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Elf on the Shelf Gifts Under $5

December 7, 2018 by Stacy Craft 6 Comments

Our elf has been hanging around our house for the last 3 Christmas seasons. Lots of days she just moves to a new location and does not do much else. But on a few special days, she brings a little treat or gift to the kids.

Here are several elf on the shelf gifts under $5 that our littlest member of the family has brought to our home in the past.

Also remember, the elf is fun just to find. My daughter (just turned 5) gets the biggest kick out of searching for her every morning. So don’t get tied up in thinking that the elf needs to bring a treat every day.

Ours usually brings a small treat a few times a season.

(Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.)

Elf on the Shelf Gifts Under $5

When thinking about elf gifts, there are lots of options. I like small gifts because well the elf is small.

Also, since it is so close to Christmas, we don’t want to overdo it. But a fun little surprise from the elf is a great way to increase the anticipation and magic of the upcoming holiday.

Here are some of my favorite small elf on the shelf gifts under $5 for your elf to bring.

Breakfast with the Elf

The elf moves at night. So breakfast is one of my favorite elf on the shelf gifts under $5 to bring. I mean, your kids have to eat breakfast so a fun Christmas inspired breakfast delivered by their elf is oh so special.

Your kids will think your elf is the coolest for bringing these special breakfast treats! Throw in a banana or something to add a little nutrition! Of course this is just a treat – I don’t want the organic breakfast police on me!

Christmas Crunch Cereal – This is the breakfast treat that our elf brought this year.

Gingerbread Spice Oatmeal – I am not sure if my kids would eat this but it sounds good to me!

Hot Cocoa & Marshmallow Mini Donuts – I found mine at the grocery store. And can I just tell you, I broke my diet for one of these. And then I noticed the serving size was 4, so I went ahead and had a serving. I got these for the kids and the combo did not even sound that good to me but they are really yummy!

Sugar Cookie Poptarts – We had these at Halloween and they are so fun.

Clif Bar Peppermint Bark – What a fun flavor for a holiday granola bar.

Books from the Elf

The Littlest Elf – What is cuter than the elf bringing an elf book? We read this during our 24 Book Christmas Advent Countdown! It is a cute book about a tiny elf looking for his purpose.

Stained Glass Christmas Coloring Book – This is a small book with 8 pages that you color and then hang in a window for a stained glass effect. Cool concept and great price (especially if you need to get a couple to prevent fights).

A Christmas Celebration Sticker & Activ ity Book – This is by The Beginner’s bible which we own and love. We don’t have this activity book but it gets good reviews and looks like a fun way to remind kids of the reason for the season!

Disney Princess Christmas Eve Coloring Book – With 40 pages, this is a big coloring book of Princesses in Christmas settings. If your little one is Frozen obsessed or princess obsessed like mine, this might be a good choice.

Check out this cool 24 Days of Christmas books Advent Calendar for Kids.

Candy from the Elf

Candy Canes – We did a candy cane hunt this year during our A to Z Christmas countdown. My 4 year old searched around for candy canes hidden in our living room and had a blast. Your elf could hide the candy canes!

LOL Surprise Finders Keepers Eggs – My daughter would probably eat broccoli if it had an LOL Surprise doll on it. I made a huge list of LOL gifts because she loves it so much. The toy in these is very small but it is still a fun little treat and the chocolate egg gets eaten quickly!

Magic Seed & Candy Cane filled Candy – Our crazy little elf did this the other day. She brought two magic seeds (you could use M&M’s, cheerios, dried beans, raisins, tic tacs) and a bowl of powdered sugar. The note instructed that we plant the seeds and wait to see if they would grow. When we got home from school, the seeds had grown into two candy canes filled with candy! So fun and easy.

Hot Cocoa & Snowflake Shaped Marshmallows – We like to do hot cocoa and a Christmas movie a few times during the month of December. I would usually buy this anyway but it is a little more magical coming from the elf.

Other Cute Elf on the Shelf Gifts Under $5

Good to Grow Character Top Juices – My kids go bananas for these.

Frozen $1 Bill – Fill a 4 oz Glad container with water. Put a $1 bill in a snack size ziplock bag and seal it. Roll up the bag/dollar combo and stuff it in your water filled container. The elf will deliver a frozen $1 bill in the morning for the kid’s piggy bank. The elf should sit with an Elsa doll if you have one!

Christmas Grinch Bandaids – Kids love bandaids. Your elf could get into this box of cute bandaids & put a couple on herself. She leaves the rest for the kids. My kids always get bandaids in their stocking too and they are thrilled.

Rudolph PJ Pants – You can find cute pajama pants for $5 at Target. Our elf has even brought Elf on the Shelf pjs for our kids before (but those fall out of the $5 range).

