Thrifty Thursdays: A Last Minute DIY Holiday Gift Idea

Printer-Friendly Sweet & Salty Granola Recipe

Lately I've been obsessed with mason jars. I drink from them...

The mason jar cover, the "Chug-a-lug"
can be purchased here for $24.

I store my homemade almond butter in them...

Mix ingredients in food processor,
 slowly adding in olive oil until smooth & creamy.

And I even hand out my "Make it Monday" Red Velvet Cupcakes in them...

Click here for Make it Monday's
Red Velvet Cupcakes
w/Cream Cheese Frosting recipe

Photo Courtesy of: Photoblog

So needless to say when I was brainstorming what kind of holiday gifts to make this year, I knew I wanted to somehow incorporate the good ol' mason jar.

And not to mention... when I went to Target last weekend, there was a wide variety of all different shapes, sizes, and colors of mason jars to choose from-all on sale! So I grabbed a shopping cart (of course the one with the squeaky wheel) and went wild.

Below is a delicious homemade granola recipe, perfect for giving out as gifts in mason jars this holiday season. The granola will make your whole house smell absolutely delicious, and believe it or not, it tastes even better than it smells- I've been putting it on top of my yogurt all week. So without further ado...

Everyone loves granola, especially homemade. So this is a great gift for everyone from your hair dresser to child's teacher. Hand it out  this holiday season or as a "just because" gift anytime.

I even keep a mason jar of the granola with a blank gift tie in my purse, just in case I run into anyone that day.  Below is a mason jar assembly tutorial, along with a thrifty tip on how to make a scooper from a jug.

Scooper Tutorial: Cut the top part of the handle. Then cut along side edges of your plastic jug. 

I hope you all enjoyed today's Thrifty Thursday last minute gift idea. Don't forget to pin the granola recipe in order to keep it for whenever you need a last minute gift.

Create a great Thursday everyone! Below is your daily dose of inspiration inspired by friendship. After all, aren't you excited to gift your friends with this granola? I know I can't wait to give mine out this weekend. 

Joshua, age 2
Photo Courtesy of: Liz McDonald

*To follow the Creatively Lu posts daily,  "like" the FB page .

* Follow @Creatively Lu on Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.

Make it Mondays: Sea Salt Caramel Stuffed Snickerdoodles

Printer Friendly Recipe

The moment for me when in which it starts to feel like Christmas has nothing to do with the time in which Christmas commercials begin debuting on TV,or when the lights go up on the neighboring houses, or  even when the Santa pictures begin  at the mall. But rather it finally feels like Christmas to me when my family takes out the boxes of ornaments and decorates our tree. 

Pinterest.com

As a child, I remember placing a significant meaning behind going to pick out our tree. It meant that I was the brink of a couple of exciting weeks ahead. Picking up the tree felt like finally cutting the ribbon for a store opening. I could now "head on in" to the holiday season. When the tree was decorated, I knew I would soon start school vacation, which meant flying to Indiana to spend Christmas with my mom's whole side of the family.

Each year, someone is chosen as the person responsible for handing out our gifts. My mom is wearing the Santa hat in the right corner , because that happened to be her year in which she was chosen. The couples along the far left are the married "kids" of the family.

I remember one year in particular in which we set out to get our tree.  I was roughly 8 years old and I was sitting in the back seat of my mom's car on a drizzly and particularly cold December night. We had just picked out our tree at a local tree farm, and I had insisted on getting the more "mangled" tree in the back of the lot because I was worried that no one would want to buy it. On the way home, we pulled up to the gas station and my mom ran into the mini-mart, as my dad pumped our gas. As she got back in the car, I could tell by the smack of her lips that she was chewing on a candy.  She placed her seatbelt on and leaned over the back of her seat to hand me a Rolo. I wondered what this unfamiliar candy was and if I would like the taste of it. Well, it turns out... I did. And from then on, each year I would make sure to get a roll of Rolos for our car ride home to get our tree. Rolos became a snack, in which I only consumed during the holidays. 

Pinterest

For my mom, her holiday snack of choice was Snickerdoodles. My grandmother knew this and so when we would fly there for Christmas, she would have a fresh batch of Snickerdoodles laid out upon our arrival. 

Grocery shopping with my Mamaw and cousin Kristin

 This is the first year I will not be going to Indiana along with my mom and so I decided to try and bake the Snickerdoodles at home in Boston. As I searched for a Snickerdoodle recipe, it occurred to me that I could combine the two holiday traditions..why not combine the Boston holiday tradition of Rolos with the Indiana holiday tradition of Snickerdoodles? And so I did...and believe me, you're welcome! 

This year, I encourage you to create a tradition that makes you feel like the holiday season is upon you. And if you choose to make these cookies as part of your holiday traditions, I would be more than honored to have my recipe included in your kitchens. Below is the Sea Salt Caramel Stuffed Snickerdoodle recipe.

 

Create not only a great Monday, but a wonderful holiday season! Below is Monday's dose of inspiration. 

*To follow the Creatively Lu posts daily,  "like" the FB page 

 Follow @Creatively Lu on Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.

Wordless Wednesdays: The Magic of Christmas Time

"Magic is Something that you make"
Photo Courtesy of: Liz McDonald

*If you would like to share a Wordless Wednesday photo, contact Creatively Lu via creativelylu@yahoo.com

And now for Wednesday's daily dose of inspiration....

*To follow the Creatively Lu posts daily,  "like" the FB page & Follow @Creatively Lu on Instagram and Twitter.