the product you are looking for. Let me introduce you to the Budley ! Let's talk about earbuds. They are great for traveling, listening to music while you study, popping them in while you are working out or cutting the grass! The issue with regular earbuds? They tangle, they break, and they end up lost! The bluetooth ones are SO expensive, for many people those are out of the question. So here is where the Budley comes in! Look at this picture, you'd never know that my headphones are wrapped up in there! They aren't tangled! Plus, they are taking up way less space than usual. The Budley is made out of silicone, and holds your earbuds in place. Seriously, this is genius! I...

I always get a pretty good mix of practical and fun gifts for Christmas. I am the type of person that typically doesn't hate any gifts people buy for me. I had some "oh, I've always wanted one of these" moments, and that is usually the reaction gift givers are looking for. Image First up, practical gifts! The first practical gift I received was a 2 quart crock pot. I have a gigantic 7 quart one, but most recipes call for a smaller size. I was able to use this already for New Year's to keep rice warm, and it worked perfectly! Next up was a Snackeez. Listen, I know that I am 28 years old. I have an obsession with travel mugs. I am telling you, this thing is genius. I can put a drink and a snack in one package. I've already tested this, and I love it! Trust me, if you don't have one, you are going to want one. Image Next, big gifts! I got a few bigger gifts this year. From my parent's I got an iHome. My old alarm clock worked well, but with th...

I entitled this post Christmas gifts for "The Others" because you know you always have those people that you don't know what to buy for them. People like hairdressers, co-workers, and maybe your child's teacher. I pulled these ideas from my Pinterest page. These gifts are small, and relatively inexpensive, so if you need to make multiples of this, it will not break the bank.  How adorable is this? This is just a cute way to decorate your gum.  Who doesn't love a peppermint sugar scrub? This can be made in bulk and be gifted to many different people. Plus, it could be done in a few hours on a Saturday.  I thought this gift would be adorable for a child's class. Who wouldn't love to munch on "Reindeer Noses", and Rudolph's nose?  What woman doesn't love getting nail polish and matching socks? I know I would! This would be great for your hairdresser or child's teacher! Can you see yourself giving some of these gifts? If you...

I had first found this scarf on Pinterest , and immediately thought, "I can do that!" So with some careful planning, and the right tools, I did. I knew I wanted to make a scarf with my favorite Celtic Thunder lyrics on it. I got the lyrics in the right order so now it was time for materials. I went to Wal-Mart and scored this plain green scarf for $5. A quick trip to Michael's for a Tulip broadtip fabric marker, and I was good to go. I think this whole project cost me less than $10. Score! The whole completed scarf First, I washed the scarf. That way I had a clean surface to begin with. Then I set up my ironing board. I used a yardstick and drew a straight line across the scarf with chalk. I shook my marker well and began writing. *I chose to write in cursive, because I think I write neater that way but you can choose* When I reached the end of the line, I waited a a minute or two, and then drew another line with chalk evenly spaced from the first line. Continued...