EASY Cinnamon French Toast Sticks

How to remove chalk marker off of a chalkboard: After trying SO many different things, this is what finally worked! (It only takes two things!)

I’ve been doing some testing over the last few months trying to find out how to clean my chalkboard. As you know, I love to decorate my chalkboard for each holiday or season that is approaching.

How to Remove Chalk Marker

With this, has come a “pain in the rear,” process, of trying to figure out how to remove chalk marker from a chalkboard.

I don’t get it. I have 2 or 3 other chalkboards, and the chalk marker simply wipes off, with a wet rag.

But with the chalkboard in my entry, from Restoration Hardware??? Forget it. I thought I was going to have to send it back, and get a plan B in place for my entry wall, because I was struggling with getting the “ghost,” shadow of a chalk marker off of the board.

That was until I FINALLY came up with a technique that works for me, and NOW so many others!

Check out the comments at the bottom of this post for success stories! Yay!

You don’t want to miss how to make your own DIY Chalkboard frame too!

How to Clean Your Chalkboard

I am, in by NO means, saying that this will work for you. I am not responsible for anything that happens to your chalkboard.

Actually, I recommend reading the instructions on how to clean your chalkboard that came with it, before you even touch it with a chalk pen or marker. Some say you have to “treat,” them before applying anything.

I, however… did not read my instructions, and I feel that’s where I messed up. If I had treated it, I may not have the problem of the markers leaving a ghost shadow.

How to Remove Chalk Marker from a Chalkboard

After trying soap and water, Clorox wipes, all-purpose cleaner, vinegar, a magic eraser…and let the list go on… I couldn’t find anything that would work.

Finally, I was so fed up, that I just started experimenting.

I decided I didn’t care if it messed up my chalkboard, I was going to try anything to get that chalk dust shadow off of my board, no matter what it did to it.

Which led me to this:

Magic Eraser + Vinegar

That folks, is a magic eraser, AND some vinegar. I combined the two for some serious chalk marker removin’ solution.

Yes… this is me scrubbing away below. Now… this is important. I DO have to put a little muscle behind the scrubbing. It doesn’t just pleasantly wipe off.

So your arms may get a workout, but honestly, I think that’s just a bonus. No need to do my arm workout that day.

(Who am I kidding? I don’t work out)

So I just use the magic eraser and rub up and down, and in a circle, in a small area first. When that chalk spot is gone, I move on to the next area!

Another Helpful Tip for Cleaning Your Chalkboard:

Keep a dry rag or towel, nearby, so you can wipe off the “wetness,” after every few scrubs, so you can lower the risk of just letting chalk-smear dry.

(Also, I tend to have some “black,” come off on my magic eraser when I do this. I’m wondering if that’s a normal thing, or if that was part of that, “I should have pre-treated this thing first,” deal.)

My little guy is so helpful below. I’m sure you other moms can appreciate not being able to do anything alone. 🙂

Did this Clean Your Chalkboard?

So there you have it! I really hope this helps ease your frustration with trying to get chalk marker off of your chalkboard. Talk about making a DIY gal go CRAZY!

Join all of the others and let me know below… did this work for you? I’d love to know! Make sure to check out more of my favorite cleaning tips and tricks!

Love Easy Recipes and Decorating Your Home?

Remember, if this is your first time here, hang around and check out some of our favorite simple and easy recipes, home decor posts, and SO much more!

Want to see the rest of our home?

Or if you LOVE browsing homes in your downtime, you can take a tour of our home, (inside and out) starting with part 1 of our home tour.!

“Pin” this image, so you can always come back to it if you run into the same problem I did!

Home Finance: Routines + Tools for the Bookkeeper at Home. Easy tactics and streamline procedures to reduce the dreaded taboo topic!

First Finance Tip:
Prayer - Ha! Only kidding. Sort of. You guys, when you own your own business, I swear some people think that you’re swimming in gold coins like the cartoon Duck Tales. Please tell me this was someone’s favorite childhood cartoon too!?