Holiday Goldfish – The elf goes fishing and leaves some special goldfish for snack! Use a toothpick, lollipop stick or even a skewer for the “fishing pole.”

Hopefully this list of elf on the shelf gifts under $5 gives you some new ideas to make the magic of the elf come alive on the cheap!

18 Dollar Tree Gifts from Elf On the Shelf

Check out my other gift guides while you are here to make your Christmas shopping even easier!

We have LOL Surprise dolls and Frozen II gift guides. Stuff your stockings for under $5 for your 1 year old and your 3-5 year old.

THM E Loaded Tuna Salad on Sprouted Bread

July 18, 2018 by Stacy Craft 2 Comments

Learn how to create a delicious THM E loaded tuna salad on sprouted bread for a simple brown bag lunch.

Have you ever tried tuna with just yellow mustard? My mom claims she likes it that way but I think it is awful. I remember in my college days trying to choke down that bright yellow tinged fish.

Too afraid to “waste” calories on mayo. Thank goodness I found Trim Healthy Mama and have lost 22 lbs postpartum without counting calories!

This THM E Loaded tuna salad is creamy and full of flavor even without the mayo. And you can whip it up quickly (especially if you prep your eggs ahead of time) making it a great weekday lunch for work.

It is also budget friendly! These are the top criteria in creating lunch right? Especially if you are at work or chasing a kid around.

(Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.)

Let’s Talk Budget First

If you follow THM, you know that you can spend lots of money on special ingredients.

Heck, forget the special ingredients, HELLO bacon. When did bacon get so expensive? And my husband eats bacon like water so I like to find on plan recipes that help my budget as well.

THM E loaded tuna salad is a cheap lunch or even a light summer dinner. Here is a rundown of what I spent:

Knock Your Sprouts off Bread (Aldi), 2 slices – $0.21 (check out other on plan bread options here)

Tuna (packed in water) – .79

Plain Greek Nonfat Yogurt – .80

Boiled Egg – .08

Small Amount of mustard, dill pickles and onion – .20

Total $2.08

I eat the whole can but you could bulk the salad up and split it to make this a $1 per serving lunch! Either way, it is much cheaper than heading to your local deli to pick up a sub.

And I don’t know about you but there isn’t a deli with sprouted bread near me!

THM E Loaded Tuna Salad

Prep work involves simply boiling your egg. If you do this before lunch, you can make this THM E loaded tuna salad in no time.

Boil your egg like you typically would and slice in half.

With an E meal, we want to cut out the majority of the fat because we are going to indulge in healthy carbs (sprouted bread). The problem is that I love boiled eggs in my tuna salad.

To the point that I don’t think it is real tuna salad without eggs. I found a little trick to have my eggs with less fat. Just remove the yolk!

I know, I know. Duh! I had never really thought of it before but the yolk easily pops out of a boiled egg. Simply slice your egg.

Use a spoon to gently remove the bulk of the yolk. There may be a tiny remnant of yolk but I don’t worry about that. After all, THM E meals are low fat, not completely fat free.

Don’t throw that yolk away! Save it to add to your boiled eggs S meal or snack. I usually serve it to my 8 month old to go with his breakfast or lunch. Or I give it to my dog! He loves eggs. You could also save it to add into a THM S tuna salad.

Add the drained tuna to a medium bowl. Then add the amount of nonfat greek yogurt that you like to get to the desired creaminess.

I didn’t add measurements because everyone likes their mix a little different. I usually start with a couple of tablespoons and then add more if needed.

Chop your egg whites and add to the salad mix. Chop up a dill pickle or two and add.

The rest is optional but I like a tiny splash of mustard to give it a little more flavor. The greek yogurt gives you the creaminess of mayo but not quite as much flavor.

The splash of mustard amps up the flavor without giving me nightmares of the yellow bowl of tuna I tried to eat in college. A small amount of diced onion gives the THM E loaded tuna salad a little extra flavor and crunch.

Mix all of the items that you choose well. You want the ingredients to be well incorporated with the yogurt.

Load up your sprouted bread with the creamy, tuna salad. You won’t even miss the fat that is typically associated with tuna salad.

Serve it up with some fresh veggies or a piece of fruit for a complete meal.

My Sprouted Bread Tip

If you are new to THM, it won’t take you long to realize that sprouted bread doesn’t taste like the bread that you are probably used to. It is brown, it has some seeds, kind of chewy. I will be honest, I did not love it when I first started my THM journey.

The first tip is to try the Knock Your Sprouts Off bread from Aldi. I tried tons of different brands and it is by far my favorite. My Wonder bread husband can even eat it! Plus, it is so much less expensive than other brands. At just under $3, it doesn’t cost much more than the white, refined variety.

