Clever Graduation Gift Ideas

Almost everyone knows someone who is graduating from high school or college this month.  Money is a great gift for a new graduate but it can be a little boring to give it in a card or money envelope.  Why not present a gift of money in style?  I found some clever ideas to help your gift make any graduate feel extra special.

 

 

What a cute idea!  This would make a good gift for newlyweds too!

Check out this article @ bystephanielyn for some really nifty gift ideas!

Give a message of inspiration with the Big Things Start Small tee shirt by Poppyjuice
Browse other Dreams T-Shirts

Another great money gift idea bystephanielynn.com

Learn how to make a money box @ thecraftsdept.marthastewart.  Sweet!

Give a money tree!  Find easy instructions on how to make one at poppies at play. 

Lara Sosa has a great tutorial on how to make a money umbrella.  Perfect for those rainy days ahead!

The the idea room has step by step instructions on how to make these adorable treats.  Not a money gift but still a really cute idea for those on a tight budget.  I think this would be cool for a large group of graduates. (Think gifts from teacher or mentor.)

Check out nancys craft spot to get instructions on this cool idea for giving money.

A very personalized gift that will mean a lot for years to come is Memory Collage.  See this idea and more at about.com

Give nuggets of wisdom with a little extra somethin'!clearlyistamp has detailed instructions along with the "how to" on the next idea. 

 

Make a bouquet of money! See origami-n-stuff4kids for photo instructions.  Very smart!



Another really great idea, especially for a graduation gift to be mailed, is money filled balloons!  So much fun to receive!  See how to at She's Crafty. 

If you aren't particularly crafty or would prefer to give a gift other than money you could always consider these ideas.

(Also, if you are looking for Father's Day gift ideas, you might be interested in our helpful list at 22 Very Cool Fathers Day Gifts You Can Make!)

Under $20 -

Dream Believe Achieve Bracelet made by Expressively Yours retails for $10.81 but looks more expensive. Made out of sterling silver bracelet comes gift packaged with an inspirational poem/card.

925 Sterling Silver CLASS OF 2013 Graduation Charm On sale for $19.99 (originally priced at $50.00)  This charm is a wonderful way to honor your graduate's success.

Gift Cards have no fees, are redeemable store wide, and never expire.  You can send gift cards by email, facebook, print at home or free one-day shipping! Giving a gift has never been easier.  NO stress over picking out the right size or style.



Under $50 -

14k Yellow Gold Plated Sterling Silver "If You Can Imagine It, You Can Achieve It. If You Can Dream It, You Can Become It" Reversible Pendant Necklace, 18" This beautiful pendant is priced at just $29.00 plus free shipping.  I think it would be an excellent inspirational graduation gift!

Sunpentown BM-1107 Stainless-Steel 3-in-1 Breakfast Maker On sale right now for $42.88 and SHIPS FREE!  This appliance would make a great gift for a college student or anyone living in cramped quarters.


Koolatron KWC-4 Coca-Cola Personal 6-Can Mini Fridge Perfect for a dorm room or an office, this little fridge is big enough to hold six 12 ounce cans or a small amount of food.  Priced at $49.99 with free shipping this cool retro style mini fridge makes a perfect graduation gift!


Honey-Can-Do BTS-01586 Apartment Storage, Dorm Organization Kit Your graduate will appreciate this practical gift priced at just $46.47 (includes free shipping!) 



Under $100 - 

Twelve South BookBook for iPad - Vintage leather case for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th generation iPad (vibrant red) Priced at $79.99, this case is an elegant way for your grad to carry and protect their iPad

Philips DS1155 Speaker Dock for iPhone 5  This awesome electronic device charges two devices simultaniously, fills the room with quality sounds and functions as an alarm clock.  Perfect for a dorm room or an apartment.  Your grad will love this multi functional speaker dock!

Nikon COOLPIX S01 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 3x Zoom NIKKOR Glass Lens (White) Marked down to $96.95 plus free shipping, this compact camera normally retails for $179.99.  It has good reviews and is easy to use.  Now your graduate will have no excuse for not sending photos back home! It comes in hot pink, red, white and silver.

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Tasty Pizza Biscuit Bake - Easy and Delicious!

Are you trying to figure out what to make for dinner tonight?  Feeling uninspired?  Look no further because this easy main dish is big on flavor and requires little effort.  You can even prepare it ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator until it's time to bake it!  Our Tasty Pizza Biscuit Bake is good enough for company especially when served with a fresh salad.

 

This recipe will make enough to feed a huge family or to freeze one for another meal.  If you'd like, you can half the recipe.

~ Ingredients ~

4 tubes of refrigerator buttermilk biscuits
1 jar of spaghetti sauce
2 lbs of ground beef or turkey or other meat, browned
1/2 medium onion diced
1 small jar sliced mushrooms
1 jar black olives - sliced
1 bell pepper
3 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
olive oil or shortening to grease pans

Grease 2 9 x 13 rectangle baking pans.  Cut biscuits up into quarters and place evenly in pans.