Alright, but for real… money has been a stressful situation here in our household before, and no matter what you do for a living, whether you work for someone or own your own business… know you’re not alone. Prayer has sure been something I turn to during stressful times, but let’s get down to the nitty-gritty tips and tricks that you can do to tackle this topic at home:

How I manage them, use certain tools to organize, and tactics to keep my sanity.

Home Finance: Routines + Tools for the Bookkeeper at Home

I mentioned in the video that I really encourage you to read the blog post details below because I link to some of the items I talk about, so you can see what I’m talking about and referring to.

So if you aren’t able to watch the video now, that’s a-ok; you can see details below. But I totally encourage you to come back and watch it when you get time, because sometimes hearing it sinks in more than reading it.

1. Quickbooks

Back when I worked in my husband’s office as a bookkeeper, I started using Quickbooks. I was terrified and so intimidated by it - until I started using it. It is incredibly user-friendly, and I picked it up super quick.

When I came back home full-time, I knew I wanted to continue using Quickbooks for our home finances. This way, I can track expenses easily, and believe it or not… using Quickbooks makes finances so much easier. I have mine set up to where it syncs with my bank and my credit cards, so that’s less data entry that I have to do. Plus, I use the online version so I can track/use it if I’m about and about if I need to! It’s crazy good to be able to keep track of where and how you’re spending money and come tax time, your accountant may just love you.

I have the Simple Start plan, and you get it free for 30 days! You can sign up for it here:

Get Quickbooks

I also use Quickbooks for my business (this here blog), and it’s so nice to be able to track my income/expenses each month and see how much I make and bring in each month/year.

2. Pick a Day Each Week

I’ve chatted about theme days before on Creating Your Happy, and finance falls into one of my theme days.

I know each week on Tuesday (for example), that THAT’S the day I work in my finances. So each week, I know when Tuesday rolls around, it’s go-time. I log in to my Quickbooks, grab my “bills to be paid” folder, my wallet, and I get to work.

This can routine can work if you get a paycheck once a week, every two weeks, randomly in bigger chunks, or however you make an income. For example:

Weekly/Bi-Weekly Paycheck:

If you get paid every two weeks on Friday, perhaps setting your “finance day,” to every Saturday morning would be a good fit for you. On the Fridays where you get a paycheck, you know that the next morning is when you sit down and pay the bills. But on the Saturday morning after a Friday that you do not get paid… YOU STILL sit down and work on finance. This could look like:

• Updating your checkbook/Quickbooks
• Gathering up bills and taking a mental note of what’s on the horizon
• Following up on a bill that you’ve been meaning to call and ask a question about

So even though you may not physically be paying bills on your “off” week, still sitting down, updating and checking in, can make a HUGE difference.

Things won’t catch you off-guard as much, you may not forget about that “one” bill that you’ve been meaning to check in to, etc.

Self Owned Business/Commission Income:

If you own your own business or work off of commission, this routine can be so beneficial. Checking in once a week, whether you have the funds yet or not… can be a huge help.

Updating transactions weekly can really help avoid the dreaded bank reconciliation time, or “Crap, how much do I REALLY have in the account” moments, by organizing and updating it in small chunks. No one wants to sit in front of a checkbook for 5 hours on a Saturday updating 3 months of transactions, do they?

Plus, when you still check in weekly, whether you’ve received your commission or payout from a project yet or not… you’ll most likely avoid the “Oh crap, I thought I was going to have WAY more than that left-over after I paid bills…” when you finally got paid.

Weekly & Bi-Weekly

So, like with the weekly/bi-weekly paycheck people above, your “off weeks” could look something like this when waiting for the “big” check to come in:

• Update your checkbook/Quickbooks
• Gather up bills and take a mental note of what’s on the horizon
• Follow up on a bill that you’ve been meaning to call and ask a question about

Your finance day can be chosen by you. What day/time do you REALLY see yourself working on this for a few minutes each week?