Here is my best sprouted bread tip: Toast your bread. Simple, right? If you toast the bread, it gives it a light crunch and takes away the chewy aspect of sprouted bread that I don’t care for.

More THM Recipes

If you want to read about some more of my popular THM recipes or ideas, check these out!

Cheesy Salsa Verde Chicken with Cauli Rice

Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops

Bacon Cheeseburger Soup (Using Leftovers!)

6 THM Lunch Ideas

Smoked Salmon Topped Jalapeno Poppers

I hope you try this THM E loaded tuna salad on your next lunch break. Do you add anything unusual to your tuna?

Christmas Gifts for 0-3 Month Old

November 8, 2020 by Stacy Craft Leave a Comment

Find a list of ideas for Christmas gifts for 0-3 month old babies.

You always hear “give them a box” when new parents ask seasoned parents about what to buy their toddler as a gift. It’s all they will play with any way is the advice. And while it is pretty much true, I always had a problem with it.

Of course I know that they don’t really need anything at that age. But lots of times the parent wants to start a tradition. To experience the fun and some of the holiday magic with young kids at home.

So when both of my babies were born near the end of the year, I found myself with a 3 week old one Christmas and a 2 month old at Christmas a few years later.

And of course I fell into the category of I wanted to give them something for Christmas. So we did a couple of small gifts and then Santa even brought them a few presents.

Here I will share with you ideas for Christmas gifts for 0-3 month old infants.

(Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.)

Christmas Gifts for 0-3 Month Old

There are a couple of things to keep in mind when shopping for a brand new baby for Christmas.

Keep it Practical – They don’t have wants for “things” yet so feel free to grab something practical that they really need.
Minimize the Gifts – I get that it is so fun for your toddler or young child to have a pile of presents to open (even if they are small because it is all about the box at that age, right?). But for a 1 month old, they will have zero interest or ability to engage with a wrapped present. So keep it to just a few items.

Practical Baby Gifts for a Newborn Infant

If someone is asking what to get your new baby for Christmas, these are some things that are fairly practical but also make good gifts for infants.

Clothing – anything that you might need that you didn’t get prior to them being born.
Books – start building their Christmas book collection now so that you can do this Christmas Advent calendar when they are around 2! It is so fun.
Splurge Items for Baby that Also Help Mama – a Baby Brezza if you are bottle feeding, luxury jogging stroller etc.
Essential Items for when they are older – Think about things you didn’t get at your baby showers that you will need in a few months. Spoons, divided plates, sippy cups, extra blankets.
Start them a College fund – It is not too early!

Toys That Santa Brought for Our 1 Month old

Both of those years that we had tiny babies at home, Santa visited! He brought a few toys that were perfect for an infant to enjoys.

Activity Gym – These are great to entertain young babies. Not only do they keep the infant engaged, it helps to encourage their motor skills and provides a nice spot for tummy time.

Fisher Price Rattle & Teether Gift Set – The sweet treats set is discontinued but any set that you like would be great for this age.

Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Camera

Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Puppy (We actually had the monkey but that had been discontinued too)

Toys That Santa Brought for our 2 Month old

Floor Seat

Smooth Moves Sloth – I think we had a different animal but it was similar to this. My baby loved watching it move at this age.

Whatever you decide, remember that there is no right or wrong when it comes to Christmas gifts for 0-3 month old babies.

You do what makes you happy. Does a 1 month old need a Christmas gift or toy? No not really. Is it totally fine to want to buy that sweet baby something? Of course!

Have fun & and enjoy your first Christmas with your new precious baby.

Free Thanksgiving Dinner From Ibotta

November 7, 2020 by Stacy Craft Leave a Comment

Do you want a free Thanksgiving dinner from Ibotta this year? It is easy to do. Find out how below.

I love the Ibotta app. If you have never used it, essentially it is a rebate app that rewards you for purchasing certain products.

Think the new face of coupons. You simply add offers, buy the product, scan your receipt and your rebate will be added within a few hours to days.

Once you get $20 in your account, you can cash out with Paypal or a variety of gift cards. It is easy, trustworthy & really works.

And for a limited time, you can get a free Thanksgiving dinner from Ibotta at Walmart.

(Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.)

Free Thanksgiving Dinner From Ibotta

Getting your free Thanksgiving dinner from Ibotta is really easy.

Go to Ibotta.com and sign up for a free account if you don’t already have one from your computer.
A pop up for the Free Thanksgiving Dinner will pop up.
Follow the directions to link your Walmart account with Ibotta.
Once Linked, you can add the free Thanksgiving items online or on your Ibotta Mobile App.
Add them to your Walmart grocery pickup cart.
Once you checkout and have your groceries delivered or picked up, your rebate will automatically deposit within 24 hours.

