Affordable hostess gifts ( or party favors )

I have a christmas party every year for friends and always have a little gift on the place settings where the girls sit............something small - usually with a personal connection to each one...............one year it was a special ornament for each that I knew meant something special - an angel for a friend that was going through a rough time and holding up particularily well - another angel for a friend who had helped me throughout the year, an eiffel tower for someone who had been to Paris - a bird for a friend of mine that we call the " bird lady " ( she has 7 birds! ) and so on. However, the last couple of years I have been lazy and have given everyone the same, I still put thought and heart into it but they have been the same, none the less -

Here are some ideas I have put together - as well as the prices - beautiful gifts for well under 10.00 ( some well under 5.00 !!!!! )

Keep Calm and Carry on - miniature - frame from Home Sense (Winners in Canada -  T.J. Max in the States ) and printed the photo off the web..................this is soooooooo pretty and perfect for someone who is into home decor.
Total cost 3.99

Nut spoons - now I had never seen these before this year - a friend actually brought me one as a hostess gift and I then ran out and bought 7 of them as my party favors - bonus the store actually wrapped each one beautifully free of charge.  These are really elegant and pretty ( to stop grubby hands from going in your nut bowl ) and can be given alone - for a little extra cost you could wrap up the hostesses ( or guest ) favorite nuts, candies, even bath salts, etc.
Cost for spoon alone 6.99

Home made tea light holder - I love this!!!!!!!!!! My daughter is a student and did not have much cash this year so she made these out of  modelling clay ( from the dollar store ) and gave everyone a character she thought they would love - the ideas are endless on this one - paired with a bag of tea lights.
Total cost: 5.00

Tradition anyone?  Baked goods of course, but placed on this cookie plate and wrapped in pretty cellophane so that they have the plate forever!  This one is perfect for the holidays obviously -  but there are so many different ideas to gleam from this one - that they could even be given at a summer bar b que.
Cost for plate alone - 3.99 ( again Home Sense )

 Snowglobes!!!! I absolutely love them all - especially if you can find one that would mean something special to the person.  Here again the possibilities are endless - I have Paris and New York, 2 of my favorite cities. The one from N.Y. I picked up at Macy's a couple of years ago while there during the holidays - it cost 5.99 ( promotion ) and shows all the monuments associated with the city.  This one I picked up at Home Sense and shows the Eiffel Tower - this one was 9.99

Miniature xmas tree - this is the sweetest thing - it does not show well in the picture but it is really elegant.  Silver - with gold and silver balls...........all from the dollar store - 2 of them for each end of the table -
Trees were 1.25 each - decorations 1.25 a bag ( 2 each ) 
Total costs - 5.00

Ornaments - given as a pair - I fell in love with these little penguins - they are white with sparkles all over them - silver ribbon tied through the loop holes woud give them an elegant touch - pretty gift especially if you can find out what your guest or hostess loves, cats, puppies, etc
Total cost - 8.00

Miniature cook books - given on their own - or with:
mixing spoons ( dollar store )
Long pasta wrapped in ribbons and bows or a jar filled with penne
Herbs
Colander
Straining Spoon
etc................
Cost of book - 3.99 ( from Chapters - Canada - Barnes and Noble - States )


AND MY ALL TIME PERSONAL FAVORITE..........................ta da

A book you have read and thoroughly loved - with a personal inscription
From Suzan's library - no return necessary - happy reading - with love
Paired with a bookmark
Total cost - 3.00 for bookmark


Ok - I have to stop - because the ideas are cramming my brain now and giving me a headache lol -
When you reach your 50's it hits you - I mean it really really hits you - that the cost of things mean nothing
It's the thought and the time and the love you put into things that matter - and they are the only things that matter.

So with love and thought and time - I wish all a wonderous 2012 - and hopefully someone can make use of one of the above ( and save a lot of money - tee hee )

as always,
xxx

My horoscope for 2012

From Astrology.com  for Taurus........................better get my paint brushes out - quick
xxx

You're in stellar standing in 2012, especially during the first half of the year. You'll definitely feel like the 'It' sign, with Mars and Jupiter doing your bidding. Your creativity is off the charts with the action planet, Mars, running an extended six-month stint in your sector of self-expression. Mars will be retrograde during the first quarter, which could create the illusion that not much is moving forward - and yet you've never felt more creative and inspired. Trust that all your inner preparation will meet with great rewards and forward motion.

Neptune had been causing some confusion about your professional identity over the past few years, but now that it will be leaving your career sector for good in February, clarity - if not a major epiphany - is coming. Write everything down, because breakthrough ideas will come like flashes of lightning and will be as easily forgotten as fast as they come. It's time to translate all the gifts of inspired creativity and vision that Neptune brought you over the past several years into flourishing future plans. The tragedy would be to keep all of these gifts locked up as mere potential.

When the big eclipse points hit your money and talent sector this summer, you'll see another huge wave of changes unfolding over the latter half of 2012. And since you can be the most stubborn of all signs when it comes to embracing the new, you may actually welcome this colossal cosmic push. There is no going back, Taurus - you're destined for bigger and more glamorous things (with many of them likely involving extensive travel). La Dolce Vita, baby!