Don’t set yourself up for failure before you even start. Then, once you determine that day… stick to it. You’d be surprised how much better your days/weeks can become if you just sit down and tackle it in small chunks, instead of assuming/ignoring your finances.

Don’t Ignore It

With finance being so taboo in some homes, we tend to ignore it until we have to deal with it. Which this can cause so much anxiety, fear, and overall misery in our day to day when something triggers a thought relating to it. Not to mention the unhealthy spending habits that some can make when they assume they had enough money to buy that new hot tub they’ve wanted.

3. Mobile & Automatic Deposits

Yes, I know this may not be an “ah-ha” moment for some of you. But for those of you who haven’t given it a chance, just hear me out. I fought this so hard for so long too. It was new and I didn’t trust it. But the moment I tried it for the first time with a small $8.00 check (because what do I have to lose?) was so refreshing to know that I didn’t have to pack the kids up or remember to stop by while out running errands to make the deposit.

Give that mobile deposit (if your bank offers it) a chance. The time that you save waiting in line, packing the kids in the car, driving across town, can be a game-changer.

4. Same Online Login for Accounts

I mention in the video above that I’m NO Dave Ramsey. And if he watched this, he may slap my hand. For those who really lack in the financial management and self-control area… this may not be a good tip for you.

But for those of you who do have some self-control, this may be a helpful tip. I keep at least two of my accounts under the same bank login. Why? Because when I forget or need something at the last minute (on the weekend, evening, whenever) I’m able to go into my bank login and make a transfer of funds from one account to the other. It automatically hits and I’m able to use the funds right away.

This could vary from bank to bank, but this practice has come in super handy for me.

Example: It’s Sunday morning and your refrigerator just went out. Your emergency money is in your savings account, but you need it in your checking PRONTO so you can use the debit card to buy a new one. Tomorrow is a holiday and the banks are closed. It will be Tuesday before you can get to the bank and withdraw your emergency money.

If the two accounts that you have under your bank login are a savings account (that you only touch during emergencies) and a checking account (that you use to pay your daily/monthly bills) or if your emergency checking and your regular checking were on the same bank login, you could (depending on your bank) just transfer to the money to the checking account and head to Lowe’s to snag a new fridge.

Less stress + less work = sanity.

5. Determine Who Gets What Debit Card

The moment my husband looked at me and said,

“How about I get rid of this debit card, so you’re the only one that has it, and then I’ll have my own? That way, you’ll always know what’s coming out when and there won’t be any surprises?”

…changed our marriage-financial relationship. I no longer go day to day thinking, “Well what if he used the debit card today for something big that I didn’t plan on him getting?”

This can look different in so many households, and I get it. But if you find yourself constantly arguing, getting upset because he/she didn’t bring that receipt back to you, or they forgot to tell you about that big purchase he/she made that just made a check that you made out and mailed, bounce… I really encourage you to come to an agreement on who has what debit card.

6. Finance Printables

Last, if you’re a pen and paper kind of person, then you just may LOVE the finance printables that I use and fell in love with. I’ve mentioned these in a blog post before: 7 Organization Ideas & Tips to Stay Organized, and I thought they were worth mentioning again.

I love being able to have an overview of what’s coming up, and there’s just something about being able to handwrite it all out to make it “stick” in my brain. So if you’re wired like me, you may find these super helpful too. You can get them here:

Finance Printables

Or, if you have debt to payoff, this debt tracker free printable will be so helpful too!

I so hope you found these home finance tips helpful and found something that may take some stress off of a sometimes stressful topic in your house!

For more tips like this, you’ll LOVE my post on How to Make Your Desk Work More Productive! 

Thank you so much for coming by. I’d love it if you’d drop a note below to say hey, and tell me what you use to help with your finances at home!