What Free Thanksgiving Food Items Do You Get?

It really is a complete free Thanksgiving dinner from Ibotta. Here are the items that you will receive to feed a crowd of 5 people.

Free 2 Liter Coca-Cola
Free Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom
Free Great Value Stuffing Mix
Free Great Value Fine Green Beans*
Free Great Value Cranberry Sauce
Free French’s Original Crispy Fried Onions
Free McCormick Gravy Packet
Free Idahoan Mashed Potatoes
Free Butterball Turkey Roast (3 lbs)*

*Items with a * are approved and on plan for Trim Healthy Mama.

The total value of this free meal is $20.91! What a great freebie that I think will help a lot of people during this busy and expensive holiday season.

Make sure you sign up soon because it says that supplies are limited. Always check the app before you purchase to make sure the deal is still available.

Foods that I don’t Eat

Since I am a follower of the Trim Healthy Mama diet, there are several things that I don’t eat that are included in this free meal.

If you are in the same boat, you can always grab them anyway and donate them. Food pantries have been seeing record usage thanks to COVID so I’m sure they would appreciate the donation.

It is an easy way to give to those in need.

Join my Facebook group for more money saving deals – Protecting Your THM Pennies.

Gifts for the Goldendoodle Lover

December 2, 2018 by Stacy Craft Leave a Comment

If you need gifts for the Goldendoodle lover in your life, look no further. We have scoured the internet for the cutest doodle merchandise out there.

Meet Murphy. He loves to steal things that don’t belong to him, act scared of inanimate options, and bark when a leaf blows by. He was a gift that I gave to my mom a couple of years ago.

It is safe to say that she would love any of these gifts for the Goldendoodle lover. She is officially obsessed with this big ball of fur.

Murphy is probably what most would consider spoiled.

He has every dog toy available. A deluxe dog bed is waiting for him in the corner of the room (although he opts for the bed or couch typically).

Murphy loves to go to doggy day care while my mom works so that he stays occupied and can see his friends. Yes, he has his own friends. He is the product of an empty nest mother and he is proud of it.

Since he doesn’t want for much so as the upcoming holiday season approaches, I thought I would look for some Goldendoodle gifts that my mom might like that would portray her favorite doodle.

(Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.)

Gifts for the Goldendoodle Lover

These gifts for the goldendoodle lover are unique, fun and economical. The Goldendoodle Mom or Dad in your life will love that you thought of their fur baby when selecting a gift for them.

Shop Small – Etsy Doodle Finds

Remember when shopping Etsy to allow a little extra time for production and delivery. Many of these small shops run with just one or two people and many items are made to order.

I love shopping small at Christmas time!

Doodle Mom Distressed Hat – A cute and casual hat for the Doodle mom.

Doods Before Dudes Tee – Know a single dood mom? This T-shirt is the perfect gift.

Custom Doodle Address Stamp – Great for those Christmas cards you need to send.

Custom Doodle Earrings – I haven’t purchased dog earrings, but I did buy some Nick Saban earrings for a University of Alabama gift basket that I made from this same shop. They were good quality and hilarious. I highly recommend!

Under $20

All You Need Is Love & A Goldendoodle – This cute box sign decor is perfect to set on a tabletop of the Goldendoodle Mom or Dad.

Goldendoodle Christmas Ornament – The dangling legs make this so adorable to me. You can also easily personalize this with a Sharpie to feature the name of the puppy.

Doodle Mom Pop Socket – These pop sockets are super popular and this one is adorable for the doodle mom.

Doodle Mother Wine Lover Shirt – Goldendoodle clothing is one of those must have gifts for the Goldendoodle lover. Does she love to drink a glass of wine and cuddle her doodle? This cute long sleeve shirt comes in a few color options so that you can choose her Dog Mom style.

Home is Where the Doodle is Tea Towel – This would be a cute little stocking stuffer or even hostess gifts for the Goldendoodle lover.

Goldendoodle Memo Pad – A great stocking stuffer for the Goldendoodle mom’s desk at work or the fridge to make quick lists.

Goldendoodle Wall Calendar – Keep track of the year while seeing 12 cute Goldendoodles.

Goldendoodle Socks – Fun socks are always cute stocking stuffer gifts for the Goldendoodle lover.

Under $50

Pet Monitor – The pet monitor allows you to see what your Goldendoodle is doing during the day while you are away. You can even talk to your pet through the monitor!

Merry Christmas Doods – This would be great for an ugly Christmas sweater party!

And don’t forget to get the Dood the best gift of all: exercise, freedom and entertainment all in one.

I hope you find some fun gifts for the Goldendoodle lover in your life!