Spoon spaghetti sauce over biscuits.

Sprinkle vegetables over sauce.

Sprinkle ground beef over vegetables.  Sprinkle Italian seasoning and salt over meat if desired to taste. Sprinkle cheese over ground beef. 

Bake in 350 degree oven covered for 25 minutes.  Uncover and bake for 10-15 more minutes or until pizza bake is bubbly and cheese begins to brown. 

Serve while hot and enjoy!  Refrigerate leftovers.



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Hearty Italian Sandwiches and/or Pasta Dish

Are you in the mood for something different?  This delicious recipe is one of our family's favorite meals.  It is big on flavor and small on effort.  It can be prepped ahead of time and put in the crockpot or just baked in the oven.  Best of all, the leftovers from this tasty recipe can be easily reincarnated into a pasta dish.

- Meal One -

1) Brown over medium heat 1 lb ground turkey, 1 lb ground beef, and 2 lbs italian sausage.  We like to use 1 lb hot italian sausage and 1 lb mild italian sausage.  If your family prefers less spice, just use 2 lbs mild italian sausage.  Do not cook the meat completely.  It will finish cooking in the oven or crockpot.

2) While the meat is browning, slice or dice 2 medium onions (white or yellow), 2 red bell peppers, 2 yellow bell peppers, 2 green bell peppers and 3 garlic cloves.  You can substitute all green bell peppers if you can't find red or yellow.  I've done this in a pinch but I do think it changes the flavor somewhat.



3) Layer 1/3 of the browned meat, 1/3 of the onions and garlic, and 1/3 of the bell peppers.  Sprinkle with Italian seasoning. 

4) Repeat layers two more times.  Cover tightly and bake in 350 degree oven for two hours or put in crockpot on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 6 hours.

5) Serve on sandwich rolls with shredded monterey jack or mozzarella cheese.  Use a slotted spoon to scoop the meat mixture since it is really juicy!  For a special added touch, toast the sandwich rolls first.  It adds a nice flavor AND helps keep the bread intact.  Mmmm - delicious!  Your whole house will smell like a wonderful Italian restaurant when you make this meal!

This recipe feeds our family of eight plus leaves us with enough leftovers for one more meal. 

- Meal Two -

As a base for another meal, to a cup or two of the meat mixture add two cans of diced tomatoes, one tsp italian seasoning and a sprinkling of garlic powder and salt to taste.  Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes and serve over pasta.

Top with cheese and you have another delicious meal!

For a collection of great crockpot recipes check out this book.  It's one of my personal favorites.

Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook: 700 Great Slow Cooker Recipes (Fix-It and Forget-It Series)

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Adding Trisodium Phospate to Your Dishwasher Detergent

In the past few years, dishwasher detergent manufacturers have taken out that magic ingredient called phosphates.  For a period of time we handwashed all of our dishes because

the new phosphate free detergent wasn't getting our dishes clean and was actually leaving a nasty film on the entire load of dishes.

  

I happened upon a homemade recipe for dishwasher detergent which worked well for some time.  See my recipe here Truly Amazing Homemade Dishwasher Detergent.  The film was less noticable but dishes weren't completely squeaky clean after a few months of using the homemade detergent. Still, it was acceptable.

We recently moved to home on the outskirts of town.  We love being out of the main part of the city but our water supply is hard.  Once again, we were dealing with a yucky film on our dishes.  I tried a commercial detergent again, thinking perhaps the formula had improved since last time.  But the results were not good.   

This was the inside of our dishwasher door.  There were smudges and stains that weren't coming off after multiple washes. These smudges were there from the previous occupants.  Yuck!



I'm a dirty rotten cheater!  But to the best of my knowledge, I'm not a lawbreaker! I did a little bit of research and found that I could mix a little phosphate into each wash load.  I found a box of trisodium phosphate on the internet.  You can purchase it here - Savogran 10621 Trisodium Phosphate (TSP) for about $7.  Most sources I found suggested to add approximately a 1/4 to a 1/2 teaspoon to each load.  I purchased the box approximately six weeks ago and we still have a TON left so I'd say that adding TSP is very economical.  Once I run out of the commercial dishwashing detergent, I'll probably go back to my homemade recipe and add the trisodium phosphate to it.



I just sprinkled about 1/4 tsp of the Trisodium Phosphate into both detergent cups on top of the detergent.

As you can see, the inside of the door is no longer disgusting!

Dishes are clean!!! I've noticed a few hard water spots but I'll bet a little vinegar in the "rinse aid" dispenser would take care of that issue. 

 No more gunk, no more powdery film!

See? Nice and shiny!

I can see through my glass again! It worked!  If you would like to read more about trisodium phosphate you can read this article wikipedia - Trisodium phosphate or Natural Handyman - TSP Cleaning For Big Dogs!
  

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