Best Toaster Oven: The top 5 toaster ovens after researching customer reviews and specs of each one! Shop them today on Amazon and find out the favorite!

If this is your first time here, then you should know just how much I LOVE new kitchen gadgets. I’ve reviewed quite a few and have given my honest reviews from the unboxing-get-go’s for things like the:

• Instant Pot
• Ninja Coffee Bar
• BEST Air Fryer Reviews

and today I’m ecstatic to be chattin’ about toaster ovens.

What is a Toaster Oven?

Well, according to Wikipedia,

"Toaster ovens are small electric ovens with a front door, wire rack and removable baking pan. To toast bread with a toaster oven, slices of bread are placed horizontally on the rack. When the toast is done, the toaster turns off, but in most cases the door must be opened manually. Most toaster ovens are significantly larger than toasters, but are capable of performing most of the functions of electric ovens, albeit on a much smaller scale.”

But if you ask my mom who has one, she’d say,

“I love it! I can cook things like chicken strips for the grandkids, and even warm up leftover pizza that tastes MUCH better than using the microwave.”

Toaster Oven Reviews

But where do I begin? Researching, that's where! So I've researched and compiled 5 toaster ovens that are great to choose from based on customer and Fantabulosity reader reviews!

Best Toaster Oven: Which One To Buy

Listed in no particular order… and sharing my top pick at the bottom of this post!

1. BLACK+DECKER Countertop Convection Toaster Oven

The reviews on this one from Amazon really surprised me considering I read AND READ so many reviews on so many toaster ovens and there were a lot of negative nelly’s on the others.

It’s also an Amazon Choice pick!

Favorite Reviews:

• Heats up fast and cooks whatever we put in it!
• Works like a charm and controls are easy to use.

Favorite Specs:

• The expanded toaster oven fits nicely on the countertop, while the curved interior makes room for 12" pizzas and 6 slices of bread.
• Digital Controls easy-to-use buttons provide precision control over time, temperature, and function: bake, broil, toast, bagel, pizza, frozen snacks, potatoes, cookies

2. Cuisinart Convection Toaster Oven Air Fryer

Yes, you read that right… this toaster oven is also an air fryer! I love that it’s also a brand that has been around for some time, and I always feel better about buying a brand I’ve heard of/used/liked.

Not to mention, it looks REALLY really sleek and I’d love to see this on my counter.

Favorite Reviews:

• It looks great, it's very spacious, and it does everything it says it can do.
• Cooks fast, and watch your temperatures.

Favorite Specs:

• It not only bakes, broils, and toasts, it also lets you air fry right inside the oven.
• This link takes you to a BUNDLE that INCLUDES: Cuisinart Convection Toaster Oven Air Fryer with Light Silver – Home Basics 5-Piece Knife Set with Premium Cutting Board

3. Cuisinart TOB-260N1 Chef’s Convection Toaster Oven

I know, I know… it’s another Cuisinart, but I couldn’t help it based on the reviews.

Plus, this one doesn’t have the air fryer functionality, so if you really weren’t looking for that addition, then you wouldn’t necessarily need the previous toaster oven.

Favorite Reviews:

• “This thing rocks. I can’t even come up with a single little downside thing.”
• “I’ve made whole chickens, cookies, pies, toast, veggies, etc in here. I’ve read some other reviews that it takes a while to pre-heat (I’d say maybe 5 minutes for a 350 setting), but I never felt that way.”

Favorite Specs:

• 15 cooking functions, including innovative dual cook, and speed convection.
• Extra Large Capacity with All the Space You Need to toast 9 slices of bread, Bake a pizza up to 13 inch in diameter, and more!
  

4. Hamilton Beach Toaster Oven

This Hamilton Beach Toaster Oven is one of the top-rated at Walmart, and after reading the reviews, I understand why.

Plus, this is an affordable toaster oven, and looks user-friendly.

