Priceless personalised gift for teachers

Our end of year teachers' gifts cost nothing and mean more to them than any expensive chocolates or mugs! For each of my young kids' teachers, we print a sheet each year titled "Tell Me About (Teacher's Name)..." It has 8-10 questions on it, with space for the kids' answers to be written in, either by them or dictated to an adult. Questions can be anything. We include things like:

How old is Mr X? What is Mr D's favourite food? Something Miss B always says is.... What does Miss J like to do for fun? Ms P loves it when.... If I had $1000 I would buy Mr H a .... Miss V is a great teacher because.... Mr K gets cranky when... And finish with: A Special Message for Ms A...

Every year it is a massive hit. Teachers love it and when there are multiple teachers, they love to get together and compare answers!

Cheap MP3 download helped me quit nail biting for good!

I found the answer to quitting my lifelong nail biting habit in a $15 app! Over the years I had tried everything from bitter aloes to spending a fortune paying for regular manicures, thinking if I paid someone I would be too embarrassed to turn up with bitten nails. I do not like acrylic nails at all, so that was not an option for me. Now in my 50's, I shudder to think how much money I have spent on manicures over the years! The only thing that worked for me and worked immediately was hypnotherapy - but not the 'go-see-a-hypnotherapist-at-$300-an-hour-for-five-to-ten-sessions', no way! I simply purchased a downloadable MP3 for $15 USD. I listened to it each night as I went to sleep. Normally it takes about 21 days to change a habit, but I found that it worked for me completely after five days. I have no desire to bite my nails at all. I continue to listen to it from time to time as a "top-up" to maintain the cessation of nail biting. I bought my download online from www.stevegjones.com He has MP3 hypnosis programs for everything from weight loss to writer's block. They vary in price and often he has flash sales from as little as $1 per MP3 program. I am not affiliated with his company at all, but can highly recommend!

20 kids' party gifts for $30

When my daughter started school last year, she had birthday after birthday to attend, which meant present after present. Last year, each present cost $25 to $35 and I couldn't afford to pay that much this year. So, I planned ahead!

Before every school year starts, Big W has a huge stationery sale, where I purchased the following:

• 100 writing books at just $0.01c each, total cost of $1.00
• 20 packs of 24 colouring pencils at $0.49c each, total cost of $9.80
• 10 twin packs of safety scissors at $0.49c each, total cost of $4.90
• Five eraser 4-packs at $0.99c each, total cost of $4.95
  - Five pencil sharpener 4-packs at $0.29c each, total cost of $1.45
  - Two 10-page sticker booklets with 150 stickers per page at $2.00 each, total cost of $4.00
  - Four sheets of contact paper in girl and boy themes at $0.99c each, total cost of $4.00.

Total for all this is just $30.10, and I'm able to make 20 presents! That's just over $1.50 per gift! At every birthday party, my daughter has presented the birthday girl or boy with the following gift:

• Three books covered in contact paper
• One pack of colouring pencils
• One pair of safety scissors
• One eraser
• One sharpener
• One page of stickers.

Both parents and children have loved this present because, unlike a toy they soon lose interest in, they can continue to use their imagination to create drawings.

Wedding gift that won't burn your pocket

I have found a low-cost wedding gift that will last throughout any marriage. While it does not cost much, each part of the gift has meaning and it is great to give a close family member or friend. You will need to put together a nice bunch of candles, in pairs of the following colours: white, green, dark blue, pink, cream, red, purple, light blue and silver.

Wrap the candles up with a ribbon or put them in a decorative box or basket, with the following poem attached (author unknown):

A basket of candles that come in a pair
In all different colours, for you two to share
The white ones burn first
They are wrapped in white lace
To celebrate your first married night
In your new chosen place.
The green pair is taller, and also much thinner
Burn with the first company you have over for dinner
The dark blue candles are for after your first fight
Use them to burn while making up all night
Pink candles set the mood and pave the way
For your first married Valentine's Day
Now, when your first year of marriage is through
the cream anniversary pair will light for you two.
Red candles aflame, both your futures are bright
Celebrate promotions you've worked toward with all of your might.
By this time we hope, maybe, just maybe
You can light the purple ones, on the birth of your baby.
And just when you thought you'd put these away
Take the light blue ones out for your fifth anniversary day.
Now just one more pair left for the big 25
The anniversary pair that will keep your love alive.
Congratulations Bride and Groom (insert name here)
On the start of your forever
May the two of you always be happy together
And burn these candles
Just the way we said
But please don't forget - blow them out before bed!