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!

'Gentle reminder' can lead to a lifetime of saving

Often all it takes is the smallest reminder to make a huge difference. Having just turned 65 and now "eligible" to retire, I am not ready to do so either physically, emotionally or socially. I'm also frequently with younger people, who don't necessarily have the same basic foundation of budgeting that I was brought up with. With that in mind, I have taken to carrying around a subtle reminder of the cost of living which not only works for me, but will hopefully rub off on those around me.

My card wallet has a 'sticker' reminder, which says "$20? Is it worth one hour of work?" It's small and discreet, but effective! It also serves as a talking point when I am out and about with some of the younger ones and buying coffee or lunch. It's simple to make the label on the computer or by hand, then clear tape to the card wallet. Here's to some improved lifestyle options as I age further!

Super bake anything mix

Use this one basic mix to make scones, scrolls, pikelets, pancakes and waffles! It will save you heaps of time and heaps more money!

SUPER BAKE-ANYTHING MIX:

In a large Tupperware container, mix:

2 kg packet SR flour

2 tbs + 1 tsp salt

1/3 cup + 1 tbs + 1 tsp sugar.

SCONES:

In bowl, add two cups baking mix. Rub in 2 tbs butter until mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Stir in 3/4 to 1 cup of milk, until moist but not too sticky. Don't overmix. Roll lightly and cut into shapes with biscuit cutter. Place on lightly floured baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes until golden.

SCROLLS:

Complete mixture as for scones. Roll out with rolling pin until 1 cm thick. Spread with softened butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar and a little cinnamon. Roll up tightly from long edge. Cut scrolls into 2 cm slices. Bake on baking tray 10-12 minutes.

Variations: Use your favourite jam or make pizza scrolls using tomato paste, ham & cheese.

PIKELETS/PANCAKES/WAFFLES:

To two cups of mix, add one egg, 1+ cups of milk, 1 tbs oil. Beat together until thick but slightly runny. Makes small pikelets, large pancakes or waffles.

Storage not hard with spectacles case

Hard glasses cases are a great, cheap storage solution. I was looking for something to carry my make-up in for the holidays and my old hard case was perfect. It fitted everything I needed and the hard cover prevented any breakages. You also avoid the hassle of tipping out a soft make-up bag to find what you need! I then put the loose things in my glove box (screwdriver, scissors and pen) in another hard case and made myself a travelling tool kit. You could use them to store miniature sewing kits when travelling and much more. These cases are cheap to buy in second hand shops, and many are nicely decorated or you could do this yourself.