Favorite Reviews:

• “Works great. Whether we’re toasting bread, heating up a frozen pizza, or reheating dinner, it does the job. No complaints!”
• “First off this oven has really great heat control and to my findings is pretty darn close to each heat setting, kudos here for that. Before you buy this oven do make sure that you have the counter space for it.”

Favorite Specs:

• Reheats 28 percent faster and uses 64 percent less energy
  
• Versatile cooking with 4 settings include: toast, bake, broil and keep warm
  

5. Oster Toaster Oven

Again, another brand that I’ve heard a lot about, and feel comfortable purchasing from.

Plus, the buttons and controls look easy to use and figure out.

Favorite Reviews:

• “It’s perfect for just toasting bread or baking a casserole. I like that it is bigger than a lot of other brands and the convection feature helps cook food faster.” (A casserole?! Genius.)
• “I love the fact that it has a lighted interior and the crumb tray handle is on the outside to easily remove the tray and crumbs.”

Favorite Specs:

• Digital controls with 7 cooking settings and an interior light for easy viewing (which I hear some don’t have!)
• “Large interior can accommodate one 12-inch pizza, casseroles, cookies, and even a roast!” A ROAST!?

My Toaster Oven Pick?

It’s a close call between the BLACK+DECKER Countertop Convection Toaster Oven and the Cuisinart Convection Toaster Oven Air Fryer for me.

The BLACK + DECKER is sleek and the amount of good reviews tempt me.

But the Cuisinart that is also an air fryer would be really nice. EXCEPT, if you have an air fryer already… then you’d probably prefer to use that since it would be bigger and hold a lot more. Yes?

So since I already have an air fryer, my pick is going to be:

BLACK+DECKER Countertop Convection Toaster Oven

I’ve also realized that his toaster oven has an option to get the 3-racks, which would be REALLY nice to have for those bigger cooking sessions!

Buy this Toaster Oven on Amazon

Do you have a favorite toaster oven? Let us know in the comments below which one and why you love it!

How to Clean the Ninja Coffee Bar and coffee maker, and how to turn off the clean light! There’s a special process to follow, that’s more than just running the clean cycle. Here’s how!

How to Clean the Ninja Coffee Bar

If you watched my “How to Use a Ninja Coffee Bar” video, then you know how much I LOVE the coffee maker.

But something that a lot of you Ninja Coffee Bar owners and I struggled with, was that the pesky “clean” light would stay off for a split second, but then it would come back on and stay on.

“How do I Clean this Coffee Maker?”

So after calling Ninja myself, asking what I was doing “wrong”, or if that there was a faulty part in my machine…

the sweet lady that I talked to, asked how I was cleaning it before.

When I explained that I would push the clean cycle button to run its 8-minute cycle (like I did in my “Ninja Coffee Bar Quick-Clean” video here) it was like a light-bulb went off and she responded,

“Ahhh… that’s what it is. So you’re just doing a quick-clean cycle. But that’s not all you need to do. Here’s how to really clean your Ninja Coffee Bar and make that clean light go off and stay off!”

Cleaning Ninja Coffee Bar with White Vinegar

The next question she asked was,

“What are you using to clean your Ninja Coffee Bar?”

And like a shy little girl, I responded with “um.. vinegar?” Hoping she wouldn’t reprimand me for using a household item instead of some fancy cleaner that they recommend.

But she didn’t! She just simply continued on with the instructions of how to clean the Ninja with white vinegar.

Friend, I’m proud to tell you today that this process actually worked and the clean light stays off MUCH longer than it was. Here’s what you need to do, and don’t forget to read my tip and feedback that I recommend after doing this with my very own Ninja Coffee Bar.

UPDATE: I’ve been on the hunt for a coffee machine descaler solution (cleaning solution) to use instead of vinegar and water, to see if it works better.

Well, I’m happy to say that I’ve found one that (based on the reviews) works SOOO much better than vinegar and water, to help keep that “clean” light off! I’ll be trying this myself so I can keep you posted on it too!

