Free (and Cheap) Ideas for Easter!

Instead of the traditional baskets - which can get damaged over time and take up space (and all that horrid plastic grass) why not give the kiddos a personalized tote bag instead? Did I mention it is FREE? Vista print.com occasionally offers special deals, like a free custom tote. You will have to pay a small shipping fee, but it is always much less than the value of the item.
Here is the tote we got for our Lil' G:

Stores flat, won't get damaged!

While you are scoring free customized goodies at vistaprint.com in preparation for Easter, why not grab a few other fun  kid gift ideas? Since we are working on responsibility in our house, I ordered a custom notepad that is a chore check list:

She likes having a little box for the check-mark

 a poster calendar that has a reward system on it (for home and school behavior),

This helps us keep track of her behavior

 and a big magnet for the fridge to display Lil' G's artwork. 

Next, I went to Target for travel size lotion bottles, 2 pack for $1. I also grabbed a few small $1 items like plastic sunglasses, pink flip flops, and sidewalk chalk.

I joined Vitacost.com, and received a $10 credit! I did have to pay shipping, however. I got peppermint and lavender Essential oils and unscented lotion for $4! I made bug repelling lotion for myself and Lil' G (we are bug magnets). She loves the smell and the way it softens her skin - unlike oily sprays. I put a travel size and larger size in her tote bag, so she can smell pretty and be bug free anywhere!

The recipe is simple, mix 20 oz. lotion with 2 Tablespoons Essential oil. I added 1 Tbsp. lavender  and 1 Tbsp. peppermint, to lessen the harshness of the peppermint. 

Make your own scents that repel! 

The essential oils that work well against mosquitoes are:

cinnamon oil

lemon eucalyptus oil

citronella oil

castor oil

This work by Little Mom on the Prairie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.