Get the Coffee Machine Descaler on Amazon HERE!

Get the descaler HERE!

How to Clean the Ninja Coffee Bar and Turn Off the Clean Light…

Note, this is the LONG-PROCESS for Cleaning Your Ninja Coffee Bar. If you’re pressed for time, don’t hesitate to run a clean cycle once, (or also sometimes called a “flush cycle”) but know that it probably won’t clean it thoroughly and that the clean light will pop back on after about one more use.

Ninja Coffee Bar Cleaning Video

I’ve recorded a quick 5-minute video of the recommended cleaning process, but you can find the instructions below the video for quick reference too…

BEFORE YOU WATCH: After recording this video, I learned a trick from a reader that has made SUCH a difference in helping my clean light say off even longer!
UPDATED TIP: Make sure to also wipe off the “plate” that is above where the coffee pot sits, where the coffee drips out of the machine, above the pitcher.
This was SOOOOOO dirty when I cleaned it the other day because I hadn’t thought about that area. I know… I know… why hadn’t I thought about it? I don’t know but I wanted to mention it in case you hadn’t either!

Ninja Coffee Bar Cleaning Instructions:

1. Discard any water/coffee grounds from Ninja Coffee Bar
2. Pour about a travel size mug of vinegar into the water reservoir, and fill the rest with water. (Filtered, Purified or Distilled)
3. Press the “CLEAN” button and let it run for about 1 minute. Press the “CLEAN” button again to pause the machine.
4. Let the machine sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
5. Press the “CLEAN” button again, and let it finish the cleaning cycle. (About 5-8 minutes.)
6. Pour vinegar/water mixture out of carafe and clean carafe, mesh basket and water reservoir with a scrub brush, lightly, if you have one.
7. Fill the reservoir with water, and press the “CLEAN” button again and let it run the full cycle, without stopping it. (5-8 minutes)
8. Discard water from the carafe and clean carafe, reservoir, and mesh basket once again.
9. Make sure to also wipe off the “plate” that is above where the coffee pot sits, where the coffee drips out of the machine, above the pitcher.

The “CLEAN” light should stay off at this point, until it’s ready to be cleaned again of course. But it should not come back on after one or two uses, like it does with the quick-clean cycle.

My Tip for DEEP DEEP Cleaning Your Ninja:

If you have and use hard water, the Ninja’s clean light may come back on more often than others. If it has been a while or if you’ve never DEEP cleaned your Ninja with this long-process, it may not hurt to do the vinegar/water mixture and pausing process a couple of times to real combat those hard water deposits inside of the machine.

I would LOVE to hear how this worked for you!

Leave me a note in the comments so we can share with Ninja!

How to Use the Ninja Coffee Bar

If you’re just starting out with your Ninja Coffee maker, and you’re still unsure of how to really use it, don’t miss my “How to use a Ninja Coffee Bar” video that I created for you too!

Best Friend Birthday Gifts: DIY gift basket ideas, favorite places to shop, and favorite birthday gift ideas for your best friend.

I’m a sucker for good gift ideas, so when I have a friend that has a birthday coming up, and I’m on top of my game (or what at least feels like it) I LOVE creating the “perfect” gift for her, even if it’s just a small gesture like this cute boxed lunch idea.

However, sometimes, life happens and I forget… life catches up with me and I’m stuck looking for a quick gift to buy online for her. 

 Best Friend Birthday Gifts

But no matter what, it’s the thought that counts, and I truly believe that. Honestly, if she’s a true friend, you may not get her anything at all and she’ll still love you dearly.

Gift Ideas for Her | To Make and/or To Buy

Alright, so now that we’re ready to get to the cutest gift ideas for her, I’m going to show you my favorites and DIY gift ideas that I love to gift to my best friends when I have time and I’m feeling creative…

Then, we’ll go over what you can buy online for those “oops” last minute moments, or if you just don’t feel like DIY’ing or crafting anything!

To DIY…

Spa at Home Gift Basket

Ok, first… can you EVER go wrong with a gift that’s full of things to help you feel like you’re at a spa?

I don’t think so.

However, she may struggle with finding the time to use these items if she’s a busy gal. But if that’s the case, one-up this gift and offer to babysit her kiddos so she can have a night off to use these goodies for her birthday!

In this gift you’ll find things like:

• body scrub
• bath soak
• pedicure file
• eye mask
• spa gloves
• body brushes/scrubs
• lotions, body wash, etc.

Tip: Don’t just buy these items and throw them into a bag. Take what you can out of the packages and place them in a cute little $2 box from Hobby Lobby or Walmart and arrange them for an adorable presentation!

See the full spa gift idea!

Overnight Self Care Kit

With a similar take on the spa at home gift idea, this overnight self care kit can take things to a whole other level.

Send her away for a night with her husband, or alone in a hotel where she can catch up on sleep and self care!

Grab a make-up bag (a gift that keeps on giving and sometimes the same price as a stinking gift bag these days) and fill it with items she may love to use while staying overnight!

Get all the details of my overnight self-care kit!

DIY Sangria Kit

An INSANELY popular gift idea is my DIY Sangria Kit. When I whipped this up for my sister, I didn’t realize just how popular this gift would turn out to be on Pinterest!

I’m a big fan (if you hadn’t guessed already) of using items that the recipient can reuse as a “gift bag” instead of spending a ton of money of a paper/plastic bag that they’ll just toss in the trash.

This drink dispenser serves as a gift “basket” and it’s something she can reuse over and over again!

Fill it with the ingredients to make a fun sangria and you two can whip up a batch and sip on it that evening!

Get all of the details and my favorite places to buy the items to make this DIY Sangria gift idea HERE!

Gift Basket for a Foodie

My friends know my love for food. So odds are, my friends love food too. So when a gift comes in food-form, you’re speaking my love language.

Although I created this gift idea for a housewarming gift, it works perfectly for the food-lover or chef. Bread, cooking linens, fancy balsamic and olive oil and even a homemade spread!

TIP: Using a wire basket allows the overall gift to look “bigger” and she can see all that’s she’s getting without having to dig in to it!

Plus, a wire basket like this doubles as home decor! Again, a gift that keeps on giving. My favorite!

Get all of the details for this gift basket for a foodie!

Housewarming Gift + Drink Dispenser

Did your best friend just move in to a new house? We’ve moved more times than I can count, so having someone gift items that I may be running out of or forgetting to purchase every time a make a trip to the store… feels golden.

Plus, filling a drink dispenser with the household items is a great way for the new home owner to later fill it with lemonade or her favorite cocktail to serve her guests when they come over to take a peek at the new place!

See the items I put inside this housewarming gift for our new neighbors!

Sunshine Gift Basket

To say this gift idea has gone viral online, is an understatement.

So I feel it’s definitely note-worthy of a great gift idea for your best friend!

Not to mention, this gift is SUPER fun to shop for, when you’re all eyes for anything yellow.

You don’t realize how many yellow things there are in a store, until you start looking specifically for them!

See what yellow items I included in my sunshine gift basket, to get ideas for your own!

Take it Easy Gift Basket

What best friend wouldn’t love a cozy “take it easy” themed gift basket?

A warm blanket, fuzzy slippers, a new coffee mug and maybe throw in a magazine for good measure.

See how I assembled this “take it easy” gift basket idea, to get ideas for your own!

Gift Basket Ideas for All Occasions

I believe that almost any gift can work for a birthday present.

I have SO many more gift ideas here on the blog that you can browse through to get ideas for that special best friend in your life.

Remember, think outside the box… what can they REALLY use… and how can you make it better when it comes to assembling it. (i.e. fun containers, baskets, etc.)

Here are more gift ideas for all occasions to remember for later or to brainstorm more DIY ideas!

Puzzle

I know a puzzle sounds simple… but hear me out. My sister gifted me with a puzzle in the shape of Montana when we moved, and it was the sweetest thing. When she came to visit, we’d drink wine and put it together with family, and then we glued it and framed the puzzle to use as decor in our home.

Favorite Gifts to Buy Best Friend

So those moments we forgot, ran out of time, or just NOT in the mood to be creative with gift baskets??? I’ve got you covered. I’ve been there too.

Since products are ever-evolving, selling out and changing, I’m sharing my favorite places to look FIRST when it comes to buying birthday gifts for my best friends.

Target

If you don’t like Target, I’m not sure we can be friends. Ok, totally kidding… but you can NEVER go wrong with picking up something in the “home” and/or “beauty” section at Target.

• Fun kitchen utensils, dish towels, plates, coffee mug, cake stands
• Bookshelf decor, wall hangings
• Pillows, baskets, throw blankets
• Notebooks, journals, planners

• Face masks, makeup, makeup bags
• Nail polish, pedicure sets, foot soaks
• Hair masks, hair tools, hair accessories

Then of course, don’t forget to hit up the dollar spot for something fun to garnish the gift with, like a fun notepad or car cell phone holder!

Shop Target Home | Shop Target Beauty

H&M

Friend, if you’ve never shopped H&M’s “Home” section on their website… you are missing OUT.

It’s not only a wonderful place to buy baskets to make gift baskets with, they have the most adorable items to gift someone.

Blankets, baskets, home decor, pillows, and the list goes on. It’s affordable, trendy and something that your friend probably doesn’t already have 50 of because it’s like a hidden secret that so many don’t even know about!

Shop H&M Home

Chic Aprons

Even if your best friend doesn’t cook that often, I can’t help but think that she’d LOVE one of these aprons. I myself, have way too many of these because they’re THAT cute.

There’s something about putting on an adorable apron on when it’s time to make dinner. Kind of like how buying new workout clothes motivates you to workout?

Get her one of these so she can feel great when it’s time to tackle the kitchen.

Shop my FAVORITE Vintage Aprons

Charming Charlie

Charming Charlie has been my favorite place to get wallets, jewelry and purses for the last couple of years.

But each time I go online, I see that they have the CUTEST gift ideas. (You know, the things that we don’t want to spend money on for ourselves, but the adorable things that we’d love to have!?)

So if your best friend is a fashionista, snagging a bag, wallet or jewelry from Charming Charlie is a great place to do so! But they also have cute gifty items like pens, books, and perfume that would make perfect gifts!

Shop Gift Ideas at Charming Charlie

Other Gift Ideas for Your Best Friend

In case you’re still at a loss of what to get your best friend, here are a few great ideas that I’ve loved gifting to my friends:

• Homemade Food (cookies, cakes, brownies, jams, jellies, extracts)
• A daily/monthly planner
• Book
• Magazine subscription
• Online classes at Udemy (i.e. cooking, photography, sewing)
• Gift certificate for a pedicure, manicure, massage at a local salon
• Floral arrangement (Check to see if they offer a monthly/quarterly delivery service for a gift that keeps on giving.)
• Suprise dinner with closest girlfriends
• Wine subscription
• House cleaning service (unless she could be easily offended, thinking you were saying her house was dirty. Eeeek.)
• Drop off bagels and flavored cream cheeses from local coffee shop on her doorstep to start her birthday off with a bang!
• DNA/Family history search

I could go on and on with ideas, because I absolutely love brainstorming and thinking of new ways to gift someone I love and care about.

So if you didn’t see something that will work for you and your best friend, let me know in the comments below! I’ll see if I can think of something for you!

Love Birthday Ideas?

Then you’ll LOVE how we celebrate birthdays and all sorts of occasions around here! Browse our party ideas!

Pin the image below to remember it for later!